#methamphetamine — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #methamphetamine, aggregated by home.social.
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🚨 Benz driver caught with 'ice' under the bonnet
"Police #arrested a woman after finding one kilogramme of #crystal #methamphetamine, aka “ice”, hidden under the bonnet of her #MercedesBenz and a pistol on the back seat.. #police identified the 29-year-old woman only as Chanittha."
👆 #Luxe clothes and #luxury car cannot hide the rotten stench of a #drug #trafficker 👆🤦♂️
👉 Much heavier deterrent legal consequences ( #capital 🤔) are necessary to quell 🇹🇭's #narcotics scourge!
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3298915/benz-driver-caught-with-ice-under-the-bonnet -
🚨 Benz driver caught with 'ice' under the bonnet
"Police #arrested a woman after finding one kilogramme of #crystal #methamphetamine, aka “ice”, hidden under the bonnet of her #MercedesBenz and a pistol on the back seat.. #police identified the 29-year-old woman only as Chanittha."
👆 #Luxe clothes and #luxury car cannot hide the rotten stench of a #drug #trafficker 👆🤦♂️
👉 Much heavier deterrent legal consequences ( #capital 🤔) are necessary to quell 🇹🇭's #narcotics scourge!
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3298915/benz-driver-caught-with-ice-under-the-bonnet -
🚨 Benz driver caught with 'ice' under the bonnet
"Police #arrested a woman after finding one kilogramme of #crystal #methamphetamine, aka “ice”, hidden under the bonnet of her #MercedesBenz and a pistol on the back seat.. #police identified the 29-year-old woman only as Chanittha."
👆 #Luxe clothes and #luxury car cannot hide the rotten stench of a #drug #trafficker 👆🤦♂️
👉 Much heavier deterrent legal consequences ( #capital 🤔) are necessary to quell 🇹🇭's #narcotics scourge!
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3298915/benz-driver-caught-with-ice-under-the-bonnet -
🚨 Benz driver caught with 'ice' under the bonnet
"Police #arrested a woman after finding one kilogramme of #crystal #methamphetamine, aka “ice”, hidden under the bonnet of her #MercedesBenz and a pistol on the back seat.. #police identified the 29-year-old woman only as Chanittha."
👆 #Luxe clothes and #luxury car cannot hide the rotten stench of a #drug #trafficker 👆🤦♂️
👉 Much heavier deterrent legal consequences ( #capital 🤔) are necessary to quell 🇹🇭's #narcotics scourge!
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3298915/benz-driver-caught-with-ice-under-the-bonnet -
https://www.europesays.com/videos/71810/ Nigeria dismantles its largest meth lab as Mexican cartel push into country • FRANCE 24 English #AbidagbaVillage #FRANCE24 #FRANCE24English #FRANCE24 #FRANCE24English #IrotoVillage #lagos #methamphetamine #Methamphetaminelab #MexicanCartel #Mexico #NationalDrugLawEnforcementAgency #NDLEA #Nigeria #NigeriaDrugBust #NigeriaDrugs #NigeriaGovernment #NigeriaMethLab #NigerianForest #NigerianPolitics #OgunState #SouthAmerica #WestAfrica
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Thai woman warns travellers after 20 days in Japan custody
Police identified the account that approached her as “ING ING”. Investigators found that this was the second time…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #crystalmeth #DrugSmuggling #methamphetamine #Thaiwoman #travellers #Vietnamese
https://www.europesays.com/japan/67556/ -
DATE: July 31, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Dummy pills reveal the hidden power of human expectation in addiction recovery
Patients being treated for addiction routinely experience a reduction in substance cravings simply from taking an inactive dummy pill, particularly those dealing with alcohol dependence. These findings suggest that the medical community might be able to harness a patient’s expectations to improve treatment outcomes. The research was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
A placebo is a biologically inactive substance, such as a sugar pill, that is used in medical experiments to simulate an actual drug. Doctors use these inert pills to establish an essential baseline of comparison. By giving one patient group a real medicine and another group an inactive substitute, researchers can isolate the true chemical impact of a new pharmaceutical.
These inactive substances frequently produce genuine changes in human health. When a patient takes a dummy pill, their symptoms often improve in an observable way. This happens in part because the human brain anticipates relief, setting off biological responses that occasionally mirror actual medication.
Repeated behavior also shapes this physical response. The simple ritual of going to a clinic, interacting with a health care provider, and swallowing a daily pill conditions the mind to expect a therapeutic benefit. This combination of expectation and routine can powerfully reduce feelings of distress, physical pain, and overwhelming anxiety.
Medical researchers have extensively documented this phenomenon across a wide array of mental health conditions. A recent analysis of nine different psychiatric diagnoses showed enormous variation in symptom improvement from dummy pills alone. Conditions tied closely to mood, like depression, exhibited massive improvements when patients simply believed they were receiving treatment.
In contrast, conditions grounded in different brain patterns, like schizophrenia, hardly responded to dummy pills at all. That prior analysis left out one major category of mental health struggles entirely.
“Bschor et al. (2024) did a great meta-analysis on placebo treatment across nine psychiatric disorders and showed that symptom severity improved with placebo in all psychiatric disorders, but varied between the disorders,” said Dr. Pim B. van der Meer, a physician and researcher at University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. “They did not include substance use disorders, despite substance use disorders being such a common and severe problem. This motivated us to conduct our current study.”
Van der Meer and a team of European experts wanted to figure out exactly how much dummy pills might alleviate the core symptoms of addiction. They focused their attention entirely on the sensation of craving.
