{"title":"Assessing Attitudes Toward Marijuana Legalization in Türkiye: An Analysis of Key Stakeholders.","authors":"Kemal Balica, Umut Kirli, Serap Annette Akgür","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2726534","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2726534","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite global liberalization trends increasingly supporting the legalization of marijuana, attitudes in countries that maintain prohibition remain understudied. In Türkiye, following the introduction of regulations for hemp cultivation aimed at producing pharmaceutical active substances, understanding societal trends has become critical. This study examines the attitudes of four key stakeholder groups in Türkiye toward marijuana legalization using the harm perception literature, the Socio-Ecological Model, and the Theory of Planned Behavior.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 participants equally distributed among substance users, their families, university students, and healthcare professionals using a structured questionnaire designed for this purpose.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A high level of opposition to legalization was observed across the entire sample (69.4%). Significant polarization was observed among the research groups (<i>p</i> < 0.001). This strong support among users may be interpreted within a self-interest framework. In contrast to Western literature, university students enrolled in health-related educational programs displayed the highest level of opposition. Ordinal logistic regression identified \"perceived harm\" as the strongest predictor of support (OR = 0.57, 95% CI [0.48, 0.68], <i>p</i> < 0.01), indicating that higher levels of perceived harm were associated with a lower likelihood of supporting legalization.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite global liberalization, deep-seated societal resistance persists in Türkiye, driven more by high harm perception than by evidence-based harm reduction paradigms. Policy discussions may benefit from considering the observed gap between perceived harm and empirically documented harm, while acknowledging the contextual and methodological limitations of the present study.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148900570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leonard A Jason, Elizabeth Garrity, Alexa Nieder, Alexander Sikora
{"title":"Governance Processes and Recovery Environments in Recovery Homes: The Roles of Decision-Making and Rule Implementation.","authors":"Leonard A Jason, Elizabeth Garrity, Alexa Nieder, Alexander Sikora","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2711946","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2711946","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Recovery homes vary in their governance structures, yet little is known about how these differences shape recovery-relevant social environments. This study examined democratic decision-making, rule implementation, and perceived social climate in peer-run Oxford Houses compared to staff-run recovery homes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using data from 306 Oxford House residents and 80 traditional recovery home residents who completed the Social Setting Democracy Scale, analyses tested relationships among governance processes and outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Greater resident participation in decision-making was associated with more positive social environments, and this relationship was statistically linked to perceptions of fair and transparent rule implementation. Oxford House residents reported significantly higher levels of decision-making participation, implementation fairness, rule clarity, and positive social climate compared to residents of staff-run homes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that the enactment of governance processes. particularly fair implementation, may represent an important mechanism through which recovery environments influence functioning. Democratic governance is discussed as a potentially active ingredient of peer-run recovery models, with implications for recovery housing design and evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-8"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148891323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura Lutgen-Nieves, Wendy P Guastaferro, Brent Teasdale, Deborah Koetzle, Rachelle Wetsman
{"title":"Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: A National Study Comparing Criminal Justice and Community Samples.","authors":"Laura Lutgen-Nieves, Wendy P Guastaferro, Brent Teasdale, Deborah Koetzle, Rachelle Wetsman","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2724155","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2724155","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research compares characteristics related to receipt of medications for OUD (MOUD) across treatment episodes referred by the criminal justice system and those referred by other sources, utilizing 639,199 cases from the 2018 U.S. Treatment Episode Data Set-Discharges.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>MOUD receipt was more than twice as likely in the non-criminal justice sample than the criminal justice sample (33% compared to 15%, respectively). The impact of demographics, substance use, need for and characteristics of treatment, and access to treatment on MOUD receipt vary considerably across the two samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Understanding characteristics that inhibit and facilitate MOUD access can strengthen the public health approach to intervention, particularly for justice-involved individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148875916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kyeongwoo Park, Euihyeon Na, Hyunsuk Jeong, Dahae Shim, Yongchan Jeong, Eunji Lee, Yong Jin Kim, Jiyoun Kim, Eunseon Suh, Hae Kook Lee
{"title":"Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions for Drug Use Disorders in Inpatient Settings: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Kyeongwoo Park, Euihyeon Na, Hyunsuk Jeong, Dahae Shim, Yongchan Jeong, Eunji Lee, Yong Jin Kim, Jiyoun Kim, Eunseon Suh, Hae Kook Lee","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2720783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2720783","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Drug use disorders are a major public health concern. Although inpatient care can reduce exposure to drug-related cues, the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions is unclear. This systematic review synthesized randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of inpatient psychosocial interventions for drug use disorders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO from inception to August 20, 2024, for RCTs of psychosocial interventions for drug use disorders and then screened for trials conducted in inpatient settings. Reviewer pairs screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Given heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes, we synthesized findings narratively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven RCTs evaluated cognitive-behavioral, motivational, mindfulness-based, emotion-regulation, pharmacotherapy-supported psychosocial, and activity-based approaches in diverse clinical settings and populations. One trial was interpreted cautiously because the participants<b>'</b> primary substances were not identified. Several trials reported beneficial effects on short-term or proximal outcomes (e.g., craving and treatment motivation), especially when intervention components extended beyond discharge, whereas other trials showed no benefit or worse outcomes. Study quality was variable; small sample sizes, lack of blinding, and inconsistent follow-up were common issues.