One in five of all deaths in the country were related to cigarettes, according to a study by the Conference Board of Canada in 2017. E-cigarettes have been viewed as having fewer chemicals; however, limited data exists to suggest a benefit in using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation compared to nicotine replacement therapy.  Kate discusses a randomized trial of e-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement therapy on abstinence rates.

Last year in Canada there were over 4000 deaths related to opioid use.  A nonfatal overdose is a predictor of a future overdose event.  What are the outcomes if an intervention, such as a medication for opioid use disorder, is put in place after a nonfatal overdose?  Paxton covers a retrospective cohort study on the initiation of medications on mortality outcomes for opioid use disorders after a nonfatal overdose.

Finally, The Good Stuff segment.  Kate shares a recently-launched podcast called ‘Crackdown’ that includes the first-hand experiences of patients who use drugs during the drug war and overdose crisis. Paxton reviews an article about a community in northern Wisconsin and their experience recruiting a physician for their community to treat patients with opioid use disorders.

Like what you hear?  Rate us on iTunes!  Chat with us on Twitter at @roundstable and tweet at Paxton Bach @paxbach and Kate Colizza @KateColizza.

Interested in helping us evaluate our podcast episodes? We’re currently recruiting a panel of residents to serve as regular reviewers for the show. If you’re interested, email wkwong@qmed.ca.

The Papers

1. E-cigarettes: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1808779

2. Non-fatal opioid overdose: https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2684924/medication-opioid-use-disorder-after-nonfatal-opioid-overdose-association-mortality

Good Stuff

1. Crackdown podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/crackdown/id1450566001?mt=2 and https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/crackdown-podcast-garth-mullins-1.4998251

2. Recruiting the right doctor: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/12/09/674329075/for-one-rural-community-fighting-addiction-started-with-recruiting-the-right-doc

Music Credits

The Rounds Table Theme Music by Brendan Quinn, Creative Director and Composer, Vapor RMW

The post Cracking Down: E-Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation and Medication for Opioid Use Disorders after Nonfatal Opioid Overdose appeared first on Healthy Debate.