Craving is defined as a persistent, intense urge to consume a specific drug. It is a central feature of addiction, frequently driven by environmental stress or the initial stages of biological withdrawal. Because craving is a subjective experience reported by the patient on a continuous numerical scale, it can be tested mathematically in a way that is highly similar to measuring feelings of sadness or ambient worry.
The research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to search for broad patterns. This process involves grouping together all the available numerical data from past experiments to find an overarching mathematical trend. They searched eight different global research databases using terms related to addiction, craving, and placebos.
Their initial sweep yielded almost 2,000 unique records. The researchers read through study titles and abstracts to weed out anything that did not meet strict scientific criteria. They gradually whittled the list down to 115 full articles, which they read in full before finalizing a group of nine studies.
“What surprised me the most is the limited number of RCTs that were eligible,” van der Meer said.
All nine of these selected studies were randomized controlled trials. In these types of medical experiments, patients are assigned to medication groups entirely by chance. They were also strictly double-blind, meaning neither the actual patients nor the doctors administering the treatment knew who was receiving the authentic medication.
The included trials focused on oral treatments for three distinct forms of addiction. Five trials looked at individuals recovering from alcohol dependence. Two studies focused on cocaine dependence, and another two studies tracked individuals trying to stop using methamphetamine.
Across the nine studies, the researchers gathered data on 495 patients who were placed into placebo groups. This included 300 patients dealing with alcohol addiction. The stimulant groups featured fewer participants, with 88 patients for cocaine and 107 patients for methamphetamine.
The scientific team extracted specific numbers regarding how strongly the patients rated their urges to use substances before the trial began. They then pulled the exact same numbers collected at least four weeks into the treatment process. They specifically looked at people taking a daily oral capsule rather than a patch or injection to ensure the physical routines were identical.
The researchers noticed a distinct pattern across the gathered data. Following four weeks of daily placebo treatment, craving scores decreased consistently across all three types of addiction. Simply taking a dummy pill and routinely interacting with the medical system eased the intense desire to consume drugs.
For individuals with an alcohol use disorder, the therapeutic benefit was highly robust. The combined data from the five alcohol trials demonstrated a mathematically reliable drop in subjective cravings over time. The patients believed they were getting help, and their subjective urges declined accordingly.
The results for the other substances were less definitive. While the symptom numbers did drop for cocaine and methamphetamine users, the results were not statistically significant. This means the researchers could not definitively prove the drop was caused by the dummy pill rather than normal day-to-day fluctuations in mood.
There are multiple reasons why alcohol cravings might respond differently to dummy pills than stimulant cravings. The biological mechanisms underlying methamphetamine and cocaine addiction may exert a more aggressive chemical hold on the brain, leaving less room for expectation-driven relief. Additionally, alcohol addiction often involves a different long-term recovery trajectory than continuous stimulant abuse.
The small number of available studies also presents a major mathematical hurdle. With only two studies for cocaine and two for methamphetamine, the pool of patients was quite limited. The researchers noted that these particular estimates were captured with a high degree of mathematical uncertainty.
The team faced similar challenges when looking at other common substances. They had to exclude therapies for smoking and nicotine addiction entirely. Most nicotine trials combine pharmacological treatment with some form of behavioral therapy or professional counseling.
When talk therapy is combined with a medical trial, it becomes virtually impossible to untangle the varying effects. Researchers cannot determine whether a drop in craving was caused by a placebo pill or by the emotional support given by the therapist. Sticking strictly to pill-only trials preserved the structural integrity of the data.
Another limitation was that the original trials rarely verified whether the scientific blinding actually worked. In many medical experiments, patients sometimes guess correctly that they are taking a dummy pill because they do not feel any bodily side effects. If patients guess their status correctly, their optimistic expectations drop and the placebo response vanishes.
The research team also pointed out a high degree of variation among the included trials. Differing lengths of treatment, differing patient demographics, and the use of unique craving questionnaires made it harder to compare the studies perfectly. This is a common obstacle when pooling older medical data into a single modern review.
“It is important to note that the observed improvement most likely reflects a combination of the true placebo effect including expectancy, the natural course of the condition, and other nonspecific effects,” van der Meer said. “A meta-analysis of this kind cannot determine the precise extent to which each of these factors accounts for the observed improvement.”
Despite the limitations, the study offers practical insights for both everyday medicine and future laboratory design. When setting up a new trial strictly for addiction medication, scientists must account for a high background rate of improvement. A new drug has to clear a very high hurdle to outpace the sheer power of human expectation.
In everyday medical clinics, doctors might be able to ethically leverage this psychological response. If they prescribe a genuine, evidence-based medication, they can also project a professional sense of confidence and optimism about the treatment. Fostering a hopeful outlook from the start could enhance the biological effectiveness of the real medicine.
“We do now know quite well that symptom improvement occurs with placebo treatment across a large variety of psychiatric disorders,” van der Meer said. “To truly leverage the placebo effect in clinical practice, we need to know better to what extent the symptom improvement with placebo treatment consists of the true placebo effect, the natural course, and other nonspecific effects.”
