Cochrane

Background Children exposed to cigarette smoke (environmental tobacco smoke) are at greater risk of lung problems, infections and serious complications including sudden infant death syndrome. Preventing exposure to cigarette smoke in infancy and childhood might therefore significantly improve children's health worldwide. Parental smoking is a common ...

Background The workplace appears to be a useful setting for helping people to stop smoking. Large groups of smokers are available who can easily be reached and helped, using proven methods. It is also in the employers’ interests to improve the health of their workforce. Recent changes introducing anti-smoking laws in many developed countries may have ...

Review question This review looked at evidence on the efficacy and acceptability of anticonvulsants alone or in combination with another medication or a psychosocial intervention for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Background Alcohol dependence is a major public health problem characterised by recidivism and a host of medical and psychosocial ...

Background Methadone is widely used as a replacement for illicit opioid use such as heroin in medically-supported opioid substitution maintenance programmes. Two other drugs have been used to help reduce illicit opioid use, specifically buprenorphine and LAAM (levo-alpha-acetylmethadol). LAAM is not used in current clinical practice. Buprenorphine ...

We reviewed the evidence that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy or electrical stimulation help people who are trying to stop smoking. Background Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese therapy, generally using fine needles inserted through the skin at specific points in the body. Needles may be stimulated by hand or using an electric current (electroacupuncture). ...

Background and review questions Some medications and supplements that have been used to treat depression (antidepressants) have been tested to see whether they also help people who are trying to stop smoking. Two antidepressants, bupropion (Zyban) and nortriptyline, are sometimes prescribed to help with quitting smoking. This review set out to determine ...

Some women continue to use opiates when they are pregnant, yet heroin readily crosses the placenta. Opiate-dependent women experience a six-fold increase in maternal obstetric complications and give birth to low-weight babies. The newborn may experience narcotic withdrawal (neonatal abstinence syndrome) and have development problems. There is also increased ...

Background In developing countries, most people with mental, neurological and substance-abuse (MNS) disorders do not receive adequate care mainly because of a lack of mental health professionals. Non-specialist health workers, but also other professionals with health roles, such as teachers, may therefore have an important role to play in delivering ...

‘Dual diagnosis’ is the term used to describe people who have a mental health problem and also have problems with drugs or alcohol. In some areas, over 50% of all those with mental health difficulties will have problems with drugs or alcohol. For people with mental illness, substance misuse often has a negative and damaging effect on the symptoms of ...

Amphetamine dependence constitutes a public health problem with many consequences and complications. Amphetamine abuse refers to a maladaptive and hazardous pattern of use considered to be less severe than dependence. To date, no pharmacological treatment has been approved for amphetamine abuse or dependence, and psychotherapy remains the best treatment ...