The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER Vol. 13(8): Exposure to casinos and gambling problems: New data, old question

If exposure to gambling contributes to the development of addiction, then more exposure should correspond to higher rates of gambling problems (Shaffer et al., 2004). This week we examine a study of highly exposed people – those living near a casino – to determine whether their rates of gambling are different from those living farther from a casino (Sevigny, Ladouceur, Jacques, & Cantinotti, 2008). Participants: Random sample of 4,922 people drawn from an area within 100km of a Montreal casino. Methods: Household telephone survey (Ladouceur, Jacques, Chevalier, Sevigny, & Hamel, 2005) Measures: Driving distance from casino (participants were divided into... Read more →

STASH, Vol 4(8) - Safe Housing for Homeless, Drug Injecting Adolescents

Rates of substance use among homeless adolescents are high (e.g., Greene, Ennett, & Ringwalt, 1997). Some factors might exacerbate the likelihood that a homeless adolescent uses illicit substances. This week’s STASH explores the relationship between injection drug use and the quality of housing that homeless adolescents are able to find (Rhule-Louie, Bowen, Baer, & Perterson, 2008). Participants Participants were 285 homeless adolescents (average age 17.4) from Seattle, recruited from homeless agencies or from the street. The sample was 72.8% Caucasian and 54.6% male. Homelessness: The participants had an unstable living arrangement (i.e., did not live with a family member or... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities, Vol. 4(6) - “All the world’s a stage:” Medical Theater

Empathy is one of the most important medical practice skills. Medical theater, a combination of medical simulation, role-playing, and improvisation, is a teaching method that educators are testing to improve the empathy skills of medical students and medical residents. Medical Theater is similar to the psychodrama technique used as method of group therapy to help patients improve and learn skills for physical and emotional well-being. The common idea between the two methods is the understanding of another’s feelings and emotions by acting them out. Headspace Theater is an example of the medical theater method. Headspace Theater (Ballon, Silver, & Fidler,... Read more →

ASHES 4(9) - Life Transitions Inspire Smoking Cessation

Major life transitions might present the opportunity, perhaps even serve as the stimulus, to accomplish other transitions, such as changing identities from a smoker to a non-smoker. This week’s ASHES examines whether people who transition from worker to retiree quit smoking at a higher rate than people who remain employed (Lang, Rice, Wallace, Guralnik, & Melzer, 2007). Methods The authors analyzed data from a sub-sample of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a UK-based prospective study of the general population. The study sample included 1,712 people who were smokers when they participated in the Health Survey for England (HSE)... Read more →