HRB National Drugs Library e-newsletter volume 21, issue 12

Our newsletter includes links to Irish and international publications related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. To view our entire collection of research and access our resources visit our website, Ireland's comprehensive substance use research library. And follow us @HRBdrugslibrary

Also, take a look at the NDTRS treatment data tables,services map and alcohol dashboard, among other resources on our site.

Irish-related publications

Drug poisoning deaths in Ireland in 2022: data from the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI).

Kelleher, Cathy and Riordan, Fiona and Gopalakrishnan, Arya (2025) Dublin: Health Research Board

Country health profiles 2025: Ireland. State of health in the EU

(2025) Paris and Brussels: OECD Publishing and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies

Dublin's supervised injecting facility: an assessment of its impact on discarded needles

Evans, David S and Keenan, Eamon (2025) International Journal of Drug Policy, 147. doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105101

Patterns of drug and polydrug detection in drivers suspected of driving under the influence of an intoxicant in Ireland 2019-2020: a latent class analysis

Durand, Louise et al (2026) Drug and Alcohol Review, 45, (1). doi.org/10.1111/dar.70087

An examination of public concerns relating to combined text and graphic alcohol warning labels: an all-Ireland cross-sectional study.

Houghton, Frank et al (2026) Epidemiology Biostatistics and Public Health, 21, (1). doi.org/10.54103/2282-0930/29971

National analysis of hospital-presenting suicidal ideation and self-harm among males

Wilson, Michael J et al (2025) Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, 42, (2), pp. 143-151. doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2024.71

Grappling with ‘wicked problems’.

Connolly, Johnny and Redmond, Sean and Bamber, John (2025) Limerick: REPPP, University of Limerick

Planet Youth Tipperary: results of survey 2024

(2025) Tipperary: Planet Youth Tipperary

The power of nursing triage notes: alcohol and substance use challenges in frequent attenders to rural emergency departments

Lavelle-Cafferkey, Sadie et al (2025) Emergency Nurse, Early online. doi.org/10.7748/en.2025.e2253

Nitrous oxide abuse: single centre experience of nitrous oxide induced myeloneuropathy

Redmond, Aine et al (2025) Irish Journal of Medical Science, doi.org/10.1007/s11845-025-04144-7

Identity abuse against sexual and gender minority communities: the Being LGBTQI+ in Ireland study

Downes, Carmel et al (2025) PLoS ONE, 20, (11). doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335595

An investigation of gender-based differences in social media use, sexting behaviours and body dissatisfaction as risk factors for poor mental health and self-harm in adolescents: a cross-sectional population-based study

Cotter, Delia S et al (2025) Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, Early online. pp. 1-10. doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2025.10122

Civil society as an untapped ally in fighting stigma against people with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders: an opinion paper

Atieno-Bitta, Mary et al (2025) Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, Early online. pp. 1-3. doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2025.10148

Factors influencing the mental health help-seeking behaviours of construction workers in Ireland: perspectives from managers

Roche, Emilie et al (2025) Health Promotion International, 40, (6). doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaf210

Policy and legislative briefing paper. General Scheme of the Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill

Oireachtas Library & Research Service. (2025) Dublin: Houses of the Oireachtas

Public Health (single-use vapes) Bill 2025

(2025) Dublin: Houses of the Oireachtas

Health not handcuffs videos

UISCE Advocacy. (2025) Dublin: UISCE

Link between recreational drug-taking and violent drug debt intimidation. [Audio]

(2025) Dublin: RTE

Premature ageing in long-term homeless adults (PATH).

Herity, Ailbhe (2025) Masters thesis, Trinity College Dublin

Multiple perspectives on father engagement in the context of domestic violence

Marmion, Lisa Majella (2025) PhD thesis, Trinity College Dublin

Studies on the social and economic patterning of health behaviours in childhood and adolescence

McEvoy, Olivia (2025) PhD thesis, Trinity College Dublin

Adoption of the Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) guidelines within health psychology and behavioural medicine journal policies: a cross-sectional study

Toomey, Elaine et al (2025) Health Psychology Review, 19, (4), pp. 763-780. doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2025.2516010

Factsheet: Alcohol - the Irish situation

(2025) Dublin: HRB National Drugs Library

Prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences and extrafamilial violence: a representative survey of adults in Northern Ireland

Walsh, Colm et al (2025) BMJ Public Health, 3, (2). doi.org/10.1136/bmjph-2025-003360

