Addiction & Health
Volume:8 Issue: 1, Winter 2016

The purpose of this study was to detect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among smokers seeking treatment for the first time in a smoking cessation clinic and to assess the predictors of positive screening.
This study was based on a multicenter survey with questionnaires (Richmond, Fagerstrom, clinical signs) and spirometry miniaturized. Data were analyzed with SAS® by Pearson chi-square test, the test of analysis of variance, Spearman correlation coefficient, and multivariate logistic regression step down.
Findings: 1918 patients were assessed for eligibility and only 1737 were included. The report forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1/FEV6) was 7.5% of smokers were likely COPD. Patient’s risk factors, such as the presence of CB, smoking addiction for longer than 30 years, or dyspnea, were predictive of a positive screening for COPD.

Opium addiction alters immune responses to stresses such as an injury due to changing the secretion of cytokines. The present study assessed the effect of opium addiction on the cytokines [tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-10] before and after laparotomy.
Male rats were randomly divided into control and opium addicted (n = 20). Then, cytokines were measured before surgery, immediately after surgery (within 30-60 minutes) and 24 hours after surgery.
Findings: IFN-γ was raised in an addicted group in three phases of the study as compared to that of the control group. IL-4 in opium addicted group decreased in two phases after surgery compared to the control group. IL-4 was lower after surgery in comparison to before surgery in the opium addicted group. The difference in IL-10 and TNFα levels was not statistically significant in the all groups measured in three phases of the investigation.
The results revealed that opium addiction can increase plasma level of IFN-γ in rats and decrease plasma level of IL-4 after surgical stress. It seems that opium addicted rats are a more susceptible to increased inflammation.

Smoking is one of the major modifiable non-communicable disease risk factors. Our aim was to report the pattern of active and passive smoking using the data collected through a population base household survey in Kerman, Iran.
Given a cluster random sampling design, we recruited 5900 adult populations (15-75 years old) into a survey. After consenting, every participant was interviewed by a trained interviewer. The section for smoking had questions about daily (smoking at least one cigarette/day), non-daily, past and passive cigarette smoking as well as the time of exposure to cigarette’s smoke. We used Kerman population distribution (as the target population) to adjust our estimates using direct standardization method.
Findings: Overall, 8.3% of study participants (15.5% in men vs. 0.8% in women, P = 0.010) reported themselves as daily smokers and 1.7% (2.9% in men vs. 0.4% in women, P = 0.010) as non-daily smokers. The passive smoking was common in total (27.5%), while women experienced more exposure than men (30.1% vs. 25.0%, P = 0.010). 3.2% of daily smokers smoked more than 20 cigarettes/day. Among passive smokers, 62.6% were exposed to cigarette smoke more than 6 days/week.
Smoking is pretty common among adult populations, particularly men. A majority of tobacco-free young adult women are exposed to passive smoking. Age and gender oriented interventions are required to change this risk pattern in our community to prevent from further smoking related morbidities and mortalities.

Smoking and other forms of tobacco use remain the most significant worldwide public health problem. The dental practice is being identified as potential location for smoking cessation activity. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) promotes the chances of tobacco cessation, however, evidence related to prescription of the NRT in dental settings is lacking. This study aimed to assess and compare the attitudes, practices, beliefs, and barriers in prescribing NRT for tobacco cessation among dental interns and
post-graduates (PGs).
For a cross-sectional survey among 232 participants from 10 dental colleges in Bangalore, India, a 21-item questionnaire was developed: 11-item based on attitudes and practices toward tobacco cessation and 10-items regarding scope and challenges in prescribing NRT. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and test of proportions.
Findings: Majority of participants reported ongoing tobacco cessation activity in their college. Statistically significant difference was found between interns and PGs for items related to tobacco cessation practice (assisting, providing follow-up visit). Regarding NRT, significant differences were seen for items related to practice (assisting, assessing motivation for NRT), belief (not an appropriate activity for dentist, a valuable resource, increase in quit attempts) and barriers (bitter taste, cost, and fear of addiction) (P Favorable practices and beliefs are seen regarding the prescription of NRT among interns and PGs although differences exist. Time, cost, and taste emerged as major barriers.

