The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The DRAM Vol. 3(4) - Addiction and Technology - Internet-based Treatment for Alcohol Related Disorders: Clinical Characteristics of People who Seek Help on the Internet

Traditional substance abuse programs cannot always successfully serve every help seeking substance abuser. Roadblocks include logistical reasons, such as transportation, money to pay for treatments or childcare, as well as clinical reasons, such as the dynamics of treatment or group therapy (Gillaspy, Wright, Campbell, Stokes, & Adinoff, 2002; Saunders, Zygowicz, & D'Angelo, 2006). Online treatment programs potentially can expand the availability of care to people who cannot obtain traditional treatment. The effectiveness of these non-traditional treatments requires a better understanding. First, we need to learn more about the characteristics of those individuals who are willing to seek help via the... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 12(4) - Addiction and Technology - Internet Gambling: Caught in the Web?

In 2006, the United States Senate, under former-majority leader Bill Frist, voted to make Internet gambling illegal by passing the Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (Rose, 2006). Legislation often moves at a faster pace than science. Consequently, bills and laws often reflect public opinion rather than empirical evidence. In the absence of scientific research, the Senate relied largely on anecdotal reports to support the Act. This week’s WAGER will examine the current state of research about Internet gambling and what that research can tell us about the extent and impact of such gambling. A PsycInfo database search using the terms “Internet”... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Some Psychological Understanding of Chinese Gamblers

The theme of the 2006 Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders annual conference on gambling addiction was Lost in Translation? The Challenge of Turning Good Research into Best Practice. During the next few weeks, The BASIS is pleased to present a series of editorials from some of the faculty members of that conference. In this week's editorial, Dr. Desmond Lam discusses Psychological Understanding of Chinese Gamblers. Desmond Lam, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Marketing, University of Macau Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau Av. Padre Tomas Pereira S.J. Taipa, Macau S.A.R. China According to numerous accounts, wagering... Read more →

STASH Vol. 3(3) - Addiction and Technology: Websites Selling Opioids without a Prescription

The National Drug Use and Health Study (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2004), the Drug Abuse Warning Network (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2005), and the Monitoring the Future Study (Johnston, O'Malley, and Bachman 2005) note an increase in opioid use (e.g., Codeine, Vicotin, OxyContin) among young people during the last five years. The reason for this increase in opioid use is unknown. In the last issue of ASHES 3(3), we reviewed a study showing that minors are able to purchase cigarettes over the Internet. It is important to examine whether the increased use of other... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities Vol. 3(3) - Addiction and Technology - Politics: It’s Not Just About Votes Anymore

Anyone can go online and access the stock market – where people purchase stocks, bonds, or other securities in an attempt to gain a financial return. The types of online investments that people can make have expanded. For example, the Hollywood Stock Exchange allows users to invest fake money on the likelihood of certain actors winning an Oscar. The Foresight Exchange allows users to invest real money on questions such as whether the US will invade Iraq before 2009. A share sells for $35, and costs $36 to buy, showing investors are not moving strongly in either direction in light... Read more →