Cannabis-related emergency department visits by youths and their outcomes in Ontario: a trend analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis-related emergency department visits can be an entry point for youths to mental health and substance use care systems. We aimed to examine trends in cannabis-related emergency department visits as a function of youths' age and sex. METHODS: Using administrative data, we examined all visits to emergency departments in Ontario, Canada, from 2003 to 2017, by youth aged 10-24 years (grouped as 10-13, 14-18 and 19-24 yr) to determine trends in cannabis-related emergency department visits. Cannabis-related visits were identified using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision codes for cannabis poisoning and mental disorders due to cannabinoids. We categorized presentations as "less severe" versus "more severe" using scores assigned by nurses at triage. RESULTS: We examined 14 697 778 emergency department visits. Cannabis-related visits increased from 3.8 per 10 000 youths (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.5-4.0) in 2003 to 17.9 (95% CI 17.4-18.4) in 2017, a 4.8-fold increase (95% CI 4.4-5.1). Rates increased for both sexes and each age group. Males were more likely to have a visit than females (rate ratios ≥ 1.5 in 2003 and 2017). The number of cannabis-related visits in 2017 was 25.0 per 10 000 (95% CI 24.0-25.9) among youth aged 19-24 years, 21.9 per 10 000 (95% CI 20.9-22.9) among those aged 14-18 years, and 0.8 per 10 000 (95% CI 0.5-1.0) among those aged 10-13 years. In 2017, 88.2% (95% CI 87.3%-89.0%) of cannabis-related visits and 58.1% (95% CI 58.0%-58.2%) of non-cannabis-related visits were triaged as "more severe," (rate ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.50-1.53). Similarly, in 2017, 19.0% (95% CI 18.0%-20.1%) of cannabis-related visits and 5.8% (95% CI 5.7%-5.8%) of non-cannabis-related visits resulted in hospital admission (rate ratio 3.3, 95% CI 3.1-3.5). INTERPRETATION: Rates of cannabis-related emergency department visit by youths aged 10-24 years increased almost fivefold from 2003 to 2017, with increases in visit severity and hospital admissions. These trends describe an emerging public health problem, and research is needed to identify the causes of this increase and the health and social consequences of cannabis-related visits for these youths.

Infancias y política

Reflexión alrededor de las infancias como constructo social, que en cada época y contexto histórico es permeable a múltiples sentidos. La infancia es considerada una producción nacida del Estado moderno, de las políticas sociales por él generadas, y de las instituciones que operaron como piezas en dicho momento histórico: la familia y la escuela principalmente.

Family homelessness, subsequent CWS involvement, and implications for targeting housing interventions to CWS-involved families.

BACKGROUND: Homelessness is a risk factor for family involvement with child welfare services (CWS). Housing interventions are promising-but reasons for this are not well understood, and housing resources could be better targeted to families at risk of increased CWS involvement. OBJECTIVE: We sought to better understand the relationship between homelessness and CWS involvement and examine whether homeless shelter data could combine with CWS data to enhance intervention targeting. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: For 4 years, we followed 2063 families investigated by the San Francisco Human Services Agency in 2011. METHODS: Matching CWS data to homeless shelter data, we fit Cox models to examine the relationship between shelter use and subsequent CWS outcomes and produced ROC curves to judge model accuracy with and without shelter information. RESULTS: Absent CWS covariates (family demographics, CWS history, and family safety and risk), past shelter entry predicted repeat maltreatment referral (HR = 1.92, p < .001), in-home case opening (HR = 1.51, p < .05), and child removal (HR = 1.95, p < .01), but not child reunification. With CWS covariates, past shelter use no longer predicted case opening and child removal, but still predicted referral (HR = 1.58, p < .01). Shelter data did not contribute to models' predictive accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: We find mixed evidence that shelter use independently leads to CWS involvement. Housing interventions might help by addressing present housing problems and family experiences correlated with past shelter use. However, we find no evidence that data matches with shelter systems could enhance targeting.

Sobre salud mental, COVID-19 y normalidad / On mental health, COVID-19, and normality

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Life and Death in the American City: Men's Life Expectancy in 25 Major American Cities From 1990 to 2015.