The study, “Placebo Effects in Alcohol, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” was authored by Pim B. van der Meer, Jan W. Schoones, Jurjen Luykx, Olaf M. Dekkers, Marta Fiocco, Cornelis Kees Kramers, Arnt Schellekens, and Albert Batalla.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PlaceboEffect #AddictionRecovery #CravingManagement #AlcoholDependence #CocaineDependence #Methamphetamine #PsychiatryResearch #PlaceboMetaAnalysis #MindBodyConnection #ClinicalTrials
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DATE: July 31, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Dummy pills reveal the hidden power of human expectation in addiction recovery
Patients being treated for addiction routinely experience a reduction in substance cravings simply from taking an inactive dummy pill, particularly those dealing with alcohol dependence. These findings suggest that the medical community might be able to harness a patient’s expectations to improve treatment outcomes. The research was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
A placebo is a biologically inactive substance, such as a sugar pill, that is used in medical experiments to simulate an actual drug. Doctors use these inert pills to establish an essential baseline of comparison. By giving one patient group a real medicine and another group an inactive substitute, researchers can isolate the true chemical impact of a new pharmaceutical.
These inactive substances frequently produce genuine changes in human health. When a patient takes a dummy pill, their symptoms often improve in an observable way. This happens in part because the human brain anticipates relief, setting off biological responses that occasionally mirror actual medication.
Repeated behavior also shapes this physical response. The simple ritual of going to a clinic, interacting with a health care provider, and swallowing a daily pill conditions the mind to expect a therapeutic benefit. This combination of expectation and routine can powerfully reduce feelings of distress, physical pain, and overwhelming anxiety.
Medical researchers have extensively documented this phenomenon across a wide array of mental health conditions. A recent analysis of nine different psychiatric diagnoses showed enormous variation in symptom improvement from dummy pills alone. Conditions tied closely to mood, like depression, exhibited massive improvements when patients simply believed they were receiving treatment.
In contrast, conditions grounded in different brain patterns, like schizophrenia, hardly responded to dummy pills at all. That prior analysis left out one major category of mental health struggles entirely.
“Bschor et al. (2024) did a great meta-analysis on placebo treatment across nine psychiatric disorders and showed that symptom severity improved with placebo in all psychiatric disorders, but varied between the disorders,” said Dr. Pim B. van der Meer, a physician and researcher at University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. “They did not include substance use disorders, despite substance use disorders being such a common and severe problem. This motivated us to conduct our current study.”
Van der Meer and a team of European experts wanted to figure out exactly how much dummy pills might alleviate the core symptoms of addiction. They focused their attention entirely on the sensation of craving.
Craving is defined as a persistent, intense urge to consume a specific drug. It is a central feature of addiction, frequently driven by environmental stress or the initial stages of biological withdrawal. Because craving is a subjective experience reported by the patient on a continuous numerical scale, it can be tested mathematically in a way that is highly similar to measuring feelings of sadness or ambient worry.
The research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to search for broad patterns. This process involves grouping together all the available numerical data from past experiments to find an overarching mathematical trend. They searched eight different global research databases using terms related to addiction, craving, and placebos.
Their initial sweep yielded almost 2,000 unique records. The researchers read through study titles and abstracts to weed out anything that did not meet strict scientific criteria. They gradually whittled the list down to 115 full articles, which they read in full before finalizing a group of nine studies.
“What surprised me the most is the limited number of RCTs that were eligible,” van der Meer said.
All nine of these selected studies were randomized controlled trials. In these types of medical experiments, patients are assigned to medication groups entirely by chance. They were also strictly double-blind, meaning neither the actual patients nor the doctors administering the treatment knew who was receiving the authentic medication.
The included trials focused on oral treatments for three distinct forms of addiction. Five trials looked at individuals recovering from alcohol dependence. Two studies focused on cocaine dependence, and another two studies tracked individuals trying to stop using methamphetamine.
Across the nine studies, the researchers gathered data on 495 patients who were placed into placebo groups. This included 300 patients dealing with alcohol addiction. The stimulant groups featured fewer participants, with 88 patients for cocaine and 107 patients for methamphetamine.
The scientific team extracted specific numbers regarding how strongly the patients rated their urges to use substances before the trial began. They then pulled the exact same numbers collected at least four weeks into the treatment process. They specifically looked at people taking a daily oral capsule rather than a patch or injection to ensure the physical routines were identical.
The researchers noticed a distinct pattern across the gathered data. Following four weeks of daily placebo treatment, craving scores decreased consistently across all three types of addiction. Simply taking a dummy pill and routinely interacting with the medical system eased the intense desire to consume drugs.
For individuals with an alcohol use disorder, the therapeutic benefit was highly robust. The combined data from the five alcohol trials demonstrated a mathematically reliable drop in subjective cravings over time. The patients believed they were getting help, and their subjective urges declined accordingly.
The results for the other substances were less definitive. While the symptom numbers did drop for cocaine and methamphetamine users, the results were not statistically significant. This means the researchers could not definitively prove the drop was caused by the dummy pill rather than normal day-to-day fluctuations in mood.
There are multiple reasons why alcohol cravings might respond differently to dummy pills than stimulant cravings. The biological mechanisms underlying methamphetamine and cocaine addiction may exert a more aggressive chemical hold on the brain, leaving less room for expectation-driven relief. Additionally, alcohol addiction often involves a different long-term recovery trajectory than continuous stimulant abuse.
The small number of available studies also presents a major mathematical hurdle. With only two studies for cocaine and two for methamphetamine, the pool of patients was quite limited. The researchers noted that these particular estimates were captured with a high degree of mathematical uncertainty.
The team faced similar challenges when looking at other common substances. They had to exclude therapies for smoking and nicotine addiction entirely. Most nicotine trials combine pharmacological treatment with some form of behavioral therapy or professional counseling.
When talk therapy is combined with a medical trial, it becomes virtually impossible to untangle the varying effects. Researchers cannot determine whether a drop in craving was caused by a placebo pill or by the emotional support given by the therapist. Sticking strictly to pill-only trials preserved the structural integrity of the data.
