Addiction Audio

In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to Samatha Salim, a PhD candidate, and Dr Benjamin Riordan, a research fellow, both at the Centre for Alcohol policy Research at La Trobe University, Australia. The interview covers Samatha and Benjamin’s article comparing the accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI) models to detect alcohol in video images.What are AI models? [01:18]The context of why this research was undertaken [02:40]Why is it important to detect alcohol in video images? [04:05]The regulations surrounding alcohol in media content [05:57]The three AI models used in the study [08:10]The key findings from the study [11:00]Are AI models better than humans in detecting alcohol in media content? [13:15]The implications of the findings for policy and practice [15:30]The key takeaways from the study [19:29]About Tsen Vei Lim: Tsen Vei is an academic fellow supported by the Society for the Study of Addiction, currently based at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. His research integrates computational modelling, experimental psychology, and neuroimaging to understand the neuropsychological basis of addictive behaviours. He holds a PhD in Psychiatry from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Bath (UK). About Samatha Salim: Samatha is a PhD candidate at Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University in Australia, working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and public health. Her research focuses on quantifying alcohol exposure in films and digital media using scalable AI approaches, including multimodal large language models. By analysing large media datasets, she generates population-level evidence on the prevalence and patterns of alcohol portrayals and their potential influence on behaviour. Her work aims to bridge methodological innovation in AI with public health impact, supporting surveillance systems and informing policy interventions to reduce harmful alcohol exposure in media environments.About Benjamin Riordan: Benjamin is a research fellow in the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR). His research interests are broad, but predominantly, he focuses on using emerging and new technologies to understand and intervene with young adults who use alcohol. At CAPR, he co-leads the research stream on alcohol, media, and emerging technology, which focuses on understanding: 1) How is alcohol depicted or discussed in media (e.g., social media, films, music)? 2) What is the impact of exposure to alcohol-related content in the media? 3) What are the opportunities for policy change or interventions?Original article: Comparing the accuracy of artificial intelligence models to detect alcohol in video images  https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70337The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.Music provided by Jack Shakespeare.

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Michelle Priest, a research project specialist at RAND, US. The interview covers Michelle’s data insight looking at psilocybin microdosing in the US with insights from a nationally representative survey.What is microdosing? [01:09]The importance of looking at the prevalence of microdosing psilocybin in the US [02:52]The state and local policy landscape of psilocybin in the US [03:35]The nationally representative survey that Michelle and colleagues used [06:20]The key findings of the study [07:15]The reasons for microdosing psilocybin [08:26]The temporality of the microdosing questions [09:30]Why people didn’t know whether they microdosed [10:36]Who is microdosing psilocybin [12:02]Some surprising findings from the study [12:55]The implications of the findings for policy [14:00]The next steps in the RAND team for psychedelics [14:29]The take home messages of the study [15:32]About Elle Wadsworth: Elle is an research fellow with the Society for the Study of Addiction. She is based at the University of Bath with the Addiction and Mental Health Group and her research interests include drug policy, cannabis legalisation, and public health. About Michelle Priest: Michelle is a policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization committed to the public interest. Her work focuses on the regulation of emerging markets, especially psychedelic substances. Michelle is a mixed methods researcher with specialized skills in human-centered design and survey methodology. She has B.A.s in economics and linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles as well as an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in policy analysis from the RAND School of Public Policy.Original article: Psilocybin microdosing in the United States: Insights from a nationally representative survey https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70368The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.Music by Jack Shakespeare.

In this episode, Dr Annika Theodoulou speaks to Dr James Buszkiewicz, a Research Assistant Professor and social epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, United States. The interview covers James’s research article covering the associations between county-level e-cigarette-inclusive Tobacco 21 law population coverage and e-cigarette use behaviors among United States adolescents.Tobacco 21 laws and e-cigarette-inclusive Tobacco 21 laws [01:29]The importance of exploring e-cigarette-inclusive T21 laws and e-cigarette use behaviors [03:30]The use of the Monitoring the Future Study [04:25]The key findings of the study [06:34]The expectations and surprising findings from the study [09:02]The implications of the findings internationally [10:54]About Annika Theodoulou: Annika is a researcher at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. Her work focuses on health behaviours, including smoking cessation and weight management, with an emphasis on evidence synthesis. Annika’s doctoral research, funded by the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) and The Rotary Foundation, examined socioeconomic inequalities in smoking cessation behaviours and outcomes using quantitative and qualitative methods. She is an Associate Editor of Nicotine & Tobacco Research. Annika holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Master of Clinical Science from the University of Adelaide.About James Buszkiewicz: James is a Research Assistant Professor and social epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He applies epidemiologic and econometric methods to study how policies can address structural determinants of health. His research has explored the effects of state minimum wage laws, the built environment, economic shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic, and local, state, and federal tobacco control policies on cardiometabolic health, diet, food insecurity, and tobacco use. A key motivation in his work is a desire to reduce racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities through data-driven policy change.Original article: Associations between county-level e-cigarette-inclusive Tobacco 21 law population coverage and e-cigarette use behaviors among United States adolescents in Monitoring the Future https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70266 The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.Music by Jack Shakespeare.

