College On Problems Of Drug Dependence Research Articles

CPDD election results

The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) has a new president‐elect: Wendy Lynch Ph.D., of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. The results of the 2024 Officers and Board of Directors election also included new board members Cecelia Bergeria Ph.D. of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bethea “Annie” Kleykamp Ph.D. of the University of Maryland, Aron Lichtman Ph.D. of Virginia Commonwealth University, and Judith Tsui M.D. of the University of Washington.

News and Notes

The election manifesto of the Liberal Party, recently elected in Canada, stated “We will legalise, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana. Canada's current system of marijuana prohibition does not work. It does not prevent young people from using marijuana and too many Canadians end up with criminal records for possessing small amounts of the drug.” The new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, has instructed Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to begin the process of legalizing and regulating cannabis in Canada by “working with the Ministers of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and Health, create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will lead to the legalization and regulation of marijuana.” Sources: https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/marijuana https://www.civilized.life/trudeau-gives-justice-minister-mandate-to-legalize-1453717497.html A European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Abuse (EMCDDA) Insight report provides an analysis of the available information on the prevalence and treatment of comorbid drug use and mental disorders in Europe, drawing on data provided by national focal points. The report also provides a review of the theoretical background of comorbidity and the main instruments available to assess comorbid mental disorders among drug users. Source: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_245096_EN_TDXD15019ENN.pdf The Telegraph reports that alcohol prohibition will be introduced to Bihar in northern India from 1 April 2016. Bihar is India's third-most populous state and the ban will affect nearly 100 million people. Bihar's Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, said he was honouring the pledge he made to women's groups ahead of recent state elections. “Women in the state started an anti-liquor campaign,” said Kumar, announcing the ban. Kumar added, “Increasing liquor consumption was a major cause for domestic violence, particularly against women, and had contributed to a rise in crimes.” Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/12018930/Alcohol-ban-third-largest-Indian-state-of-Bihar-to-begin-next-year.html The court of The Hague has ruled against the Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation in its case against the Dutch State over illegal contacts of the government with the tobacco industry and its lobby. The case argued that the Dutch government was not complying with Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The article requires that “in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law.” The court judged that legally the Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation is not in a position to request that the Dutch government complies with the article. But the Dutch government sent a policy document called ‘Clarification implementation Article 5.3 WHO-Framework Convention’ to both chambers of the Dutch Parliament just days before the case was heard. “Of course it is disappointing that the court didn't rule otherwise, but nonetheless this case has yielded a lot,” said Wanda de Kanter, co-founder and chair of the Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation. “Although the wording of the document is at some points a little vague, it is now written down how government at all levels – national, regional and local – must behave in relation to the tobacco industry. That document is here to stay, indifferent from today's court ruling.” she added, “It means that from now on the doors of government are closed for the tobacco industry and its lobbyists.” Source: http://ash.org/court-case-against-dutch-state/ The Huffington Post reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a nasal-spray version of naloxone in November. The nasal version, commonly sold as Narcan, will make it easier to administer naloxone and less intimidating than the previously approved injectable form. “Combating the opioid abuse epidemic is a top priority for the FDA,” said Stephen Ostroff, acting FDA commissioner, “We cannot stand by while Americans are dying. While naloxone will not solve the underlying problems of the opioid epidemic, we are speeding to review new formulations that will ultimately save lives that might otherwise be lost to drug addiction and overdose.” Robert Childs, executive director for the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, said the new nasal-naloxone model could be a ‘‘game changer for overall access.’’ Sources: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fda-naloxone-heroin-overdose_564dec69e4b031745cf008ec https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2015/11/fda-approves-naloxone-nasal-spray-to-reverse-opioid-overdose The New Zealand Herald reports that the police in New Zealand attach conditions to the release to academics of publicly-owned crime data, which has led to a debate about academic freedom being under threat. The police contract with researchers includes an obligation for academics to show police a draft of their work and to work on ‘‘negative results’’ with police to ‘‘improve its outcomes,” and threatens a ‘‘blacklist’’ for those not complying. The contract also grants police the ‘‘sole right to veto from release any project findings that relate to NZ Police or any privileged NZ Police information,” with consideration to security issues or any potential impact on police inquiries, operations, prosecution or public safety. The New Zealand Green Party police spokesman David Clendon said Police Minister Michael Woodhouse and Justice Minister Amy Adams needed to explain why the police set such conditions. ‘‘Basic data about offending - I would have thought that would be readily available,” Mr Clendon said. The contract issue emerged in a disagreement between the police and University of Canterbury lecturer Dr Jarrod Gilbert, a criminologist seeking data on crimes committed near licensed liquor outlets in Christchurch. Dr Gilbert was denied access to the data because he was considered ‘‘associated with gangs.’’ In a statement, police strategy deputy chief executive Mark Evans said police placed ‘‘a high value on academic research’’ and that the police had contacted Dr Gilbert to say ‘‘that further consideration will be given to our decision regarding the security clearance (police vetting) check.’’ Mr Evans added, ‘‘Our priority is always to ensure that an appropriate balance is drawn between the privacy of individuals and academic freedom. To date police have not prevented access by any academic under this clause in the agreement.’’ Sources: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11551016 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/74381812/Dr-Jarrod-Gilbert-Police-trying-to-control-research Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled that growing, possessing and smoking cannabis is legal under the right of “free development of personality.” The ruling comes in a case brought to the court by four people in the Mexican Society for Responsible and Tolerant Personal Use. The plaintiffs want to form a cannabis club and grow and smoke their own cannabis. According to Latino Fox News if the court rules the same way on five similar petitions, it would then establish the precedent to change the law and allow general recreational use. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said in a speech that “for me, it would not be desirable, I am not in favor of an eventual legalization of marijuana.” Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34726693 http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/11/10/after-court-ruling-on-medical-marijuana-mexico-pena-nieto-just-says-no-to-legal/ Substance Use Disorders: A Comprehensive Review and Update, 14-16 February 2016, Orlando, Florida, USA. Website: http://mghcme.org/courses/course-detail/substance_use_disorders_a_comprehensive_review_and_update American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) 32nd Annual Meeting, 18-21 February 2016, Palm Springs, California, USA. Website: http://www.painmed.org/annualmeeting/main.aspx Preventive Medicine 2016 (American College of Preventive Medicine), 24-27 February 2016, Washington, DC, USA. Website: http://www.acpm.org/events/event_details.asp?id=596311 Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) 22cd Annual Meeting, 2-5 March 2016, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Website: https://www.srnt.org/conferences/index.cfm American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT) 2016 Annual Meeting, 8-12 March 2016, San Diego, California, USA. Website: http://www.ascpt.org/ASCPT-2016-Annual-Meeting 24th European Congress of Psychiatry, 12-15 March 2016, Madrid, Spain. Website: http://www.epa-congress.org/ Society of Behavioral Medicine 37th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions, 30 March - 2 April 2016, Washington, DC, USA. Website: http://www.sbm.org/meetings/2016 American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 47th Annual Conference, 14-17 April 2016, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Website: http://www.asam.org/education/live-and-online-cme/the-asam-annual-conference Addiction Medicine 2016 Conference, 22-23 April 2016, Asheville, North Carolina, USA. Website: http://addictionmedicine.sa4docs.org/#&panel1-3 UK and European Symposium on Addictive Disorders (UKESAD), 2-4 May 2016, London, UK. Website: http://www.ukesad.com/ American Psychiatric Association (APA) 169th Annual Meeting, 14-18 May 2016, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Website: http://annualmeeting.psychiatry.org/ National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) Annual Leadership Conference, 15-17 May 2015, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Website: https://www.naatp.org/events/annual-conference/ Society of Clinical Trials 37th Annual Meeting, 15-18 May 2016, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Website: http://www.sctweb.org/public/meetings/2016/home.cfm International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) 10th Annual Conference, 16-18 May 2016, Sydney, Australia. Website: http://www.issdp2016.com/ The Australian and New Zealand Addiction Conference 2016, 18-20 May 2016, Gold Coast, Australia. Website: http://addictionaustralia.org.au/ 12th European Opiate Addiction Treatment Association Conference (EUROPAD), 27-29 May 2016, Leiden, The Netherlands. Website: http://www.europad.org/europad16.php Kettil Bruun Society (KBS) 42nd Annual Meeting, 30 May - 3 June 2016, Stockholm, Sweden. Website: http://www.kettilbruun.org/ 2016 National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) International Forum, 10-13 June 2016, Palm Springs, California, USA. Website: http://www.drugabuse.gov/international/international-forum The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 78th Annual Meeting, 11-16 June 2016, Palm Springs, California, USA. Website: http://www.cpdd.org/ 39th Annual Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) Scientific Meeting, 25-29 June 2016, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Website: http://www.rsoa.org/2016meet-indexAbs.htm The International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC), 10-14 July 2016, Bath, UK. Website: http://www.inrcworld.org/2016/2016mtg.htm 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016), 17-22 July 2016, Durban, South Africa. Website: http://www.aids2016.org/ International Conference and Exhibition on Dual Diagnosis, 21-22 July 2016, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Website: http://dualdiagnosis.conferenceseries.com/#sthash.FlWaH3JS.dpuf International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) Annual Meeting, 25-27 July 2016, Windsor, UK. Website: http://www.parint.org/isajewebsite/meetings2016.htm 29th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress, 17-20 September 2016, Vienna, Austria. Website: http://www.ecnp-congress.eu/ Global Addiction Conference, 13-15 October 2016, Venice, Italy. Website: http://www.globaladdiction.org/ 21st International Council on Alcohol, Drugs, and Traffic Safety Conference, 16-19 October 2016, Gramado, Brazil. Website: http://www.t2016.org/ American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) 2016 Conference, 29 October - 2 November 2016, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Website: http://www.aatod.org/2016-aatod-conference-baltimore/ The Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) 2016 Conference, 30 October – 2 November 2016, Sydney, Australia. Website: http://www.apsad.org.au/apsad-conference/current-conference 9th European Public Health Conference, 9-12 November 2016, Vienna, Austria. Website: http://ephconference.eu/ News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to John Witton, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax +44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail john.witton@kcl.ac.uk Conference entries should be sent to Jean O'Reilly at jean@addictionjournal.org. Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear.

Nancy Kishlar Mello.

