Substance use among refugees in three Lebanese camps: A cross-sectional study.

Background: There is a strong link between conflict exposure and ill health, including substance use. However, this widely acknowledged problem has not been studied yet in refugee camps in Lebanon.

Aim: To investigate substance use among civilians following war or displacement, and to assess its association with socio-demographic characteristics.

Opiate agonist treatment to improve health of individuals with opioid use disorder in Lebanon.

Background: Opioid agonist therapy has been widely used to reduce harms among individuals with opioid use disorder but its effectiveness has not been evaluated in the Middle East North African (MENA) region. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a program using opioid agonist therapy in combination with psychosocial support on improving psychological and social well-being, reducing arrest, and reducing risky behavior in individuals with opioid use disorder in Lebanon.

Methods: A one-group pre-test post-test design study was performed at SKOUN Lebanese Addiction Centre between January 2013 and December 2014.

Implementing opioid substitution in Lebanon: Inception and challenges.

Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) is a firmly established method of treating and managing dependence to opioids in Europe, the US and rest of the developed world. It has a solid evidence base and a positive safety track record. Dissemination of its practice, in parallel to the acceptance of harm reduction as an effective approach, is still timid in low and middle Income countries.