Digital marketing of health-harming products to children in Ireland – options for further protections. A report developed by the Institute of Public Health for the Online Health Taskforce

O’Connor, Louise et al (2025) Dublin: Institute of Public Health

Complicit in the charade: a critical content analysis of the annual reports of Ireland’s Regulator of the National Lottery 2014-2024

Houghton, Frank et al (2025) Journal of Global, Public and One Health, 2025, (2), pp. 1-18. DOI: 10.61034/JGPOH-2025-20

Child oriented advertising on Ireland’s national lottery website: a visual content analysis

Daly, Mia et al (2025) Journal of Global, Public and One Health, 2025, (2), pp. 1-17. DOI: 10.61034/JGPOH-2025-19

Digital and social media marketing of alcohol

(2025) Dublin: Alcohol Action Ireland

Delivering an age-friendly health system: a blueprint to transform health and healthcare for older adults

(2025) Dublin: Department of Health

Online health and rights for Ireland’s children and young people. Final report.

Online Health Taskforce. (2025) Dublin: Department of Health

The National Youth Assembly on Youth online health. Summary report

The National Youth Assembly on Youth of Ireland. (2025) Dublin: Government of Ireland

Public health strategy 2025-2030

(2025) Dublin: HSE

The Road Safety Authority safety performance indicators 2025

Ipsos B&A. O'Mahony, John and Gunning, Cormac (2025) Dublin: Road Safety Authority

Statistics from the Northern Ireland substance misuse database: 2024/25

McClements, Anne Marie et al (2025) Belfast: Department of Health

Ireland’s future health and social care workforce

(2025) Dublin: Department of Health

HSE National service plan 2026

(2025) Dublin: Health Service Executive

National Self-Harm Registry Ireland annual report 2024

Joyce, Mary et al (2025) Cork: National Suicide Research Foundation

Assessment of policing performance mid-year review

Policing and Community Safety Authority. (2025) Dublin: PCSA.

An Garda Síochána annual report 2024

(2025) Dublin: An Garda Siochana

Incidents of death and serious harm 2024

(2025) Dublin: Fiosrú

Forensic Science Ireland annual report 2024

(2025) Dublin: Forensic Science Ireland

Medical Bureau of Road Safety annual report 2024

(2025) Dublin: Medical Bureau of Road Safety

HIV in Ireland, 2024

(2025) Dublin: HPSC

National Development Plan review 2025. Securing Ireland’s future. Sectoral investment plan: justice sector.

(2025) Dublin: Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration

Overview report on the monitoring and regulation of children’s social care services - 2024

(2025) Dublin: HIQA.

CASP annual report 2024. Dignity compassion & support

(2025) Dublin: CASP

Monthly card payment statistics - October 2025

(2025) Dublin: Central Bank of Ireland

Central Statistics Office reports

Analysis of people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties 2022 - 2024. (2025) Cork: CSO.
Recorded crime detection 2024. (2025) Cork: CSO.
Social protection expenditure in Ireland 2024. (2025) Cork: CSO.
Early learning and care settings (OECD TALIS) 2024. (2025) Cork: CSO.
Additional insights into deaths using administrative data 2023. (2025) Cork: CSO.
Suicide statistics 2022. (2025) Cork: CSO.

Regulator of the National Lottery annual report 2024

(2025) Dublin: Regulator of the National Lottery

International publications

Communication from the commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the EU Drugs Strategy

(2025) Brussels: European Commission

Communication from the commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the EU Action Plan against drug trafficking

(2025) Brussels: European Commission

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on ProtectEU: a European Internal Security Strategy

(2025) Strasbourg: European Commission

Substance misuse treatment statistics 2024 to 2025

(2025) London: Office for Health Improvement & Disparities

Harm Reduction Database Wales: drug related mortality annual report 2025 (data to end of 2024)

Public Health Wales Health Protection Division. (2025) Cardiff: Public Health Wales

Distinct substance use patterns and risk of unintentional injury, violence, and mortality in adolescence: a latent class analysis and 8-year prospective cohort study of 68 301 students aged 15-19 years

Kruckow, Sofie et al (2025) European Journal of Public Health, Early online. doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf192

The right to housing and its impact on health

(2025) Edinburgh: Public Health Scotland

Effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of naloxone in carceral settings: a scoping review

Ravichandran, Nandakumar et al (2025) Harm Reduction Journal, Early online. doi.org/10.1186/s12954-025-01358-x

Risk factors and circumstances associated with homelessness in older adults: a scoping review of quantitative and qualitative studies

