The BASIS provides a forum for the free exchange of information related to addiction, and public access to the latest scientific developments and resources in the field. Our aim is to strengthen worldwide understanding of addiction and minimize its harmful effects. The Division on Addiction, Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital.
Where do people who use cannabis recreationally buy it? At first blush, the answer seems simple: People who live in places where purchasing cannabis is legal buy it at dispensaries, and people who do not live in such jurisdictions buy it...
Tobacco use is responsible for over 8 million deaths a year worldwide. The World Health Organization developed MPOWER guidelines for countries to use policy to reduce smoking among their residents (see figure). In an open-access study, L...
Some evidence suggests that heavy cannabis use can increase the likelihood of self-harm and mortality. There is also concern that cannabis use is associated with violence. Because consumption of cannabis likely increases with its ease of...
Many find that the mintiness of menthol makes cigarette smoke easier to inhale and reduces its otherwise harsh taste. However, menthol-flavored cigarettes can provide false assurance about the health risks of smoking, are attractive to v...
Have you ever noticed that smoking cigarettes before bed makes it harder to fall asleep? Or felt a craving for nicotine to relieve grogginess? In this edition of STASH, we review an open-access study by Joëlle Pasman and colleagues that ...
Editor's Note: In recognition of the ongoing importance of highlighting the vital contributions that Black academics make to addiction science, The BASIS is featuring the research and opinions of Black scholars of addiction. Today's revi...
Marriage involves an intention to commit “in sickness and in health,” but tying the knot also has profound, unintended effects on health. How much people drink, for instance, is affected not only by their own taste for alcohol, but also ...
There are many popular depictions of people who resort to crime to make up for gambling debts, such as movies like Uncut Gems and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. But do high levels of gambling actually cause involvement in crime? T...
About The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)
The BASIS mission is to minimize the addiction’s harmful effects by providing the general public, treatment providers, policy makers and others with access to addiction resear...
Video games often contain ‘adult’ content that may not be appropriate for younger players, such as gambling and alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use. Addiction & the Humanities explores the pervasiveness and portrayal of these themes within video games and discusses the implications they may have on stakeholders and consumers – including children and adolescents.
This week, Addiction & the Humanities looks at a portrayal of Gambling Disorder in Uncut Gems, a film that depicts the story of a New York City jewelry dealer who continues to gamble despite his increasing debt.
Depictions of tobacco use are on the rise in programming found on streaming platforms. This week, Addiction & the Humanities investigates smoking imagery in popular shows that attract young viewers, such as Netflix’s Stranger Things.