The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

Op-Ed/Editorials: Detecting At-risk Internet Gambling Behavior

Howard J. Shaffer, Ph.D. Debi A. LaPlante, Ph.D. Richard A. LaBrie, Ph.D. Sarah E. Nelson, Ph.D. Land-based and online gaming companies are racing to create universal algorithms that will identify people who are at risk for developing problematic gambling behavior. Unfortunately, supporters of this effort are nowhere near the finish line for that race; perhaps worse, the competitors are quite possibly off-track. Researchers and practitioners have yet to agree upon the most important identifying characteristics of problematic gambling behavior. Land-based efforts are at a starting advantage, simply because the extant scientific gambling literature predominantly addresses land-based gambling. Consequently, innovators who... Read more →

The DRAM, 3(11) - Childhood Sexual Abuse, Age of First Drink, and Onset of Alcohol Dependence

Studies linking childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to higher likelihood of alcohol dependence (AD) later in life (i.e., Dinwiddie et al., 2000; Fergusson, Horwood, & Lynskey, 1996; Kendler et al., 2000; Kilpatrick et al., 2000; Molnair, Buka, & Kessler, 2001; Nelson et al., 2002) might lack adequate control for environmental and genetic factors that influence the relationship between CSA and AD. These studies are also inconclusive because an earlier age of first drink is associated with later AD regardless of CSA status (DeWit, 2000). This week’s DRAM reviews a study that controls for the influence of environmental and genetic characteristics, as... Read more →

The WAGER Vol. 12(11): The Importance of Sensitivity: In Models and for Interpreting What You Read

Have you noticed lately that several different cellular phone companies are running ads claiming to be America’s leading network? Have you wondered how they can all claim to be number one? One company claims to have the fewest dropped calls of any network. This sounds impressive until you begin to wonder how many calls actually connect in the first place. Companies can’t drop calls if they don’t complete them in the first place. To understand and evaluate the wealth of information that advertising and press releases provide us, it is important to be an informed consumer. Knowing what questions to... Read more →

STASH Vol. 3(10) Anabolic steroid use and other risky behaviors: Not just a man’s issue.

During recent years, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers have observed an increase in prevalence rates of adolescent females’ self-reports of anabolic steroid use and other risky behaviors. These risky behaviors include, binge drinking, drug use, sexual behavior, and violence in school (Grunbaum et al., 2004). For decades, researchers, health advocates, and the general public have associated these issues as being a “male problem” (Bahrke, Yesalis, & Wright, 1990; Egan, 2002; Potteiger & Stilger, 1994; "SCOUTING; School Lesson About Steroids", 1985) and targeted interventions for these activities primarily to males (See STASH Vol. 2(5)). In this weeks’ STASH,... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities Vol. 3(10) - Supply & Demand: Looking at addiction through drug trafficking

The guiding principle of supply and demand plays a key role in the indirect exchange between drug suppliers and drug users. In addition to local drug traffickers, there are also international drug rings whose successful operations make them essential collaborators in the drug business. One leader of such a drug ring was Khun Sa, whose life and death highlights differences in international government practices related to drug control. In this issue of Addiction and the Humanities, we use Khun Sa as a lens to examine the role of drug trafficking in the supply and demand that feeds drug addiction. From... Read more →