Hoang, Peter M et al (2025) Gerontologist, Early online. doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf307

Better outcomes through linked data: rough sleeping and substance use treatment

(2025) London: Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government

Protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial of the Pharmacy Homeless Outreach Engagement Non-medical and Independent Prescriber (PHOENIx) intervention for people facing severe and multiple disadvantages

Lowrie, Richard et al (2025) BMJ Open, 15, (11). doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-106640

Using modelling and public health surveillance data to evidence progress towards the WHO incidence target for hepatitis C elimination in people who inject drugs - a review of complementary approaches in the United Kingdom

Mitchell, Holly D et al (2025) International Journal of Drug Policy, 146. doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105059

Collection of drug-related hospital emergency data in Western Balkans and Southern Neighbourhood countries using Euro-DEN Plus methodology. Technical report

European Union Drugs Agency. (2025) Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union

EUDA webinar recording: Novel approaches to prevent the recruitment and participation of young people in European drug markets.

(2025) Lisbon: EUDA

High risk, low key: the new face of drug use

Burmeister, James R and Jung, John K (2025) Substance Use : Research and Treatment, 19. doi.org/10.1177/29768357251389682

How and why consensus fractured at the 2024 session of the UN Commission on narcotic drugs: an exploratory study of international drug policy constellations using social network analysis and qualitative comparative analysis

Stevens, Alex et al (2025) Drugs: Education Prevention and Policy, Early online. doi.org/10.1080/09687637.2025.2590649

Participant experiences of a collegiate recovery program on a UK university campus

Day, Ed et al (2025) Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, Early online. doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2025.2589143

Trends in annual and lifetime prevalence of child and adolescent mental health service use in the UK between 1991 and 2023: Welsh healthcare register linkage study

O'Hare, Kirstie et al (2025) The British Journal of Psychiatry, Early online. pp. 1-8. 10.1192/bjp.2025.10480

Exploring the impact of stigma on the health of inclusion health groups: a qualitative scoping review and critical analysis

Price, Timothy et al (2025) BMC Public Health, Early online. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25603-x

Adult psychiatric morbidity survey: survey of mental health and wellbeing, England, 2023/4

Morris, Sarah et al (2025) London: NHS England

Child and youth mental health in the WHO European Region: status and actions to strengthen the quality of care

(2025) Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe

Lifestyle psychiatry: a conceptual framework for application in mental healthcare and support

Deenik, Jeroen et al (2025) BMJ Mental Health, 28. doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2025-301980

A guide to selecting psychological interventions that can be delivered by people who are not mental health specialists in low-resource settings

Rangel, Ruta et al (2025) PLOS Global Public Health, 5, (11). doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0005123

Neurodiversity in custody: screening results for ADHD and autistic traits in individuals arrested by the London Metropolitan Police

Brown, Dion et al (2025) Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, Early online. doi.org/10.1002/cbm.70018

"You don't feel as embarrassed looking at them". Peer mentoring on an integrated fitness and educational substance use program

Mahon, Daryl (2025) Substance Use & Misuse, Early online. pp. 1-11. doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2025.2590187

Peer research with populations of people who use street tablets in areas over-represented by drug-related harms in the UK: a case study.

Poulter, Hannah Louise et al (2025) Harm Reduction Journal, Early online. doi.org/10.1186/s12954-025-01273-1

Efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for stimulant use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Kim, Jongtae et al (2025) Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16. doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1695702

Hospital-based care for hallucinogens and risk of mania and bipolar disorder: a population-based cohort study

Myran, Daniel T et al (2025) PLoS Medicine, 22, (12). doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004805

Development of a novel risk score reflecting the relative harm potential of synthetic cannabinoids based on prevalence estimates, well-documented intoxication cases and basic pharmacological data

Sommer, Michaela J et al (2025) Addiction, Early online, doi.org/10.1111/add.70268

Exposure to content written by large language models can reduce stigma around opioid use disorder

Mittal, Shravika et al (2025) NPJ artificial intelligence, 1, 46. doi.org/10.1038/s44387-025-00049-z

Comparison of extended-release buprenorphine doses for treating high-risk opioid use: a randomized clinical trial

Shiwach, Rajinder et al (2025) JAMA Network Open, 8, (12). 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.48043

Myanmar opium survey 2025 cultivation, production, and implications

(2025) Vienna: UNODC.

Cannabis retailer advice on blunt, tobacco, and cannabis use during pregnancy.

