Research Profiles – Addiction Research: An Ounce of Prevention

Drug and alcohol abuse come with huge costs – and not just for the people who are struggling with addiction. Drug-related violence, impaired driving, physical illness, lost productivity – these consequences of substance abuse affect all of us. But what is the best way to prevent addiction and its associated costs? That is a very complicated question.

Not everyone who has the occasional cocktail or experiments with drugs becomes an addict. But according to Statistics Canada, approximately 1 in 10 Canadians over the age of 15 report symptoms that are consistent with drug or alcohol dependence. And new challenges, such as the rise in prescription opioid abuse, are challenging our notions of what addiction looks like, and how we should combat it.

As we learn more about the complex nature of addiction, there is a growing recognition that our prevention efforts have to go beyond “Just Say No”. Researchers are digging deeper to identify the biological, psychological and social factors that can help us identify those who are most at risk, and design more effective prevention programs.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research supports addiction prevention research that is examining the issue from multiple angles.

Stopping Addiction Before it Starts: Dr. Patricia Conrod and her colleagues are screening Quebec students to identify at-risk kids and provide them with targeted interventions.

Not What the Doctor Ordered: Dr. Benedikt Fischer and his team are studying the causes and consequences of non-medical prescription opioid use in Canada.

Beyond Breathalysers: McGill researchers are studying the common characteristics of repeat driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) offenders and trying to develop improved policies for keeping drunk drivers off the road.

Research on Wheels: Ontario researchers are using a mobile laboratory to collect data about the factors that contribute to mental health problems, addiction and violence in different communities throughout the province.