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Comprehensive Reviews

The burden of prenatal and early life maternal substance use among children at risk of maltreatment: A systematic review
Madeleine Powell, Rhiannon Pilkington, Bianca Varney, Alys Havard, John Lynch, Timothy Dobbins, Julee Oei, Tasnia Ahmed, Kathleen Falster
28 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13835

Self-change from problems with alcohol and drugs: A scoping review of the literature since 2010
Florian De Meyer, Nellie Bencherif, Clara De Ruysscher, Lou Lippens, Wouter Vanderplasschen
19 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13834

Young people's alcohol use in and around water: A scoping review of the literature
Renee N. Carey, Gemma Crawford, Jonine Jancey, Tina Lam, Lauren Nimmo, Gina Trapp, Christina Pollard, Paula Hooper, Justine E. Leavy
10 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13831

Approaches and reporting of alcohol and other drug testing for injured patients in hospital-based studies: A systematic review
Georgina Lau, Jia Y. Ang, Nayoung Kim, Belinda J. Gabbe, Biswadev Mitra, Paul M. Dietze, Sandra Reeder, Ben Beck
5 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13816

Review

Effectiveness of web-based personalised feedback interventions for reducing alcohol consumption among university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis
María Pueyo-Garrigues, Hannah Carver, Amy Parr, María Lavilla-Gracia, Cristina Alfaro-Díaz, Nuria Esandi-Larramendi, Navidad Canga-Armayor
10 April 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13848

Original Papers

The ‘missing’ in the ‘endgame’ of hepatitis C elimination: A qualitative study in New South Wales, Australia
Carla Treloar, Kari Lancaster, Tim Rhodes, Lise Lafferty, Joanne Bryant, Jake Rance
10 April 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13845

Cannabidiol use in France in 2022: Results from a nationwide representative sample of adults
Tangui Barré, Emmanuel Lahaie, Vincent Di Beo, Patrizia Carrieri, Raphaël Andler, Viêt Nguyen-Thanh, François Beck
1 April 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13842

Trends in purchasing cross-border, illicit and home-brewed alcohol: A population study in Great Britain, 2020–2023
Sarah E. Jackson, Melissa Oldham, Colin Angus, John Holmes, Jamie Brown
21 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13838

Prevalence and factors associated with polydrug use among clients seeking treatment for alcohol misuse
Samuel Lawson, Jamie Bryant, Megan Freund, Joshua Dizon, Paul S. Haber, Anthony Shakeshaft, Meryem Jefferies, Michael Farrell
10 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13833

Smartphone-delivered approach bias modification for reducing harmful drinking amongst middle–older age adults: Secondary analyses of a single-arm pilot study
Georgia L. Bolt, Hugh Piercy, Jennifer Bradshaw, Victoria Manning
5 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13827

Psychological predictors of vaping uptake among non-smokers: A longitudinal investigation of New Zealand adults
Tamlin S. Conner, Grace E. Teah, Chris G. Sibley, Robin M. Turner, Damian Scarf, Andre Mason
4 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13822

A multicentre case series of analytically confirmed gamma-hydroxybutyrate intoxications in Western Australian emergency departments: Pre-hospital circumstances, co-detections and clinical outcomes
Jennifer L. Smith, Shaun Greene, David McCutcheon, Courtney Weber, Ellie Kotkis, Jessamine Soderstrom, Bianca Douglas, Simon Lenton, Jodie Grigg, Paul Dessauer, Nadine Ezard, Daniel M. Fatovich, on behalf of the EDNA Investigators
1 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13830

Increases in the use of drug testing kits among nightclub and festival attendees in New York City who use ecstasy, 2017–2022
Nicole D. Fitzgerald, Joseph J. Palamar
26 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13829

Health utility among people who regularly use opioids in Australia
Anh Dam Tran, Jason Grebely, Mark Chambers, Louisa Degenhardt, Michael Farrell, Sahar Bajis, Briony Larance
25 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13823

Socio-economic inequities in emergency department visits for wholly alcohol-attributable acute and chronic harms in Canada, 2003–2017
Claire Benny, Erin Hobin, Alessandra T. Andreacchi, Naomi Schwartz, Brendan T. Smith
22 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13821

Characteristics, toxicology and major organ pathology of deaths due to acute alcohol toxicity in Australia, 2011–2022
Shane Darke, Johan Duflou, Amy Peacock, Agata Chrzanowska, Wing See Yuen, Michael Farrell, Julia Lappin
12 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13817

Differences in stigma reduction related to injection drug use between people expressing conservative, moderate and progressive values following an online intervention
Theresa Caruana, Loren Brener, Sarah K. Calabrese, Elena Cama, Carla Treloar, Timothy Broady
12 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13815

Policies for recovery from drug use: Differences between public stigma and perceived stigma and associated factors
Tingyu Luo, Shuping Xu, Kun Zhang
7 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13818