On 25 November 2013, the neuroscience community lost a wonderful friend and colleague when Dr Nancy Kishlar Mello died. On both personal and professional levels, Nancy enriched our lives and contributed directly and indirectly to our careers. Nancy's passing has a special meaning to members of ACNP, an organization to which she actively contributed since 1969. Over the years she served as a member and chair of the Committee On the Use Of Animals in Neuropsychopharmacology, was a member of Council, participated on the editorial board of our journal, and was a member of the Ethics Committee. She and her scientific partner and husband, Jack Mendelson, were always available at meetings for advice and consultation, thereby enriching the careers of many young scientists and members of ACNP. On a personal level, Nancy and Jack taught me that science is about more than numbers and statistics. Much of the work that is accomplished in our field reflects developing and maintaining an open mind, a willingness to learn from others, the ability to face one's own constant need to learn more, a dedication to teaching young colleagues, and the good fortune to have the opportunity of forming close interpersonal relationships and learning important lessons from our friends. Nancy was stellar at these skills, and many of my fondest memories of her involve our informal walks, sharing a good glass of red wine on a cold evening, and dinners with her and Jack. They became cherished friends to my wife Judy and I, as well as professional colleagues for decades. During my career I probably learned more about the personality of science from Nancy and Jack than almost anyone else, and I am sure that I am not alone in that sentiment. After reading her work for years, I met Nancy in 1975 when she and Jack agreed to speak at one of the inaugural symposia sponsored by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington, where I had recently been appointed director. Nancy's lecture was filled with fine science, and the university (and I personally) benefitted greatly from her presentation and her informal consultations. That visit was the beginning of a long, close, and warm relationship that seemed to immediately reestablish itself whenever we were together again, and remained a lifelong mainstay. Nancy received her Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 1960, after which she spent 2 years as a Research Fellow in Psychology in several Harvard University laboratories, eventually becoming Director of the Operant Conditioning Section of the Stanley Cobb Laboratories for Psychiatric Research. She remained with Harvard until 1967, when she joined the National Institutes of Health, becoming an integral part of a series of institutions that ultimately became the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), including the National Center for Prevention and Control of Alcoholism, and the Division of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In 1974, Nancy moved to the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Center at McLean Hospital and the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School, remaining at these institutions until her recent death. Nancy's CV lists more than 400 publications, which have appeared in almost every major journal and influential textbook in our field. She is perhaps best known for her meticulous research with drug self-administration in a series of animal models, primarily with rhesus monkeys. The substances of interest included alcohol, cocaine, cannabis, and nicotine. Through her work, we have improved our understanding of brain physiology regarding alcohol and drugs, hormonal effects of substances, and improved our knowledge in the understudied questions related to substance use and problems in women. She and Jack were among the first to carry out similar alcohol and drug administration studies in humans dating back to 1966, including seminal studies regarding self-administration of alcohol, cannabis, and cocaine. These explorations across species have combined to add important information to many aspects of our knowledge of the impact of alcohol and drugs and established the basis for future prevention and treatment. Nancy's intimate understanding of the physiological aspects of substance use has facilitated evaluation of a range of medications as potential therapies for substance use disorders. These have included anatabine for smoking, along with drugs potentially useful in the treatment of stimulant dependence, including lofexidine and modafinil. She was one of the few investigators in our field to address the challenges involved in evaluating the effects and potential treatments related to concomitant use of multiple drugs, including her work on combinations of opioids and stimulants. During her highly productive and busy career, Nancy was generous in her efforts to facilitate the publications of others. In addition to her role as co-editor of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, she had leadership roles at numerous other journals. At the same time she worked on multiple NIH-related committees and task forces, was a member of the President's Biomedical Research Panel, an active contributor to the ACNP and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD). She received many well-earned honors, including memberships in the Nominating Committee for the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine, the NIDA Board of Scientific Counselors, the Research Society on Alcohol Distinguished Research Award, the AMERSA Betty Ford Award, and both the Marian W. Fischman and Nathan B. Eddy Awards from CPDD. In the midst of our sadness, it is important to remember that we have the opportunity of sharing our appreciation of all of the wonderful things that Nancy Mello has done for our field. Her stellar career began in earnest in the 1960 s, a time when women in science faced unique and daunting challenges. Despite these obstacles, she led the way toward future improvements in our understanding and treatment of alcohol and drug use disorders. We are grateful to her not only for her scientific accomplishments, but for paving the way for the women in science who followed her, and enriching our lives with her friendship and unstinting support of young people entering our field. This memorial is based on an editorial originally published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 2014; 75(1): 191–192.

Stephen G Holtzman

Stephen G Holtzman passed away in Conover, North Carolina on 23 April 2011 at the age of 68. He was an outstanding neuroscientist and mentor, and past president of three professional societies. Steve was born in Brooklyn, New York and received his BS degree in pharmacy from Columbia University in 1965. He pursued graduate studies in pharmacology at the University of Michigan, conducted research in the laboratory of Julian Villarreal, and received his PhD in 1969. Steve joined the Department of Pharmacology at Emory University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow in 1969 and rapidly rose to the rank of full professor. Steve had a celebrated research career as a faculty member in the Department of Pharmacology at Emory, and as collaborative scientist at the Yerkes Regional Primate Center, until his retirement in 2007. Steve Holtzman's research career is highlighted by many seminal contributions to understanding the pharmacological actions of opioids and opioid antagonists. He employed quantitative behavioral models to reveal drug actions at the neuronal level that underlie tolerance, sensitization, physical dependence, and withdrawal. He was a pioneer in the use of drug discrimination procedures to investigate the pharmacological properties of opioids. As just two examples, he identified the opioid receptor subtype involved in mediating the discriminative effects of morphine, one of his most highly cited findings, and he used the three-choice drug discrimination paradigm to differentiate the stimulus properties of psychomimetic opioids from phencyclidine. His scientific publications from 1970 to 1990s contributed significantly to the widespread adoption of drug discrimination methodology to study drug-receptor interactions in behaving rodents and non-human primates; this model continues to have a key role in the preclinical development of new drugs for use in psychiatry, and drug and alcohol dependence. Although his research concentrated on the consequences of chronic administration of opioids, he also contributed to understanding the actions of psychomotor stimulants and the role of the dopamine system in the development of tolerance. In a study of the interaction of naloxone with 𝒟-amphetamine on avoidance responding, locomotor activity, and food intake, Steve identified an unanticipated action of the opioid antagonist; naloxone suppressed food intake. This finding, which presaged the discovery of the endogenous opioid peptides, opened a new field of study into the role of opioid peptides and their receptor subtypes in the regulation of eating and drinking behavior, and became Steve's most cited article. Steve Holtzman published over 230 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, and was recognized internationally for his careful pharmacological and behavioral approaches to studies of drugs of abuse. As a member of many professional societies in pharmacology and neuroscience, Steve contributed a lifetime of service to the scientific community. He was an Emeritus member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (accepted as member into the college in 1994). He was elected President of the Society for the Stimulus Properties of Drugs in 1991. He was dedicated in his commitment to the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) where he served on the Board of Directors, was on numerous committees, including two terms as Treasurer, and was elected President in 1997. He was proud to serve as President of the Division for Neuropharmacology of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, as a member of numerous committees, and as President of ASPET in 2004. Steve also served on several editorial boards, including those of the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Psychopharmacology, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Neuropsychopharmacology, and as editor of the News and Views section of Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Steve had a remarkable 42-year record of continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, including a National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) MERIT award, Research Scientist Development awards, and Senior Scientist awards. He served several terms on NIDA study sections, including the training and career development committee. At Emory, Steve was well known as an outstanding research mentor. He trained 18 graduate students and mentored 21 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom developed their own productive and influential careers in biomedical research in academia, industry, professional societies, or the federal government. James O'Callaghan, Steve's first doctoral student, and I coordinated mentee dinners at the Society for Neuroscience meetings to celebrate Steve's mentorship and scientific achievements. Steve was especially fond of these gatherings with his mentees and wife, Yung-Fong. In recognition of his commitment to mentoring and career development, Steve was selected as the CPDD Mentorship Award recipient in 2011; his wife and son accepted the award for Steve posthumously at the June CPDD meeting. Steve Holtzman will be remembered for his scientific achievement, mentorship, graciousness, and dry wit. Steve was a beloved husband to Yung-Fong Sung, MD, an accomplished physician scientist and emeritus professor at Emory University School of Medicine and his companion of nearly 43 years. He was the proud father of Adrian Wei Holtzman, MD and his daughter-in-law Allison Zelski Holtzman, MD, both practicing physicians in Hickory, NC and a loving grandfather to Costen James, Elizabeth Sung, Luke JZ, and David Stephen, who shares Steve's birthday on August 14. With his passing, those of us who had the privilege of knowing and working with Steve have lost a cherished friend and colleague.

