Decline in new psychoactive substance use disorders following legislation targeting headshops: Evidence from national addiction treatment data

Abstract

Over the 2 years after the enactment of prohibition-styled legislation targeting NPS and headshops, the rate of NPS related addiction treatment episodes among young adults declined progressively and substantially. We found no coinciding trend change in the rate of episodes linked to other drug groups. [Smyth BP, Lyons S, Cullen W. Decline in new psychoactive substance use disorders following legislation targeting headshops: Evidence fromnational addiction treatment data. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;00:000-000].

Are patterns of violence and aggression at presentation in patients with first‐episode psychosis temporally stable? A comparison of 2 cohorts

“…However, unlike the 1995 to 1998 cohort we did not find any in 2010 (Smyth, Lyons, & Cullen, 2017). A recent study of violence among Japanese patients with schizophrenia did not find substance misuse prior to illness onset to be a risk factor for violence.…”

Legislation targeting head shops selling new psychoactive substances and changes in drug‐related psychiatric admissions: A national database study

“…Although there was some migration of users to the black market, the evidence from this and other Irish studies does not support the pessimistic prediction that problems would persist unchanged (Smyth, 2017;Smyth et al, 2015;Smyth et al, 2017). Following the head shop closures, the increasing rate of DRPA abruptly halted and began to decline.…”

“…in Ireland were synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones such as mephedrone (Kelleher et al, 2011;Smyth, Lyons, & Cullen, 2017). NPS were mainly sold via specialist shops, known as head shops.…”

“…Over the period from 2009 to 2010, they increased rapidly in number peaking at about one shop per 45 000 people in May 2010 (Kavanagh & Power, 2014;Kelleher et al, 2011;Smyth et al, 2017).…”

New psychoactive substances in Ireland following the criminal justice (psychoactive substances) act-why all the pessimism?

“…Among young adults aged 18–34 years attending addiction treatment in Ireland, there was also a substantial change in NPS‐related presentations during this period . They rose very steeply from early 2009 to the first third of 2010.…”