Alcoholic beverage types consumed by population subgroups in the United States: Implications for alcohol policy to address health disparities
Won Kim Cook, William C. Kerr, Yachen Zhu, Sophie Bright, Charlotte Buckley, Carolin Kilian, Aurelie M. Lasserre, Laura Llamosas-Falcón, Nina Mulia, Jürgen Rehm, Charlotte Probst
5 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13819

Brief Reports

Where do high-risk drinking occasions occur more often? A cross-sectional, cross-country study
Alexandra Torney, Robin Room, Heng Jiang, Taisia Huckle, John Holmes, Sarah Callinan
8 April 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13844

The absence of mandatory pregnancy warning labels in online alcohol purchasing contexts
Simone Pettigrew, Tazman Davies, Paula O'Brien, Bella Sträuli, Mark Petticrew, Jacquie Bowden
19 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13836

Adulteration and substitution of drugs purchased in Australia from cryptomarkets: An analysis of Test4Pay
Monica J. Barratt, Matthew Ball, Gabriel T. W. Wong, Angus Quinton
4 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13825

Effects of the Sacramento Neighborhood Alcohol Prevention Project on rates of child abuse and neglect 7 years post-implementation (1999–2010)
Bridget Freisthler, Jennifer Price Wolf
30 January 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13811

Commentary

Time to reconsider the best practice models of substance use care for young people
Maja L. Moensted, Sophia Little, Paul Haber, Carolyn Day
21 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13837

Case Series

Buprenorphine microdosing regimen using transdermal buprenorphine patches to transition from methadone to buprenorphine
Thileepan Naren, Jon Cook, Paul MacCartney, Dean Membrey
26 February 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13826

Letters to the Editor

More data on opioid diversion is needed
Leonora Regenstreif, Mel Kahan
26 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13840

Diverting attention away from novel approaches to preventing opioid overdose deaths
Carol Strike, Adrian Guta, Rose Schmidt
26 March 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13839

Upcoming Special Section - Vale Jude Byrne

Experiences of stigma and subsequent reduced access to health care among women who inject drugs
Loren Brener, Elena Cama, Timothy Broady, Mary Ellen Harrod, Carol Holly, Theresa Caruana, Kim Beadman, Carla Treloar
25 January 2024 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13806

The gendered violence of injecting-related stigma among relatively affluent, suburban women who inject drugs
George Christopher Dertadian, Theresa Caruana, Lisa Maher
12 November 2023 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13775

Information acquisition and dissemination among a sample of people who inject drugs in Australia
Rachel Sutherland, Amy Peacock, Sione Crawford, Carol Holly, Peta Gava, Jane Dicka, Geoff Manu, Jude Byrne
12 November 2023 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13765

SI-CBPAR: Towards structural indicators of community-based participatory action research
Beth E. Meyerson, Danielle M. Russell, Arlene Mahoney, Irene Garnett, Savannah Samorano
23 October 2023 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13764

Engaging families and parent advocates in research on substance use and drug policy reform: Guiding principles from a Canadian community-academic partnership
Rebecca J. Haines-Saah, Heather Morris, Petra Schulz, Emily Jenkins, Elaine Hyshka
22 August 2023 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13740

Enriching qualitative alcohol and other drug research by engaging lived experience peer researchers in a dual-interview approach: A case study
Amelia Berg, Leanne Francia, Tina Lam, Kirsty Morgan, Dan I. Lubman, Suzanne Nielsen
28 July 2023 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13724

Increasing linkage to hepatitis C care following trauma-informed rehabilitation: An education and quality improvement project among women
Agustina Crespi, Rafique Van Uum, Helen Lathouris, Chelsea Masterman, Kody Muncaster, Kayla Gaete, Camelia Capraru, Hemant Shah, Jordan J. Feld, Mia J. Biondi
13 July 2023 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13713

Factors associated with hepatitis C treatment uptake among females of childbearing age in New South Wales, Australia: A population-based study
Heather Valerio, Maryam Alavi, Alison D. Marshall, Behzad Hajarizadeh, Janaki Amin, Matthew Law, Shane Tillakeratne, Jacob George, Louisa Degenhardt, Jason Grebely, Gail V. Matthews, Gregory J. Dore
30 May 2023 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13688

Drug and Alcohol Review - Clinician's Corner

Vaping among young people – our best defence is self-defence

It's hard to recall a time when nicotine came under as much scrutiny as it has in the past few years. You may find yourself being arbitrarily categorised into one of two camps when it comes to views on e-cigarettes (the small battery-powered devices widely known as ‘vapes’): the pro-vapers or anti vapers. The tobacco harm reductionists or the child protectionists. Save the smokers or save the children?

In truth, behind this rather unfair dichotomy lies a common goal that we drug and alcohol clinicians and researchers share: to reduce harms associated with substance use.

