CSUCH’s data visualisation tool can be used to estimate substance use trends across the country. The data helps inform programs, practices, and research to protect communities, save lives, and improve the well-being of people in Canada.

Spotlight: Top 3 causes of death due to substance use in Canada 

More than 200 people died each day due to substance use (SU) in 2020 (the latest year for which data are available). That works out to 73,994 deaths that year. The average age of death due to SU was 45 years. Tobacco use caused 63% (46,366) of SU-related deaths, followed by alcohol at 23%...

In a recent article, Gunawan and colleagues explore how the Incentive Salience (IS) domain in the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) framework relates to alcohol motivation and alcohol insensitivity. Their findings support previous research suggesting a connection between alcohol insensitivity and the motivation-driven response to alcohol-related cues. This review highlights the importance of understanding how individuals with low alcohol sensitivity (LS) experience stronger reactions to alcohol cues compared to those with high alcohol sensitivity (HS). It also emphasizes the need for...

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) have developed a new version of a medication for opioid use disorder that could offer longer-lasting treatment. Current medications for opioid addiction often require daily doses, but the new formulation of nor-levo-alpha-acetylmethadol (nor-LAAM) is designed to be taken once a month or less frequently. This long-acting medication has shown promise in reducing opioid use and withdrawal symptoms in rodent models. The goal is to provide an alternative to existing treatments like methadone and buprenorphine, which come with barriers such as...

INTRODUCTION: Pakistan is ominously impacted by the menace of substance abuse. Women, who represent 42% of the total population, are primarily affected by the use of illicit substances with co-occurring behavioural disorders. Despite extensive efforts, prevalence estimates reported here are likely to underestimate substance use among women. A high level of dependency was observed among the cases who were reported; however, the unreported cases in the general population are beyond the count. This study focuses on an approximation about the prevalence of anti-social behaviour among women in...

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...

INTRODUCTION: In response to the emerging recognition of the need for Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for treating PSUDs, the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) was conceptualised as a training series that is being conducted globally. This study delved into the experiences of addiction practitioners who completed the Universal Treatment Curriculum (UTC) training and utilize their UTC background to provide care for people with substance use disorder (PSUD).

METHODS: Ten addiction practitioners were interviewed, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to analyse the...

BACKGROUND:

Implementing quality measurement is still a challenge in the field of drug treatment and harm reduction. In this case study, we investigate which strategies can be used to enhance the implementation of a policy in which quality indicators are made public.

METHODS:

Building on an evidence-based methodology, this case study shows how an organisation in Flanders – the Flemish Institute for Quality of Care – develops quality indicators along with its strategies to implement the measurement of the indicators.

RESULTS:

The study shows three types of quality indicators in the field...

INTRODUCTION:

The Cyprus National Addictions Authority (NAAC) is the main coordinating body for all matters related to licit and illicit substances as well as pathological gambling in Cyprus and it is responsible, inter alia, for the licensing, evaluation, funding (where possible), coordination, and reinforcement of all programmes, actions, and activities related to substances and gambling. Licensing and funding are based on the fulfilment of certain criteria and a certain level of quality.

METHODS:

The process that led to the establishment of a quality standards system for licensing and...

BACKGROUND:

The implementation of quality standards in the treatment of substance use disorders in Lithuania is not well documented in the literature.

AIMS:

To describe the process of the development of quality standards from grassroots initiatives to their integration into mainstream healthcare under the leadership of the Ministry of Health.

METHODS:

Narrative review of retrieved documents, including related legal acts, followed by a subsequent content analysis.

RESULTS:

The implementation was divided into three stages characterised by specific activities, leading stakeholders, and the...