The past several decades have witnessed growing geographic disparities in life expectancy within the United States, yet the mortality experience of U.S. cities has received little attention. We examine changes in men's life expectancy at birth for the 25 largest U.S. cities from 1990 to 2015, using mortality data with city of residence identifiers. We reveal remarkable increases in life expectancy for several U.S. cities. Men's life expectancy increased by 13.7 years in San Francisco and Washington, DC, and by 11.8 years in New York between 1990 and 2015, during which overall U.S. life expectancy increased by just 4.8 years. A significant fraction of gains in the top-performing cities relative to the U.S. average is explained by reductions in HIV/AIDS and homicide during the 1990s and 2000s. Although black men tended to see larger life expectancy gains than white men in most cities, changes in socioeconomic and racial population composition also contributed to these trends.

Understanding Economic Abuse Through an Intersectional Lens: Financial Abuse, Control, and Exploitation of Women's Productive and Reproductive Labor.

Financial abuse refers to men's control over money, assets, and women's education or paid work. As a corrective to existing undertheorization of men's (and their family's) abuse of and control over women's unpaid (domestic) labor, this article proposes a new conceptualization of economic abuse. Drawing upon life-history interviews with 41 South Asian women from the United Kingdom and India, this article explores control and abuse in relation to financial resources and women's paid work as well as unpaid work. It utilizes an intersectional perspective to explore how gender, migration status, race/ethnicity, and class can improve understanding of women's experiences as a continuum of economic abuse.

Changing risk and presentation of overdose associated with consumption of street drugs at a supervised injection site in Vancouver, Canada.

BACKGROUND: British Columbia is experiencing a public health emergency due to overdoses resulting from consumption of street drugs contaminated with fentanyl. While the risk of overdoses appears to be increasing, the overdose rate and severity of overdose presentations have yet to be quantified. METHODS: Insite is a supervised injection site in Vancouver. Data from Insite's client database from January 2010 to June 2017 were used to calculate overdose rates as well as the proportion of overdoses involving rigidity and naloxone administration over time in order to estimate changes in the risk and severity of overdose resulting from changes in the local drug supply. RESULTS: The overdose rate increased significantly for all drug categories. Heroin used alone or with other drugs continues to be associated with the highest overdose rate. The overdose rate associated with heroin increased from 2.7/1000 visits to 13/1000 visits over the study period, meaning that clients were 4.8 times more likely to overdose in the most recent period as in the baseline period. The proportion of overdose events involving rigidity, a known complication of intravenous fentanyl use, increased significantly from 10.4% to 18.9%. The proportion of overdoses requiring naloxone administration increased significantly from 48.4% to 57.1% and is now similar across all drug categories. CONCLUSIONS: The risk and severity of overdoses at Insite have increased since the emergence of illicit fentanyl. This information derived from supervised injection site data can be used to inform local harm reduction efforts and the response to the overdose emergency.

Working County Lines: Child Criminal Exploitation and Illicit Drug Dealing in Glasgow and Merseyside.

This article explores recent developments within the U.K. drug market: that is, the commuting of gang members from major cities to small rural urban areas for the purpose of enhancing their profit from drug distribution. Such practice has come to be known as working "County Lines." We present findings drawn from qualitative research with practitioners working to address serious and organized crime and participants involved in street gangs and illicit drug supply in both Glasgow and Merseyside, United Kingdom. We find evidence of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) in County Lines activity, often as a result of debt bondage; but also, cases of young people working the lines of their own volition to obtain financial and status rewards. In conclusion, we put forward a series of recommendations which are aimed at informing police strategy, practitioner intervention, and wider governmental policy to effectively address this growing, and highly problematic, phenomenon.

Alone, but protected? Effects of social support on mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors.

Unaccompanied refugee minors (URM) are the most vulnerable group of refugees suffering from higher levels of mental health problems. Yet, there is also a group of URM with little or no symptoms or disorders. A major predictor for positive mental health outcomes is the social support network in the post-flight period which has rarely been investigated for the group of URM. The present study analyzes differences between perceived social support from family, peers, and adult mentors in URM, with subgroup analyses of peer and mentor support in URM with and without family contact. Furthermore, we investigate whether social support from each of the three sectors moderates the relationship between stressful life events (SLE) and mental health of URM with family contact. Questionnaire data were collected from 105 male URM from Syria and Afghanistan aged 14-19 years who were living in group homes of the Child Protection Services in Leipzig, Germany, in summer 2017. URM receive most social support from their families, followed by peers and adult mentors. URM without family contact received less peer and mentor support compared to URM with family contact. Lower social support from mentors increased the risk for PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms after SLE, whereas lower social support from peers increased the association between SLE and anxiety symptoms. Mentor and peer support in the host country is relevant for the processing of SLE. URM without family contact represent a "double burden" group, as they might feel less supported by other social networks.

