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Volume 102, Issue 1, Page 62-70, Jan 2007.
ABSTRACT Context The concept that assessment of a person's health status without subsequent intervention has beneficial effects in itself has stimulated much interest in underlying psychological mechanisms, methodological implications and its public heal...
Use of crystal methamphetamine among gay men in London
Among gay men in London surveyed in clinics, approximately one in ten reported using crystal methamphetamine in the preivous 12 months. Most men used it infrequently. There is no evidence of increasing use of crystal meth between 2003 and 2005.
These findings suggest that motivational interviewing may not work equally well for all types of psychotic disordered dually diagnosed patients.
Aims: To investigate the influence of product packaging of ready to drink (RTD), or pre-mixed drinks, and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages on the palatability ratings of adolescents and adults. Respondents were interviewed at their own schools or a campus of the University of NSW. The experiment tested palatability ratings in blind and non-blind conditions with a selection of 12- to 30-year-old Australians (140 adolescents and 210 adults) from seven private schools across NSW and students from the University of NSW and Macquarie University. Methods: Beverage palatability was measured utilizing an interval ratio scale from 1 to 7 before and after packaging was presented. Views on whether the beverage packaging was designed to appeal to the participant were also analysed. Results: In general, the alcoholic beverage packaging was thought to be designed to appeal more to adults and palatability ratings significantly increased in the non-blind conditions. In contrast, the Bacardi Breezer packaging was especially palatable to younger participants. Conclusions: Although most alcoholic beverage packaging was not of particular appeal to adolescents, some RTD beverages may be appealing more to adolescents. Unlike other alcoholic products, the difference in palatability ratings for the Bacardi Breezer, from blind to non-blind conditions, was greater for younger participants.
Aim: This paper describes adolescents' exposure to alcohol advertising in stores and to alcohol-branded promotional items and their association with self-reported drinking. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered in non-tracked required courses to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders (n = 2125) in three California middle schools. Logistic regressions compared the odds of ever (vs. never) drinking and current (vs. ever) drinking after controlling for psychosocial and other risk factors for adolescent alcohol use. Results: Two-thirds of middle school students reported at least weekly visits to liquor, convenience, or small grocery stores where alcohol advertising is widespread. Such exposure was associated with higher odds of ever drinking, but was not associated with current drinking. One-fifth of students reported owning at least one alcohol promotional item. These students were three times more likely to have ever tried drinking and 1.5 times more likely to report current drinking than students without such items. Conclusions: This study provides clear evidence of an association of adolescent drinking with weekly exposure to alcohol advertising in stores and with ownership of alcohol promotional items. Given their potential influence on adolescent drinking behaviour, retail ads, and promotional items for alcohol deserve further study.
Warning About Abuse of Benzylpiperazine
Benzylpiperazine, a chemical cousin of ecstasy, could emerge as a new drug of abuse, according to a leading toxicologist.
Impact of parental history of substance use disorders on the clinical course of anxiety disorders
Background: Among the psychological difficulties seen in children of parents with substance use problems, the anxiety disorders are among the most chronic conditions. Although children of alcoholic parents often struggle with the effects of parental substance use problems long into adulthood, empirical investigations of the influence of parental substance use disorders on the course of anxiety disorders in adult offspring are rare. The purpose of this study was to examine prospectively the relationship between parental substance use disorders and the course of anxiety disorders in adulthood over the course of 12 years. Methods: Data on 618 subjects were derived from the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Research Project (HARP), a longitudinal naturalistic investigation of the clinical course of multiple anxiety disorders. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were used to calculate probabilities of time to anxiety disorder remission and relapse. Proportional hazards regressions were conducted to determine whether the likelihood of remission and relapse for specific anxiety disorders was lower for those who had a history of parental substance use disorders than for individuals without this parental history. Results: Adults with a history of parental substance use disorders were significantly more likely to be divorced and to have a high school level of education. History of parental substance use disorder was a significant predictor of relapse of social phobia and panic disorders. Conclusions: These findings provide compelling evidence that adult children of parents with substance use disorders are more likely to have relapses of social phobia and panic disorders. Clinicians who treat adults with anxiety disorders should assess parental substance use disorders and dependence histories. Such information may facilitate treatment planning with regards to their patients level of vulnerability to perceive scrutiny by others in social situations, and ability to maintain a long-term panic-free state.