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr André McDonald, postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University’s Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Canada. The interview covers André’s research article looking at adolescent cannabis use and psychological distress from 2013 to 2023 using a population-based study in Ontario, Canada.Psychological distress and why it is important with regards to cannabis [01:19]Why cannabis potency is important in the relationship between psychological distress and cannabis [02:06]The prevalence of youth cannabis use over the decade of the study [03:54]The Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey [04:45]The key findings of the study [05:24]The results of additive and multiplicative interactions [07:07]Unpacking the dose-response curve among females [09:07]The implications of the findings for policy [11:31]The limitations of the study [12:29]Take home messages of the study [14:00]About Elle Wadsworth: Elle is an academic fellow with the Society for the Study of Addiction. She is based at the University of Bath with the Addiction and Mental Health Group and her research interests include drug policy, cannabis legalisation, and public health. About André McDonald: André, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University’s Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research. André’s research examines the intersection between mental health and addictions among youth, with a focus on the link between cannabis use and risk of mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. André completed his PhD at the University of Toronto and is currently supported by a Fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).Original article: Adolescent cannabis use and psychological distress from 2013 to 2023: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70333The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.Music provided by Jack Shakespeare.

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Eve Taylor, a research fellow at University College London, UK. The interview covers Eve’s research article looking at smoking and drinking among the Gypsy and Traveller communities in England.The Gypsy and Traveller community in the UK [01:24]The importance of studying this community with regards to smoking and drinking [02:28]The underrepresentation of the Gypsy and Traveller communities in national data [03:27] The Smoking Toolkit study [03:59]How the Smoking Toolkit study addresses limitations found in previous studies [04:55]The key findings from the study: smoking [05:44]The key findings from the study: drinking [06:17]The key findings from the study: smoking and drinking interaction [07:23]Whether the findings were expected [08:00]The implications of the findings [09:38]Examples of good practice within the community [12:40]The stark difference in the smoking rates between ethnicities in England [14:00]The take home messages from the study [14:39]About Elle Wadsworth: Elle is an academic fellow with the Society for the Study of Addiction. She is based at the University of Bath with the Addiction and Mental Health Group and her research interests include drug policy, cannabis legalisation, and public health. About Eve Taylor: Eve is a Research Fellow at University College London, specialising in tobacco and nicotine research. Her research uses methods ranging from biomarker collection to population-level survey analysis with the aim of supporting harm reduction and reducing health inequalities associated with tobacco and nicotine use. Eve’s current work focuses on barriers and facilitators to cessation support among people who use non-cigarette tobacco, with a focus on inequality among minority ethnic communities. Eve has no conflicts of interest to declare.Original article: Smoking and drinking among the Gypsy and Traveller communities: A population study in England https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70330The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to Dr Jonas Dora, an Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, US. The interview covers Jonas’ article examining how people decide to consume alcohol when feeling stressed.Why Jonas wanted to study the “tension reduction hypothesis” [01:18]The gaps in literature that led to the study [01:58]The importance of understanding the nuance of the “tension reduction hypothesis” [03:50]How Jonas approached the research question [04:40]Speculation of the factors that influence the continuation of drinking alcohol [08:16]The participants of the study [10:35]Whether those with an alcohol use disorder would behave differently in the experiment [07:17]How we can build on Jonas’ findings for future research [13:20]The next steps for Jonas [15:55]The tension reduction hypothesis is the idea that people consume alcohol to alleviate aversive states of psychological stress and negative emotions. About Tsen Vei Lim: Tsen Vei is an academic fellow supported by the Society for the Study of Addiction, currently based at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. His research integrates computational modelling, experimental psychology, and neuroimaging to understand the neuropsychological basis of addictive behaviours. He holds a PhD in Psychiatry from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Bath (UK). About Jonas Dora: Jonas is an Acting Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. Most of his recent work is focused on understanding the affect regulation function of alcohol use, and the contribution of this function to the etiology of alcohol use disorders. He approaches this topic with a combination of experimental and intensive longitudinal research designs.Original article: How people decide to consume (more) alcohol when feeling stressed https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70213The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.Music provided by Jack Shakespeare.

