Tobacco, heated tobacco products, e-cigarette, alcohol, cannabis and other psychotropic substances. Polysubstance use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

Objective: Psychoactive substance use is largely found to involve multiple substances. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed psychoactive substance use patterns. Aim of this study is to investigate profiles of polysubstance and their pattern during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Changes in Alcohol Consumption During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic From 2020 to 2023 in a Prospective Cohort of Italian Adults.

Background: The lockdowns imposed by the government during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have had a significant impact on the Italian population habits.

Methods: LOckdown and lifeSTyles in Italy and in Tuscany studies collected data on a representative sample of the Italian adult population in 2020 (n = 6,003) followed up through 2023 via four additional surveys (3,000 ≤ n ≤ 6,600) through an online self-administered questionnaire. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Concise was used to identify at-risk drinkers.

Changes in the use of nicotine-containing products during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in a representative sample of the Italian adult population.

Introduction: To assess nicotine-containing products (NCPs; heated tobacco products and/or electronic cigarettes) use in relation to conventional smoking.

Methods: "LOST IN ITALY" ("LOckdown and Lifestyles IN ITALY") and "LOST IN TOSCANA" cross-sectional surveys estimated lifestyles changes before, during, and after the lockdown in a representative sample of the Italian population. A Poisson regression model was used to estimate prevalence ratios of NCP use according to socio-demographic, mental distress, and smoking variables.

ViolHelp: results of a pilot study to identify potential warning signs and risk factors for self- and hetero-directed violence in the calls received by the Helplines of the Italian National Institute of Health.

Background: Self- and hetero-directed violence (SHDV) is a serious public health problem and a complex phenomenon, influenced by individual and environmental factors. SHDV may occur particularly in moments of personal, economic and/or social crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISS-Helplines operators have perceived an increase in psychological distress and self-isolation among callers.

The Italian National Institute of Health helpline to quit tobacco and nicotine dependence: 20 years of activity.

Introduction: Tobacco use is one of the world's leading preventable causes of death and is a major preventable risk factor of non-communicable diseases. Although smokers are aware of the health risks, their attempts to quit often fail, primarily due to the strong nicotine and/or tobacco dependence. Antismoking helplines have become an integral part of tobacco control efforts in many countries.

Smoking intensity changes during the COVID-19 pandemic waves in a cohort of smokers in Italy.

Introduction: COVID-19 lockdown in Italy resulted in increased smoking consumption, mainly associated with mental distress. This study aims to update previous findings investigating changes in smoking intensity during the whole COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This analysis was carried out within the "LOST IN ITALY" ("LOckdown and lifeSTyle IN ITALY") and "LOST IN TOSCANA" studies on 880 smokers with information collected during main pandemic peaks.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on gambling habit: A cross-sectional study from Italy.

Background And Aims: Few preliminary studies have shown an impact of COVID-19 confinement on gambling habits. We aim to evaluate short-term effects of lockdown restrictions on gambling behaviors in Italy.

Methods: Within the project Lost in Italy, a web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of 6,003 Italians aged 18-74 years, enrolled during April 27-May 3 2020, and were asked to report gambling activity before the lockdown and at the time of interview.

An Item Response Theory-Based Scoring of the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised Adolescents.

The South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised Adolescent (SOGS-RA) is one of the most widely used screening tools for problem gambling among adolescents. In this study, item response theory was used for computing measures of problem gambling severity that took into account how much information the endorsed items provided about the presence of problem gambling. A zero-inflated mixture two-parameter logistic model was estimated on the responses of 4,404 adolescents to the South Oaks Gambling Screen-Revised Adolescent to compute the difficulty and discrimination of each item, and the problem gambling severity level (θ score) of each respondent.

Stimulant substance use and gambling behaviour in adolescents. Gambling and stimulant use.

Gambling is widely recognized as an important public health problem. Despite the rising use of stimulant substances among adolescents, there are still very few studies focusing on whether adolescents' use of stimulants is associated with their gambling behaviour. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between gambling habits and consumption of stimulants such as coffee, energy drinks, and new psychoactive substances in a sample of Italian adolescents.

Pathways connecting socioeconomic variables, substance abuse and gambling behaviour: a cross-sectional study on a sample of Italian high-school students.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to elucidate the pathway of associations linking gambling, alcohol intake, smoking habit, cannabis consumption between each other and with demographic and socioeconomic variables.

Setting And Participants: A survey was conducted in 2017 on a representative sample of 15 602 Italian 14-year-olds to 17-year-olds attending 201 secondary schools.

Outcome Measures: Structural Equation Models analysis was used to assess the pathway between gambling, alcohol intake, smoking, cannabis consumption, demographics and socioeconomic factors.

