The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

ASHES 4(8) - No Smoking (at home) Please

A new look for the Brief Addiction Science Information Source! The goal of the BASIS is to make addiction science information freely available to a diverse audience in a clear and concise way. The BASIS has evolved over time to facilitate the attainment of that goal. In the spirit of working toward a more efficient and informative BASIS, today, we have prepared a new style that makes greater use of bullet points, hyperlinks, and glossary definitions. Unchanged, however, is our commitment to publishing critical science reviews that will advance scientific, clinical, and public knowledge. Please let us know what you... Read more →

Broadening our treatment systems: Offering self-directed relapse prevention for gambling problems

Dr. David Hodgins Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Researcher, Alberta Gaming Research Institute Since the beginning of the surge in gambling opportunities and interest around the world in the 1990s, many jurisdictions have struggled with designing and implementing treatment programs for people struggling with problem gambling. In some jurisdictions only basic services are offered such as a toll free helpline that offers referral to Gamblers Anonymous. In other locations, responses have been comprehensive and coordinated with an accessible continuum of interventions of different intensities ranging from outpatient counselling, to mutual support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous (GA) to... Read more →

The DRAM Vol. 4(6) – Self-help(ful) or harmful?

The Internet is rife with self-help options for people dealing with addiction (e.g., Your First Step to Change). However, there is a danger in utilizing self-help programs that researchers have not tested. Untested programs could make things better; however, these programs also might make matters worse, do nothing, or mitigate problems for someone seeking help from addiction. This week, the DRAM examines a recent study by Riper et al. (2008) of an online self-help program for people in the general public who consume high levels of alcohol. Researchers recruited via national publications and online health websites 335 adults who had... Read more →

The WAGER 13(6) - Gambling: When Getting an Early Start Might Not be Such a Good Idea

Past WAGERS (see WAGER 13(3) and WAGER 13(2))explored results from Kessler’s analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) data on odds of recovery and the relationship between types of gambling and gambling problems (Kessler et al., 2008). This week’s WAGER examines the differences in age of onset (AOO) for gambling between people who gamble and do not report ever having any problems (non-problem gamblers) and those who do report problems at some point in their life (problem gamblers). In addition, this WAGER will look at the AOO for problems among people with varying numbers of problems. The US National... Read more →

Public Policy and Problem Gambling

Don Feeney Research and Planning Director, Minnesota State Lottery I am trained as a public policy analyst, and in public policy analyst school you are taught that when devising public policy your process should be a rational one. You should carefully consider desired outcomes. You should obtain and take into account the best available knowledge on the subject at hand. You should carefully consider both costs and benefits, identify and analyze alternative approaches, ask who is best able to implement your proposed solutions, and design systems to help you know if your goals are being achieved. With this in mind,... Read more →

STASH Vol. 4(6) - Vouching for Cannabis Dependence? Comparing Abstinence-Based Vouchers and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Cannabis Dependence

During the 1990s, demand for cannabis treatment doubled (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2001); however, only five clinical trials examining the efficacy of treatment for cannabis dependence have been reported (e.g., Marijuana Treatment Project Research Group, 2004; McRae, J., & Brady, 2003). These studies indicated that although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) resulted in abstinence during treatment, relapse rates remained high. During 2000, Budney, Higgins, Radonovich and Novy discovered that adding abstinence-based voucher incentives to CBT for marijuana dependence resulted in significantly greater levels of abstinence than CBT alone among individuals seeking treatment at a university-based outpatient clinic. This... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities Vol 4. (5) - Song in the Key of Substance Use

Substance use is part of the scientific sphere and a persistent influence on the arts and humanities. The topic of substance use in the arts tends to come in waves; currently, it plays a significant role in the media, for example, because of numerous reports of actor and musician arrests for use and possession of various illicit substances. However, substance use imagery (SUI) as a part of the arts, specifically music, is not a new phenomenon; it also is not limited to US culture. To demonstrate the ever present nature of substance use in music, in this issue of Addiction... Read more →