Immune dysfunction, particularly low-grade systemic inflammation, is implicated in pathogenesis of depression, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric disorders. Inflammation is a clinically relevant phenotype, as it is associated with poor response to psychotropic medications. Currently, several RCTs are testing the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs for patients with depression and schizophrenia. However, there are key unanswered questions, both mechanistic and clinical. Is inflammation a causal risk factor for depression and schizophrenia? What causes inflammation?

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Prof David Nutt is Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology and Director of the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit in the Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College, London. David is currently Chair of DrugScience (formally the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD). Previously he has been President of the European Brain Council (EBC) the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP), the British Neuroscience Association (BNA) and the British Association of Psychopharmacology (BAP).

Tavern tragedy reinforces need to give priority to tackling underage drinking in South Africa

8 July 2022

On 26 June 2022, 21 young people died at the Enyobeni tavern in East London, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. The incident refocused public attention on the safety of young people in the country.

The direct cause of the 21 deaths has not yet been determined. But questions are being asked about why children under the age of 18 were consuming alcohol in the tavern.

Binge drinking at weekends and over the holiday season in South Africa, where more than one in five drinkers are classified as “heavy episodic” consumers of alcohol, has prompted authorities to call for alcohol curfews over the coming festive season

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The African Journal of Drug & Alcohol Studies is an international scientific journal published by the African Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA). The Journal publishes original research, evaluation studies, case reports, review articles and book reviews of high scholarly standards. Papers submitted for publication may address any aspect of alcohol and drug use and dependence in Africa and among people of African descent living anywhere in the world.