Background:

In the last 20 years, the term "recovery" has become crucial in dealing with addiction. However, different groups, such as researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and people with lived experience of alcohol or drug (AOD) problems, have varying definitions for this term. While professional groups are working towards a consensus, individuals with lived experience use the term differently, causing confusion in UK policy making. Understanding how prevalent and what factors contribute to adopting a recovery identity among those who have overcome an AOD problem can inform clinical...

In 2020, the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms (CSUCH) data reported that substance use resulted in a loss of $22.4 billion in productivity. This represents 45.6% of the overall cost and harms of substance use, which amounted to $49.1 billion in Canada for that year, as per the latest available data. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has recently published a resource titled "Cost of Substance Use on the Economic Productivity of Canadians – Findings at a Glance," which sheds light on the expenses and consequences linked to the decline in productivity. Some key...

Antecedentes: El uso de cigarrillos electrónicos ha experimentado un aumento significativo a nivel mundial en los últimos años, y muchos países informan un aumento en los usuarios. Sin embargo, la forma en que las noticias africanas retratan este fenómeno sigue sin estar clara.

Métodos: Este estudio emplea un enfoque metodológico mixto para investigar este tema. La investigación se centra en artículos de noticias sobre el uso de cigarrillos electrónicos obtenidos de AllAfrica, un archivo de noticias africanas en línea. Un total de 38 noticias y artículos de opinión en línea publicados entre...

In the UK, alcohol presents an urgent and growing problem: 70 people die due to alcohol every day. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated this crisis, with alcohol-specific deaths having increased by 27% between 2019 and 2021, reaching record highs.

The estimated cost of alcohol on the UK healthcare system is £8.3 billion annually. Predictions show that unless alcohol consumption returns to pre- pandemic levels, by 2034 it will cost the already-stretched NHS in England an additional £1billion.Although alcohol harms have increased, sadly the provision of treatment has not: only one in five...

BACKGROUND: Coolmine’s implementation of quality standards involves a period of change management, strategic planning, and national policy development.

METHODS: A narrative case study focusing on national policy and internal strategic planning.

CONCLUSIONS: From 2000, Coolmine embarked on a change management journey that kept the organisation at the forefront of drug and alcohol treatment in Ireland and internationally while maintaining fidelity to the Therapeutic Community. The strategy for quality assurance is replicable across similar organisations.