Urban-rural variation in the socioeconomic determinants of opioid overdose.

BACKGROUND: Prescription opioid overdose (POD) and heroin overdose (HOD) rates have quadrupled since 1999. Community-level socioeconomic characteristics are associated with opioid overdoses, but whether this varies by urbanicity is unknown. METHODS: In this serial cross-sectional study of zip codes in 17 states, 2002-2014 (n = 145,241 space-time units), we used hierarchical Bayesian Poisson space-time models to analyze the association between zip code-level socioeconomic features (poverty, unemployment, educational attainment, and income) and counts of POD or HOD hospital discharges. We tested multiplicative interactions between each socioeconomic feature and zip code urbanicity measured with Rural-Urban Commuting Area codes. RESULTS: Percent in poverty and of adults with ≤ high school education were associated with higher POD rates (Rate Ratio [RR], 5% poverty: 1.07 [95% credible interval: 1.06-1.07]; 5% low education: 1.02 [1.02-1.03]), while median household income was associated with lower rates (RR, $10,000: 0.88 [0.87-0.89]). Urbanicity modified the association between socioeconomic features and HOD. Poverty and unemployment were associated with increased HOD in metropolitan areas (RR, 5% poverty: 1.12 [1.11-1.13]; 5% unemployment: 1.04 [1.02-1.05]), and median household income was associated with decreased HOD (RR, $10,000: 0.88 [0.87-0.90]). In rural areas, low educational attainment alone was associated with HOD (RR, 5%: 1.09 [1.02-1.16]). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of urbanicity, elevated rates of POD were found in more economically disadvantaged zip codes. Economic disadvantage played a larger role in HOD in urban than rural areas, suggesting rural HOD rates may have alternative drivers. Identifying social determinants of opioid overdoses is particularly important for creating effective population-level interventions.

Chemsex, ¿hablamos de un tema polémico? / Let’s talk about a controversial topic: Chemsex

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Trabajo en red entre ayuntamientos para promover la prevención del abuso de drogas: "Xarxa Perifèrics" / Networking among town halls to promote drug abuse prevention: "Xarxa Perifèrics"

La Red Periféricos nace de técnicos municipales que trabajan en prevención de drogodependencias y tienen la necesidad de conocer e intercambiar experiencias y programas que se estén desarrollando en otros municipios. La carencia de un espacio conjunto y de referentes en este ámbito implica una autogestión que se inicia con un grupo pequeño de municipios y que actualmente recoge la mayoría de entidades, municipios y otras administraciones supramunicipales que trabajan en prevención en Catalunya. La Red es un espacio de aprendizaje conjunto y de acompañamiento técnico que no solo refuerza la tarea que cada técnico realiza en su municipio sino que también reivindica la prevención y la promoción de la salud como derecho sin tener que esperar a intervenir cuando el problema ya ha aparecido

Perifèrics is a Network created by a group of town council experts on drug addiction prevention who had the need to know and exchange experiences and programmes from other town councils. The lack of a common space and of referents in this field lead to a self-managed initiative started by a small group of municipalities that currently includes the majority of organisations, town councils and other administrations that work in prevention in Catalunya. The Network is a common area of learning and technical support that not only reinforces the task carried out by each expert in their own municipalities but that also claims prevention and health promotion as a human right, assuming the fact that it is much better to intervene before the drug related problem appears

Homicidio en la provincia de Matanzas. 1989 al 2016 / Homicide in the province of Matanzas. From 1989 to 2016

Introducción: el homicidio, es la forma más extrema de resolución de los conflictos sociales entre las personas y los colectivos. En Cuba no constituye un problema de salud, pero por su importancia humana, social y judicial, se lleva una vigilancia sobre el tema. Objetivo: describir las principales características epidemiológicas en tiempo, espacio y personas, de los fallecidos por homicidio en la provincia de Matanzas. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo para caracterizar en tiempo, espacio y algunos aspectos personales, a los fallecidos por homicidio en la provincia de Matanzas durante los años 1989 al 2016. El universo y muestra estuvo conformado por los 802 fallecidos por esta causa durante el periodo analizado. Para el análisis de las variables se utilizaron tasas crudas por 100000 hab. Resultados: las tasas de mortalidad estuvieron entre 1,75 y 7,2 por 100000 habitantes. La mayor cantidad de fallecidos fue en edades jóvenes, entre varones, personas sin pareja estable y de color de la piel negra. Las las tasas resultaron ser más bajas que en otros países aunque con una ligera tendencia al incremento. Se comparan los resultados con otros países y se destaca la necesidad de mejorar el trabajo sobre todo a partir de la atención primaria Conclusiones: el homicidio aunque no constituye un problema de salud por sus cifras, requiere de un trabajo multidisciplinario e intersectorial para disminuir su incidencia sobre todo en aquellos grupos y municipios más vulnerables (AU).

