Lead: Alcohol intake and health study: No protective effect at low levels, with mortality increasing to 1 in 25 at 14 Drinks per weekLead: Alcohol intake and health study: No protective effect at low levels, with mortality increasing to 1 in 25 at 14 Drinks per week
This Week in Addiction Medicine from ASAM
A concise research briefing covers alcohol-related health risk, opioid treatment challenges, stigma and behavioural addictions, harm reduction policy, and experimental approaches to opioid addiction. The focus stays on data, clinical relevance, and emerging directions in addiction medicine.
6:41•30 Jun 2026
Alcohol, Opioids, Stigma and Syringe Services: A Rapid Research Rundown
Episode Overview
- Cause-specific modelling suggests increased mortality and morbidity at alcohol levels often considered moderate, supporting a limit of one drink per day.
- Naltrexone for opioid use disorder shows modest initiation but high discontinuation, with better uptake when offered without methadone or buprenorphine.
- Higher daily doses of short-acting opioids in hospital are associated with reduced risk of early patient-directed discharge among patients with opioid use disorder.
- Greater familiarity with cannabis and cannabis use disorder is linked to less stigma, especially toward adolescents, who otherwise face higher negative judgement.
- CB1 receptor antagonists in mice reduce fentanyl conditioned place preference without reducing analgesia, suggesting potential future addiction treatments that preserve pain control.
“"Researchers found that alcohol consumption, including at what may be perceived as, quote, moderate levels, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity risks."”
What insights can experts and survivors share about addiction? This weekly round-up from the American Society of Addiction Medicine is aimed squarely at clinicians, researchers, and anyone who likes their addiction news served fast and evidence-based. Host Zach Caruso walks through a series of recent studies, starting with a headline-grabber on alcohol and health.
Using a cause-specific modelling approach, researchers estimated lifetime risk from different weekly drinking levels and found that, as Zach puts it, "alcohol consumption, including at what may be perceived as, quote, moderate levels, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity risks." The study backs guidance of no more than one drink per day for both men and women, a striking message for anyone still clinging to the idea that low-level drinking is protective.
You’ll also hear concise summaries of research on naltrexone for opioid use disorder, showing high discontinuation rates but better initiation when it’s offered alone rather than alongside methadone or buprenorphine. A hospital cohort study on short-acting opioids and patient-directed discharge sheds light on how dosing might influence early self-discharge among inpatients with opioid use disorder.
The episode widens its lens to stigma toward cannabis use disorder in Germany, the diagnosis and treatment of gambling disorder, and projected health outcomes of reduced funding for syringe service programmes, with modelling suggesting thousands of excess deaths if services are cut. It finishes with preclinical work on CB1 receptor antagonists that reduce fentanyl conditioned place preference in mice without blunting pain relief, hinting at potential future treatments.
The style is brisk, clinical, and data-heavy, ideal for busy professionals who want key numbers and conclusions without fluff. If you’re looking to stay current on addiction medicine research in a few minutes, this compact briefing might be just what you need—what finding from this week’s studies will stick with you most?
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