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Inpatient psychosocial interventions may contribute to improvements in short-term or proximal outcomes (e.g., motivation/engagement and craving) and may support linkage to continuing care, but the evidence for sustained post-discharge abstinence or relapse prevention is limited and mixed. Larger, methodologically robust trials with standardized outcomes and longer follow-up are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148881578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sarah E Zemore, Meenakshi S Subbaraman, Elizabeth Mahoney, Amy A Mericle, Douglas L Polcin
{"title":"How the Social Context and Peer Helping Contribute to Better Alcohol Outcomes Among Sober Living House Residents: Mediation Analyses.","authors":"Sarah E Zemore, Meenakshi S Subbaraman, Elizabeth Mahoney, Amy A Mericle, Douglas L Polcin","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2719641","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2719641","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sober Living Houses (SLHs) adopt a social model approach, which emphasizes peer helping. Although SLHs appear to be effective, little is known regarding why. This longitudinal study examined whether higher SLH social model adherence produces better resident outcomes by increasing resident helping.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Baselines were conducted with 205 residents entering 28 SLHs, with follow-ups through 6 months. Measures included 1-month perceived SLH social model adherence; 2-month help given to and received from SLH residents; and 6-month alcohol use and severity. Analyses were lagged, multivariate mediation models accounting for clustering within SLH. Separate models examined help given and received for each outcome, yielding four model tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The hypothesized model was unsupported, with all four tests showing nonsignificant indirect effects. However, exploratory post-hoc tests showed significant indirect effects between higher 1-month resident helping and better 6-month alcohol outcomes <i>via</i> higher 1-month SLH social model adherence. Effects held across three of four model tests.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Results suggest that residences adhering to social model principles do not achieve better outcomes by stimulating helping, but rather that more resident helping may foster a supportive SLH social environment, which itself drives better outcomes. Thus, residences might emphasize both resident helping and social model principles.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148866555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
José R Chimelis-Santiago, Lindy Howe, Peter R Finn
{"title":"The Who and Where of Drinking: Examining the Role of Impulsivity.","authors":"José R Chimelis-Santiago, Lindy Howe, Peter R Finn","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2719638","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2719638","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Impulsivity is thought to reflect a vulnerability to alcohol-related problems. Research suggests that impulsive individuals may engage in heavier alcohol use in stimulating environments. However, prior studies have not tested this assumption using an <i>in vivo</i> approach (i.e., daily diary). This study examined whether both high sensory stimulating contexts and heavy peer drinking contexts moderate the association between impulsivity and alcohol consumption.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Over a two-week period, participants (<i>N</i> = 102; 61.8% female) responded to daily notifications assessing their alcohol consumption and the drinking event context. At the initial laboratory visit, participants completed a measure of impulsivity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analyses revealed a significant interaction between impulsivity and heavy peer drinking contexts. Specifically, impulsivity was moderated by heavy peer drinking contexts, such that highly impulsive individuals engaged in heavier alcohol use in heavy peer drinking contexts. No significant interaction was found between impulsivity and high sensory stimulating contexts.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Highly impulsive individuals appear particularly sensitive to heavy peer use, relative to individuals with lower levels of impulsivity. The findings highlight the importance of examining the influence of heavy peer drinking as a potential intervention target, particularly for individuals high in impulsivity.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148875855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Association Between Serum Cotinine Concentrations and Depression Among U.S. Adults: NHANES 2005-2018.","authors":"Bei Li, Meidi Yang, Haijing Liu","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2725160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2725160","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Background</i>: Evidence on the association between objective measures of tobacco exposure and depression remains limited. This study examined the relationship between serum cotinine and depression in a nationally representative U.S. population. <i>Methods</i>: Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2018. Serum cotinine was analyzed as a biomarker of nicotine exposure. Depression was defined as a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score ≥10. Weighted logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models were used to assess linear and nonlinear associations. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed. <i>Results</i>: A total of 29,514 participants were included. Serum cotinine concentrations were positively associated with depression. Each one-unit increase in log-transformed cotinine was associated with higher odds of depression (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.06-1.09). Compared with the lowest tertile, participants in the highest tertile had increased odds of depression (OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.45-2.04). Restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a linear association between log-transformed serum cotinine concentrations and depression after excluding participants with serum cotinine concentrations at the lower limit of detection. The association remained robust after additional adjustment for smoking status (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03-1.07) and subgroup analyses. <i>Conclusions</i>: Serum cotinine concentrations were positively associated with depression in a nationally representative U.S. population. These findings suggest a potential link between nicotine exposure and depression and underscore the importance of further investigating the relationship between tobacco exposure and mental health.