Another limitation was that the original trials rarely verified whether the scientific blinding actually worked. In many medical experiments, patients sometimes guess correctly that they are taking a dummy pill because they do not feel any bodily side effects. If patients guess their status correctly, their optimistic expectations drop and the placebo response vanishes.
The research team also pointed out a high degree of variation among the included trials. Differing lengths of treatment, differing patient demographics, and the use of unique craving questionnaires made it harder to compare the studies perfectly. This is a common obstacle when pooling older medical data into a single modern review.
“It is important to note that the observed improvement most likely reflects a combination of the true placebo effect including expectancy, the natural course of the condition, and other nonspecific effects,” van der Meer said. “A meta-analysis of this kind cannot determine the precise extent to which each of these factors accounts for the observed improvement.”
Despite the limitations, the study offers practical insights for both everyday medicine and future laboratory design. When setting up a new trial strictly for addiction medication, scientists must account for a high background rate of improvement. A new drug has to clear a very high hurdle to outpace the sheer power of human expectation.
In everyday medical clinics, doctors might be able to ethically leverage this psychological response. If they prescribe a genuine, evidence-based medication, they can also project a professional sense of confidence and optimism about the treatment. Fostering a hopeful outlook from the start could enhance the biological effectiveness of the real medicine.
“We do now know quite well that symptom improvement occurs with placebo treatment across a large variety of psychiatric disorders,” van der Meer said. “To truly leverage the placebo effect in clinical practice, we need to know better to what extent the symptom improvement with placebo treatment consists of the true placebo effect, the natural course, and other nonspecific effects.”
The study, “Placebo Effects in Alcohol, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” was authored by Pim B. van der Meer, Jan W. Schoones, Jurjen Luykx, Olaf M. Dekkers, Marta Fiocco, Cornelis Kees Kramers, Arnt Schellekens, and Albert Batalla.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PlaceboEffect #AddictionRecovery #CravingManagement #AlcoholDependence #CocaineDependence #Methamphetamine #PsychiatryResearch #PlaceboMetaAnalysis #MindBodyConnection #ClinicalTrials
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DATE: July 31, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Dummy pills reveal the hidden power of human expectation in addiction recovery
Patients being treated for addiction routinely experience a reduction in substance cravings simply from taking an inactive dummy pill, particularly those dealing with alcohol dependence. These findings suggest that the medical community might be able to harness a patient’s expectations to improve treatment outcomes. The research was published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
A placebo is a biologically inactive substance, such as a sugar pill, that is used in medical experiments to simulate an actual drug. Doctors use these inert pills to establish an essential baseline of comparison. By giving one patient group a real medicine and another group an inactive substitute, researchers can isolate the true chemical impact of a new pharmaceutical.
These inactive substances frequently produce genuine changes in human health. When a patient takes a dummy pill, their symptoms often improve in an observable way. This happens in part because the human brain anticipates relief, setting off biological responses that occasionally mirror actual medication.
Repeated behavior also shapes this physical response. The simple ritual of going to a clinic, interacting with a health care provider, and swallowing a daily pill conditions the mind to expect a therapeutic benefit. This combination of expectation and routine can powerfully reduce feelings of distress, physical pain, and overwhelming anxiety.
Medical researchers have extensively documented this phenomenon across a wide array of mental health conditions. A recent analysis of nine different psychiatric diagnoses showed enormous variation in symptom improvement from dummy pills alone. Conditions tied closely to mood, like depression, exhibited massive improvements when patients simply believed they were receiving treatment.
In contrast, conditions grounded in different brain patterns, like schizophrenia, hardly responded to dummy pills at all. That prior analysis left out one major category of mental health struggles entirely.
“Bschor et al. (2024) did a great meta-analysis on placebo treatment across nine psychiatric disorders and showed that symptom severity improved with placebo in all psychiatric disorders, but varied between the disorders,” said Dr. Pim B. van der Meer, a physician and researcher at University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. “They did not include substance use disorders, despite substance use disorders being such a common and severe problem. This motivated us to conduct our current study.”
Van der Meer and a team of European experts wanted to figure out exactly how much dummy pills might alleviate the core symptoms of addiction. They focused their attention entirely on the sensation of craving.
Craving is defined as a persistent, intense urge to consume a specific drug. It is a central feature of addiction, frequently driven by environmental stress or the initial stages of biological withdrawal. Because craving is a subjective experience reported by the patient on a continuous numerical scale, it can be tested mathematically in a way that is highly similar to measuring feelings of sadness or ambient worry.
The research team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to search for broad patterns. This process involves grouping together all the available numerical data from past experiments to find an overarching mathematical trend. They searched eight different global research databases using terms related to addiction, craving, and placebos.
Their initial sweep yielded almost 2,000 unique records. The researchers read through study titles and abstracts to weed out anything that did not meet strict scientific criteria. They gradually whittled the list down to 115 full articles, which they read in full before finalizing a group of nine studies.
“What surprised me the most is the limited number of RCTs that were eligible,” van der Meer said.
All nine of these selected studies were randomized controlled trials. In these types of medical experiments, patients are assigned to medication groups entirely by chance. They were also strictly double-blind, meaning neither the actual patients nor the doctors administering the treatment knew who was receiving the authentic medication.
The included trials focused on oral treatments for three distinct forms of addiction. Five trials looked at individuals recovering from alcohol dependence. Two studies focused on cocaine dependence, and another two studies tracked individuals trying to stop using methamphetamine.