In this episode, Dr Tsen Vei Lim talks to Caitlin McClure-Thomas, a PhD Candidate at the National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, the University of Queensland, Australia. The interview covers Caitlin’s systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported exposure to cannabis advertising and its association with cannabis use and intentions.The different forms of cannabis advertisements available [1:33]Legal framework surrounding cannabis advertisements [03:10]The hidden risks and harms of advertising cannabis [04:57]The importance of studying the relationship between cannabis advertisements and cannabis use [05:57]The key findings of the study [07:17]Whether the relationship differs between different forms of advertisements [09:30]Advertisements and attitudes towards cannabis [11:24] The implications of the findings for policy [13:00]Regulating social media advertising [15:00] The next steps in cannabis advertising research [16:39]About Tsen Vei Lim: Tsen Vei is an academic fellow supported by the Society for the Study of Addiction, currently based at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge. His research integrates computational modelling, experimental psychology, and neuroimaging to understand the neuropsychological basis of addictive behaviours. He holds a PhD in Psychiatry from the University of Cambridge (UK) and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Bath (UK). About Caitlin McClure-Thomas: Caitlin is a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland’s National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research. Her research explores how cannabis messaging shapes people’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours. She examines how exposure to cannabis promotions, including advertising and broader media messaging is associated with cannabis use and intentions. Through systematic reviews and empirical research, Caitlin aims to better understand the public health implications of cannabis communication in a rapidly changing policy landscape. Her work seeks to inform evidence-based approaches to harm reduction and contribute to discussions about cannabis regulation.Original article: A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported exposure to cannabis advertising and its association with cannabis use and intentions https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70310The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.Music provided by Jack Shakespeare.

In this episode, Dr Chloe Burke talks to Dr Monserrat Conde, a researcher at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Sciences, University of Oxford, UK. The interview covers a short report on the results of a consultation exercise creating recommendations for future research exploring e-cigarette use and later cigarette smoking in young people.The background of work on e-cigarettes that led to this current study [1:06]The evidence and gap map [03:14]Monserrat’s iterative approach to set up the consultation exercise [04:49]A surprising aspect from the stakeholder engagement [06:41]The lessons learned from integrating existing research with stakeholder engagement [09:03]Discussing two of the 23 final recommendations [11:27]The take home message of the study [13:41]About Chloe Burke: Chloe is a Senior Research Associate in Evidence Synthesis based in the Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol. Her current role applies evidence synthesis methodologies (e.g. network meta-analysis) to health-related topics, including addiction. She has a background in psychiatric epidemiology with a focus on applying causal inference methods (e.g. Mendelian randomization) to the topic of substance use and mental health. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Bath, which investigated the co-use of cannabis and tobacco and depression risk. She is currently co-chair of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco Genetics and Omics Network.About Monserrat Conde: Monserrat (BSc, PgDip, MSc, PhD) is an interdisciplinary researcher at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, where she currently focuses on evidence synthesis, implementation research and knowledge mobilisation. The study discussed in this episode was funded by Cancer Research UK. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Original article: Recommendations for future research exploring e-cigarette use and later cigarette smoking in young people: Results from a consultation exercise https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70038The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Professor Jonathan Brett, a senior consultant at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, clinical director of the Psychiatry and Non-Prescription Drug and Alcohol Unit, and a clinical toxicologist with the New South Wales Poison’s Information Centre, Australia. The interview covers Jonathan’s research article looking at psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder: A pilot open-label safety and feasibility studyPsilocybin and what psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy looks like [01:20]Why look at methamphetamine use disorder? [04:38]Why is psilocybin promising for methamphetamine use disorder? [06:21]Explaining the single-arm open label pilot trial [09:35]The key findings of the study [10:54]The efficacy of psilocybin for methamphetamine use disorder treatment [12:12]The implications of the findings for policy and practice [14:50]The increased interest in psychedelics and a note of caution [17:03]About Elle Wadsworth: Elle is an academic fellow with the Society for the Study of Addiction. She is based at the University of Bath with the Addiction and Mental Health Group and her research interests include drug policy, cannabis legalisation, and public health. About Jonathan Brett: Jonathan is a senior consultant in clinical toxicology and addiction medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, clinical director of the Psychiatry and Non-Prescription Drug and Alcohol Unit and a clinical toxicologist with the New South Wales Poison’s Information Centre. He has fellowships with the Royal Australian College of Physicians in clinical pharmacology, toxicology and addiction medicine. He is a conjoint Professor with St. Vincent’s Clinical School, University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a Senior National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Research Fellow with the Medicines Policy Unit of Centre for Big Data Research in Health, UNSW. He is president elect of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians College of Addiction Medicine. He was chief investigator on a pilot study of psilocybin facilitated psychotherapy (PP) for methamphetamine use disorder (MAUD), the first PP study of addiction in Australia and the first for MAUD worldwide. He is also chief investigator on a trial of PP for treatment resistant depression and chief medical advisor for a study of psilocybin microdosing for depression.Original article: Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder: A pilot open-label safety and feasibility study. Doi: 10.1111/add.70187 The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the host and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or Addiction journal.The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.