Young-Wolff, Kelly C et al (2025) JAMA Network Open, 8, (12). doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.48373

Training the police on legalized medical cannabis: lessons in building public trust, reducing harm, and avoiding reputational damage

Metcalf McGrath, Lindsey and Beckett Wilson, Helen (2025) Policing, 19. doi.org/10.1093/police/paaf047

Clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment

(2025) London: Department of Health and Social Care

Harms to women and children from men’s alcohol use: an evidence review and directions for policy

Laslett, Anne-Marie et al (2025) RTI Press

Alcohol-attributable injuries in the WHO European Region: overview of key findings based on 2019 data

(2025) World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe

Alcohol’s harm to others in Australia: patterns, costs, disparities and precipitants

Laslett, Anne-Marie et al (2025) Melbourne: Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University

Does believing alcohol causes cancer moderate the relationship between consumer awareness of the alcohol-cancer link and support for alcohol policies? findings from a Canadian cross-sectional study

Weerasinghe, Ashini et al (2026) Drug and Alcohol Review, 45, (1). doi.org/10.1111/dar.70072

Global, regional, and national burden of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2023. Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risks 2023 Collaborators

(2025) Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 86, (22), pp. 2167-2243. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2025.08.015

Feelings of guilt and remorse after alcohol consumption among people who drink at increasing and higher-risk levels: a population study in England

Cox, Sharon et al (2026) Drug and Alcohol Review, 45, (1). doi.org/10.1111/dar.70076

Four-year effects of a computer-based brief alcohol intervention targeting alcohol users in the general population: randomized controlled trial

Staudt, Andreas et al (2025) Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27. doi.org/10.2196/77921

Minimum Unit Pricing in the UK: who’s backing it and who’s blocking it?

(2025) London: Alcohol Health Alliance UK

"I just saw the alcohol brand, I never really thought of the zeros": young people's views of NoLo and alibi alcohol sponsorship

Purves, Richard I et al (2025) International Journal of Drug Policy, 148. doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105108

Understanding the use of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks during pregnancy

Maslin, Kate et al (2025) University of Plymouth and Alcohol Change UK

Smoke and mirrors: unmasking disinformation from the tobacco industry

Tobacco Control Research Group, University of Bath. (2025) Bath: University of Bath

The changing face of nicotine use in England: age-specific annual trends, 2014 to 2024

Jackson, Sarah E et al (2025) Addiction, Early online. doi.org/10.1111/add.70243

Association between cigarette smoking status, intensity, and cessation duration with long-term incidence of nine cardiovascular and mortality outcomes: the Cross-Cohort Collaboration (CCC).

Tasdighi, Erfan et al (2025) PLoS Medicine, 22, (11). doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004561

Patterns of e-cigarette use and smoking cessation outcomes: secondary analysis of a large randomised controlled trial to inform clinical advice

Pesola, Francesca et al (2025) Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Early online. doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaf240

Oral nicotine pouch use in Great Britain: a repeat cross-sectional study, 2020–25

Tattan-Birch, Harry et al (2025) The Lancet Public Health, Early online. DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00296-8

Comparative effects of electronic cigarettes and dual use of electronic and conventional cigarettes on adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Sukhato, Kanokporn et al (2025) BMC Public Health, Early online. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25765-8

Are electronic cigarettes associated with the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Gupta, Ruchika et al (2025) BMC Public Health, Early online. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25161-2

Problem gambling transmission. An eight-wave longitudinal study on problem gambling among affected others

Kauppila, Emmi et al (2025) Journal of Gambling Studies, Early online. doi.org/10.1007/s10899-025-10465-0

Frequency of gambling, mental health, and financial stress among young adults

Mohan, Gretta (2025) BMC Public Health, Early online. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24930-3

Gaming disorder in the ICD-11: the state of the game

Musetti, Alessandro et al (2025) BMC Psychiatry, 25. doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07576-8

General executive functions, stimulus-specific inhibitory control and predisposing variables of individuals with problematic social network use

Kessling, Annica et al (2025) Addictive Behaviors, 174. doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108556

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The HRB National Drugs Library newsletter is a free subscriber-only monthly email newsletter offering relevant Irish and international news and information on alcohol and other drugs research. E-mail addresses provided for the purpose of subscribing to the newsletter will only be used by the library to distribute the requested information. The newsletter is published by the HRB National Drugs Library, Health Research Board. The library is staffed by qualified information professionals who handle a wide range of enquiries. Not sure what we can do for you? Email us and we will be happy to discuss your information needs.