News and Notes

AddictionVolume 105, Issue 4 p. 762-765 Free Access News and Notes Compiled by Peter Miller, Jean O'Reilly and Molly Jarvis First published: 10 March 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.02963.xAboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat ADDICTION WELCOMES NEW DEPUTY COMMISSIONING EDITORS It is with great pleasure that we welcome the appointments of Dr Roger Meyer and Dr Nancy Petry as Addiction's first Deputy Commissioning Editors. Dr Meyer has served Addiction as an Assistant Editor since 1998 and is a Partner and CEO of Best Practice Project Management, Inc. He is a 1962 graduate of Harvard Medical School, served at the Center for Studies of Narcotics and Drug Abuse, and later formed the NIDA-funded Center for the Study of Opiate Addiction in Boston. Dr. Meyer was Professor and Chair of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, developing the NIAAA-funded Alcohol Research Center (1978–1993). In addition to his position with Best Practice, Dr Meyer is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Petry has served Addiction as an Assistant Editor since 2002 and is Professor and Director of the Behavioral Cardiovascular Prevention, Calhoun Cardiology Center, Department of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, as well as Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry. She conducts research on behavioral treatments for a range of addictive disorders and has research interests related to impulsivity. Her work is funded by NIDA, NIMH, and NIAAA. Dr Petry serves as a consultant and advisor for the National Institute of Health, and she is on the editorial boards of seven academic journals. We welcome both Dr Petry and Dr Meyer to the commissioning team and would particularly like to thank our many esteemed colleagues who expressed interest in the post. TOBACCO DISPLAY BAN LAWS APPROVED IN SCOTLAND Scottish MPs have passed the Tobacco and Primary Medical Services Bill, which will end the open display of tobacco in shops, ban cigarette vending machines and introduce a registration scheme for retailers. Anti-smoking body ASH Scotland backed the government's position that the move would reduce the 15 000 youngsters in Scotland who started smoking every year. Predictably, spokespeople for shopkeepers and manufacturers said the measures were unjustified and costly to small retailers. Large retailers have until 2011 to implement the ban, while smaller shops have been given a 2013 deadline. Source: BBC News, 27 January 2010 UK COUNCIL WANTS TO TAX TOBACCO COMPANIES FOR CITY'S CLEANUP COSTS Manchester Council has come out in support of a report to the government that recommends taxing tobacco giants and giving revenues to local authorities to help them keep their streets clean. The report, entitled Waste Strategy for England 2007 and prepared by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, includes calls on the government to ‘assess the practicalities of applying a small “clean-up” levy to products, including smoking materials, drinks and confectionary including chewing gum, which, together with their packaging, contribute the largest volumes of litter.’ Manchester Council spends an estimated £1.5m per year to rid its streets of cigarette litter. Source: Manchester Evening News, 26 January 2010 Waste Strategy for England 2007 is available at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmenvfru/230/230i.pdf NIDA INTRODUCES SUBSTANCE ABUSE RESOURCES FOR USE IN MEDICAL EDUCATION The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has unveiled a series of new teaching tools for medical doctors through its Centers of Excellence for Physician Information Program (NIDA CoEs). The new curriculum resources provide information on substance abuse, addiction and its consequences to help meet the educational needs of medical students, residents and medical school faculty. The first wave of CoE offerings follow three main themes: the importance of communication in the doctor-patient relationship; the recognition that substance abuse may play an integral role in many disorders; and physicians' abilities to identify substance abuse in their patients and reduce their risk of developing substance use disorders. More information on the NIDA CoE resources can be found at: http://www.drugabuse.gov/coe AUSTRALIA SURGES INTO THE TOP 10 OF GLOBAL GAMBLING Figures from the makers of gaming machines show Australia in the top 10 international gambling centres, with one poker machine for every 110 people and 186 344 gaming machines in pubs, clubs and hotels across the country. First place went to Monaco, which has one machine for every 16 people. While Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said he hates ‘pokies’ and the damage they do to families, and wants to come down hard on problem gambling, he faces fierce opposition from the states and territories and the powerful gaming industry. State governments in Australia are the largest single beneficiaries from the gaming industry and have shown little inclination to reduce revenues gained from problem gamblers throughout the current inquiry being held by the Australian Productivity Commission. The Commission has recently proposed cutting cash payments to $250 from the present $2000 limit, banning ATMs from all venues and increasing the present shutdown limit for poker machines from six hours a day in a bid to fix problem gambling. Source: Stephanie Peatling, One pokie for every 110 of us. The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 January 2010. CANADIAN COURT UPHOLDS RULING IN FAVOUR OF VANCOUVER'S SUPERVISED INJECTION FACILITY The British Columbia Court of Appeal in Canada has upheld a lower court ruling from 2009 that granted InSite, a supervised injection facility, an ongoing exemption from certain provisions of Canada's drug laws prohibiting possession and trafficking of controlled substances. The Court declared those provisions of Canada's law constitutionally invalid insofar as they apply to the users and site operators of Insite. Since taking power, the conservative government has tried to close the centre, despite strong community support and a substantial body of evidence supporting its effectiveness. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said he strongly supports the ruling and the continued operation of InSite to improve the lives of drug addicts. Former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen also praised the ruling and predicted similar safe-injection sites will appear in other Canadian cities. The federal government has announced it will appeal the BC Court of Appeal's 2-1 ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada. Source: Vancouver Sun, 15 January 2010 CHINESE DRUG REHABILITATION INCLUDES INCARCERATION, PHYSICAL ABUSE, AND FORCED LABOUR Human Rights Watch has released a report, ‘Where Darkness Knows No Limits’, that documents how China's June 2008 Anti-Drug Law compounds the health risks of suspected illicit drug users by allowing Chinese authorities to incarcerate them for up to seven years with no access to effective drug dependency treatment. The report, based on research in the Yunnan and Guangxi provinces, documents how some detainees are routinely beaten and forced to work up to 18 hours a day without pay. Half a million people are confined within compulsory drug detention centres in China at any given time, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Human Rights Watch did identify some progress however, stating that over the past decade the Chinese government has promoted some harm reduction strategies in response to high rates of drug use and HIV/AIDS, including community-based methadone therapy and needle exchange programs. In March 2009 a high-ranking government official stated, ‘The Chinese Government maintains that drug treatment and rehabilitation should proceed in a people-oriented way’. Source: International Drug Policy Consortium: http://www.idpc.net/publications/china-hrw-darkness-knows-no-limits Report available at: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2010/01/07/where-darkness-knows-no-limits NEW BOOK: CANNABIS POLICY: MOVING BEYOND STALEMATE A new book published by the Beckley Foundation and Oxford University Press points to the comprehensive failure of cannabis prohibition policies and calls for a new approach to cannabis policy. Researched and written by a group of the world's leading drug policy analysts, Cannabis Policy: Moving beyond Stalemate gives an overview of the latest scientific evidence surrounding cannabis and calls for an evidence-based approach to policy that seeks to minimize the harms associated with use of that drug. It explores four possible routes of change, including depenalisation, decriminalization, partial legality, and a regulated market. It also describes how countries can legally overcome the restrictions of current international conventions and provides a new Draft Framework Convention on Cannabis Control. A crucial conclusion of the book is that there appears to be no apparent link between cannabis policy—whether draconian or liberal—and prevalence of use. Thus, liberal approaches may be preferable, as they minimise the adverse consequences arising from the law and its enforcement. Source: The Beckley Foundation Press, http://www.beckleyfoundation.com/beckley_press/cannabis.html DRINKS COMPANIES DELAYED PUBLICATION OF ANALYSIS OF MARKETING PRACTICES The British Medical Journal reports that drinks companies and their advertising agencies tried to persuade the UK House of Commons Health Select Committee to keep under wraps many of the internal documents setting out their marketing strategies [1]. The industry representatives argued that many of the documents handed over to the committee as part of its recent inquiry into alcohol were confidential and commercially sensitive. But after a brief delay to allow the companies to make their representations, the committee decided to give the go-ahead for publication of the paper analysing the documents, which it commissioned from Gerard Hastings and colleagues at the Institute for Social Marketing at Stirling University [2]. The paper suggests that the UK's self regulatory code for alcohol advertising is not working and drew predictable backlash from industry groups such as the Portman Group. In the same issue, the BMJ ran an exposé on the Portman Group and discussed drinks industry tactics that try to influence policy more broadly [3,4]. References 1 Dyer C. Drinks companies delayed publication of analysis of marketing practices. BMJ 2010; 340: c453. 2 Hastings G., Brooks O., Stead M., Angus K., Anker T., Farrell, T. Failure of self regulation of UK alcohol advertising. BMJ 2010; 340: b5650. 3 Harkins C. The Portman Group. BMJ 2010; 340: b5659. 4 Groves T. Preventing alcohol related harm to health. BMJ 2010; 340: c372. SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH IN NICOTINE AND TOBACCO (SRNT) PRESIDENCY Addiction's Editor-in-Chief Robert West has been elected as President of the SRNT. He will serve as President-Elect during 2010, then serve as President in 2011 and finish with a year as Past-President. This will provide a great opportunity to forge closer links and explore symbiosis between the Society for the Study of Addiction and the SRNT and between Addiction and the SRNT's journal, Nicotine and Tobacco Research. CONFERENCES AND EVENTS Society of Behavioural Medicine 31st Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, 7–10 April 2010, Seattle Sheraton, Seattle, Washington, USA. Website: http://www.sbm.org/meeting/2010/ American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 41st Annual Medical-Scientific Conference, 15–18 April 2010, San Francisco, California, USA. Website: http://www.asam.org/AnnualMeeting.html The Royal College of General Practitioners 15th National Conference: Working with Drug and Alcohol Users in Primary Care, 22–23 April 2010, SECC, Glasgow, UK. Website: http://www.smmgp.org.uk/html/rcgpconference.php#2010 Harm Reduction 2010: IHRA's 21st International Conference, 25–29 April 2010, Liverpool, England. Website: http://www.ihra.net/Liverpool/Home 32nd Annual Substance Abuse Librarians & Information Specialists (SALIS) Conference, 27–30 April 2010, New York City, New York, USA. Website: http://salis.org/conference/conference.html National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers Annual Conference, 22–25 May 2010, La Cantera Resort, San Antonio, Texas, USA. Website: http://www.naatp.org/conferences/annualconference.php The American Psychiatric Association's 2010 Annual Meeting, 22–26 May 2010, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Website: http://www.neworleanscvb.com/mini/index.cfm/minisiteID/47/hit/1/ Association for Psychological Science 22cd Annual Convention, 27-10 May 2010, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Website: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/convention/ 36th Annual Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society, 31 May–4 June 2010, Lausanne, Switzerland. Website: http://www.kbs2010.ch/ The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) 18th Annual Meeting: Cells to Society: Prevention at All Levels, 1–4 June 2010, Denver, Colorado, USA. The International Program and the Prevention Research Branch of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will host the 3rd Annual NIDA International SPR Poster Session at this event. Website: http://www.preventionresearch.org/meeting.php Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) 2010 World Congress, 6–10 June 2010, Hong Kong, China. Website: http://www.cinp2010.com National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) International Forum: Drug Policy, Research, and the Public Good, 11–15 June 2010, Fairmont Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Website: http://international.drugabuse.gov/information/intl_forum_2010.html The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 72cd Annual Meeting, 12–17 June 2010, The Fairmont Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Website: http://www.cpdd.vcu.edu/ 2010 UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, 14–15 June 2010, Radisson Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland. Website: http://www.uknscc.org/2010_UKNSCC/intro.html Inaugural National Indigenous Drug & Alcohol Conference (NIDAC 2010), 16–18 June 2010, Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, South Australia. Website: http://www.nidaconference.com.au/ 4th European Alcohol Policy Conference, 16–18 June 2010, Brussels, Belgium. Website: http://www.eurocare.org/press/upcoming_events/4th_european_alcohol_policy_conference_16_18_june_2010_brussels The International Narcotics Research Conference, 11–16 July 2010, Hilton Hotel, Malmö, Sweden. Website: http://www.inrcworld.org/2010/2010mtg.htm The International AIDS Society's 18th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010), 18–23 July 2010, Vienna, Austria. Website: http://www.aids2010.org/ Translational Research in Methamphetamine Addiction Conference, 19–21 July 2010, Chico Hot Springs and Day Spa, Pray, Montana. Website: http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/neurosciences/TRMA2010/ The 20th Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, 24–27 July 2010, Scandic Star, Lund, Sweden. Website: http://www.cannabinoidsociety.org/SYMPOSIUM.2010/index.html International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) 2010 Congress, 13–16 September 2010, Paris, France. Website: http://www.isbra2010paris.org/ International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) Annual Meeting, 30 September–3 October 2010, Hotel Josef, Prague, Czech Republic The International Society of Addiction Medicine 12th Annual Meeting, 4–7 October 2010, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. Website: http://www.isam2010.medicina.unimib.it/ Congrès International Francophone d'Addictologie—Prévenir et Traiter les Addictions Sans Drogue : Un Defi Societal, 6–8 October 2010, Nantes Cité Internationale des Congrès, Nantes, France. Website: http://www.crje.fr/congres_2010_annonce.html The American Association of for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence National Conference, 23–27 October 2010, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Website: http://www.aatod.org/2010chicago.html Addictions 2010. The New Frontier in Addiction Treatment: Evidence-Based Policy and Practice, 28–31 October 2010, Sheraton National, Arlington, VA, USA. Website: http://www.addictions-conference.elsevier.com American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, 6–10 November 2010, Denver, Colorado, USA. Website: http://www.apha.org/meetings/ 53rd International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA) Conference on Dependencies, 7–12 November 2010, Cancún, Mexico. Website: http://www.icaa.ch/mexico2010.html Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, 13–17 November, San Diego, California, USA. Website: http://www.sfn.org/am2010/ Alcohol Policy Conference Series #15: Policies for Reducing Problems Associated with Alcohol Availability. 5–7 December 2010, Washington Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, DC, USA. A thematic meeting of the Kettil Bruun Society, organized by the Silver Gate Group. Website: http://www.silvergategroup.com/ap15/index.htm News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to Peter Miller, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax +44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail molly@addictionjournal.org Conference entries should be sent to Jean O'Reilly at jean@addictionjournal.org. Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear. Volume105, Issue4April 2010Pages 762-765 ReferencesRelatedInformation