Across the nine studies, the researchers gathered data on 495 patients who were placed into placebo groups. This included 300 patients dealing with alcohol addiction. The stimulant groups featured fewer participants, with 88 patients for cocaine and 107 patients for methamphetamine.
The scientific team extracted specific numbers regarding how strongly the patients rated their urges to use substances before the trial began. They then pulled the exact same numbers collected at least four weeks into the treatment process. They specifically looked at people taking a daily oral capsule rather than a patch or injection to ensure the physical routines were identical.
The researchers noticed a distinct pattern across the gathered data. Following four weeks of daily placebo treatment, craving scores decreased consistently across all three types of addiction. Simply taking a dummy pill and routinely interacting with the medical system eased the intense desire to consume drugs.
For individuals with an alcohol use disorder, the therapeutic benefit was highly robust. The combined data from the five alcohol trials demonstrated a mathematically reliable drop in subjective cravings over time. The patients believed they were getting help, and their subjective urges declined accordingly.
The results for the other substances were less definitive. While the symptom numbers did drop for cocaine and methamphetamine users, the results were not statistically significant. This means the researchers could not definitively prove the drop was caused by the dummy pill rather than normal day-to-day fluctuations in mood.
There are multiple reasons why alcohol cravings might respond differently to dummy pills than stimulant cravings. The biological mechanisms underlying methamphetamine and cocaine addiction may exert a more aggressive chemical hold on the brain, leaving less room for expectation-driven relief. Additionally, alcohol addiction often involves a different long-term recovery trajectory than continuous stimulant abuse.
The small number of available studies also presents a major mathematical hurdle. With only two studies for cocaine and two for methamphetamine, the pool of patients was quite limited. The researchers noted that these particular estimates were captured with a high degree of mathematical uncertainty.
The team faced similar challenges when looking at other common substances. They had to exclude therapies for smoking and nicotine addiction entirely. Most nicotine trials combine pharmacological treatment with some form of behavioral therapy or professional counseling.
When talk therapy is combined with a medical trial, it becomes virtually impossible to untangle the varying effects. Researchers cannot determine whether a drop in craving was caused by a placebo pill or by the emotional support given by the therapist. Sticking strictly to pill-only trials preserved the structural integrity of the data.
Another limitation was that the original trials rarely verified whether the scientific blinding actually worked. In many medical experiments, patients sometimes guess correctly that they are taking a dummy pill because they do not feel any bodily side effects. If patients guess their status correctly, their optimistic expectations drop and the placebo response vanishes.
The research team also pointed out a high degree of variation among the included trials. Differing lengths of treatment, differing patient demographics, and the use of unique craving questionnaires made it harder to compare the studies perfectly. This is a common obstacle when pooling older medical data into a single modern review.
“It is important to note that the observed improvement most likely reflects a combination of the true placebo effect including expectancy, the natural course of the condition, and other nonspecific effects,” van der Meer said. “A meta-analysis of this kind cannot determine the precise extent to which each of these factors accounts for the observed improvement.”
Despite the limitations, the study offers practical insights for both everyday medicine and future laboratory design. When setting up a new trial strictly for addiction medication, scientists must account for a high background rate of improvement. A new drug has to clear a very high hurdle to outpace the sheer power of human expectation.
In everyday medical clinics, doctors might be able to ethically leverage this psychological response. If they prescribe a genuine, evidence-based medication, they can also project a professional sense of confidence and optimism about the treatment. Fostering a hopeful outlook from the start could enhance the biological effectiveness of the real medicine.
“We do now know quite well that symptom improvement occurs with placebo treatment across a large variety of psychiatric disorders,” van der Meer said. “To truly leverage the placebo effect in clinical practice, we need to know better to what extent the symptom improvement with placebo treatment consists of the true placebo effect, the natural course, and other nonspecific effects.”
The study, “Placebo Effects in Alcohol, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” was authored by Pim B. van der Meer, Jan W. Schoones, Jurjen Luykx, Olaf M. Dekkers, Marta Fiocco, Cornelis Kees Kramers, Arnt Schellekens, and Albert Batalla.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PlaceboEffect #AddictionRecovery #CravingManagement #AlcoholDependence #CocaineDependence #Methamphetamine #PsychiatryResearch #PlaceboMetaAnalysis #MindBodyConnection #ClinicalTrials
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https://www.europesays.com/be-fr/194545/ Un pilote arrêté à Jakarta avec 70 000 pilules d’ecstasy à bord #ArrestationJakarta #BE #BEFr #Belgique #Belgium #ecstasy #Indonésie #International #MalaysiaAirlines #MDMA #méthamphétamine #PeineDeMort #PiloteDeLigne #RéseauInternational #TraficDeDrogue #WorldNews
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Man Detained Over Murder of Woman in Her 50s at Seoul Officetel
Police. Yonhap News A man accused of murdering a woman in her 50s at an officetel in Seoul’s…
