Introducing the ASCME* project  Methamphetamine use has increased considerably worldwide in recent years (1). Canada, like the rest of the world, is confronted with this problematic growth (2). Methamphetamine use is associated with significant long-term morbidity and mortality, including psychiatric, physical and social complications, placing a heavy burden on the healthcare system (3). At present, there are no pharmaceutical drugs…

Reshaping Addiction Treatment: The Relevance of Non-Abstinence ApproachesThe paradigm of abstinence as the only relevant outcome in the treatment of substance use disorders has been shaken once again by the results of a study published in January 2024 in the prestigious journal Addiction. A group of researchers affiliated with the US-based Johns Hopkins university analyzed a large database of rigorously…

A new publication by Benedikt Fischer, Tessa Robinson and Didier Jutras-Aswad uncovers three indiosyncrasies related to Canada’s opioid-death crisis and their implications for public health-oriented interventions. These particularities include: Different opioids in different regions: In Western Canada, the majority of opioid deaths are caused by illicit fentanyl drugs, whereas Eastern Canadian deaths are largely due to prescription-type opioids; Overdose locations:…