An analysis of abstracts presented to the College on Problems of Drug Dependence meeting and subsequent publication in peer review journals

BackgroundSubsequent publication rate of abstracts presented at meetings is seen as an indicator of the interest and quality of the meeting. We have analyzed characteristics and rate publication in peer-reviewed journals derived from oral communications and posters presented at the 1999 College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) meeting.MethodsAll 689 abstracts presented at the 1999 CPDD meeting were reviewed. In order to find the existence of publications derived from abstracts presented at that meeting, a set of bibliographical searches in the database Medline was developed in July 2006. Information was gathered concerning the abstracts, articles and journals in which they were published.Results254 out of 689 abstracts (36.9%) gave rise to at least one publication. The oral communications had a greater likelihood of being published than did the posters (OR = 2.53, 95% CI 1.80-3.55). The average time lapse to publication of an article was 672.97 days. The number of authors per work in the subsequent publications was 4.55. The articles were published in a total of 84 journals, of which eight were indexed with the subject term Substance-Related Disorders. Psychopharmacology (37 articles, 14.5%) was the journal that published the greatest number of articles subsequent to the abstracts presented at the 1999 CPDD meeting.ConclusionOne out of every three abstracts presented to the 1999 CPDD meeting were later published in peer-reviewed journals indexed in Medline. The subsequent publication of the abstracts presented in the CPDD meetings should be actively encouraged, as this maximizes the dissemination of the scientific research and therefore the investment.

News and Notes

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has released its latest online thematic paper entitled: Preventing later substance use disorders in at-risk children and adolescents: a review of the theory and evidence base of indicated prevention. The review adds to the current knowledge and understanding of risk factors in the development of later drug problems and dependence, focusing on the mental health and behavioural problems that develop during childhood. Indicated prevention is a relatively new branch of drug prevention and can be seen as the third part of the ‘prevention chain’, after universal and selective prevention. Its aim is not necessarily to prevent drug use or initiation to it, but rather to prevent the development of dependence, diminish frequency of use and avert ‘dangerous’ patterns of substance use (e.g. moderate instead of binge-drinking). The review identifies models of best practice for prevention activities targeting vulnerable children (e.g. primary school age) and adolescents in European countries. Drawing on the current scientific literature, it describes the results of research into psychosocial and individual risk and protective factors. The neurobiology of drug use and how childhood psychiatric or behavioural disorders can predispose to problem drug and alcohol use are also described in detail, as are ethical issues raised by indicated prevention. The paper is available to download in PDF format at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/thematic-papers/indicated-prevention The world's third largest tobacco company offered entertainment perks to parliamentary researchers as legislation to ban the display of cigarettes went before UK peers and MPs. The Guardian reports that Japan Tobacco, the firm behind brands such as Benson & Hedges, Silk Cut, Camel and Winston, offered a ‘fun evening’ watching the Strictly Come Dancing tour at the 02 Arena at the Millennium Dome in London. The company invited at least two MPs' aides. Japan Tobacco, part-owned by the Japanese government, has a 40% share of the British cigarette market. It manufactures 600 bn cigarettes a year and is the market leader in Europe, Russia and Japan. The corporate affairs manager told The Guardian: ‘I am struggling to see why they are complaining. This is part of a programme of engagement with people. You invite them along to an event so you can engage with them. Obviously all the time there are issues before parliament on health and cigarettes, and this is part of a normal company programme of events. The company also does a lot of arts and charitable work’. Source: The Guardian, 23 February 2009 The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand reports that about 10 000 New Zealanders committed gambling-related crimes last year, according to new Ministry of Health funded research. This mainly involved stealing and fraud to fund gambling and included an estimated 10% of all slot machine players. The findings are part of a report—Assessment of the Social Impacts of Gambling in New Zealand—produced for the Ministry by the research arm of Massey University. In the study, more than 7000 people were interviewed by telephone. Of those who admitted to criminal activity, 25% said they would not have done so if they had not been gambling. The heaviest gamblers were men aged 18 to 35 with Maori and Pacific Islanders being over represented. They were likely to be single, either sick or unemployed, with only high school qualifications. The report said each gambler affected up to eight other people. It noted that past research found that the majority of people seeking help for problem gambling were slot machine users. Source: Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand, http://www.pgfnz.co.nz Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that a commonly available non-addictive drug can prevent symptoms of withdrawal from opioids such as codeine, morphine and heroin with little likelihood of serious side effects. The drug, ondansetron, which is already approved in the USA to treat nausea and vomiting, appears to avoid some of the problems that accompany existing treatments for addiction to these powerful drugs. The study is published in the March 2009 issue of Pharmacogenetics and Genomics1. Similar to mice, humans treated with ondansetron before or while receiving morphine showed a significant reduction in withdrawal signs compared with when they received morphine but not ondansetron. Plans are underway to conduct a clinical study to confirm the effectiveness of another ondansetron-like drug in treating opioid withdrawal symptoms in a larger group of healthy humans. The research team will also continue to test the effectiveness of ondansetron in treating opioid addiction. The scientists warned that ondansetron will not by itself resolve the problems that arise with continued use of opioids. The US government signalled a change in position on drug demand reduction in a statement delivered to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on 12 February 2009 by Geoffrey Pyatt, Deputy Chief of the United States Mission to International Organizations in Vienna. The statement, relating to Consultations on the Political Declaration as part of the Preparations for the High-level Segment of the 52nd Commission on Narcotic Drugs, declares that: ‘the United States supports needle exchange programs as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases. The United States also supports other evidence-based approaches to reduce the negative health and social consequences of drug abuse, including access to medication-assisted treatment for narcotic addiction, as part of a comprehensive substance abuse treatment protocol . . . However, the United States continues to believe that the term ‘harm reduction’ is ambiguous. It is interpreted by some to include practices that the United States does not wish to endorse or see included in UNGASS documents, not in the Political Declaration nor in the Plan of Action’. The complete statement can be viewed at: http://vienna.usmission.gov/090212-unodc-cnd.html A team of scientists from the Institute of Legal Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain has developed a technique for detecting the presence of 23 illicit drugs and medicines in saliva samples. The method, published in the journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry1, is already being used by the Dirección General de Tráfico in Spain, as part of a European study on the frequency of alcohol and drug consumption amongst drivers. The saliva samples are collected by putting some cotton on the end of a special device placed under the tongue as if it were a lollipop, with an indicator that turns blue when there is a sufficient sample (0.5 millilitres), each piece of cotton is then placed in a tube and labelled for analysis. The research group pointed out that drug and medicine detection in oral fluids is a non-intrusive technique, in contrast to blood or urine analyses. The individual can also be observed directly while taking the samples. A large systematic review of more than 13 000 people, published in the open access journal BMC Public Health 1, suggests that exposure to advertisements and product placements, even those supposedly not directed at young people, leads to increased alcohol consumption. This systematic review, funded by the Alcohol and Education Research Council (AERC), is the first to study the effects of advertising, product placement in films, games, sporting events and music videos, depictions of drinking in various media, and exposure to product stands in shops. The authors found that exposure to TV alcohol advertisements was associated with an increased tendency to drink, as were magazine advertisements and concession stands at sporting events or concerts. Article available at journal website: http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealth The Guardian reports that state-funded heroin is becoming a reality in Denmark, the latest in a small, but growing, number of European countries concerned with improving drug users' quality of life and reducing criminality. Since 1 January 2009, addicts, for whom substitutes such as methadone and subutex have not worked, are able to receive two free doses of heroin a day, paid for by their health system. The initiative was adopted by overwhelming consensus in February 2008, after all but one of the parties represented at the Danish parliament voted in favour of the policy—the only one against it was a tiny far-left party that did not oppose the project per se, but the way it was funded. The move came after positive results from experiments trialling the policy in other European countries, including Switzerland and the Netherlands. Source: The Guardian, 5 February 2009 31st Substance Abuse Librarians & Information Specialists (SALIS) Conference, 5–8 May 2009, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Website: http://www.salis.org/conference/conference.html 6th UK/European Symposium on Addictive Disorders, 14–16 May 2009, Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London, UK. Website: http://www.ukesad.org National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers Annual Conference, 17–20 May 2009, PGA Resort, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Website: http://www.naatp.org/conferences/annualconference.php 35th Annual Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society, 1–5 June 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark. Website: http://www.kbs2009.dk 12th European Federation of Therapeutic Communities Congress ‘Eyes on the Future’, 2–5 June 2009, World Forum Convention Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands. Website: http://www.eftc2009.eu National Conference on Tobacco or Health, 10–12 June 2009, Phoenix Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Website: http://www.tobaccocontrolconference.org/2009 The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 71st Annual Meeting, 20–25 June 2009, John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort, Reno/Sparks, Nevada, USA. Website: http://www.cpdd.vcu.edu/index.html 2009 UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, 22–23 June 2009, Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre, UK. Website: http://www.uknscc.org Third Summer Institute on Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, 12–24 July 2009, Graduate School of Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. An intensive two-week summer programme that seeks to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the study of addiction and to promote opportunities for international networking among participants. Deadline for applications is 1 May 2009. Website: http://www.ishss.uva.nl/addiction 19th Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, 8–11 July 2009, Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, Illinois, USA. Website: http://cannabinoidsociety.org/SYMPOSIUM.2009/index.html International Narcotics Research Conference, 12–17 July 2009, Benson Hotel, Portland, Oregon, USA. Website: http://www.inrcworld.org/2009/2009mtg.htm International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) 2009 Meeting, 24–26 September 2009, Hotel Riviera & Maximilian's, Trieste, Italy. Website: http://www.theoffice.it/isaje09 European Science Foundation-Linköping University Conference on The changing use and misuse of Catha Edulis (khat) in a changing world: tradition, trade and tragedy, 5–9 October 2009, Scandic Linköping Väst Hotel, Linköping, Sweden. Website: http://www.esf.org/conferences/09274 33rd Annual Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) National Conference, 5–7 November 2009, DoubleTree Hotel, Betheseda, MD, USA. Call for abstracts by 15 May 2009. Website: http://www.amersa.org or contact Doreen MacLane-Baeder, email: doreen@amersa.org News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to Peter Miller, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax +44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail louisa@addictionjournal.org Conference entries should be sent to Molly Jarvis at molly@addictionjournal.org . Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear.

