The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

ASHES, Vol. 5(9) –Thinking of quitting smoking "cold turkey?" Chew on it for a while.

Most smokers interested in quitting do not feel ready for an abrupt cessation, often referred to as “cold turkey.” Most smokers prefer to gradually quit by reducing the number of cigarettes they smoke (Cheong, Yong, & Borland, 2007). This method, however, fails more often than not (Levinson, Shapiro, Schwartz, & Tursky, 1971). It has been hypothesized that nicotine–replacement therapy might aid smoking cessation by permitting smokers to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. This week’s ASHES reviews a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial that tests the efficacy of nicotine gum to assist cessation (Shiffman, Ferguson, & Strahs, 2009).... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 5 (9) - Binging Then and Now – 30 Years of Data on Youth Drinking

Public policy initiatives, such as zero tolerance laws and raising the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) to 21 years old (circa 1985), have likely contributed to the reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities among youth and young adult populations seen in the past two decades. However, it is not clear that the reduction in fatalities corresponds to change in binge drinking among young people. In this DRAM issue, we review Grucza and colleagues’ evaluation of 30 years of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reflecting patterns of binge drinking (Grucza, Norberg, & Bierut, 2009). Methodology Grucza... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 14(8) - Video Game Playing and Gambling-Related Problems: Is there a Connection?

Research has begun to focus on how gambling impacts adolescents (e.g., Delfabbro, Lahn, & Grabosky, 2005; Welte, Barnes, Tidwell, & Hoffman, 2009). However, researchers rarely have studied the correlation between adolescent video game playing and disordered gambling behavior. This week’s WAGER reviews a study (Delfabbro, King, Lambos, & Puglies, 2009) that examined associations between gambling-related problems and types and frequency of video game play among Australian adolescents. Methods Participants (N= 2,669) were students between the ages 12 and 17 attending six secondary schools (i.e., grades 8-13) in South Australia. Delfabbro et al. purposely sampled schools; they selected four schools to... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 5(8) – Straight dope: A randomized controlled trial of diacetylmorphine (heroin) treatment for opioid addiction

Opioid abuse affects more than 1 million North Americans and is a serious public health concern contributing to ill health and fatal overdose (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2008). Although maintenance treatment with oral methadone is standard for opioid dependence, some opioid-dependent individuals do not respond well, have difficulty maintaining treatment, and/or continue to use illicit opioids while receiving methadone. This week’s STASH reviews the first North American randomized controlled trial of diacetylmorphine, the active component in heroin, versus methadone treatment for opioid dependence in individuals for whom standard treatments have been unsuccessful (Oviedo-Joekes et al., 2009). Methods... Read more →