International Journal of Drug Policy This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

The object in hand: Social science of the syringe
I was invited to write a commentary focusing on the theoretical and conceptual elements of the Social Science of the Syringe, as opposed to the methodological and empirical aspects of the work. This instruction did give me plenty to work with. The book is a stellar example of the productive analysis enabled by the theoretical concern with materiality and ontology recently developed in the sociology of drugs and alcohol (Duff, 2013; Fraser, Moore,& Keane, 2014). It would be possible to write at length about the concepts and theories innovatively employed in the book. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 26, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Helen Keane Tags: Commentary Source Type: research

Ageing opioid users ’ increased risk of methadone-specific death in the UK
The first evidence that the hazard ratio (HR) for methadone-specific death rises more steeply with age-group than for all drug-related deaths (DRDs) came from Scotland ’s cohort of 33,000 methadone-prescription clients. We aim to examine, for England, whether illicit opioid users’ risk of methadone-specific death increases with age; and to pool age-related HRs for methadone-specific deaths with those for Scotland’s methadone-prescription clients. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 22, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Matthias Pierce, Tim Millar, J. Roy Robertson, Sheila M. Bird Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Is there a mismatch between policies to curtail physician opioid prescribing and what we know about changing physician behavior?
The opioid crisis in the United States arose in the context of numerous facilitating factors, including aggressive pharmaceutical marketing, a clinical focus on alleviating pain, and lack of regulatory constraints to prescribing. Compared to other public health threats, a distinguishing characteristic of the opioid problem is that physicians – typically the actors who identify and curb the rise of a spreading disease – have been a major vehicle of its initiation and perpetuation. Thus, much of the effort to prevent ongoing opioid morbidity and mortality has been focused at changing physician prescribing behavior. (Sour...
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 19, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Esther K. Choo, Robert F. DeMayo, Benjamin C. Sun Tags: Viewpoint Source Type: research

Predicting pharmacy syringe sales to people who inject drugs: Policy, practice and perceptions
Pharmacies have much to contribute to the health of people who inject drugs (PWID) and to community efforts in HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) prevention through syringe access. However, little is known about what predicts pharmacy syringe sales without a prescription. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 17, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Beth E. Meyerson, Alissa Davis, Jon D. Agley, David J. Shannon, Carrie A. Lawrence, Priscilla T. Ryder, Karleen Ritchie, Ruth Gassman Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Australian athletes ’ knowledge of the WADA Prohibited Substances List and performance enhancing substances
This study investigated athlete knowledge of the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited Substances List and the effects of four well-known performance enhancing substances (PES). (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 15, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Rhonda Orr, Matthew Grassmayr, Rona Macniven, Anne Grunseit, Mark Halaki, Adrian Bauman Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Factors associated with concurrent heroin use among patients on methadone maintenance treatment in Vietnam: A 24-month retrospective analysis of a nationally representative sample
Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is highly effective for reducing heroin use and HIV transmission among people who inject opioids. We sought to measure and understand factors associated with continued heroin use, a critical factor affecting treatment outcome among MMT patients in Vietnam. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 15, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Thai Hoang, Hong Nguyen, Ray W. Shiraishi, Mai Nguyen, Trista Bingham, Diep Nguyen, Tam Nguyen, Hao Duong, Sheryl Lyss, Hien Tran Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Representations of women and drug use in policy: A critical policy analysis
Contemporary clinical academic discourse on substance use endorses the idea that women who use drugs demonstrate unique characteristics and treatment needs, as evidenced by the push for ‘gender-sensitivity’ in treatment and policy (Grella, 2008; Martin& Aston, 2014; Tang, Claus, Orwin, Kissin,& Arieira, 2012). Research indicates that women who use drugs have high rates of mental health problems as well as histories of childhood victimisation and trauma, and have greater vulnerability to health and social harms from their drug use and dependence (Ashley, Marsden,& Brady, 2003; Copeland, 1997; Greenfield et al., 2007; Pe...
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 13, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Natalie Thomas, Melissa Bull Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Evaluating ballot initiative support for legalised marijuana: The case of Washington
In 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first U.S. states to legalise recreational marijuana. By 2016, eight states and the District of Columbia had legalised recreational marijuana, with more expected to consider it in 2018. Despite this trend, little academic research explains what drives ballot-initiative vote choice on marijuana legalisation. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 11, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Loren Collingwood, Ben Gonzalez O ’Brien, Sarah Dreier Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

“The difference is in the tomato at the end”: Understanding the motivations and practices of cannabis growers operating within Belgian Cannabis Social Clubs
In Belgium, Cannabis Social Clubs (CSCs) collectively organize the cultivation and distribution of cannabis for the personal use of their members. In this paper we seek to improve understanding of the motivations and practices of cannabis growers operating within CSCs, shedding light on the cultivation process. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 11, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Mafalda Pardal Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Service providers ’ adherence to methadone maintenance treatment protocol in China
This study examined Chinese service providers’ adherence to the MMT protocol and its associated factors. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 9, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Chunqing Lin, Chiao-Wen Lan, Li Li, Keming Rou Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

Federal funding for syringe exchange in the US: Explaining a long-term policy failure
This study investigates the political and institutional bases of this long-term failure to support lifesaving public policy. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 8, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: David Showalter Tags: Policy Analysis Source Type: research

Identifying a typology of men who use anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS)
Despite recognition that the Anabolic Androgenic Steroid (AAS) using population is diverse, empirical studies to develop theories to conceptualise this variance in use have been limited. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 8, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Renee Zahnow, Jim McVeigh, Geoff Bates, Vivian Hope, Joseph Kean, John Campbell, Josie Smith Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research

The new MTV generation: Using methamphetamine, Truvada ™, and Viagra™ to enhance sex and stay safe
Gay and bisexual men (GBM) often use illicit drugs to enhance sexual pleasure, commonly referred to as ‘chemsex’ or ‘party n play’. In particular, the use of methamphetamine and Viagra™, and other erectile dysfunction medications, both together and separately are strongly predictive of subsequent HIV infection. Truvada™, as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), virtually eliminates HIV transmi ssion during condomless anal intercourse (CLAI). HIV-negative GBM in intensive sex partying networks may be adding PrEP to their drug regimen to actively reduce the possibility of HIV transmission during chemsex. (Source: Inte...
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 8, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Mohamed A. Hammoud, Stefanie Vaccher, Fengyi Jin, Adam Bourne, Bridget Haire, Lisa Maher, Toby Lea, Garrett Prestage Tags: Commentary Source Type: research

The perspectives of structurally vulnerable people who use drugs on volunteer stipends and work experiences provided through a drug user organization: Opportunities and limitations
While drug user organizations (DUO) have received public health attention as a means to potentially reduce the harms associated with drug use, there is a lack of research on the compensation and structural forces that promote or inhibit participation in DUO. Against the backdrop of structural vulnerability experienced by people who use drugs (PWUD), we examined the impact of monetary ‘volunteer stipends’ provided through a DUO and explore their role in providing low-threshold employment opportunities and shaping participation in DUO. (Source: International Journal of Drug Policy)
Source: International Journal of Drug Policy - March 7, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Geoff Bardwell, Solanna Anderson, Lindsey Richardson, Lorna Bird, Hugh Lampkin, Will Small, Ryan McNeil Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research