#EuropeSays #Korea #KR #Seoul #arrestwarrant #cannabis #Gangbukofficetel #Koreacrime #methamphetamine #NarcoticsControlAct #NationalForensicService #Seoulmurdercase
https://www.europesays.com/korea/103569/ -
Thai woman faces possible life term in Japan meth case
No conclusion on whether woman was deceived The woman’s family believes she was a victim who had been…
#EuropeSays #Japan #JP #BreakingNews #drugtrafficking #Japanese #lifesetences #methamphetamine
https://www.europesays.com/japan/64919/ -
Birmingham man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for possession of illegal drugs
BIRMING…
#Birmingham #UnitedKingdom #UK #GB #England #Headlines #News #Europe #EU #atf #ATFSpecialAgentinChargeJamesVanVlie #BirminghamPoliceDepartment #Britain #Crime #DeverickDewayneCroom #domesticviolence #Federalcharges #Fox6 #GreatBritain #Illegaldrugs #Marijuana #methamphetamine #myfoxal #sentencing #strangulation #Suffocation #wbrc #WBRC6 #WindhamWeaponryAR-stylerifle
https://www.europesays.com/uk/1109511/ -
https://www.europesays.com/uk/1109511/ Birmingham man sentenced to over 5 years in prison for possession of illegal drugs #atf #ATFSpecialAgentInChargeJamesVanVlie #Birmingham #BirminghamPoliceDepartment #Britain #Crime #DeverickDewayneCroom #DomesticViolence #England #FederalCharges #Fox6 #GreatBritain #IllegalDrugs #Marijuana #methamphetamine #myfoxal #News #sentencing #strangulation #Suffocation #UK #UnitedKingdom #wbrc #WBRC6 #WindhamWeaponryARStyleRifle
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https://www.europesays.com/africa/?p=332724 Mexican Meth Expertise Spreads to African Labs #Africa #Methamphetamine #Mexico #SyntheticDrugs
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Garden man arrested, arraigned on felony weapons, drug charges https://www.allforgardening.com/1842416/garden-man-arrested-arraigned-on-felony-weapons-drug-charges/ #DeltaCountyJail #FelonyWeapons #garden #GardenMan #hydrocodone #meth #Methamphetamine #michigan #MichiganStatePolice #MichiganStatePoliceManistiqueOutpost #MSP #weapons #WeaponsCharge
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Garden man arrested, arraigned on felony weapons, drug charges https://www.allforgardening.com/1842416/garden-man-arrested-arraigned-on-felony-weapons-drug-charges/ #DeltaCountyJail #FelonyWeapons #garden #GardenMan #hydrocodone #meth #Methamphetamine #michigan #MichiganStatePolice #MichiganStatePoliceManistiqueOutpost #MSP #weapons #WeaponsCharge
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‘Marketplace for meth’: Nashville nightclub owner pleads guilty to selling meth, cocaine inside business
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The owner of a Nashville nightclub has pleaded guilty to selling methamphetamine and cocaine…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #Antioch #antiochnightclub #business #clubmiami #cocaine #druginvestigation #Methamphetamine #narcotics #Nashville #nashvilleclub #Nashvillecrime #unitedstatesofamerica #usattorneysofficemiddletennessee
https://www.europesays.com/3081889/ -
Six men charged over alleged plot to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegally imported drugs
Six people have been charged by federal police over an alleged plot to distribute hundreds of kilograms of…
#Australia #afp #AU #Austrlia #Brisbane #Cocaine #drugimportation #drugs #federalpolice #illicitdrugs #mackay #meth #Methamphetamine #smuggling #Sydney #syndicate
https://www.europesays.com/australia/33599/ -
#Deathsentence is necessary👇⚖️
Man arrested before transporting half a tonne of ‘ice’😱 to greater #Bangkok
"Police arrested a man, 40, after a pursuit in Kalasin & found 500kg of #crystal #methamphetamine in his Pathum Thani-bound car.. Te suspect was identified only as Awut, a native of Songkhla. He told #police tt a Thai man, who resided in #Laos, hired him for Bht500,000 to take te #drugs fr Bueng Kan to a buyer in Pathum Thani. He said he had made 2 such deliveries"🤦♂️🤦♂️
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3268870/man-arrested-before-transporting-half-a-tonne-of-ice-to-greater-bangkok -
#Deathsentence is necessary👇⚖️
Man arrested before transporting half a tonne of ‘ice’😱 to greater #Bangkok
"Police arrested a man, 40, after a pursuit in Kalasin & found 500kg of #crystal #methamphetamine in his Pathum Thani-bound car.. Te suspect was identified only as Awut, a native of Songkhla. He told #police tt a Thai man, who resided in #Laos, hired him for Bht500,000 to take te #drugs fr Bueng Kan to a buyer in Pathum Thani. He said he had made 2 such deliveries"🤦♂️🤦♂️
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3268870/man-arrested-before-transporting-half-a-tonne-of-ice-to-greater-bangkok -
#Deathsentence is necessary👇⚖️
Man arrested before transporting half a tonne of ‘ice’😱 to greater #Bangkok
"Police arrested a man, 40, after a pursuit in Kalasin & found 500kg of #crystal #methamphetamine in his Pathum Thani-bound car.. Te suspect was identified only as Awut, a native of Songkhla. He told #police tt a Thai man, who resided in #Laos, hired him for Bht500,000 to take te #drugs fr Bueng Kan to a buyer in Pathum Thani. He said he had made 2 such deliveries"🤦♂️🤦♂️
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3268870/man-arrested-before-transporting-half-a-tonne-of-ice-to-greater-bangkok -
#Deathsentence is necessary👇⚖️
Man arrested before transporting half a tonne of ‘ice’😱 to greater #Bangkok
"Police arrested a man, 40, after a pursuit in Kalasin & found 500kg of #crystal #methamphetamine in his Pathum Thani-bound car.. Te suspect was identified only as Awut, a native of Songkhla. He told #police tt a Thai man, who resided in #Laos, hired him for Bht500,000 to take te #drugs fr Bueng Kan to a buyer in Pathum Thani. He said he had made 2 such deliveries"🤦♂️🤦♂️
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3268870/man-arrested-before-transporting-half-a-tonne-of-ice-to-greater-bangkok -
https://www.europesays.com/africa/244053/ NDLEA Busts Nigeria-Mexico Drug Syndicate, Seizes N480bn Dru #BubaMarwa #DrugBust #DrugSyndicate #DrugTrafficking #LagosState #Methamphetamine #MexicanCartel #Narcotics #NDLEA #Nigeria #OgunState
