The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol. 15(1) – Disordered Gambling and Meaningful Correlates among Cambodian Refugees

Recent research shows that Cambodian refugees who settled in the United States suffer from disproportionately high rates of trauma (Marshall, Schell, Elliott, Berthold, & Chun, 2005). Other research shows that they also might be more prone to disordered gambling (Petry, Armentano, Kuoch, Norinth, & Smith, 2003). This week the WAGER reviews a study that examines whether socio-demographic variables and trauma are significant correlates of lifetime disordered gambling among a sample of Cambodian refugees (Marshall, Elliott, & Schell, 2009). Methods Study participants (n=127) were a subsample of Cambodian refugees residing in Long Beach, California. The researchers recruited study participants by using... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 6(1) – Skunked: Can high-potency cannabis use influence psychosis onset?

Research indicates that cannabis use is associated with increased risk of psychosis and that cannabis potency and patterns of use can influence this risk (Henquet, Murray, Linszen, & van Os, 2005; Moore et al., 2007; Murray, Morrison, Henquet, & Di Forti, 2007). During recent decades, the potency of cannabis being sold illicitly in the US has increased dramatically. The average percentage of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-9 THC) identified within samples seized by law enforcement increased from approximately 2% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2008 (ElSohly, 2009). This week’s STASH reviews a study by Di Forti et al. in which they investigated... Read more →

Addiction and the Humanities, Vol. 6 (1) - The evolution of anti-drug ads from Fried Egg to Shoulders

This is your brain. This is drugs. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions? These words, part of a 1987 Partnership for a Drug-Free America (PDFA) public-service announcement, are synonymous with the American anti-drug movement of the 1980’s. Although the PDFA credits Fried Egg with helping to persuade Americans that drugs are dangerous and addictive (The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 2006), many ridicule the ad because of its overly simplistic, fear-based, and unrealistic tone (Alexander, 2000). How have anti-drug messages changed during the two decades since Fried Egg? The good news is that producers of anti-drug ads have... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 6 (1) –Modest lifetime cigarette use affects women’s breast cancer risk.

There are numerous factors that can lead to breast cancer. These influences include age, family history, exposure to hormones and lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. In this week’s ASHES, we review a study by Croghan et al. (2009). The study compared the prevalence of non-milk duct or lobule related breast cancer among women who reported smoking more than 100 cigarettes during their lifetime and women who smoked less than 100 cigarettes or never smoked. Methods Croghan et al. collected data from 8,927 female patients seen at the Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic between August 1, 1993 and November... Read more →