So where do we find ourselves on the e-cigarette front in Australia? As we highlight in our commentary “Vaping among young people – our best defence is self-defence” [1], rates of e-cigarette use have risen sharply among young people in only a few years. Around 20-30% of young people (aged 16-24 years) report lifetime use of vapes [2, 3]. Daily use is around 5%. These figures may seem modest when viewed in isolation, but it is the staggering pace of the increase in use that is cause for concern: ever use has increased almost three-fold from 2013 to 2019 [4].

E-cigarettes were originally designed as a combustion-free nicotine delivery system to help smokers quit. The advent of these devices came as a welcome alternative to smokers who found conventional therapies ineffective and expensive. Recent evidence suggests that nicotine e-cigarettes may help people to quit, and are similarly as effective as conventional drugs varenicline and cytisine [5]. Understandably then, the Australian Government have made efforts to tread the fine line between tobacco harm reduction and prohibition by making nicotine e-cigarettes available to smokers as a quitting aid via a prescription-only pathway while “prevent[ing] adolescents and young adults from taking-up nicotine vaping products …” [6].

Unfortunately, this approach has abjectly failed. The prescription pathway is underused and a barely concealed black market for nicotine vapes has emerged. Most e-cigarette users, regardless of age or intent, access e-cigarettes via illicit means, including via convenience stores and petrol stations [3]. More concerningly still, reports of e-cigarette harms among young people have emerged and include acute and chronic respiratory harms [7], increased onset of anxiety and depression [8] disruptions to sleep [9] and academic performance [10].

If supply reduction is unlikely and nicotine vapes remain easily accessible, we must turn to effective demand reduction to reduce harms associated with e-cigarette use in Australia [1]. As we outline in our paper [1], e-cigarette prevention programs aim to support and empower young people by arming them with the skills, resources, confidence and self-efficacy needed to reject substances, to help provide support to friends with problematic substance use and to identify when they need to seek help. Specifically, such programs should:

• be embedded in school curricula (or other existing frameworks if provided in other settings, e.g. sporting clubs);
• form part of a broader drug and alcohol program and not be considered in isolation due to the strong interrelationship between substances;
• Focus on general psychosocial development and pro-social life skills, not on specific substances;
• Impart specific skills, such as problem solving, resistance and assertiveness skills;
• Be codesigned by peers.

The newly released NSW Ministry of Health Guide to Support Young People to Quit E-Cigarettes [11] may also assist clinicians and other practitioners to support young people who are seeking help with their e-cigarette use.  

Emily A. Stockings

The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

References

1. Stockings EA, Gardner LA, Newton NC. Vaping among young people-Our best defence is self-defence. Drug Alcohol Review. 2024;43:355-8.
2. Gardner LA, O'Dean S, Champion KE, Stockings, Rowe A-L, Teesson M et al. Prevalence, patterns of use, and socio-demographic features of e-cigarette use by Australian adolescents: a survey. Med J Aust. 2023;219:332-4.
3. Watts C, Egger S, Dessaix A, Brooks A, Jenkinson E, Grogan P et al. Vaping product access and use among 14–17-year-olds in New South Wales: a cross-sectional study. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2022;46:814-20.
4. Tobacco in Australia, 18.3 Prevalence of e-cigarette use. 2023.
5. Lindson N, Theodoulou A, Ordóñez-Mena JM, Fanshawe TR, Sutton AJ, Livingstone-Banks J, et al. Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta‐analyses. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;9:CD015226.
6. The Therapeutic Goods Administration. Nicotine vaping product access. 2022 [cited 11 May 2023]. Available from: https://www.tga.gov.au/products/medicines/prescription-medicines/nicotine-vaping-products-hub/nicotine-vaping-product-access#:~:text=On%2021%20December%202020%2C%20the,nicotine%20pods%20and%20liquid%20nicotine.
7. McConnell R, Barrington-Trimis JL, Wang K, Urman R, Hong H, Unger J et al. Electronic cigarette use and respiratory symptoms in adolescents. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2017;195:1043-9.
8. Lechner WV, Janssen T, Kahler CW, Audrain-McGovern J, Leventhal AM. Bi-directional associations of electronic and combustible cigarette use onset patterns with depressive symptoms in adolescents. Prev Med. 2017;96:73-8.
9. Merianos AL, Jandarov RA, Choi K, Fiser KA, Mahabee-Gittens EM. Combustible and electronic cigarette use and insufficient sleep among U.S. high school students. Prev Med. 2021;147:106505.
10. Dearfield CT, Chen-Sankey JC, McNeel TS, Bernat DH, Choi K. E-cigarette initiation predicts subsequent academic performance among youth: Results from the PATH Study. Prev Med. 2021;153:106781.
11. NSW Ministry of Health, Guide to Support Young People to Quit E-Cigarettes, Centre for Population Health, Editor. 2023: St Leonards. p. 27 September 2023.