The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

ASHES Vol. 1(12) - Beyond Advertising: Tobacco Industry Product Initiatives to Attract and Retain Female Smokers

Although inappropriate advertising (e.g., Joe Camel’s appeal to children) and promotions (e.g., commingling tobacco promotions with excessive drinking slogans) tend to make headlines, the tobacco industry targets special populations in a number of ways that draw less attention. These lesser known tactics might be equally effective and similarly inappropriate to their more prominent counterparts. This week, ASHES reviews a study that examined tobacco industry documents released under the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement. In this study, Carpenter, Wayne, and Connolly (2005) examined documents to determine if and how tobacco industry research on female smokers contributed to changes in product design intended... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials - Casinos On Cruise Ships, Why Not On Airplanes?

The views expressed in the Op-Ed/Editorials page are solely the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the BASIS, its sponsors, or affiliated organizations. I. Nelson Rose, J. D. Professor, Whittier Law School Costa Mesa, CA BASIS, editorial board member Ryanair has announced it may start in-flight gambling as early as March 2006. Its expectations are high. A spokesman described gambling on its aircraft and on its website as “a real wallet phenomenon.” The low-cost airline will introduce a new system known as Digebox, with 6,000 gaming laptop units, which can be converted to play... Read more →

The Dram, Volume 1(12) - Assessment of alcohol use among adolescents

Adolescent alcohol and substance abuse has been linked to a variety of personal and public health concerns, such as an increase in sexually risky behavior (Dunn, Bartee, & Perko, 2003), and higher rates of mortality due to automobile accidents (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1995), homicides and suicides (Brent, 1995). Early detection of abuse among adolescents provides an opportunity for early intervention that can lower their risk of suffering harmful alcohol or substance-related consequences. Therefore, health care providers should take advantage of the opportunity to address alcohol and substance use when they meet with their adolescent patients for any reason:... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 10(13) - The Joy Unluck Club: Gambling Among Asian Refugees

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV, 2000, p.671), pathological gambling is characterized by “persistent and recurrent maladaptive gambling behavior that disrupts personal, family, or vocational pursuits.” The disruption caused by gambling likely varies across communities because community standards for gambling behavior and its acceptability vary. However, we know little about variations in different communities and vulnerable populations. In particular, virtually no research has been conducted on gambling activities and problems among recent immigrant populations to the United States. This week, The Wager discusses a small study examining gambling participation and problems among South... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials - Cultural analysis as a vital tool in substance abuse treatment planning

Valerie Demarinis, Ph.D. Professor at Uppsala University; Research Director of The Culture and Gender Research Program The Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, The Karolinska University Hospital Visiting Professor at the Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance “The term culture means: shared learned meanings and behaviors that are transmitted from within a social activity context for purposes of promoting individual/societal adjustment, growth, and development. Culture has both external (i.e., artifacts, roles, activity contexts, institutions) and internal (i. e., values, beliefs, attitudes, activity contexts, patterns of consciousness, personality styles, epistemology) representations. The shared meanings and behaviors are subject to continuous change and... Read more →