The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

STASH Vol. 2(11) - Exploring the Gateway to Illicit Drug Use

The “gateway hypothesis” asserts that the illicit drug use develops from a sequence of events that begins with licit substance use (e.g., tobacco and alcohol), continues to the use of illicit drugs (e.g., marijuana), and finally to the use of less common illicit drugs (e.g., cocaine and heroin). According to this hypothesis, factors specific to each drug determine the progressive transition from one drug to the next; marijuana use is often specified as the gateway to further illicit drug use (Morral, McCaffrey, & Paddock, 2002). Alternatively, some suggest a reverse gateway effect in which social or individual factors (e.g., conduct... Read more →

Addictions and the Humanities, Volume 2(10) - Addiction and Stigma: The Social Perception of Disease

Social stigma refers to negative attitudes and beliefs that motivate any group to fear, reject, avoid, and discriminate against another group of people. In one of the few studies to examine empirically the social perception of addictive disease, Shaffer (1987) found a clear distinction between the perception of biological and behavioral disorders. This issue of Addiction and the Humanities examines the results of Shaffer’s study in conjunction with a recent review of the literature on stigma and marginalization in relationship to psychoactive substance use (Room, 2005). This discussion examines factors that contribute to the ongoing moralization of alcohol and drug... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: The New Anti-Internet Gaming Law

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. Prof. I. Nelson Rose, J.D. Professor, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA BASIS, editorial board member Senator Bill Frist (R.-TN), doesn’t want to be President – he wants to be Dictator. Frist, the majority leader of the U.S. Senate, used his position of power to ram through the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. He didn’t even give the members of Congress a chance to read the bill. They were... Read more →

ASHES Vol. 2(10) Institutions of Higher Learning Smoking?

During the past decade, the number of smokers in Mexico increased from 9 million to 13 million (Rasmussen-Cruz, Hidalgo-San Martín, Nuño-Gutiérrez, & Hidalgo-Rasmussen, 2006). The prevalence of Mexican smokers contrasts sharply with decreasing trends among other more wealthy western countries; in these settings, smoking has decreased 5-15% during recent years (Disease Control Priorities Project, 2006). The majority of smokers in Mexico are 18-29 years old. In addition, smoking in Mexico among people under the legal age of 18 has risen (Rasmussen-Cruz et al., 2006). Given increased awareness of the dangers associated with smoking, the observed increases among adolescent and young... Read more →

The DRAM, Volume 2(10) - Happy anniversary! Alcohol prohibition ended on December 5, 1933 – but could it be effective today?

The prohibition of beverage alcohol in the United States between 1919 and 1933 and its success or failure continues to be a topic of scientific research and public debate. A recent article in the American Journal of Public Health provides an interesting contribution to this topic from the perspective of a historian (Blocker, 2006). Moreover, it raises interesting questions: Could alcohol prohibition return? Can prohibitions of any kind and in any form be viable public health options? The article begins with an overview of the historical processes leading to the Prohibition Act and its repeal. Next, he summarizes expected and... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Operators Risk Arrest For Online Poker

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. Prof. I. Nelson Rose, J.D. Professor, Whittier Law School, Costa Mesa, CA BASIS, editorial board member As I explained in my last column, you have a better chance of winning a World Poker Tour event than of being arrested for playing poker online. The same is not true for operators of Internet gambling websites – if they make the mistake of visiting the United States. Everyone associated with a site that... Read more →