COVID-19 AND DRUG RELATED TRENDS

CDC report: Racial and ethnic disparities in the prevalence of stress and worry, mental health conditions, and increased substance use among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic –– United States, April and May 2020

According to a MMWR published earlier this month, US adults commonly reported mental health conditions and initiating or increased substance use to cope with stress or emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Internet panel surveys of US adults were conducted in April and May 2020, which included questions about mental health, substance use, psychosocial stress, stigma or discrimination, and social determinants of health. Prevalence estimates of current depression, substance use, suicidal thoughts/ideation, and psychosocial stress related to food or housing insecurity were found to be higher for some racial and ethnic minority groups, especially for Hispanic respondents. Read the full report here.

NEW PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES (NPS)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Toxicology Testing Program (TOX) identifies two new synthetic cannabinoids in the United States

DEA TOX recently released two alerts regarding the identification of newly identified novel psychoactive substances (NPS) in the United States. The synthetic cannabinoid ADB-P7AICA, sourced from the University of California San Francisco Clinical Toxicology and Environmental Biomonitoring (CTEB) Laboratory. 4CN-AB-BUTICA, another synthetic cannabinoid, has also been identified in the NPS surveillance program. Read the published monograph for ADB-P7AICA here and 4CN-AB-BUTICA here.

NPS Discovery identifies novel opioid etodesnitazene in the United States

NPS Discovery issued an alert regarding the first identification of etodesnitazene in the US this week. Etodesnitazene is classified as a novel opioid. According to data from NPS Discovery, etodesnitazene has been identified in Oregon. Read the full alert here.

International snapshot of new psychoactive substance use: Case study of eight countries over the 2019/2020 new year period

A study published in Water Research last week evaluated results from more than 200 wastewater treatment plants. Eight countries participated in the research across a fifteen-day period near New Years Day. 16 substances were found, with methcathinone and N-ethylpentylone most common. Read the full study here.

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

NDEWS is currently recruiting for a NIDA T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, available immediately. Visit this link to apply.

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