The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The DRAM, Vol. 6(6) – Do as I say, not as they do: The effects of parenting style on adolescent alcohol use.

According to data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), during the 30 days prior to survey, 42% of high school students had at least 1 drink and 24% participated in heavy drinking (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Parenting style likely has an effect on adolescent alcohol use. However, researchers have reported conflicting results about the effects of parenting practices, specifically control (i.e., monitoring, discipline) and support (i.e., warmth, nurturance), on adolescent alcohol use (e.g., Dubow, Boxer, & Huesmann, 2008; King & Chassin, 2004). This week’s DRAM reviews a recent article that examined the effect of parenting... Read more →

WAGER Vol. 15(6) – More or Less the Same: Variations on Brief Gambling Treatment

Historically, effective treatment for gambling disorders has been an elusive goal, considering that only a very small proportion of gamblers ever seek treatment (Cunningham, 2005). Brief treatment, which typically involves treatment of ten sessions or less, has been effective with alcohol related problems. Therefore, an adaptation of the brief treatment model might be equally effective for disordered gamblers unwilling to seek formal treatment. This week’s WAGER reviews a report by Hodgins, Currie, Currie, and Fick (2009) in their continuing research on brief treatment variations. Methods Researchers used a randomized control study design and recruited 314 problem gamblers interested in reducing... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 6(6) – The Addictive Potential of Indoor Tanning

The American public increasingly is becoming aware of the health risks of indoor tanning. Just this month, a 10% excise tax on indoor tanning went into effect; this tax is designed both to offset some of the costs of the nation’s health-care reform and to discourage the use of tanning beds. Given the health risks and increasing costs, why do people continue to engage in indoor tanning? For some, indoor tanning might represent an addiction, similar to the process of becoming addicted to substances. This week the STASH reviews an article that explores possible links among indoor tanning addiction, substance... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities Vol 6(6) – I Wish I Said That

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines “aphorism” (second definition) as “Any principle or precept expressed in few words; a short pithy sentence containing a truth of general import; a maxim.” Arguably, much of peoples’ attitudes and knowledge are reflected in and derive from such aphorisms. However, such sayings might gain broad recognition and acceptance without containing a truth. This week, Addiction and Humanities reviews several selections from The Quotable Gambler (Paul Lyons, 1999) to determine how they map onto current knowledge and practices related to gambling. The more it changes… Gambling promises the poor what property performs for the rich:... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials - Gambling and the Law®: Making Poker Legal as a Public Service

I Nelson Rose What do insurance, commodities trading and state lotteries all have in common? They were all originally outlawed as forms of gambling. The major fight today over whether poker should be legalized usually revolves around the question of whether it is predominantly skill or chance. But this unnecessarily gives up part of the political as well as legal battleground. Many activities that are indisputably gambling are now operated under state licenses, or by the state itself. And other activities, such as insurance and commodities, are today generally not even thought of as gambling. Although they are. Insurance is,... Read more →