Background: A stigma is a long-lasting mark of social disgrace that has a profound effect on interactions between the stigmatized and the unstigmatized. Factors governing the extent of stigmatization attached to an individual include the perceived danger posed by that person and the extent to which she/he is seen as being to blame for the stigma.…

Although the potential range of the workforce that may positively interact with substance users is large, and takes in all who may have to deal with substance use issues in some way, the literature mainly focuses on user views of specialist substance use or health and social care staff. With client-centred care a key policy of modern service…

This literature review examines the evidence of suicide risk among young female substance misusers in comparison with their male counterparts, and considers arguments that suicide risk is underestimated for this group due to the methodological difficulties presented by small cohort numbers. Existing evidence indicates significant gender…

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the literature examining the relationships between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD) and problematic drug use (PDU). The review considers the main debates around the structure and aetiology of ADHD and the main theoretical frameworks offered to explain the…

In recent years, there has been increasing concern over rising levels of alcohol and cannabis use among young people. This paper reports findings from a qualitative investigation of young people's cannabis-related beliefs and behaviour. Fifty-nine boys and girls aged 13 to 15 years were interviewed, mostly in self-selected friendship pairs, in six…

This paper presents the findings of a five-year study of year-11 pupils (15?16 years old), based on a sample drawn from seven schools in the North West of England. It examines: use, feelings about close friend's use and perceptions of the health-related risks of specific drugs. The findings conform with those examining other similar populations,…

Patients in treatment for substance-use disorders tend to smoke at higher rates than the general population. However, despite the fact such patients may be interested in smoking cessation and have been shown to be able to quit successfully without jeopardizing their sobriety, clinicians are often reluctant to advise their patients to stop smoking.…

During the last three years, the newly announced drug policy, specifically cannabis, has been the subject of debate between the Government and the opposition parties within the Belgian Federal Government. Public communication by the Federal Government and the competent ministers was incomplete, untimely, inconsistent, tendentious and polemical.…