Does direction of results of abstracts submitted to scientific conferences on drug addiction predict full publication?

BackgroundData from scientific literature show that about 63% of abstracts presented at biomedical conferences will be published in full. Some studies have indicated that full publication is associated with the direction of results (publication bias). No study has looked into the occurrence of publication bias in the field of addiction.ObjectivesTo investigate whether the significance or direction of results of abstracts presented at the major international scientific conference on addiction is associated with full publicationMethodsThe conference proceedings of the US Annual Meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD), were handsearched for abstracts of randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials that evaluated interventions for prevention, rehabilitation and treatment of drug addiction in humans (years searched 1993–2002). Data regarding the study designs and outcomes reported were extracted. Subsequent publication in peer reviewed journals was searched in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, as of March 2006.ResultsOut of 5919 abstracts presented, 581 met the inclusion criteria; 359 (62%) conference abstracts had been published in a broad variety of peer reviewed journals (average time of publication 2.6 years, SD +/- 1.78). The proportion of published studies was almost the same for randomized controlled trials (62.4%) and controlled clinical trials (59.5%) while studies that reported positive results were significantly more likely to be published (74.5%) than those that did not report statistical results (60.9%.), negative or null results (47.1%) and no results (38.6%), s reporting positive results had a significantly higher probability of being published in full, while abstracts reporting null or negative results were half as likely to be published compared with positive ones (HR = 0.48; 95%CI 0.30–0.74)ConclusionClinical trials were the minority of abstracts presented at the CPDD; we found evidence of possible publication bias in the field of addiction, with negative or null results having half the likelihood of being published than positive ones.

News and Notes

The National Council for Research, the main funding body for research in Brazil, has announced the creation of the first National Institute of Policies on Alcohol and Drugs. It is the biggest ever investment in addiction research in Brazil. The objectives of the Institute are: To generate research on alcohol and drug policies in order to help Brazil improve its response to a series of problems in the country. Current research includes: a national survey of consumption of alcohol and drugs; alcohol and violence; drinking and driving; the economic impact of alcohol consumption; teenage drinking; the effect of advertising on alcohol consumption and clinical trials on the treatment of addiction. To transfer technology in the area of treatment and prevention in order to aid the professional development of workers in the field. Training has already taken place in 22 of the Brazilian states, with more than 1.000 professionals graduating in a Diploma of Addiction Behaviour. There is also an electronic version of this course with potential to reach the whole country. The funding is for five years, a practice not very common in Brazil, which allows room for future planning. The Institute will be based at the Federal University of São Paulo, with Prof. Ronaldo Laranjeira as principal investigator, and five other groups of professionals in different states. An international partnership is already in place with Prof. Raul Caetano from Texas University—USA, but others partnerships are expected to happen. Drug and Alcohol Review has said farewell to Professor John Saunders as Editor-in-Chief. John has worked tirelessly for the journal for the past 22 years and is responsible for steering the journal to its current internationally recognised position. He has provided exceptional leadership and devoted service to both the journal and the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs for the last 25 years. John will continue his commitment to the journal in the newly awarded role of Founding and Emeritus Editor-in-Chief. Drug and Alcohol Review's new Editor-in-Chief will be Dr. Robin Room, whose distinguished career in the alcohol and other drug field extends over many years. He is currently Director of the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, and Professor of Alcohol Policy Research at the School for Population Health at the University of Melbourne. The Star reports that from March 2009, all cigarette packs sold in Malaysia must carry graphic pictures to warn people of the dangers of smoking. The packaging regulation is part of the government's latest blitz against smoking. Packaging with images has already started appearing. These include a picture of a dead foetus, as well as a picture of someone affected by neck cancer. The Guardian reports that a New Delhi high court has overturned a federal ban on smoking onscreen. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul ruled in January that a 2005 act to ban smoking on film and TV was unnecessary, and restricted film-makers' freedoms. ‘Directors should not have multifarious authorities breathing down their necks when indulging in the creative act,’ he said. ‘A cinematographic film must reflect the realities of life. Smoking is a reality of life. It may be undesirable, but it exists.’ The move is a setback for health campaigners, who had welcomed the ban. The act had also forced distributors and exhibitors to show health warnings on older films if they featured cigarette smoking. Source: The Guardian, 26 January 2009 The New Scientist reports on a team of researchers at the University of California who say that results from studies involving brain scans may be inflated and in some cases entirely spurious. The team, led by psychologist Hal Pashler, examined more than 50 studies that relied on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, many published in high-profile journals, and questioned the authors about their methods. Pashler's team say that most of the studies, which linked brain regions to feelings including social rejection, neuroticism and jealousy, used a method that inflates the strength of the link between a brain region and the emotion or behaviour. In many of the studies, researchers scan volunteers' brains as they complete a task designed to elicit a particular emotion. They then divide the images from the scans into cubes called voxels, which can each contain millions of neurons, and attempt to correlate the activity of particular voxels with emotional changes reported by the volunteers. The problem arises when researchers attempt to calculate the strength of this correlation. This has to be done in two stages. The first is to identify regions in which the correlation between voxel activity and the emotion exceeds a certain threshold. In the second stage, the researchers assess the strength of the correlation in that region. Pashler recommends that two independent sets of scans be used in these two stages. If the same set is used for both, there is an increased risk of misinterpreting random noise as a genuine signal. Yet in almost 30 of the papers Pashler's team analysed, researchers used the same scans to identify the voxels of interest and determine the final correlation. This inflates the correlation above its true value, and has the potential to produce apparent links between emotions and brain regions when none exists, Pashler's team claims. The claim is disputed by at least two of the critiqued groups who argue that Pashler has misunderstood their results and that their conclusions are backed by other studies. Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126914.700-doubts-raised-over-brain-scan-findings.html The Australian Drug Policy Modelling Program has prepared an annotated bibliography of relevant research in relation to prison-based drug treatment. The primary focus is on Australian research, but it also includes much international work. Only research papers that report on programs in prison settings are included. The bibliography was updated in November 2008 and contains the latest information available. Wherever possible an Abstract and a link to the reference are provided. http://notes.med.unsw.edu.au/DPMPWeb.nsf/resources/Interventions/$file/Prisons.pdf Arash Alaei and Kamiar Alaei, two brothers known internationally for their groundbreaking work in Iran as HIV and AIDS physicians, have been sentenced to six and three years in prison respectively, after a one day closed-door trial at Tehran's Revolutionary Court at the end of December. The brothers were detained by the Iranian authorities in June 2008 and were tried as conspirators working with an ‘enemy government’ to overthrow the government of Iran, apparently for their work with international and specifically US institutions in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment. They were also tried at that time on unspecified other charges which neither they nor their lawyer were allowed to know, see the evidence of, or address. The prosecution of the doctors has prompted an outcry among international human rights groups and critics of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The brothers ran a clinic in Tehran and HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs throughout the country, focusing particularly on at-risk sectors like prostitutes and drug users. The Alaeis were convicted under an Iranian law that stipulates that anyone cooperating with a foreign ‘hostile’ government against Iran can be sentenced to between one and 10 years in prison. More information can be obtained from: http://iranfreethedocs.org/ A study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence has reported that methadone patients do as well in rehab as abstinent patients [1]. Residential therapeutic communities have demonstrated effectiveness, yet for the most part they adhere to a drug-free ideology incompatible with the use of methadone. This study used equivalency testing—a statistical technique often used to show that a new medication is indistinguishable from an approved standard medication. Outcomes from the two treatments (in this case therapeutic community residence with versus without methadone maintenance) are declared equivalent if the confidence interval for the difference between them is completely within 20% plus and minus the value of outcomes from the standard treatment. The study compared 24-month outcomes between 125 methadone patients and 106 opioid-dependent drug-free clients with similar psychiatric histories, criminal justice pressures and expected lengths of stay, who were all newly enrolled in a therapeutic community. As hypothesised, the average number of days in treatment was statistically equivalent for the two groups (166.5 for the methadone group and 180.2 for the comparison group). At each assessment, the proportion of the methadone group testing positive for illicit opioids was indistinguishable from the proportion in the comparison group. Generally considered incompatible treatment modalities, this is one of the few studies to show that a therapeutic community environment can be combined with methadone maintenance, and the first to do so in respect of a residential community. Source: http://findings.org.uk/count/downloads/download.php?file=Sorensen_JL_10.txt 33rd Annual New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group Conference—Asking the right questions in the right way: re-evaluating alcohol research & treatment for the 21st century, 23–26 April 2009, Stranmillis College, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Website: http://www.newdirections.org.uk or contact: carol.driver@actiononaddiction.org.uk 31st Substance Abuse Librarians & Information Specialists (SALIS) Conference, 5–8 May 2009, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Website: http://www.salis.org/conference/conference.html 6th UK/European Symposium on Addictive Disorders, 14–16 May 2009, Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington, London, UK. Website: http://www.ukesad.org National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers Annual Conference, 17–20 May 2009, PGA Resort, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Website: http://www.naatp.org/conferences/annualconference.php 35th Annual Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society, 1–5 June 2009, Copenhagen, Denmark. Website: http://www.kbs2009.dk 12th European Federation of Therapeutic Communities Conference, 2–5 June 2009, World Forum Convention Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands. Website: http://www.eftc-bepartofthesolution.eu National Conference on Tobacco or Health, 10–12 June 2009, Phoenix Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Website: http://www.tobaccocontrolconference.org/2009/ The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 71st Annual Meeting, 20–25 June 2009, John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort, Reno/Sparks, Nevada, USA. Website: http://www.cpdd.vcu.edu/index.html 2009 UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, 22–23 June 2009, Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre, UK. Website: http://www.uknscc.org Third Summer Institute on Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, 12–24 July 2009, Graduate School of Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands. An intensive two-week summer programme that seeks to provide an interdisciplinary approach to the study of addiction and to promote opportunities for international networking among participants. Deadline for applications is 1 May 2009. Website: http://www.ishss.uva.nl/addiction 19th Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, 8–11 July 2009, Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, Illinois, USA. Website: http://cannabinoidsociety.org/SYMPOSIUM.2009/index.html International Narcotics Research Conference, 12–17 July 2009, Benson Hotel, Portland, Oregon, USA. Website: http://www.inrcworld.org/2009/2009mtg.htm International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) 2009 Meeting, 24–26 September 2009, Hotel Riviera & Maximilian's, Trieste, Italy. Website: http://www.theoffice.it/isaje09 European Science Foundation-Linköping University Conference on The changing use and misuse of Catha Edulis (khat) in a changing world: tradition, trade and tragedy, 5–9 October 2009, Scandic Linköping Väst Hotel, Linköping, Sweden. Website: http://www.esf.org/conferences/09274 News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to Peter Miller, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax+44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail louisa@addictionjournal.org Conference entries should be sent to Molly Jarvis at molly@addictionjournal.org. Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear.

