About three-quarters of the resources of Canada's Drug Strategy are directed towards enforcement-related efforts, despite a lack of scientific evidence to support this approach and little, if any, evaluation of the impacts of this investment. In this feature article, Kora deBeck, Evan Wood, Julio Montaner and Thomas Kerr report on a study that examined expenditures and activities related to the...

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Over the last 20 years, whether as an overarching concept, or as shorthand for specific interventions, ‘harm reduction’ has changed the way we think about and respond to drug problems in Europe. Debates continue today about what sort of interventions legitimately fall under the heading of harm reduction, and what value they bring. However, measures that reduce harm, but do not specifically atte...

Several studies assessed the relationship between depression and dimensions of temperament/character using the Cloninger's model of personality and the TCI-R. The aim of this study is clarify the relation between depression and personality in men and women who are expecting a baby. The Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised Form and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to 65 pre...

BACKGROUND Satisfaction with services represents a key component of the user's perspective, and user satisfaction surveys are the most commonly used approach to evaluate the aforementioned perspective. The aim of this discursive paper is to provide a critical overview of user satisfaction surveys in addiction treatment and harm reduction services, with a particular focus on opioid maintenance t...

BACKGROUND Rates of risky drinking among young Australians have increased substantially over the past 2 decades, resulting in significant community concern. OBJECTIVE To explore the social, cultural and economic contexts that underlie risky drinking among young people and the implications of these for general practitioners. DISCUSSION Effective strategies for reducing alcohol related harm a...

Harm reduction is a paradigm-shifting idea that has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of problem substance users. The essence of harm reduction is the recognition that treatment must start from the client's needs and personal goals and that all change that reduces the harms associated with substance use can be regarded as valuable. The paper presents harm reduction's rational...

There is an ongoing national debate around cannabis policy. This brief position statement by the Executive Committee of the Central Drug Authorityoutlines some of the factors that have contributed to this debate, delineates reduction strategies, summarises the harms and benefits ofmarijuana, and provides recommendations. These recommendations emphasise an integrated and evidence-based approach,...

Adolescents are developmentally sensitive to pathways that influence alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. In the absence of guidance, their routine engagement with social media may add a further layer of risk. There are several potential mechanisms for social media use to influence AOD risk, including exposure to peer portrayals of AOD use, socially amplified advertising, misinformation, and preda...