This week, we say goodbye to our dear friend and mentor, Jeff Lee, the founding Executive Director of ISSUP. Jeff was a steadfast advocate for the professionalization of prevention, insisting that those working in this field should be appropriately specialized. He often reminded us that while generalists and treatment specialists are well-meaning and deeply embedded within their communities, they are not always best placed to develop and implement evidence-based prevention systems. Jeff emphasized that prevention must be treated as a distinct science—one that is grounded in rigorous research...
Europol (2025), European Union Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment - The changing DNA of serious and organised crime, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg
The EU-SOCTA offers one of the most thorough analyses conducted on the threats posed by serious organised crime to the EU’s internal security. Based on intelligence from EU Member States and international law enforcement partners, this report not only analyses the state of organised crime today – it anticipates threats of tomorrow, providing a roadmap for Europe’s law enforcement...
Bayigga, J., Kakai, I., Odongpiny, E.A.L. et al. Alcohol use disorder among people diagnosed with tuberculosis in a large urban case-finding project in central Uganda: prevalence, associated factors and challenges to treatment adherence. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 20, 10 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-024-00629-3
Background
Heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing tuberculosis (TB), delays diagnosis, and affects treatment adherence. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) among individuals with TB and to explore the challenges they face in accessing and adhering to TB treatment.
Methods
An explanatory sequential study was conducted in two urban districts in Uganda. Quantitative data on the prevalence of AUD were collected using the CAGE tool. Factors associated with AUD were analyzed using Poisson regression. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were held...
Schøler, P.N., Andersen, M.B., Andersen, K. et al. Validation of the alcohol use disorders identification test in a Danish hospital setting. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 20, 7 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13011-025-00638-w
Background
Early identification of alcohol problems is important for timely intervention. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its shorter version, AUDIT-C, are widely used screening tools. This study tested the effectiveness of recommended AUDIT and AUDIT-C cut-off scores in a hospital setting in Denmark.
Methods
From February to April 2023, data were collected from 300 patients at Odense University Hospital. The study tested AUDIT cut-offs (≥8, ≥16, ≥20) and AUDIT-C cut-offs (≥4, ≥5) against Danish low-risk drinking guidelines and self-reported alcohol dependence...
Substance use surveillance has emerged as a crucial public health strategy across Africa, particularly in light of the alarming rise in substance use among adolescents (1). This trend poses significant health risks that require a comprehensive understanding of the underlying dynamics. Substance use surveillance plays a pivotal role in developing a thorough understanding of the underlying dynamics of substance use across various populations, particularly in Africa. By systematically collecting and analyzing data on substance use trends, prevalence, and associated health risks, surveillance...
Fitzgerald N, Angus K, Howell R, Labhart H, Morris J, Fenton L, et al. Changing public perceptions of alcohol, alcohol harms and alcohol policies: A multi-methods study to develop novel framing approaches. Addiction. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16743
Background and Aims
Public views on alcohol, its harms, and related policies can influence behaviour and support for policies. This research aimed to (i) summarise evidence on public understanding of alcohol, (ii) compare public views with expert opinions, and (iii) develop new ways to improve public understanding and support for alcohol policies in the UK.
Methods
The study used a mix of methods:
A literature review to explore previous evidence on framing and alcohol policy.
Focus groups (20 participants) to compare public views on alcohol harms with those of public health experts.
George F. Koob, Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Volume 64, 2024, pp. 255-275
This review outlines challenges that face the alcohol field in closing this treatment gap and offers solutions, including broadening end points for the approval of medications for the treatment of AUD
The National Survey of Substance Use and Mental Health Services (N-SUMHSS) is a voluntary, annual survey that collects data from all active substance use and mental health treatment facilities across the United States, its territories, and Washington D.C. The annual report provides valuable insights into key operational characteristics of these treatment facilities, including the use of pharmacotherapies, availability of language assistance services, and the provision of suicide prevention assistance. This comprehensive survey helps to inform policymakers, researchers, and service providers on...
Individuals with chronic pain are more likely to engage in hazardous alcohol use compared to the general population. Despite this increased risk, they are an underserved group regarding targeted interventions. There is a pressing need to explore and develop alternative strategies to effectively reduce hazardous drinking in this vulnerable population. One promising approach is to focus on managing pain-related anxiety, which is a potential mechanism linked to hazardous drinking.