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Experts Debunk Spencer Pratt's Claims About 'Super Meth' Amid LA Mayoral Race
📰 Original title: Spencer Pratt Is Creating Panic Over ‘Super Meth.’ It’s Not Even Real
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/experts-debunk-spencer-pratt-s-claims-about-super-meth-amid-la-mayoral-race.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
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Experts Debunk Spencer Pratt's Claims About 'Super Meth' Amid LA Mayoral Race
📰 Original title: Spencer Pratt Is Creating Panic Over ‘Super Meth.’ It’s Not Even Real
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/experts-debunk-spencer-pratt-s-claims-about-super-meth-amid-la-mayoral-race.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
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Experts Debunk Spencer Pratt's Claims About 'Super Meth' Amid LA Mayoral Race
📰 Original title: Spencer Pratt Is Creating Panic Over ‘Super Meth.’ It’s Not Even Real
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/experts-debunk-spencer-pratt-s-claims-about-super-meth-amid-la-mayoral-race.html?utm_source=mastodon_world&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_world
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Experts Debunk Spencer Pratt's Claims About 'Super Meth' Amid LA Mayoral Race
📰 Original title: Spencer Pratt Is Creating Panic Over ‘Super Meth.’ It’s Not Even Real
🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️View full AI summary: https://en.killbait.com/experts-debunk-spencer-pratt-s-claims-about-super-meth-amid-la-mayoral-race.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social
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Cartel boss known as “The Gardener” hit with U.S. charges after being captured while hiding in ditch https://www.allforgardening.com/1770360/cartel-boss-known-as-the-gardener-hit-with-u-s-charges-after-being-captured-while-hiding-in-ditch/ #cartel #DrugCartels #garden #gardening #Methamphetamine #mexico
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Cartel boss known as “The Gardener” hit with U.S. charges after being captured while hiding in ditch https://www.allforgardening.com/1770360/cartel-boss-known-as-the-gardener-hit-with-u-s-charges-after-being-captured-while-hiding-in-ditch/ #cartel #DrugCartels #garden #gardening #Methamphetamine #mexico
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Operation Free MacArthur Park: 18 Arrested in Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Takedown
18 people arrested in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park for selling fentanyl and meth. Seven people are still wanted by police. Find out what happened and why.
#MacArthurPark, #Fentanyl, #Methamphetamine, #LAPD, #DrugBust
https://newsletter.tf/operation-free-macarthur-park-drug-takedown-arrests/
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Federal agents arrested 18 people in MacArthur Park, seizing large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine. This is part of a large operation to stop drug sales in the area.
#MacArthurPark, #Fentanyl, #Methamphetamine, #LAPD, #DrugBust
https://newsletter.tf/operation-free-macarthur-park-drug-takedown-arrests/ -
https://www.europesays.com/ch/49376/ New Bern habitual felon given 7+ years for drug charges #Bern #drug #drugs #ENC #fentanyl #HabitualFelon #methamphetamine #MiltonDillahunt #nc #NewBern #NorthCarolina #prison #WITN
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Australian man Sam Amine wanted in Fiji over record meth import from cartel
An Australian man is wanted by Fiji police for allegedly orchestrating the importation of more than four tonnes…
#NewsBeep #News #Australia #alameddine #AU #CartelParadise #cocaine #drugimportation #fijidrugs #Fijipolice #foreigncorrespondent #ice #KVT #meth #methbustpolice #methamphetamine #Mexicancartels #pacific #Pacificdrughighway #Pacificdrugtrade #SamAmine #SinaloaCartel
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/604900/ -
Australian man Sam Amine wanted in Fiji over record meth import from cartel
An Australian man is wanted by Fiji police for allegedly orchestrating the importation of more than four tonnes…
#NewsBeep #News #Australia #alameddine #AU #CartelParadise #cocaine #drugimportation #fijidrugs #Fijipolice #foreigncorrespondent #ice #KVT #meth #methbustpolice #methamphetamine #Mexicancartels #pacific #Pacificdrughighway #Pacificdrugtrade #SamAmine #SinaloaCartel
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/604900/ -
https://www.europesays.com/africa/176004/ Kenya Navy officer details high seas interception as Sh8.2 billion drug trafficking trial begins #DrugTrafficking #Headlines #IndianOceanShippingRoutes #IranianNationals #Kenya #KenyaNavy #KenyaNavyOfficerDetailsHighSeasInterceptionAsSh82BillionDrugTraffickingTrialBegins #MaritimeLaw #Methamphetamine #MultinationalOperation #NarcoticsSeizure #news #SeychellesCoastGuard #ShanzuLawCourts
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This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study
#Health #PublicHealth #Addiction #Meth #DrugCrisis #Methamphetamine #MentalHealth #Recovery #Treatment #Medicine #HarmReduction #Neuroscience #Psychiatry #Wellness #Science
https://the-14.com/this-common-antidepressant-helps-people-cut-back-on-methamphetamine-new-study/ -
This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study
#Health #PublicHealth #Addiction #Meth #DrugCrisis #Methamphetamine #MentalHealth #Recovery #Treatment #Medicine #HarmReduction #Neuroscience #Psychiatry #Wellness #Science
https://the-14.com/this-common-antidepressant-helps-people-cut-back-on-methamphetamine-new-study/ -
This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study
#Health #PublicHealth #Addiction #Meth #DrugCrisis #Methamphetamine #MentalHealth #Recovery #Treatment #Medicine #HarmReduction #Neuroscience #Psychiatry #Wellness #Science
