After reading these articles, you should be able to…

Twelve-step programs remain widely used yet poorly understood in clinical practice. This article outlines the twelve steps, demystifies what happens in meetings, how sponsorship and “90 in 90” support recovery, and how clinicians can address common reservations to make referrals more effective and patient-centered.

Dextromethorphan misuse is common, especially among young people, yet can easily be overlooked by family and healthcare providers alike. This article reviews recognition of toxicity across the four “plateaus,” psychiatric and medical complications, and supportive management strategies—including when to consider benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, or naloxone.

Compared with counseling alone, e-cigarettes significantly improved six-month smoking abstinence, though many participants continued vaping and did not achieve full nicotine cessation. This study supports e-cigarettes as a valuable tool for smokers who struggle with standard cessation medications.

A large prospective cohort study finds no evidence that take-home naloxone increases risky drug use behaviors. Injection frequency, opioid use, benzodiazepine use, and using alone remained unchanged—reinforcing naloxone’s role as a lifesaving harm-reduction tool without unintended risk compensation.