Most of the time, a medical research study examines the impact of treatments and medications on the body. However, companies like Ascada Research and Ascada Health also conduct studies into substance use, including narcotics like heroin and methamphetamines.

Why Substance Use Studies are Important in the Fight Against Addiction

When most people think about a medical research study, they probably think of clinical trials for medications or treatments. However, while that is integral to what we do at Ascada Research, we're also involved in substance use and abuse studies. 

A substance use study helps us learn more about why people become addicted to substances, their effect on the body, and how medical professionals can better support recovery from addiction. Here's why a substance use study matters just as much as any other research study. 

A Huge and Growing Medical Emergency

Most of us know at least one person with a substance abuse problem, but you might not know just how big of a substance use problem in America. 



Of those, 51% have substance-based problems related to alcohol use, 10% admit to having a cocaine problem, 7% methamphetamines, and 5% opioids. Those scary statistics are growing all the time, and right now, America is sitting on a substance-based health timebomb. 

The Effects of Substance Use

Most people are aware of the growing tide of drug-related overdose deaths. When it comes to substance-based overdose deaths, the vast majority are related to opioid use. However, those are not the only issues related to substance use threatening society. Drug and alcohol use has been the subject of many research studies, with shocking results. Everything from cancer to mental health problems to increased crime and more has been linked directly to the use and abuse of substances. Several substance abuse studies  link increased rates of domestic violence and even child abuse to substance use. 

In short, the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol are one of the biggest threats facing modern society, and we need to find better ways to prevent and treat addiction. That's why Ascada Research began working on our own substance abuse study programs so that we can help find the solutions we so desperately need. 

The Problem with Current Substance Use Treatments

Most people who begin treatment for some substance use problem will attempt to beat their addiction more than once. The average number of times they will try, relapse, and attempt again before they succeed is five. Since the goal is to beat addiction and substance-based dependency eventually, what matters is that they do achieve that eventually. However, work like Ascada Research may one day help reduce the number of times people relapse before succeeding. 

Even though many people do manage to beat addiction, a substance abuse study has shown that 25% of people do not. That's another statistic driving the work Ascada Research does on substance abuse and how we can better treat people struggling with substance use. We are fortunate to have the treatments we already have, whether residential detox programs, medication-assisted recovery, or psychological and mental health supports; there's still a long way to go before we can claim victory over substance abuse. 

Unacceptable Death Toll

If you or someone you care about is struggling with substance use and abuse, relapsing or even becoming involved in crime is not the worst thing that can happen. 

The CDC sounds the alarm on overdose deaths, too, with more than 107,000 lives lost to drug overdoses in 2021. That's the highest number ever recorded, and it's anticipated to be even higher this year. That's a shocking number of preventable deaths, but all it takes is one to forever change your life. When drug-related deaths become personal, substance abuse study data's true importance becomes much easier to understand. 

What Do We Need to Know?

When it comes to substance use and addiction, we've come a long way to understanding why some people are more inclined to begin using them and why they might become addicted and start abusing them. We've got some medications and treatments that can improve recovery rates too, but there is still a long way to go before we can develop treatments that ensure people who want help, can beat their addictions faster and with higher success rates. 

Some substance use studies are looking for genetic data that might predispose people to become addicted to substances. Some studies are examining how the brain is affected by substances and what might potentially be done to break the mental bonds of addiction. There may also be prophylactic measures that could be used to prevent some overdose deaths or better drugs that can be used in the event that someone does overdose. Tools like naloxone have been game changers in preventing many drug-related deaths, but there may well be more effective options.

While the United States clearly has a very big substance-based problem, we don't have effective or accessible treatment options for the people that need them the most. Those that can't afford private rehab facilities have limited options for quality care and treatment. Developing new, affordable outpatient options to treat substance use and addiction would help more people who have substance-based addiction problems because socioeconomic status should never be the only factor in getting quality care. 

Other ways that a substance abuse study can help is by developing more effective medications to treat addiction and ease withdrawal symptoms. We already know that many people who are addicted to substances do not seek help because they are afraid of the physical symptoms of withdrawal. If we can eventually develop treatments that lessen or eliminate those side effects, it is more than likely more people will seek help to break their addiction. 

What Research Do We Do?

There are many kinds of substance abuse studies being conducted all the time. Some take place inside hospitals and treatment facilities. Others involve interviewing patients, doing bloodwork, or doing other kinds of testing. Ascada Research's work on our research study on heroin and methamphetamine is a lot less invasive than that.

All we need from participants is a saliva swab within 24 hours of using one of the listed substances. 

Participants are paid for their time; of course, all personal data is completely private and will not be shared with anyone outside the research team. Even if you or a loved one is still battling to break the chains of addiction, you can be a part of the solution by helping Ascada Research in our substance abuse study. Someday, the results of our work might be the solution you're looking for. 

Will We Ever Be Finished With Substance Use Studies?

We'd all like to think that one day there will be a finish line. Where we will have done enough substance abuse studies to answer all the questions, solve all the problems, and develop all the treatments we need to keep everyone safe and healthy. However, the truth is that there are always new substances being developed. Designer drugs, synthetic drugs, and more all find their way onto the streets every year, and every time that happens, there are new challenges for researchers and medical professionals who work with substance abuse-related issues. 



So, while we all hope that one day, we will have the means to prevent and treat all kinds of addiction, it might be a very long time before that happens. Until then, companies like Ascada Research will keep working to better understand why some people abuse substances and how we can help them. 

What Happens Once You've Completed Your Research?

It usually takes many years to complete a research study. We must find enough research subjects, collect samples, verify that all study conditions are met, analyze the samples and test various hypotheses. Once we have collected enough information, analyzed it, and provided the study confirms our theories where applicable, our team will develop a research paper that will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal for scrutiny by other experts in the field. 

After the research is completed and assuming we have found new potential treatments and solutions, our team will begin working on treatments or medications that can achieve the goals identified in the study. 



Once we have a prototype treatment, there is an extensive period of testing, first in labs, then on tissue or other biological test subjects, and finally, if everything else shows promise and the prototype is safe to use, on human test subjects. Data from all of those tests will be collected, sorted, analyzed, and eventually, when we are sure we have a safe and marketable treatment, we will apply for FDA approval. It's a very long process to bring potentially lifesaving treatments to market, but it all has to start somewhere. If you or someone you know is a suitable match for our substance abuse study parameters, please consider getting involved.