The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

Op-Ed/Editorials: List of selected recipients for April giveaway

The Division on Addiction is pleased to announce the following people will receive Harvard Health Publications' new book, Almost Alcoholic: Is My (or My Loved One's) Drinking a Problem? - Mark Albanese, Joseph Bindas, Jo Ann Emerald, Barbara Glick, Marco Hidalgo, Stephen Merritt, Shruti Mukkamala, Nanciellen Poulin, Judith Powsner, Nancy Rappaport, Steven Whiting, and nine others. http://bit.ly/DOA20th_April. Thank you for celebrating our 20th anniversary with us! Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Celebrating 20 Years with Monthly Giveaways - April Reminder

2012 is the 20th anniversary of the Division on Addiction #DOA20th. To celebrate, each month we will host one anniversary event. This month we are giving away 20 copies of Harvard Health Publications' new book, Almost Alcoholic: Is My (or My Loved One's) Drinking a Problem? To be eligible to receive a copy of this new book, tell us how you use the BASIS at [email protected] by April 29th. On April 30th, we will post a list of 20 book recipients who email us the best uses of The BASIS or Division website/research. http://bit.ly/DOA20th_April. This is the last weekend to... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 8(4) - Not yet born and already too late? The relationship between prenatal nicotine exposure and future smoking behavior

Prenatal nicotine exposure is associated with a range of consequences. These consequences might include brain changes that lead to increased risk for developing tobacco use later on in life (Slotkin, Tate, Cousins, Seidler, 2006). Previous studies have identified a complicated web of risk factors influencing future nicotine usage (e.g. genetics, social and media influence, and parental postnatal smoking; Rydell, Cnattingius, Granath, Magnusson, Galanti, 2012). This week, the BASIS explores the role of parental nicotine use and fetal nicotine exposure within this web of risk factors (Rydell et al., 2012). Methods Researchers utilized a longitudinal dataset collected among Swedish school children... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 8(4) - Glass half empty or half full? Internalizing and externalizing pathways to risky alcohol use in DUI offenders

Research continues to investigate the influence of mental health on risky drinking and DUI offense. Evidence suggests that people with “internalizing” disorders tend to drink to cope with negative emotions, whereas those with “externalizing” disorders are more likely to drink in response to positive situations. This week’s DRAM reviews a study that examined the influence of externalizing and internalizing disorders on first time DUI offenders’ risky drinking and perceived ability to control their drinking in different situations (Schlauch, O’Malley, Rounsaville, & Ball, 2012). Methods 292 first-time DUI offenders completed questionnaires about internalizing and externalizing disorders, as well as coping self-efficacy... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 17(3) - You can’t control the Lucky Wheel: Using warning messages to reduce excessive gambling

Excessive gambling is linked to irrational feelings about the ability to influence chance-based games (as reviewed by Jardin & Wulfert, 2010). Correcting false beliefs about control over the outcome of games, then, might be an effective way to reduce excessive gambling. In this week’s WAGER, we review a recent study examining the effects of pop-up warning messages on gambling behavior (Jardin & Wulfert, 2010). Methods Eighty adult gamblers (60 men; 20 women), recruited from the community, participated in the study. On average, they were 44 years old. Participants completed the South Oaks Gambling Screen (Lesieur & Blume, 1987), an assessment... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Celebrating 20 Years with Monthly Giveaways - April

2012 is the 20th anniversary of the Division on Addiction #DOA20th. To celebrate, each month we will host one anniversary event. During March, we gave away 20 scholarships for our Addiction Medicine conference. This month we are giving away 20 copies of Harvard Health Publications' new book, Almost Alcoholic: Is My (or My Loved One's) Drinking a Problem? You can read more information about this highly discussed book on the following sites: The Huffington Post - Over 50 and 'Almost Alcoholic', CBS News - Are you an "almost alcoholic"? 10 signs you might have a problem, or The Atlantic -... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 8(3) – Compounding the wounds of war: High-risk opioid pain treatment among veterans with mental health issues

Many of the veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have survived injuries typically fatal during past wars. As such, larger portions of the veteran population are experiencing high levels of physical and psychological pain. Opioid medication is very effective at alleviating pain symptoms, but it carries risks of dependence, injury, overdose, and death. Thus, it is crucial to understand how veterans experience their pain relief treatment. This week’s STASH reviews a study that examines opioid prescription practices for veterans, with a focus on how co-morbid mental health conditions impact opioid treatment experience (Seal, Shi, Cohen, Cohen, Maguen, Krebs et al.,... Read more →