Polydrug Use Among Club-Going Young Adults Recruited Through Time-Space Sampling

The Club Drugs and Health Project was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01-DA014925–02, Jeffrey T. Parsons, Principal Investigator). Christian Grov was supported as a postdoctoral fellow in the Behavioral Sciences training in drug abuse research program sponsored by Public Health Solutions and the National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI) with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (T32 DA07233). The authors recognize the contributions of the Club Drug and Health Project team—Michael Adams, Virginia Andersen, Anthony Bamonte, Jessica Colon, Armando Fuentes, Sarit A. Golub, Chris Hietikko, Eda Inan, Juline Koken, Jose E. Nanin, Anthony Surace, Julia Tomassilli, Jon Weiser, Brooke E. Wells, and the recruitment team. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 2008 meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD).Though some researchers have indicated club drug users are more likely to be polydrug users, there remains little known about the prevalence and specific combinations of the substances they use. Between 2004 and 2006, and using time-space sampling, a stratified sample of 400, 18–29-year-old New York City club-going, drug-using young adults were recruited into the Club Drugs and Health Project. Most participants (91.7%) had engaged in polydrug usage and 1,670 combinations of drugs were reported. Ecstasy (86.6% of users) and cocaine (85.7% of users) were the two most-frequently reported club drugs used in combination with other substances. In terms of poly-club drug combinations, ecstasy appeared to be the “universal compliment” as this drug was most often cited in combinations with other club drugs (specifically ecstasy + ketamine, ecstasy + cocaine, ecstasy + gamma hydroxybutyrate or GHB). Other frequently cited drug combinations included cocaine and marijuana, ecstasy and marijuana, LSD and marijuana, and cocaine and alcohol. These data highlight the need to develop drug health-education and prevention messages targeted at polydrug usage.

News and Notes

A ban on smoking in all public places came into effect in India on 2 October 2008, the anniversary of Gandhi's birth. The ban includes bars, offices, bus stands and other public places, and anyone caught smoking is subject to a 200 rupee fine, in accordance with the Indian Government's National Tobacco Control Act. The government has also issued notifications to make pictorial warnings compulsory on all tobacco products. A recent World Health Organisation survey reported that forty percent of India's health problems are linked to smoking, supplying a major influence for the government to introduce the stringent measures. PA News reports that a London council has passed a controversial new policy to ban smokers from fostering children. The ban, passed unanimously by Redbridge Council (an east London borough), means that children will not be placed with foster carers who smoke after January 2010. Councillors say the move is crucial in protecting children from the harmful effects of passive smoking, but concerns have been raised that the ban could reduce the number of loving foster homes available to vulnerable children. The council said the new policy is a result of scientific evidence which showed that second-hand smoke is a cause of lung cancer and childhood respiratory disease. It said young children are particularly susceptible to the effects of second-hand smoke because their lungs and airways are small and their immune systems immature. An Indiana University study involving smoke-free air laws in four Texas communities has reported that changing the perceived social norms may be more effective than changing smokers’ own attitudes about smoking. The study's authors believe that their findings suggest that the success of strong smoke-free air policies may be more about changing the social acceptability of smoking. The study used a telephone survey of 407 adults to compare perceived norms about smoking between adults living in two cities with strong smoke-free air laws and adults living in two cities with weak smoke-free air laws. Those who lived in cities with a strong smoke-free air law perceived a lower prevalence of smoking in their city, were less likely to report that other people in their city believed smoking was acceptable, and were more likely to report that people in their city believed that smokers should take measures to not smoke. Link: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/126974.php Bolivian President Evo Morales has suspended the work of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Bolivia, accusing it of having encouraged political unrest that killed 19 people in September 2008. ‘From today all the activities of the US DEA are suspended indefinitely,’ the Bolivian leader said in the coca-growing region of Chimore, in the central province of Chapare, where he was evaluating efforts to combat drug trafficking. Morales said DEA agents had been ‘conducting political espionage to fund criminal groups’ who aimed at ‘attacks on the lives of (government) officials, and the president himself’. He also directly accused DEA officials of disrupting government activities during the unrest in September by ‘funding civic leaders with the aim of sabotaging airports in eastern Bolivia . . . to prevent visits from (government) officials’. The US embassy in Bolivia has denied that DEA and the US Agency for International Development were conducting political work in the country. Source: http://www.theage.com.au/world/bolivia-halts-us-antidrug-efforts-20081102-5g7w.html?page=-1 Healthcare professionals in Spain have set up a group to promote ethical relations in their dealings with the drug industry. Professionals from a wide range of medical fields have created the No Gracias group (http://www.nogracias.eu), part of the international No Free Lunch movement, a network of non-profit organisations that aim to ‘encourage health care providers to practise medicine on the basis of scientific evidence rather than on the basis of pharmaceutical promotion’ (http://www.nofreelunch.org). The No Gracias platform is an effort to promote relations between the industry and doctors that are based on transparency, independence, and proportion. No Gracias was an initiative of the Federation of Associations for the Defence of Public Health (Federación de Asociaciones para la Defensa de la Sanidad Pública). The federation, influential in Spain, also has a subsidiary in Colombia that, through the Gamma Idear Foundation, coordinates similar activities in other countries in South America, including Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Source: BMJ 2008; 337: a1579 The Board of Directors of the Jellinek Memorial Fund is pleased to announce that the Jellinek Memorial Award for 2008 has been awarded to Dr. Paula L. Hoffman (Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado at Denver Health Sciences Center, Aurora, Colorado) for her pre-eminent research defining molecular and genetic mechanisms of alcohol tolerance and dependence. The Board also wishes to announce that the Selection Committe for the 2010 award is chaired by Prof. Anja Koski-Jännes. The specific category is ‘Behavioural (Clinical & Experimental Studies)’. Nominations for this award can be forwarded to: Prof. Anja Koski- Jännes, Department of Sociology and Social Psychology, University of Tampere, 33014 Tampere, Finland, or by email to Anja.Koski-Jannes@uta.fi by 1 October 2009. Nominations may also be submitted online at http://www.jellinekaward.org. Our iguana slid loudly up the stairs again the other day. She tells me that she now has her own regular chat show slot on RNN (Reptile News Network). We are proud that Addiction enjoys a continued working relationship with this highly syndicated journalist. Below is a piece which Iggy on her recent visit, pulled out of her violin case and left on the editorial desk. Your iguana is immune to the ordinary run of flattery. But I must admit that a recent letter from the UK Drinkaware Trust quite went to my head. They described my professional contribution to this field in enormously positive terms. The follow through was then an offer of £5000 if I would provide them with a couple of pages of notes on lettuce as a cure for inebriety. My thoughts did however then turn somewhat reflectively to an obvious question—whose money would I be taking? There was no hint in the letter heading of any industry affiliation, and the text assured me that the trust's mission was to disseminate factual and unbiased information to underpin public information campaigns against excessive drinking. All seemed above board, but my suspicion was that this group might have Temperance connections. Prepare to split your sides with laughter! Roll on the floor! Shriek! A web search revealed that this organisation with its blandly uninformative letter head is ‘supported by voluntary donations from across the alcohol drinks industry, including producers, pub companies and retainers’. And just to have you further sprawling, the membership of the Trust's Board offers a link with the Portman Group!!! Find a chair, mop your eyes and ask yourself these questions. Why does Drinkaware's letter head conceal its liquorfront status? Why did the letter to me make no mention in its text that this was an invitation from a drinks industry front? Why was I being offered a cash reward more commensurate with an inducement than a fee? Drinks industry support for this kind of public education campaign is of course a self-serving substitute for effective public health action 1 of a kind which the drinks industry chronically attempts to frustrate. One more question therefore: will those academics who have signed up to membership of this organisation, give conflict of interest declarations as to whether they are in receipt of personal or institutional financial support from the drinks industry? As an iguana what I find so endlessly entertaining is the way in which liquor people go on behaving just like the liquor people. Transparency: they do not know the meaning of the word. We believe that our iguana is a journalist who keenly respects the ethical traditions of her profession. When we asked her to show us her sources for this story she said ‘I made up the bit about the lettuce’. Annual Drug & Alcohol Professionals Conference, 13th January 2009, Royal Institute of British Architects, London UK. Organised by the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals. Website: http://www.fdap.org.uk/fdapevents/fdapevents.html Alcohol our Favourite Drug: from Chemistry to Culture, 26–27 February 2009. Organised by The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy. Contact: Duncan Welsh, Royal Society of Edinburgh, tel. +44 (0) 131 240 5027, fax +44 (0)131 240 5024; email dwelsh@royalsoced.org.uk. Website: http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/events/conf2009/alcohol_our_favourite_drug.pdf Third Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy, 2–3 March 2009, Vienna, Austria. Website: http://www.issdp.org/vienna2009/index.htm 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, 8–12 March 2009, Mumbai, India. Website: http://www.14wctoh.org National Drug Treatment Conference 2009, 19–20 March 2009, Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre. Website: http://www.exchangesupplies.org/conferences/NDTC/NDTC_intro.html Harm Reduction 2009: IHRA's 20th International Conference, 19–23 April 2009, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok, Thailand. Website: http://www.ihra.net/Thailand/Home Society of Behavioural Medicine 30th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, 22–25 April 2009, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Website: http://www.sbm.org/meeting/2009/ Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) Thematic Meeting on Major Psychoses and Substance Abuse, 25–27 April 2009, Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Contact: email cinp2009@glasconf.demon.co.uk. Website: http://northernnetworking.co.uk/CINP_thematic_meeting.htm The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence National Conference, 25–29 April 2009. Hilton New York, New York City, USA. Website: http://www.aatod.org/aatodnational.html SRNT 15th Annual Meeting—Joint Conference of SRNT and SRNT-Europe, 27–30 April 2009, Citywest Hotel Conference Leisure and Golf Resort, Saggart, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Website: http://www.srnt.org/meeting/2009/index.html American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 40th Annual Medical-Scientific Conference, 30 April–3 May 2009, New Orleans, LA. Website: http://www.asam.org/AnnualMeeting.html National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers Annual Conference, 17–20 May 2009, PGA Resort, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Website: http://www.naatp.org/conferences/annualconference.php 12th European Federation of Therapeutic Communities Conference, 2–5 June 2009, World Forum Convention Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands. Website: http://www.eftc-bepartofthesolution.eu National Conference on Tobacco or Health, 10–12 June 2009, Phoenix Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona. Website: http://www.tobaccocontrolconference.org/2009/ The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 71st Annual Meeting, 20–25 June 2009, John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort, Reno/Sparks, Nevada. Website: http://www.cpdd.vcu.edu/index.html 2009 UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, 22–23 June 2009, Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre. Website: http://www.uknscc.org News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to Peter Miller, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax +44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail louisa@addictionjournal.org Conference entries should be sent to Molly Jarvis at molly@addictionjournal.org. Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear.