https://the-14.com/this-common-antidepressant-helps-people-cut-back-on-methamphetamine-new-study/ -
This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study
#Health #PublicHealth #Addiction #Meth #DrugCrisis #Methamphetamine #MentalHealth #Recovery #Treatment #Medicine #HarmReduction #Neuroscience #Psychiatry #Wellness #Science
https://the-14.com/this-common-antidepressant-helps-people-cut-back-on-methamphetamine-new-study/ -
This common antidepressant helps people cut back on methamphetamine – new study
#Health #PublicHealth #Addiction #Meth #DrugCrisis #Methamphetamine #MentalHealth #Recovery #Treatment #Medicine #HarmReduction #Neuroscience #Psychiatry #Wellness #Science
https://the-14.com/this-common-antidepressant-helps-people-cut-back-on-methamphetamine-new-study/ -
Il y a 14 ans : Drogue : les nouvelles routes de la méthamphétamine https://www.cyclisme-dopage.com/dossierdefond/2012-03-30-lemonde-fr.htm #cyclisme #dopage #méthamphétamine #éphédrine
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Il y a 14 ans : Drogue : les nouvelles routes de la méthamphétamine https://www.cyclisme-dopage.com/dossierdefond/2012-03-30-lemonde-fr.htm #cyclisme #dopage #méthamphétamine #éphédrine
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Il y a 14 ans : Drogue : les nouvelles routes de la méthamphétamine https://www.cyclisme-dopage.com/dossierdefond/2012-03-30-lemonde-fr.htm #cyclisme #dopage #méthamphétamine #éphédrine
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Sharp rise in amphetamine use recorded in Cyprus cities, study finds https://www.byteseu.com/1879431/ #Cyprus #CyprusNews #DrugAbuse #Drugs #methamphetamine
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Disgraced dentist Steven Lin identified as man shot dead by police in Sydney’s Potts Point
A disgraced high-profile dentist allegedly attacked two women while armed with a knife inside a Sydney apartment complex…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #CentralCoast #criticalincident #dentist #helixgroup #manshotdead #meth #methamphetamine #nsw #nswpolice #policeshooting #pottspoint #stevenlin #TopNews #TopStories
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/518672/ -
Disgraced dentist Steven Lin identified as man shot dead by police in Sydney’s Potts Point
A disgraced high-profile dentist allegedly attacked two women while armed with a knife inside a Sydney apartment complex…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #CentralCoast #criticalincident #dentist #helixgroup #manshotdead #meth #methamphetamine #nsw #nswpolice #policeshooting #pottspoint #stevenlin #TopNews #TopStories
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/518672/ -
Over a Ton of Methamphetamine Seized in Major Northern California Drug Bust
📰 Original title: More than a ton of methamphetamine uncovered in Northern California drug busts
🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Usuarios: It's not clickbait ✅View full AI summary: https://killbait.com/en/over-a-ton-of-methamphetamine-seized-in-major-northern-california-drug-bust/?redirpost=16dc03a5-3a04-4b9b-98c3-d2163ce11eb5
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#Methamphetamine is so Flowers for Algernon: All that super-human cerebral ability fades to limited physical activities like stapling carpet scraps to the wall or masturbation antics worthy of The Guinness Book of World Records.
Clint Catalyst, Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person
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#Methamphetamine is so Flowers for Algernon: All that super-human cerebral ability fades to limited physical activities like stapling carpet scraps to the wall or masturbation antics worthy of The Guinness Book of World Records.
Clint Catalyst, Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person
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#Methamphetamine is so Flowers for Algernon: All that super-human cerebral ability fades to limited physical activities like stapling carpet scraps to the wall or masturbation antics worthy of The Guinness Book of World Records.
Clint Catalyst, Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person
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#Methamphetamine is so Flowers for Algernon: All that super-human cerebral ability fades to limited physical activities like stapling carpet scraps to the wall or masturbation antics worthy of The Guinness Book of World Records.
Clint Catalyst, Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person
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#Methamphetamine is so Flowers for Algernon: All that super-human cerebral ability fades to limited physical activities like stapling carpet scraps to the wall or masturbation antics worthy of The Guinness Book of World Records.
Clint Catalyst, Pills, Thrills, Chills, and Heartache: Adventures in the First Person
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Le junior Artyom Proskuryakov suspendu trois ans pour dopage à la méthamphétamine https://www.cyclisme-dopage.com/actualite/2026-02-03-cyclisme-dopage-com.htm #cyclisme #dopage #ArtyomProskuryakov #Rwanda2025 #méthamphétamine
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Le junior Artyom Proskuryakov suspendu trois ans pour dopage à la méthamphétamine https://www.cyclisme-dopage.com/actualite/2026-02-03-cyclisme-dopage-com.htm #cyclisme #dopage #ArtyomProskuryakov #Rwanda2025 #méthamphétamine
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Le junior Artyom Proskuryakov suspendu trois ans pour dopage à la méthamphétamine https://www.cyclisme-dopage.com/actualite/2026-02-03-cyclisme-dopage-com.htm #cyclisme #dopage #ArtyomProskuryakov #Rwanda2025 #méthamphétamine
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🙀 Methamphetamine deaths have risen across every US region
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-methamphetamine-deaths-risen-region.html
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🙀 Methamphetamine deaths have risen across every US region
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-methamphetamine-deaths-risen-region.html