Improvement of hair testing for Ethylglucuronide by supported liquid extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

To improve the reproducibility, suitability and speed of hair testing for Ethylglucuronide (EtG), an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated together with a supported liquid extraction (SLE) EtG from the keratin matrix. EtG was analyzed using reversed phase chromatography with gradient elution and detection with tandem mass spectrometry operated in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode via negative electrospray ionization (ESI). The method showed good linearity from limit of quantification (LOQ) to 100 pg/mg hair (r 0.

Maternal hair testing to disclose self-misreporting in drinking and smoking behavior during pregnancy.

This study aimed to objectively verify smoking and drinking behavior during pregnancy and to disclose self-misreporting through maternal hair analysis. A total of 153 women attending a university hospital in Barcelona (Spain) were selected and interviewed after delivery, on their smoking and drinking habits during pregnancy. A 9-cm hair strand was collected and analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the presence of nicotine (NIC) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) as biomarkers of tobacco and alcohol consumption, respectively.

Stability of Drugs of Abuse in Urine Samples at Room Temperature by Use of a Salts Mixture.

Background: It has long been recognized that ensuring analyte stability is of crucial importance in the use of any quantitative bioanalytical method. As analyses are usually not performed directly after collection of the biological samples, but after these have been processed and stored, it is essential that analyte stability can be maintained at storage conditions to ensure that the obtained concentration results adequately reflect those directly after sampling. The conservation of urine samples in refrigerated/ frozen conditions is strongly recommended; but not always feasible.

General Practitioners and Dentists: A Call for Action Against Tobacco.

Introduction: To investigate the frequency of advice to quit smoking received by the Italian population from general practitioners (GP) and dentists, we analyzed a cross-sectional study.

Methods: A face-to-face survey was conducted in 2014 on 3052 individuals, representative of the general Italian population aged 15 years or more.

Results: During the previous year, 89% of individuals (82% of smokers) reported that they had visited a GP while 71% (67% of smokers) had visited a dentist.

Determination of different recreational drugs in sweat by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME GC/MS): Application to drugged drivers.

A procedure based on headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) has been developed for the determination of most commonly used drugs of abuse in sweat of drivers stopped during roadside controls. DrugWipe 5A sweat screening device was used to collect sweat by a specific pad rubbed gently over forehead skin surface. The procedure involved an acid hydrolysis, a HS-SPME extraction for drugs of abuse but Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, which was directly extracted in alkaline medium HS-SPME conditions, a GC separation of analytes by a capillary column and MS detection by electron impact ionisation.

Gender disparity in addiction: an Italian epidemiological sketch.

Introduction: Gender disparity in different fields of addiction such as tobacco smoking, alcohol use, drugs of abuse consumption and doping practice has been investigated in Italian population.

Methods: We used the surveys and studies carried out for the above reported issues in recent years as revised by the "National Observatory on Tobacco smoke, Drugs of abuse, Alcohol and Doping" at Istituto Superiore di Sanità.

Results: Concerning tobacco habit, the trend of smoking women has been in constant decrease from a 19.

Emerging trends in consuming behaviours for non-controlled substances by Italian urban youth: a cross sectional study.

Introduction: We investigated emerging trends in consuming behaviours for non-controlled substances in a cross sectional study on urban Italian adolescents and young adults, the reasons for consumption and risk perception as function of age, the relation with lifestyles and finally risk factors associated.

Methods: The survey methodology involved the administration of an anonymous questionnaire. It consisted of 68 questions, divided into five sections: personal details, socioeconomic characteristics, family and peer group, free time and lifestyles, and substances use.

Quali-quantitative analysis of best selling drugs from pharmacy, street market and traditional herbal medicine: a pilot study of market surveillance in Senegal.

A pilot study of market surveillance in Senegal has been performed analyzing best selling drugs from an official pharmacy and a street market in two principal cities of Senegal and some traditional preparations from herbal medicine from the same market. A simple and rapid gas chromatography method with mass spectrometry detection has been applied after a liquid-liquid extraction of pharmaceutical products and traditional preparations at acidic, neutral and basic pH with chloroform-isopropanol (9:1, v/v). The assay was validated in the range from 10mg to 250 mg/g powder preparations with good determination coefficients (r(2)≥ 0.

The NASOROSSO (Rednose) project: an Italian study on alcohol consumption in recreational places.

The Nasorosso project of the Italian Youth Department and the National Institute of Health, aimed to raise awareness about drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol among club goers with a series of initiatives. Within the framework of the project, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured on 106,406 individuals before and after clubbing in 66 different recreational sites from 11 Italian provinces, over 16 months. Participating individuals were interviewed regarding sociodemographic and environmental characteristics and alcohol intoxicated people were offered to be taken home.

A helpline telephone service for tobacco related issues: the Italian experience.

Antismoking helplines have become an integral part of tobacco control efforts in many countries, including Italy. The demonstrated efficacy and the convenience of telephone based counselling have led to the fast adoption of antismoking helplines. However, information on how these helplines operate in actual practice is not often readily available.