News and Notes

By Charles Parry, Neo Morojele and David Jernigan In early 2008 Action for A Safe South Africa (AFSSA) was established by a number of civil society organisations and partners in business to address the question of ‘How do we shift South African thinking, spending and action, from security, to preventative strategies for a safe South Africa?’ Eight areas were identified for attention, including addressing substance abuse. A convention was held in Johannesburg in August 2008 and a two-day, multi-sectoral strategic planning workshop was convened for each area. The focus of the ‘Sober South Africa’ workshop was on how to create an ‘alcohol safe’ South Africa. Interventions focused on drinking and driving countermeasures, brief treatment for problem drinkers, addressing the retail sale of alcohol from shebeens and taverns, reducing the density of liquor outlets, and reducing the impact of alcohol industry marketing. Two big ideas were put forward to reduce alcohol-related crime. First, it was stressed that we need to facilitate greater community ownership of the alcohol environment in our communities and second, action at various levels needs to be supported by a strong national commitment in the form of a single body, possibly an Alcohol Health Promotion Foundation funded by a 1% levy on the net turnover from the major manufacturers of alcohol, ‘1% for health’. This national organization would be used to kickstart, support and maintain the proposed community mobilization efforts and various new initiatives, such as stimulating alternative economic activities for persons who are involved in survivalist selling of alcohol, supporting counter-advertisements, providing funding for policy-oriented research, and establishing new networks for persons and agencies broadly involved in addressing alcohol abuse. Many of the specific initiatives agreed on during the workshop involve civil society (e.g. getting communities to pressure outlets to reduce hours of alcohol sales in areas where alcohol-related crime and injuries are high, and in developing a culture of social host responsibility). However government departments will also need to step up to the plate in several ways, for example: ensuring testing for alcohol at all crash scenes; passing legislation on 0.00 g/100 ml of alcohol to be allowed in novice drivers; redeveloping and standardising alcohol safety intervention programmes for persons convicted of drink driving; providing training to health care workers in trauma units to screen for alcohol problems and providing brief interventions and referrals where necessary; imposing greater restrictions on alcohol advertising; making schools alcohol free zones; requiring external regulation (pre-vetting) of alcohol advertisements, and getting police to be more proactive about addressing alcohol problems associated with shebeens, taverns and other drinking outlets. Charles Parry and Neo Morojele are with the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council (cparry@mrc.ac.za) and David Jernigan is with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. See also http://www.safesouthafrica.org.za Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine say they may have found ways to combat the cellular and tissue damage, caused by free radicals, that occurs in many diseases, from heart attack and Parkinson's to sun-induced aging of the skin. Their findings, published in the Sept 12 issue of Science, reveal how an obscure alcohol-processing enzyme helps reduce such damage 1. Before the study, scientists knew that heart muscle could be preconditioned to resist heart attack damage—for instance, moderate drinkers tend to have smaller, less severe heart attacks than teetotalers, but scientists didn't understand how pre-conditioning worked. To understand how alcohol protects heart muscle from free-radical damage, the researchers tested alcohol pretreatment in a rat heart-attack model. They compared the enzymes activated during the attacks to those switched on with no alcohol. Surprisingly, the treatment activated aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), an alcohol-processing enzyme. Alcohol pretreatment increased the enzyme's activity during heart attack by 20%, leading to a 27% drop in the associated damage. The enzyme neutralizes an aldehyde molecule, a toxic byproduct of the ethanol in alcoholic beverages. But aldehydes are also formed in the body when free radicals react with fat molecules. Inside cells, the accumulating aldehydes permanently bind and damage cellular machinery and DNA. The researchers then found that a tiny molecule, Alda-1, heightened the enzyme's activity by protecting ALDH2 itself from aldehyde attack, and reduced heart attack damage by 60% in the rat model. Because Alda-1 is small, it should be easy to adapt for pharmacological use, says Professor Mochly-Rosen, senior author of the study. She expects the new molecule to have many possible drug applications. In addition to its lofty medical applications, Alda-1 could also have a much lowlier use: fighting hangovers. Many nasty hangover symptoms are due to aldehyde buildup. Alda-1 may also improve alcohol tolerance and reduce susceptibility to free-radical diseases in people with a common ALDH2 mutation. The mutation affects 40% of people of Asian descent and causes intolerance of alcohol. The Herald-Sun reports that Independent Distillers, producer of leading alcopop brands, has developed new sweet beverages using alcohol derived from lower-taxed beer in a bid to find a way around a new tax on premixed drinks in Australia. The new tax was introduced by the new Labour government to redress a tax loophole which allowed spirit-based mixed drinks to be sold at a tax rate equivalent to beer. Nationwide alcohol consumption figures show the tax rise on ready-to-drink beverages in April had a massive impact on sales and the broader consumption of alcohol. It was reported that the 40% tax hike resulted in a reduction of 3 million standard drinks consumed each week. While the figures show some compensation in beer and spirit consumption, overall consumption is still 3 million standard drinks less than the same time last year. The spirits industry is reportedly very worried about disappearing profits and has responded with the beer-based alternative in three sweet flavours—raspberry, passion fruit and blueberry—designed to appeal to younger drinkers. The BMJ reports that the UK body responsible for advising academic institutions and NHS trusts on how to deal with research misconduct has launched a protocol to try to standardise the procedure for investigating allegations and ensure that cases are fairly handled. The protocol is a step-by-step guide to investigating and acting on allegations of research misconduct brought by other colleagues or external bodies, from the types of documentary evidence required, to who should be involved and over what time frame. The protocol was devised by the UK Panel for Research Integrity in Health and Biomedical Sciences, part of the UK Research Integrity Office, which was set up in 2006 after almost a decade of pressure from biomedical scientific editors, ethicists, and publishers, spearheaded by the Committee on Publication Ethics. The office also operates a helpline for universities and NHS trusts unsure as to how to proceed, when faced with suspected breaches of publication ethics. The Procedure for the Investigation of Misconduct in Research can be found at http://www.ukrio.org. Source: BMJ 2008;337:a1612 Niger's government has issued a decree enforcing a ban on smoking in public places and on communal transport. The law provides for fines ranging from 5000 CFA (£6) to 1 million CFA (£1240). Shops and services that breach the ban can also have their licenses removed. The ban covers public transport and taxis, but not private vehicles. The government is planning a media campaign to inform people about the new measure. Niger's parliament passed the smoking ban in 2006, but the cabinet had not issued the decree to make it effective. Source: BBC News, 12 September 2008 CBC News reports that the Norwegian injection room will be closed from 1st January 2009. The Oslo City government decided to terminate the trial injection room in Oslo and although the final decision rests with the city parliament, the City government forms a majority in that body. The decision was expected following a negative evaluation report and the loss of support of several key bodies including the Norwegian Medical Association. The injection room was evaluated by the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (http://www.sirus.no/internett/narkotika/publication/397.html). The main findings were that the room was not often used and that it did not reach many of the objectives. According to the researchers the situation has improved somewhat since they finalized their assessment, but the relative number of actual injections in the room was and still is very low. The greatest victory is the fact that it was possible to conduct a pragmatic and balanced discussion. The debate was largely conducted without this being a battle about drug liberalization etc. but about priorities, effectiveness and not least cost effectiveness. However, the open injection drug scene in Oslo remains unresolved and there are still about 200 deaths caused by overdose each year. The room cost about 1.5 million euros a year. More than half of this will now be used for other low threshold services (shelters etc) and for inpatient treatment of dual diagnosis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that electronic cigarettes do not help smokers to quit as marketers claim and may be toxic. The devices resemble a real cigarette, but consist of a stainless steel tube with a chamber that holds liquid nicotine. The E-cigarettes have been marketed as a healthier alternative to tobacco, and since they do not need to be lit, some people are using them to evade smoking bans in public places, the UN health agency said. The device is powered by a rechargeable battery and produces a heated mist of nicotine that is absorbed in the lungs. Douglas Bettcher, acting director of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative said, ‘The World Health Organization knows of absolutely no scientific evidence whatsoever that would confirm that the electronic cigarette is a safe and effective smoking cessation device.’ Some manufacturers have implied that WHO considers electronic cigarettes to be a legitimate form of nicotine replacement therapy, like nicotine gum, patches and lozenges. Dr. Ala Alwan, assistant director general of WHO's noncommunicable diseases and mental health branch, called on electronic cigarette marketers to immediately remove from their websites and promotional materials any suggestion that WHO considers it a smoking cessation aid. Source: CBC News, 19 September 2008 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry 19th Annual Meeting & Symposium, 4–7 December 2008, Boca Raton Resort & Club, Florida, USA. Website: http://www.aaap.org Drugs and Cultures, 11–13 December 2008, Paris. Organised by the Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (OFDT). Contact: email com@ofdt.fr. Website: http://www.drugsandcultures2008.com/ Annual Drug & Alcohol Professionals Conference, 13th January 2009, Royal Institute of British Architects, London UK. Organised by the Federation of Drug and Alcohol Professionals. Website: http://www.fdap.org.uk/fdapevents/fdapevents.html Alcohol our Favourite Drug: from Chemistry to Culture, 26–27 February 2009. Organised by The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy. Contact: Duncan Welsh, Royal Society of Edinburgh, tel. +44 (0) 131 240 5027, fax +44 (0)131 240 5024; email dwelsh@royalsoced.org.uk. Website: http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/events/conf2009/alcohol_r_favourite_drug.pdf Third Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy, 2–3 March 2009, Vienna, Austria. Website: http://www.issdp.org/vienna2009/index.htm 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, 8–12 March 2009, Mumbai, India. Website: http://www.14wctoh.org National Drug Treatment Conference 2009, 19–20 March 2009, Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre. Website: http://www.exchangesupplies.org/conferences/NDTC/NDTC_intro.html Harm Reduction 2009: IHRA's 20th International Conference, 19–23 April 2009, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok, Thailand. Website: http://www.ihra.net/Thailand/Home Society of Behavioural Medicine 30th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, 22–25 April 2009, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Website: http://www.sbm.org/meeting/2009/ Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) Thematic Meeting on Major Psychoses and Substance Abuse, 25–27 April 2009, Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Contact: email cinp2009@glasconf.demon.co.uk. Website: http://northernnetworking.co.uk/CINP_thematic_meeting.htm The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence National Conference, 25–29 April 2009. Hilton New York, New York City, USA. Website: http://www.aatod.org/aatodnational.html Society for Research on Nictotine and Tobacco (SRNT) 15th Annual Meeting—Joint Conference of SRNT and SRNT-Europe, 27–30 April 2009, Citywest Hotel Conference Leisure and Golf Resort, Saggart, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Website: http://www.srnt.org/meeting/2009/index.html American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 40th Annual Medical-Scientific Conference, 30 April—3 May 2009, New Orleans, LA. Website: http://www.asam.org/AnnualMeeting.html National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers Annual Conference, 17–20 May 2009, PGA Resort, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. Website: http://www.naatp.org/conferences/annualconference.php 12th European Federation of Therapeutic Communities Conference, 2–5 June 2009, World Forum Convention Centre, The Hague, The Netherlands. Website: http://www.eftc-bepartofthesolution.eu National Conference on Tobacco or Health, 10–12 June 2009, Phoenix Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona. Website: http://www.tobaccocontrolconference.org/2009/ The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 71st Annual Meeting, 20–25 June 2009, John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort, Reno/Sparks, Nevada. Website: http://www.cpdd.vcu.edu/index.html 2009 UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, 22–23 June 2009, Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre. Website: http://www.uknscc.org News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to Peter Miller, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax +44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail louisa@addictionjournal.org Conference entries should be sent to Molly Jarvis at molly@addictionjournal.org. Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear.