Summary: homicide is the most extreme form of solving social conflicts among individuals and collectives. It is not a health problem in Cuba, but because of its human, social and judicial importance, vigilance is carried out on the theme. Objective: to describe the main epidemiological characteristics in time, space and persons, of the individuals deceased by homicide in the province of Matanzas. Materials and Methods: a descriptive study was carried out to characterize in time, space and several personal aspects, the people deceased by homicide in the province of Matanzas during the period 1989-2016. The universe and the sample were formed by the 802 people who died by homicide during the analyzed period. Gross rates per 100 000 inhabitants were used for the analyses of the variables. Results: the mortality rates ranged between 1.75 and 7.2 per 100 000 inhabitants. The highest quantity of deceased people were young, male, black skinned persons without stable couple. The rates were lower than in other countries, thought with a slight tendency to increase. The results were compared with other countries. It is highlighted the necessity of improving the work, beginning from the primary health care level. Conclusions: although homicide is not a health problem because of its amount, it requires a multidiscipline and inter-sectorial work to decrease its incidence mainly in those more vulnerable groups and municipalities (AU).

Homicidio en la provincia de Matanzas. 1989 al 2016 / Homicide in the province of Matanzas. From 1989 to 2016

Introducción: el homicidio, es la forma más extrema de resolución de los conflictos sociales entre las personas y los colectivos. En Cuba no constituye un problema de salud, pero por su importancia humana, social y judicial, se lleva una vigilancia sobre el tema. Objetivo: describir las principales características epidemiológicas en tiempo, espacio y personas, de los fallecidos por homicidio en la provincia de Matanzas. Materiales y Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo para caracterizar en tiempo, espacio y algunos aspectos personales, a los fallecidos por homicidio en la provincia de Matanzas durante los años 1989 al 2016. El universo y muestra estuvo conformado por los 802 fallecidos por esta causa durante el periodo analizado. Para el análisis de las variables se utilizaron tasas crudas por 100000 hab. Resultados: las tasas de mortalidad estuvieron entre 1,75 y 7,2 por 100000 habitantes. La mayor cantidad de fallecidos fue en edades jóvenes, entre varones, personas sin pareja estable y de color de la piel negra. Las las tasas resultaron ser más bajas que en otros países aunque con una ligera tendencia al incremento. Se comparan los resultados con otros países y se destaca la necesidad de mejorar el trabajo sobre todo a partir de la atención primaria Conclusiones: el homicidio aunque no constituye un problema de salud por sus cifras, requiere de un trabajo multidisciplinario e intersectorial para disminuir su incidencia sobre todo en aquellos grupos y municipios más vulnerables (AU).

Summary: homicide is the most extreme form of solving social conflicts among individuals and collectives. It is not a health problem in Cuba, but because of its human, social and judicial importance, vigilance is carried out on the theme. Objective: to describe the main epidemiological characteristics in time, space and persons, of the individuals deceased by homicide in the province of Matanzas. Materials and Methods: a descriptive study was carried out to characterize in time, space and several personal aspects, the people deceased by homicide in the province of Matanzas during the period 1989-2016. The universe and the sample were formed by the 802 people who died by homicide during the analyzed period. Gross rates per 100 000 inhabitants were used for the analyses of the variables. Results: the mortality rates ranged between 1.75 and 7.2 per 100 000 inhabitants. The highest quantity of deceased people were young, male, black skinned persons without stable couple. The rates were lower than in other countries, thought with a slight tendency to increase. The results were compared with other countries. It is highlighted the necessity of improving the work, beginning from the primary health care level. Conclusions: although homicide is not a health problem because of its amount, it requires a multidiscipline and inter-sectorial work to decrease its incidence mainly in those more vulnerable groups and municipalities (AU).

Pediatric Firearm-Related Injuries in the United States.

