Search results for "drug use"

Behavioural profile of drug users attending public drug-treatment centres in Sicily: the role of social context

2007

<p><strong>Objective</strong>: Investigations of injecting drug users (IDUs) have suggested that the social context may influence high-risk behaviours in this population. The aim of this study was to describe knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of IDUs attending public drug-treatment centres in our area.</p><p><strong>Study design and methods</strong>: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between July 2002 and February 2004, enrolling 607 drug users attending four public drug-treatment centres in the Palermo area. Two of them were located inside the urban area, whereas the other two were in rural districts near the city. All participants answered …

Experiencing Effects of Cocaine and Speed with Self-Regulation Therapy.

2015

AbstractThis study demonstrates the efficacy of Self-Regulation Therapy (SRT) to induce effects of cocaine and speed in a single session. SRT is a suggestion procedure of sensorial recall exercises (salivation, feeling of weight, tension, etc.) that increases the capacity to reproduce all sensation types and those that drugs produce. The Self-Regulation Scale (SRS) measures this capacity. Four groups participated, formed according to drug use: Group 1 (uses no illegal drugs); Group 2 (experimentally uses cannabis only); Group 3 (moderate drug users); Group 4 (regular drug users, especially stimulants). All four groups participated in an SRT session to induce relaxation. No differences in th…

Protective and Risk Factors for Adolescent Substance Use in Spain: Self-Esteem and Other Indicators of Personal Well-Being and Ill-Being

2020

Although self-esteem has traditionally been considered as an important correlate of psychosocial adjustment, some empirical studies have found a positive relationship between some domains of self-esteem and drug use among adolescents. The present study analyzes self-esteem and other adjustment personal indicators as protective or risk factors for substance use. Participants were 644 Spanish adolescents aged 12&ndash

From political controversy to a technical problem? Fifteen years of opioid substitution treatment in Finland

2013

Abstract Background The aim of the article is to analyze changes in opioid substitution treatments (OST) in Finland. OST spread in Finland in the late 1990s and early 2000s (Phase 1). Since then, OST has become an integrated part of Finnish drug policy and is provided in various substance abuse treatment units as well as in municipal health centers (Phase 2). Methods The paper analyses the policy around the implementation of opioid substitution treatment in Finland, focusing on identifying the key factors and the relations between them that have contributed to the implementation of OST in Finland. Results OST has become accepted in Finland during the past ten years as a crucial element of a…

The Association between a MAOB Variable Number Tandem Repeat Polymorphism and Cocaine and Opiate Addictions in Polyconsumers

2021

Genetic analysis of the association between alcohol, cocaine, and opiate addiction and variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms in monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) and serotonergic 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) receptor 1B and 2C (HTR1B 21 and HTR2C) pathway genes was performed in a sample of 302 polyconsumers. Our genetic association analysis revealed a significant association between a 184 base pair (bp) VNTR polymorphism in the MAOB gene and addiction to cocaine and opiates. This work highlights new genetic marker associations in cocaine and opiate polyconsumer addictions. These data help to clarify and quantify the complex role of genetics in addictive disorders, as well as their …

Drug Use Control Perception and Strategies in General and Clinical Population in a Spanish City

2021

Background: This article evaluates the perception of drug use control and strategies in Valencia City (Spain) in a general and clinical population, in two independent studies. Material and Methods: 1071 people participated. In the Study 1 (n= 924) the entire sample came from general population (GP), and in the Study 2 (n=147), 68 were drug users being treated in an Addictive Behaviors Unit (ABU), and 79 people of the GP. The drug use control perception and strategies in both subgroups were compared. The participants filled in the Drug Use Strategies Scale and a Drug Use Survey. Results: A high level of perception of drug control in GP was obtained (72,7% in the Study 1 and 67,5% in the Stud…

Prevalenza di infezione da virus erpetico di tipo 8 (HHV8) in tossicodipendenti afferenti ai Servizi Pubblici per il Trattamento delle Tossicodipende…

2006

The Changing Pattern of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection in Intravenous Drug Users

1992

A cross-sectional seroepidemiologic study was carried out between 1985 and 1990 in 1,567 heterosexual intravenous drug users who had been seen at the AIDS Regional Reference Center in Palermo, Italy, to evaluate the rate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) seroprevalence in this group and its long-term trend. Sixty serum samples collected from drug users in 1980 and 1983, before the founding of the Center (1985), were tested as well. Some demographic and behavioral risk factors were studied in a subgroup of intravenous drug users enrolled in 1985, 1987, and 1990 for their possible association with HIV-1. These factors were also studied in relation to hepatitis B virus infection, …

Transmission dynamics of HIV-1 subtype B in the Basque Country, Spain

2016

This work was aimed to study the HIV-1 subtype B epidemics in the Basque Country, Spain. 1727 HIV-1 subtype B sequences comprising protease and reverse transcriptase (PR/RT) coding regions, sampled between 2001 and 2008, were analyzed. 156 transmission clusters were detected by means of phylogenetic analyses. Most of them comprised less than 4 individuals and, in total, they included 441 patients. Six clusters comprised 10 or more patients and were further analyzed in order to study their origin and diversification. Four clusters included men who had unprotected homosexual sex (MSM), one group was formed by intravenous drug users (IDUs), and another included both IDUs and people infected th…

Increased ethanol consumption after interruption of fat bingeing

2018

There is a marked comorbidity between alcohol abuse and eating disorders, especially in the young population. We have previously reported that bingeing on fat during adolescence increases the rewarding effects of ethanol (EtOH). The aim of the present work was to study if vulnerability to EtOH persists after cessation of binge eating. OF1 mice binged on fat (HFB: high-fat binge) during adolescence (PND 25-43) and were tested for 15 days after the last access to HFB (on PND 59) using the self-administration paradigm, the conditioned place preference (CPP) and locomotor sensitization to ethanol. Our results showed that after 15 days of cessation of fat ingestion, mice increased their consumpt…