News and Notes

A law banning smoking in public places and regulating tobacco products in Kenya came into force in July, ending a long legal tussle between the government and tobacco firms. The Tobacco Control Act was passed in parliament last year but given a nine-month implementation period. It provides a legal framework to control the production, manufacture, sale, advertising and use of tobacco products. The ban defines ‘public places’ as office blocks, working areas, court buildings, education institutions, residential areas, places of worship, police stations, prisons, markets, malls, cinemas, theatres, children's homes and playing fields, but it allows smokers to light up in special designated areas. Importantly, the law bans the sale of cigarettes to people aged under 18 years, selling tobacco in a packet of less than 10 cigarettes, promoting tobacco by sponsoring public activities and branding of buildings other than those owned or leased by manufacturers. The courts blocked previous attempts to enforce the nationwide ban on the grounds that the government did not give tobacco firms enough compliance time and would force them to destroy millions of dollars worth of their products. The tobacco industry has since sought to challenge the bans in the high court. New research from the University of Michigan School of Public Health [1] suggests that cadmium is one of the critical ingredients causing emphysema, and even low-level exposure attained through second-hand smoke and other means may also increase the chance of developing lung disease. The study suggests that higher cadmium levels in the body as much as double the risk of developing a pulmonary disease diagnosis such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Although some studies have linked high levels of cadmium with decreased lung function in occupationally exposed workers, this is only the second known study to show that subjects with even slightly increased levels of cadmium had decreased lung function and the first known study to do so using repeated measures of lung function over time. The study's authors suggest that cadmium is the critical ingredient in smoking that may be causing emphysema. Non-smokers are also exposed to cadmium when they eat contaminated foods or inhale second-hand smoke, as well as through a host of occupational exposures. Cadmium is a metal that is difficult for the body to dispel because kidneys tend to retain cadmium and it recycles into the body. The Guardian reports that scientists are exploring the use of psychedelic drugs such as LSD to treat a range of ailments from depression to cluster headaches and obsessive compulsive disorder. The first clinical trial using LSD since the 1970s began in Switzerland in June 2008, aiming to use ‘psychedelic psychotherapy’ to help patients with terminal illnesses come to terms with their imminent mortality and so improve their quality of life. Researchers are also trialling psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, which has shown promising results in trials for treating symptoms of terminal cancer patients and MDMA (ecstasy) as an experimental treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Charles Grob, a professor of psychiatry at the Harbor-UCLA Medical Centre, has recently completed a trial that used psilocybin to help patients with terminal cancer come to terms with their illness. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine also published a study in 2006 of 36 healthy volunteers who were given psilocybin and then observed in the lab [1]. The participants' ages ranged from 24 to 64 and none had taken hallucinogens before. When the group were interviewed again 14 months later 58% said they rated the experience as being among the five most personally meaningful of their lives, 67% said it was in their top five spiritual experiences and 64% said it had increased their well-being or life satisfaction. They hope this work will help patients with terminal illnesses to face their own demise completely. Unpublished trials show some hope. Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/aug/12/medicalresearch.drugs The Times online reports that teenagers are to be banned from buying alcohol in France, as health advisers dismiss the cherished Gallic belief that children should be initiated in the art of wine-drinking at an early age. With British-style binge drinking gaining ground among French youth, officials say they want to send out a clear message against adolescent consumption. Roselyne Bachelot, the Health Minister, said that she was planning to make it illegal to sell alcohol to those under 18, with legislation likely to be introduced next year. In France, 16-year-olds have been able to buy wine and beer, but not spirits, in cafés and restaurants, and all alcoholic drinks in supermarkets and other shops with an off-licence. It marks a shift in official thinking over the hallowed French tradition of initiating the young in drinking rituals, notably involving wine. The French consensus has been that the first sips should be taken in early adolescence – or before – under parental supervision. This is believed to foster a mature, sensible approach to alcohol far removed from Anglo-Saxon excesses, but has been found wanting in recent changes in drinking patterns and more sophisticated research. The percentage of those under 18 saying they got drunk regularly rose from 19 to 26% between 2003 and 2006, for instance. According to the Health Ministry, the number of people under 24 treated in hospital in connection with alcohol increased by 50% between 2004 and 2007. The debate has been given added urgency by the death from alcohol poisoning last month of an 18-year-old student in central France who had been out to celebrate passing his end of school exams. In another well-publicised case this week, a father from Brittany sued the supermarket that had sold three bottles of spirits to his 16-year-old daughter, who was taken to hospital after losing consciousness. Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4608210.ece SBIRT Colorado (Substance Use Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) has partnered with the Colorado Clinical Guidelines Collaborative to create and release new guidelines. The guidelines recognize the critical role clinicians can play in preventing injury, disease and more severe substance use disorders. An online version is available free of charge to all healthcare professionals at http://www.coloradoguidelines.org/guidelines/sbirt.asp. The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing has released findings of the Barriers and Incentives to Treatment for Illicit Drug Users research project. There were two main purposes of the study: an investigation of barriers and incentives to treatment for substance use; and the development of recommendations regarding possible policy and program directions arising from the research findings. The research project was conducted by LMS Consulting, the National Centre in HIV Social Research at the University of New South Wales and the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League. See: http://www.vaada.org.au/resources/items/2008/08/225903-upload-00001.pdf for more details. The Australian National Council on Drugs has developed a website recognising that treatment plays an important role in addressing drug and alcohol issues within the community, in an effort to reduce the marginalisation of drug users and provide inspiration for current drug users who want to deal with their drug use. The stories contained on this website offer real life examples of the impact of treatment in the community and the journey of those who are involved in the process. The stories have been provided by people who have successfully dealt with their drug use issues or those that are in the process of working towards this goal and family members who have supported or are currently supporting a family member through the treatment process. There are also stories from managers and workers from a variety of treatment services who can provide a first hand account about the role of treatment and the benefits it can offer. All of the contributions to this website are based on true stories, however, identifying details of authors, people and places have been changed to ensure anonymity. The website address is: http://www.positivestories.org.au Addiction Across the Life Span: Tracking Processes of Recovery. Society for the Study of Addiction Annual Symposium, 13–14 November 2008, Park Inn Hotel, York, United Kingdom. Contact: Graham Hunt, fax +44 (0)113 295 2787; email graham.hunt@leedspft.nhs.uk. Website: http://www.addiction-ssa.org/ssa_10.htm Evidence, Policy and Practice. Annual conference of APSAD, the Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 23–26 November 2008, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia. Website: http://www.apsad2008.com/ Drugs and Cultures, 11–13 December 2008, Paris. Organised by the Observatoire Français des Drogues et des Toxicomanies (OFDT). Contact: email com@ofdt.fr. Website: http://www.drugsandcultures2008.com/ Alcohol our Favourite Drug: from Chemistry to Culture, 26–27 February 2009. Organised by The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's National Academy. Contact: Duncan Welsh, Royal Society of Edinburgh, tel. +44 (0) 131 240 5027, fax +44 (0)131 240 5024; email dwelsh@royalsoced.org.uk. Website: http://www.royalsoced.org.uk 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, 8–12 March 2009, Mumbai, India. Contact: organisers’ email secretariat@14wctoh.org; registrations email wctoh@kwconferences.com (email subject “registrations”). Website: http://www.14wctoh.org Harm Reduction 2009: the International Harm Reduction Association's 20th International Conference, 19–23 April 2009, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Bangkok, Thailand. Website: http://www.ihra.net/Thailand/Home Society of Behavioural Medicine 30th Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, 22–25 April 2009, Palais des congrès de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Website: http://www.sbm.org/meeting/2009/ Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) Thematic Meeting on Major Psychoses and Substance Abuse, 25–27 April 2009, Edinburgh International Conference Centre. Contact: email cinp2009@glasconf.demon.co.uk. Website: http://northernnetworking.co.uk/CINP_thematic_meeting.htm The Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) 15th Annual Meeting—Joint Conference of SRNT and SRNT-Europe, 27–30 April 2009, Citywest Hotel Conference Leisure and Golf Resort, Saggart, Co. Dublin, Ireland. Website: http://www.srnt.org/meeting/2009/index.html American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 40th Annual Medical-Scientific Conference, 30 April – 3 May 2009, New Orleans, LA. Website: http://www.asam.org/AnnualMeeting.html National Conference on Tobacco or Health, 10–12 June 2009, Phoenix Convention Centre, Phoenix, Arizona. Website: http://www.tobaccocontrolconference.org/2009/ The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 71st Annual Meeting, 20–25 June 2009, John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort, Reno/Sparks, Nevada. Website: http://www.cpdd.vcu.edu/index.html 2009 UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, 22–23 June 2009, Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre. Website: http://www.uknscc.org 2010 International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) World Congress, jointly with Societe Francaise d’Alcoologie (SFA) National Meeting, 13–16 September 2010, Paris. Contact: email princeps.gdumas@orange.fr/michel.reynaud@pbr.aphp.fr. Regional Satellite Meetings, 17–18 September 2010, Heidelberg, Germany—contact: Helmut_Karl.Seitz@urz.uni-heidelberg.de; Vienna, Austria—contact: otto.lesch@meduniwien.ac.at. Website: http://www.isbra.com News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to Peter Miller, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax +44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail louisa@addictionjournal.org Conference entries should be sent to Molly Jarvis at molly@addictionjournal.org. Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear.

History and current perspectives on the use of drug formulations to decrease the abuse of prescription drugs

This article is part of a supplemental issue of the journal devoted entirely to papers on how abuse liability of medications is affected by their formulation for medical use. This article reviews the history of abuse and addiction to medications in the United States and the legislation designed to control these problems. The provisions in legislation related specifically to formulations of medications designed to decrease their abuse potential will be noted. In addition, the role of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) as an organization initially founded to develop analgesic medications with less abuse potential than morphine is briefly reviewed. Examples of current approaches to the development of formulations of medications to decrease their abuse potential discussed in detail in the articles to follow are outlined. Finally, the use of behavioral economic analyses to better delineate the relative abuse potential of new medication formulations is discussed.