Public Health

The organised efforts of governments, health systems, and communities to prevent substance-related harms, promote wellbeing, and improve population health outcomes. A public health approach focuses on prevention, early intervention, treatment, recovery support, and harm reduction, while also addressing the social, economic, and environmental factors that influence substance use. It relies on surveillance data, evidence-based interventions, policies, and cross-sector collaboration to reduce the overall burden of substance use disorders and promote healthier communities. 

Can Medical Marijuana Promote Illegal Use?

Scientific article
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Illegal marijuana use and reported cases of addiction have increased more rapidly in US states that passed laws to introduce medical marijuana compared to those that did not. This is according to new research to be published in the journal...

Does Plain Packaging Cause a Reduction in the Prevalence of Smoking?

Scientific article
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Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death worldwide. A recently published Cochraine Review has found that standardised, or plain, tobacco packaging could make tobacco products less appealing and, in turn, lead to a reduction in...

'Virado': A New Method of Crack Consumption in Brazil

Book
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Crack emerged in the late 1980s in Brazil. This emergence was a critical moment for public health; the growing AIDS epidemic led intravenous cocaine users to migrate toward crack use to avoid the use of injection drugs. At the same time...

Higher Taxes Needed to Lower Smoking Rates in South Asia

Scientific article
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New research published in The British Medical Journal supports the need to increase taxes on tobacco products in South Asia, suggesting that doing so could reduce consumption by at least 1/3 and, in turn, avoid around 35 - 45 million...

Global Smoking Rates on Decline Thanks to Demand-Reduction Measures

Scientific article
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New research published in The Lancet Public Health suggests that global smoking rates have decreased by 2.5% following the introduction of the global tobacco control treaty. The treaty obligates the 180 countries committed to it to...