[Long-term prescription of benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines].

Background: The number of persons with a dependence on prescription drugs such as sedatives or tranquilizers in Germany is estimated at between 1.4 and 1.9 million.

Learning by doing: 'initiated abstinence', a school-based programme for the prevention of addiction. Results of an evaluation study.

The objective of the study was to find out whether the school-based prevention programme 'Initiated abstinence' is suitable to induce pupils to change their consumer behavior and attitudes. The participants of the prevention programme commit themselves 'per contract' to abstain from or considerably reduce their consumption of at least one of their currently used substances (e.g.

[Use of and participation in self-help groups for methadone substitution patients].

To evaluate the importance of self-help groups and the patients' readiness to participate in such groups a sample of 675 methadone patients in Hamburg was asked by means of questionnaires. 43% of the patients had heard of self-help groups. One quarter of them (10% of the whole sample) had participated in self-help groups at some time.

Reduction of oxygen delivery during post-ischemic reperfusion protects the isolated guinea pig heart.

Objective: To further characterise the influence of oxygen delivery during early reperfusion (first 5 min) in the isolated guinea pig heart, three modes of coronary reperfusion were chosen, differing with respect to reperfusion flow and arterial PO2.

Methods: Isolated working guinea pig hearts underwent ischemia and reperfusion (15 min each). Reperfusion was at constant pressure (Group 1, 60 mmHg, n = 7) or at constant flow (Group 2, 5 ml/min, n = 7) with a PO2 of 600 mmHg.