The aim of the present study is to compare time perception among drug addicts and controls.
30 drug addicts were selected, and 30 non-addict individuals were selected as the control group. The two groups performed three tests of time reproduction, time estimation, and time discrimination.
Findings: There was a significant difference between the addicts group and the control group regarding the error of time reproduction and time estimation. The addict group in comparison to the control group had a lower under-reproduction and a higher over-reproduction error, and also a lower under-estimation and higher over-estimation error. However, regarding time discrimination, no significant difference was observed between the errors committed by both groups. On the other hand, when showing images of drug consumption tools and normal images with same durations, the normal group believed that the images related to drug consumption tools were shown for a shorter period of time.
Time perception is different between morphine-derived drugs addicts and controls.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 5% of children. In addition to pharmacotherapy, non-drug treatments such as appropriate parenting are also very important in the treatment of these children. Diagnosis and treatment of parents with psychiatric disorders and substance abuse and evaluation of the frequency of these disorders in parents is critical.
In this case-control study, 200 parents were studied. The target population included parents of 7 to 12 year-old children who referred to child and adolescent psychiatric clinics. The control group included parents of children who referred to child non-psychiatric clinics. The parents were evaluated via a demographic information form, and structured interviews based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) for nicotine and drug addiction. Then, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was used to assess their anxiety and depression.
Findings: Among the studied parents, the comparison of drug abuse, smoking, and stress showed significant differences between the two groups. In terms of depression and ADHD, the difference between the case and control groups was not statistically significant.
The higher prevalence of these disorders in parents of children with ADHD may indicate the possible role of this disorder in the etiology.

This study investigated the correlation between risk-taking and relapse among methamphetamine (MA) abusers undergoing the Matrix Model of treatment.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on male patients who were stimulant drug abusers undergoing the matrix treatment in the National Center for Addiction Research. A sampling was done using the availability method including 92 male patients. Demographic questionnaires and drug abuse related questionnaire were completed for each patient. Then, Bart’s balloon risk-taking test was administered to the patients.
Findings: Participants had a mean age ± standard deviation (SD) of 27.59 ± 6.60 years with an age range of 17-29 years. Unemployment, unmarried status, criminal offense, and also addiction family history increased the probability of relapse. In addition, a greater adjusted score of the risk-taking test increased the odds of relapse by more than 97%. The simultaneous abuse of opium and stimulants compared to the abuse of stimulants only, revealed no statistically significant differences for relapse. Patients with higher risk-taking behavior had a more probability of relapse.
This finding indirectly implies the usefulness of Bart’s risk-taking test in assessing risk-taking behavior in stimulant drug abusers.

Methadone is a synthetic opioid that has been used to relieve severe pain in addiction withdrawal. Unfortunately, due to non-standard supply and storage, the incidence of poisoning and deaths caused by this drug is increasing daily. The purpose of this study was to determine the underlying causes of methadone poisoning in children admitted to Kerman Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, during 2012.
This cross-sectional study was performed on 105 children diagnosed with methadone poisoning and admitted to the pediatric emergency ward at Kerman Afzalipour Hospital. The required information was recorded through interviews with parents, patient examination, and if necessary telephone calls with the parents. The data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Findings: Mean age of children was 3.9 ± 2.4 years and 59.0% of them were boys. Most parents had a high school diploma or a lower level of education. In all cases, a family member or relative, or at least one person in a party they attended was an addict. In most cases, methadone was fed to the child by mistake instead of water or other drugs. Parental substance abuse, employment status, and family income were significantly associated with methadone poisoning.
Training of methadone storage in individuals who need to use this drug can help to prevent accidental ingestion and poisoning of children.