Researchers adopted a phased model (1A/1B) to address this need to create and test a new personalized feedback...
A significant number of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) do not seek treatment, and the factors influencing treatment-seeking behavior are not well understood. While it is known that alcohol consumption levels can fluctuate with the seasons, the impact of these seasonal changes on seeking treatment for AUD remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether there are seasonal patterns in the pursuit of treatment for AUD.
To investigate this, researchers conducted a time-series analysis involving adults in Denmark aged 18 and older who sought treatment for AUD. They focused on two...
Previous studies have shown that when students perceive their parents set strict limits on underage drinking, they tend to consume less alcohol. However, the best ways to communicate these limits effectively remain unclear. To explore this, a recent study examined the potential impact of hypothetical text messages focused on drinking limits on students' estimated alcohol consumption.
The study involved 253 undergraduate students who participated in an online survey. They were asked to imagine a scenario where they planned to attend a night event that involved drinking. Each participant was...
A study was conducted to examine how patterns of alcohol and cannabis use are associated with bystander intervention in situations involving the risk of sexual and relationship violence among college students. Researchers aimed to explore whether students' substance use influenced their awareness of risky situations (referred to as bystander opportunities) and their likelihood of taking action (bystander behaviors). Two key hypotheses guided this investigation: the first being that the frequency of bystander opportunities would vary depending on the students’ patterns of alcohol and cannabis...
Fuente: Babor, Thomas F., Higgins-Biddle, John C., Saunders, John B., Monteiro, Maristela G. & Organización Mundial de la Salud. (2001). AUDIT: cuestionario de identificación de los trastornos debidos al consumo de alcohol: pautas para su utilización en atención primaria. Organización Mundial de...
Conducted annually, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides nationally representative data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs; substance use disorders; mental health issues; and receipt of substance use and mental health treatment among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older in the United States. NSDUH estimates allow researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health. These reports and detailed tables present national estimates from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use...
Villanueva-Blasco, V. J., Villanueva-Silvestre, V., Belda Ferri, L., Vázquez- Martínez, A., Isorna Folgar, M., Canay, R. y Abad Villaverde, B. (2024). Consumo de alcohol durante el COVID-19 en Latinoamérica según edad y situación de empleo. Revista Española de Drogodependencias, 49(1), 15-30. https://doi.org/10.54108/10073
This research evaluated alcohol consumption in the Latin American and Latin Caribbean adult population during COVID-19 confinement, taking into account age and employment status. Non-probabilistic design with convenience sampling, with a sample of 4975 participants. Age, employment status and alcohol consumption were analysed during confinement and retrospectively before the pandemic. The results show that regardless of the country, young people aged 18-29 decreased consumption during confinement; while the largest in- crease was in adults aged 45-54 years. Full-time workers consumed more than...
Valachová, M., & Lisá, E. (2024). Psychopathy and fun-seeking predicting alcohol drinking: The role of thinking styles. Adiktologie, 24(1), 15–27. https://doi.org/10.35198/01-2024-001-0003
INTRODUCTION: The study examined the effect of trait psychopathy and BAS fun-seeking on alcohol drinking and whether this effect is moderated by thinking styles. We hypothesised that psychopathy will indirectly predict alcohol drinking through BAS fun-seeking, moderated by experientiality and rationality.
METHODS: The research sample of the cross-sectional study consisted of 241 working adults (47.30% men). Participants completed the Short Dark Triad, Behavioral Inhibition (BIS) and Behavioral Activation Scales (BAS), the Rational-Experiential Inventory-40, and the Health Behaviour Inventory...
A global reference on drug markets, trends and policy developments, the World Drug Report offers a wealth of data and analysis and in 2024 comprises several elements tailored to different audiences.
European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and Europol (2024), EU Drug Market: Drivers and facilitators, https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/eu-drug-markets/drivers-and-f…
EU Drug Market: Drivers and facilitators provides an overview of the key factors influencing the operation of the markets for illicit drugs in the European Union. It considers the changes and developments happening in the wider environment in which the illicit drug market is embedded (drivers), and the people or processes (facilitators) that make it easier to commit drug-related criminality or avoid detection. The focus of the report is on identifying key issues and presenting recommendations for action at EU and Member State level.