Pediatric firearm-related deaths and injuries are a national public health crisis. In this Special Review Article, we characterize the epidemiology of firearm-related injuries in the United States and discuss public health programs, the role of pediatricians, and legislative efforts to address this health crisis. Firearm-related injuries are leading causes of unintentional injury deaths in children and adolescents. Children are more likely to be victims of unintentional injuries, the majority of which occur in the home, and adolescents are more likely to suffer from intentional injuries due to either assault or suicide attempts. Guns are present in 18% to 64% of US households, with significant variability by geographic region. Almost 40% of parents erroneously believe their children are unaware of the storage location of household guns, and 22% of parents wrongly believe that their children have never handled household guns. Public health interventions to increase firearm safety have demonstrated varying results, but the most effective programs have provided free gun safety devices to families. Pediatricians should continue working to reduce gun violence by asking patients and their families about firearm access, encouraging safe storage, and supporting firearm-related injury prevention research. Pediatricians should also play a role in educating trainees about gun violence. From a legislative perspective, universal background checks have been shown to decrease firearm homicides across all ages, and child safety laws have been shown to decrease unintentional firearm deaths and suicide deaths in youth. A collective, data-driven public health approach is crucial to halt the epidemic of pediatric firearm-related injury.

Consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en adolescentes del Área IV del municipio de Cienfuegos / Alcoholic beverage consumption in adolescents of area IV of the Cienfuegos municipality

Fundamento: actualmente se aprecia un incremento del consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en adolescentes, lo cual puede convertirse en un importante problema de salud. Objetivo: describir el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en adolescentes. Métodos: estudio descriptivo realizado de enero 2014 a enero del 2015, en el área IV de salud del Municipio Cienfuegos, que incluyó 315 adolescentes seleccionados mediante muestreo aleatorio simple. Se analizaron las siguientes variables: edad, sexo, consumo de alcohol, edad de inicio al consumo de alcohol, primera bebida alcohólica que consumió, frecuencia del consumo, lugar donde consume, si ha sufrido de estado de embriaguez y sensación experimentada, consumo de alcohol por los familiares con los que convive y por amigos o compañeros de colegio, información sobre de los efectos indeseables del alcohol y quién le proporcionó la información. Resultados: todos los adolescentes refirieron que consumen bebidas alcohólicas; el 58, 4 por ciento lo inició con la ingestión de cerveza; el 22 por ciento consume una vez por semana; el 88, 9 por ciento lo hace en bares, discotecas y lugares públicos; 50, 5 por ciento de los consumidores son fumadores y el 73, 6 por ciento refirió a la familia como fuente para obtener información sobre consumo de alcohol. La edad de inicio del consumo en general es entre los 14 y 16 años, con un inicio más temprano en el sexo femenino. Casi la totalidad refirió consumo de alcohol por familiares, se presentó una relación casi similar por amigos o compañeros de la escuela y la totalidad conocen los efectos indeseables del alcohol.Conclusiones: el consumo de bebidas alcohólicas en adolescentes constituye un problema de salud en el territorio(AU)

Foundation: There is currently an increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages in adolescents, which can become an important health problem.Objective: To describe alcoholic beverages consumption in adolescents.Method: A descriptive study conducted from January 2014 to January 2015, in Area of health IVof the Cienfuegos Municipality, which included 315 adolescents selected through simple random sampling. The following variables were analyzed: age, sex, alcohol consumption, age of onset of alcohol consumption, first alcoholic beverage consumed, frequency of consumption, place of consumption, if experienced drunkenness and experienced sensation, alcohol consumption by relatives with whom he lives and by friends or schoolmates, information on the undesirable effects of alcohol and who provided the information. Results: All adolescents reported consuming alcoholic beverages; 58, 4 percent started it with the ingestion of beer; 22 percent consume once a week; 88, 9 percent do it in bars, discos and public places; 50, 5 percent of consumers are smokers and 73, 6 percent referred to the family as a source for information on alcohol consumption. The age of onset of consumption in general is between 14 and 16 years, with an earlier onset in the female sex. Almost all referred alcohol consumption by relatives, showed a near similar relationship by friends or school friends and the whole know the undesirable effects of alcohol. Conclusion: Alcoholic beverage consumption is a health problem in the Territory(AU)

The making of 'Boomergeddon': the construction of the Baby Boomer generation as a social problem in Britain.

High-profile claims about the problem of the 'Baby Boomer' generation, made in media and policy circles in recent years, have contributed to an awakened interest in the sociology of generations. While many claims focus on resource issues arising from the existence of a relatively large cohort (for example, pensions and healthcare), they contain an implicit moral critique of the generation associated with the postwar 'boom' of the Sixties. This article examines the development of the cultural script of the Baby Boomer problem in British newspapers over a 26-year period, to examine how shifts in the discourse about the Boomer generation relate to wider social, economic, cultural and political trends.