The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The DRAM, Vol. 5(3) - College Women Trying to Drink Men under the Table: The Effects of Reflective Norms

Though men consume more alcohol than women, women’s alcohol intake has increased steadily during the past thirty years (Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2007; Wechsler et al., 2002). Research has begun to explore unique influences on women’s consumption. This week’s DRAM reviews a study that explores the effects of reflective norms (i.e., individuals’ beliefs about what behaviors the opposite sex prefers them to do) on college women’s drinking behavior (LaBrie, Cail, Hummer, & Lac, 2009). Methods: 3,616 college students (53.6% of the initial representative sample targeted for recruitment from two west coast universities) completed a Web-based survey. 62% of participants... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 14(3) - Lottery Revenue Increases during Government Check Week: Coincidence?

“Wake up, wake up, wake up it's the 1st of the month To get up, get up, get up, so cash your checks and get up” --Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, “1st of tha [sic] Month,” from the album E 99 Eternal The timing of government checks, such as social security, coincides with check recipients’ increase in consumption of essential goods and services. But receiving government checks also coincides with an increase in recipient spending on non-essential goods and services, such as entertainment expenditures (Stephens, 2003). This week’s WAGER reviews a study, which examined whether the timing of government subsidy distribution corresponds with... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 5(2): What were you thinking?

Researchers have used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) devices to collect data about the real time activities, moods, and environments of research participants. This data allows investigators to gain a better understanding of the events that precede episodes of drug use. Participants respond to random prompts programmed to appear on the EMA screens at specific times and also initiate their own entries. This week, we review a study about the use of EMA devices to monitor the changes in activity and mood immediately preceding craving for, and use of, cocaine and heroin. In this study, researchers were able to monitor changes... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities, Vol. 5(2) - Magic Mushrooms in the Media and in Reality

Turn on the television or watch a movie and it will not take you very long to find a depiction of drug use. This issue of Addictions & the Humanities will consider how the media depicted the effects of hallucinogenic mushrooms in a particular instance and how well that depiction portrays the reality of mushrooms’ effects. We will use “Tree Trippers,” an episode of HBO’s popular television series Entourage, as media reference point. Mushroom Types & Usage There are hundreds of types of hallucinogenic mushrooms (Cunningham, 2008); some are safe to consume, while others have toxic effects. People can grow... Read more →