Substance use disorder summit jumpstarts the discourse on stigma reduction
Sep 29, 2022
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction’s (CSUA) hosted the first annual Substance Use Disorder Stigma Reduction Summit recently at the HUB-Robeson Center in University Park. Organized by the Substance Use Stigma Reduction Collaborative, the event brought in researchers, practitioners and…
Lack of naloxone led to increased overdose deaths in rural Pa., study finds
Sep 29, 2022
Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of opioid overdose in the nation, and, according to Penn State researchers, one’s chances of surviving that overdose can depend on where the person lives.Using data from the Pennsylvania Overdose Information Network from the years 2018-20 and American…
Stigma work by researchers showcased at Shatterproof’s Addiction Stigma Summit
Aug 26, 2022
Two faculty members at Penn State Berks, Jennifer Murphy, associate professor and chair of the criminal justice department, and Brenda Russell, professor of psychology, had their stigma work with students showcased at Shatterproof’s Stigma of Addiction Summit earlier this summer. Shatterproof is a…
Abenaa Jones named Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor
Aug 4, 2022
Abenaa Jones, assistant professor of human development and family studies, has been named the Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor in Health and Human Development at Penn State.Jones works to find solutions to complex, real-world problems, including substance use disorders, social and…
Prevention is our best — and most underrated — weapon against opioids
Jul 18, 2022
By Diana Fishbein for The HillThe United States is in the midst of an unprecedented “syndemic” — multiple simultaneous crises — that has ravaged communities across the nation. COVID-19 took the country by storm, causing more than 1 million deaths, economic devastation and unimaginable suffering.…
How stigma acts as a barrier to overcoming the opioid crisis
Jul 18, 2022
The United States is in the midst of a significant, decades-long opioid epidemic, with more than 2.6 million Americans meeting the criteria for opioid use disorder (OUD). Opioid-related overdoses have also been on the rise, along with stigma related to OUD and is one of the biggest barriers to…
Ethnic pride may help protect Latino/a college students from problem drinking
Jul 11, 2022
Negative consequences from excessive drinking are well-documented, but little is known about how to tailor interventions to prevent problem drinking by Latino/a college students, the fastest-growing ethnic minority group on U.S. college campuses.A new study led by Katja Waldron, doctoral candidate…
Annual substance use and addiction conference examines community solutions
May 15, 2022
The Penn State Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) hosted its third annual conference, “Community Approaches to Substance Use and Addiction” on Monday, May 3.Held virtually via Zoom and drawing over 120 attendees throughout the day, the conference kicked off with a welcome from Paul…
Sam Quinones talks fentanyl and the opioid crisis in virtual discussion
Apr 12, 2022
The Social Science Research Institute's Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) and the Criminal Justice Research Center hosted a virtual talk with Sam Quinones on March 23, titled "True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth with Sam Quinones.”During the talk,…
Penn State team leads effort to prevent youth substance misuse in PA
Apr 11, 2022
A team of Penn State experts from Evidence-based Implementation and Intervention Support (EPIS) is leading the five-year Opioid Misuse Prevention Project (OMPP) to support community-based partnerships throughout Pennsylvania to help prevent substance misuse and promote healthy development in young…
Annual substance use and addiction conference to be held virtually on May 2
Apr 5, 2022
Penn State’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) will host its third annual conference, “Community Approaches to Substance Use and Addiction,” on Monday, May 2, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. via Zoom.The annual conference of the CSUA brings together researchers, policymakers,…
Flavored tobacco sales restrict availability, advertising
Mar 31, 2022
Flavored tobacco products play a large role in leading youth into addiction, and it is estimated that three out of four youth smokers will continue to smoke well into adulthood.A Penn State researcher is analyzing flavored tobacco sales restrictions and how they affect the availability of tobacco…
Journalist and storyteller Sam Quinones to present virtual talk March 23
Feb 24, 2022
SSRI's Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction and the Criminal Justice Research Center will host a virtual talk with Sam Quinones on Wednesday, March 23, from noon to 1:30 p.m., titled "True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth with Sam Quinones."Quinones is a journalist,…
Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction in SSRI opens seed grant proposals
Feb 8, 2022
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA), part of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State, has announced an invitation for its Level 2 Seed Grants program.Applications for the program are encouraged to build upon the University’s distinctive strengths in substance…
Can wearable technology predict the negative consequences of drinking?
Jan 27, 2022
“How much have you had to drink?” might seem like a simple question, but it is not always easy to answer. Although there are general guidelines about responsible alcohol consumption, a person’s level of intoxication depends not only on the number of drinks they consume but also on the alcohol…
Examining the opioid epidemic through the lens of crime data
Jan 25, 2022
The opioid overdose epidemic in the United States remains a critically important public health issue that continues to worsen as time goes on. The estimated death toll in 2021 has reached the historical high of 100,000 overdose deaths from all drugs and over 75,000 deaths from opioid overdoses. We…
How can body weight affect the mortality risk of excessive drinkers?
Jan 25, 2022
While research has long shown a higher risk of death linked to alcoholism for people with overweight, a new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence has found that people with underweight who drink excessively may be at an even higher risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and…
How understanding neighborhoods can help reduce tobacco use
Jan 4, 2022
A Penn State researcher testing a new way to assess tobacco use with a neighborhood mapping platform and in-person interviews has found that community engagement is key to addressing risky health behaviors.Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United…
Youth with mental illness, substance-misuse histories at risk of opioid misuse
Nov 23, 2021
Opioid misuse is a devastating problem in the U.S. and a leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults. Penn State College of Medicine researchers found young people with certain mental health conditions and histories of substance misuse may have an increased risk of being diagnosed…
Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction launches new website
Nov 9, 2021
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA), a unit of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), has launched its new website.The new website corresponds to a name update, from the "Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse" to the "Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction," an effort…
Penn State receives a five-year, nearly $6 million grant to study factors promoting early childhood development
Oct 18, 2021
The effects of genetics, home environment, and prenatal substance use on child health and brain development are largely unknown, even though pregnancy and early childhood are incredibly important periods of growth. To address this knowledge gap, Penn State was recently awarded a five-year, $5.8…
Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction seeking applicants for Community Fellows Program
Oct 5, 2021
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA), part of the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) at Penn State, has announced an invitation for its Community Fellows Program.The Community Fellows Program, a funding mechanism of CSUA and the SSRI, provides support for faculty seeking to…
Education project to help improve data on drug overdose deaths
Sep 27, 2021
A new Penn State-led project is educating coroners, medical examiners, and others in the death certifier community in Pennsylvania about the reporting of substances associated with accidental overdose.The project, known as the Death Certifier Education Project, is a collaborative effort with the…
Can mindful yoga reduce opioid dependence?
Sep 27, 2021
With more than 100 people dying from opioid overdoses each day in the U.S., new approaches to treating opioid-use disorders are needed. Emma Rose, assistant research professor with Penn State's Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, is leading a study that adds twice-weekly mindfulness-…
Five faculty members join Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction
Sep 13, 2021
Penn State’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) recently announced five new co-funded faculty members who will join the consortium in the 2021-22 academic year: Kristina Brant, Sarah Brothers, Brandy Henry, Jennifer Nyland, and Sujeong Park.Kristina Brant will start her position as…