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148841338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cannabis Legalization: A Systematic Review of Effects on Public Health, Criminal Justice, and Society, 2020-2025.","authors":"Akshay Bhardwaj, Ragini Narain, Vishnu Nath","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2721578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2721578","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cannabis legalization has expanded across jurisdictions, but its effects remain difficult to interpret because studies examine different populations, policy models, and outcomes. This review synthesized evidence on legalization effects from 2020 to 2025.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Scopus was searched for English-language journal articles published from 2020 to 2025. After screening, 329 studies were included. The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidance and combined bibliometric mapping, LDA topic modeling, and manual content analysis. Findings were coded by domain and direction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Evidence was strongest for reduced cannabis-specific enforcement, especially possession arrests. Adult cannabis use, legal purchasing, and perceived access generally increased, particularly where retail markets expanded. Adolescent prevalence did not increase uniformly, but youth and child risks appeared through lower perceived risk, higher-frequency use, edible exposure, accidental ingestion, emergency care, and cannabis use disorder-related outcomes. Health harms centered on emergency visits, intoxication, pediatric exposure, and selected mental-health concerns. Legal markets expanded, but illicit supply persisted where legal products were costly, inaccessible, or less competitive. Road-safety findings depended on crash measures, toxicology, and impairment definitions.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Legalization is best understood as a regulatory process whose effects depend on market access, commercialization, enforcement reallocation, normalization, public-health burden, and regulatory design.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148819455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taylor J Mello, Jeffrey Bratberg, Kristen St John, Heidi Weidele, Adam Z Nitenson, Jane Fernandez, Benjamin D Hallowell
{"title":"Incidence of Stimulant-Involved Fatal Overdoses Following the Stimulant Shortages in Rhode Island.","authors":"Taylor J Mello, Jeffrey Bratberg, Kristen St John, Heidi Weidele, Adam Z Nitenson, Jane Fernandez, Benjamin D Hallowell","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2723587","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2723587","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration announced a shortage of immediate-release Adderall®. This report aims to identify whether these shortages impacted the incidence of stimulant-involved fatal overdoses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Stimulant prescriptions dispensed to Rhode Island (RI) residents between January 2018 and June 2025 were obtained from the RI Prescription Drug Monitoring program (PDMP). Overdose deaths were linked to the PDMP to identify stimulant prescriptions dispensed 1-year prior to death. Incidence rates (IR) were compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Between January 2018 and June 2025, the number of RI adults dispensed a stimulant prescription increased 37.65%. Prior to the stimulant shortage, the number of stimulant-involved and non-stimulant-involved fatal overdoses increased, before both declined during the shortage. The incidence of stimulant-involved fatal overdoses before the shortage versus during the shortage did not significantly change; however, the incidence of nonstimulant- involved fatal overdoses significantly decreased (IRR= 1.17; IRR= 0.58, respectively). The specific stimulants contributing to the cause of death did not change significantly (<i>p</i> = 0.06).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The number of stimulant-involved fatal overdoses has decreased. This data also suggests that there was not a significant increase in stimulant-involved fatal overdoses among individuals in stimulant treatment during the shortage, alleviating some concern that the shortage is driving stimulant-involved deaths.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-5"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148819463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Associations of Loneliness and Childhood Adversity With ASSIST-Measured Substance Use Risk in a University Student Sample.","authors":"Tazveen Fariha, Myriam Forster, Timothy J Grigsby","doi":"10.1080/10826084.2026.2717425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2026.2717425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with substance use risk, yet few studies have examined substance-specific risk using the WHO Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in university populations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey of 2,393 students at a public university in Southern California conducted in Spring 2024. Multivariable logistic regressions assessed associations between ACEs and moderate- to high-risk use of alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco and whether loneliness moderated these associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ACE exposure was significantly associated with increased substance use risk. Each additional ACE reported was associated with 1.15 times the odds of moderate/high-risk alcohol use (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.04-1.27), 1.16 times the odds of moderate/high-risk cannabis use (aOR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.07-1.25), and 1.15 times the odds of moderate/high-risk tobacco use (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.04-1.26). Loneliness did not moderate the associations between ACEs and substance use risk (all <i>p</i> > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Greater cumulative ACE exposure was strongly associated with elevated alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use risk among university students, supporting the relevance of trauma-informed behavioral health approaches within campus health systems and highlighting the need for targeted prevention and intervention efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":22088,"journal":{"name":"Substance Use & Misuse","volume":" ","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148813891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}