GCCC congratulates the 28 candidates in Kenya who passed their exams last month! 19 now hold an ICAP I, 8 now hold an ICAP II, and I passed the ICAP III exam!

The African Union Commission and the Government of Mauritius are hosting a meeting of experts on drug treatment and prevention from throughout the continent.  Key topics include review of the AU’s Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019-2023), the Pan- African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (PAENDU), and sharing best practices.

In recent years, the tobacco pandemic’s magnitude and trajectory has shifted away from high-income countries to low- and middle-income countries and so have the tobacco industry’s marketing efforts and tactics.

Research suggests that Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to face the largest growth in tobacco use in the world.

In an editorial for the journal of Nicotine and Tobacco Research, Dr Kamran Siddiqi highlights the concerning upward trends in tobacco use and how they are impacting some of the most vulnerable populations in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Despite 44 Sub-Saharan African countries signed...

Both alcohol and tobacco use is an increasing public health concern in low- or middle-income countries. Due to an annual economic growth rate of approximately 10%, Ethiopia is a target for both the alcohol and tobacco industries.

Although data is limited, trends suggest that alcohol consumption is a particular problem among secondary school students.

A recent study, published in the Journal of Public Health, has sought to measure the prevalence of alcohol and tobacco consumption in young people living in Ethiopia, and the risk factors associated with alcohol and tobacco initiation.

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Harmful alcohol consumption during adolescence poses a major public health issue as it affects several aspects of young peoples’ health and wellbeing.

A recent study, published in the Journal of Mental Health and Prevention, has examined the prevalence of problem alcohol use and risk factors associated with initiation of alcohol use in a sample (N = 1984) of school-aged adolescents in Ghana. The researchers examined the association between alcohol use behaviour and factors such as age, gender, suicidal thoughts, loneliness a, d interpersonal issues.

Results from the study found that: 

• The...