The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

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

The Division on Addiction is pleased to announce the following people will receive a copy of Christopher Kennedy Lawford's book, Moments of Clarity: Voices from the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery - Melanie Adem, Tracie Afifi, Roger Chopelas, Carlise Downie, Nicole Drozdiel, Laura Gaugh, Beth Hudde, Phyllis Kiklis, Noreen Loftus-Spilman, Stephen Merritt, Judith Powsner, Andrea Ryan, Marianne Vick, Stephen Whiting, and six others. Thank you for celebrating our 20th anniversary with us! Read more →

STASH, Vol. 8(8) - Are mothers who use cocaine more aggressive toward their children?

Previous studies have shown that children exposed prenatally to cocaine are more aggressive later on than other children (Sood et al, 2005). It is possible that a mother’s cocaine use during her pregnancy is associated with her aggressive behavior toward her child later on, and that this maternal aggression in turn plays a role in later childhood aggression. This week’s STASH reviews a study that investigates the association between prenatal cocaine use and maternal aggression during the early years of a child’s life and the early relationship between maternal and childhood aggression (Eiden, Schuetze, Colder & Veira, 2011). Methods Researchers... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities, Vol. 8(8) - PSAs: Pushing public awareness, or putting people off?

Non-profit and government agencies create public service announcements (PSAs) that major media outlets broadcast for free. They have the objectives of raising awareness and changing public attitudes and behavior towards a social issue. Scare tactics in anti-drug campaigns are similar to the “shockvertising” we’ve seen in some corporate advertising campaigns (as discussed in Addiction & the Humanities Vol. 8(7)). In this final segment of a three-part series on addiction and advertising, we examine scare tactics used in four anti-drug PSA campaigns. The first PSA from Finland channels the experience of having a parent who abuses alcohol. Filmed from the child’s... Read more →

Op-Ed/Editorials: Celebrating 20 Years with Monthly Giveaways - September 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 Christopher Kennedy Lawford's book, Moments of Clarity: Voices from the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery. There are two weeks left to enter. To be eligible to receive a copy of the book, tell us how you use The BASIS at [email protected] by September 27th. On September 28th, we will post a list of 20 book recipients who email us the best uses of The BASIS or Division website/research. Thanks... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 8(8) - Smoking rates and PTSD among a Freshman college population

Starting college is a stressful and exciting time, full of new responsibilities and new experiences. For many, this includes experimentation with cigarettes. Studies have shown that individuals who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are at higher risk for smoking. However, researchers have not studied the interaction between PTSD and smoking among college students during their first year at school. This issue of ASHES reviews an examination of how smoking rates among a freshman class population relate to experiences of PTSD symptoms (Read, Wardell, Vermont, Colder, Ouimette, & White, 2012). Methods Read et al. (2012) recruited 346 student smokers from... Read more →

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

2012 is the 20th anniversary of the Division on Addiction #DOA20th. To celebrate, each month we will host one anniversary event. During August, we gave away 20 signed Expressions of Addiction photographic prints. This month we are giving away 20 copies of Christopher Kennedy Lawford's book, Moments of Clarity: Voices from the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery. To be eligible to receive a copy of the book, tell us how you use The BASIS at [email protected] by September 27th. On September 28th, we will post a list of 20 book recipients who email us the best uses of The... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 8(8) - When is a binge a binge? College students’ understanding of binge drinking

According to the NIAAA (2012a), four out of five college students drink alcohol, and two out of five report binge drinking. Binge drinking is excessive drinking within about a 2 hour timeframe resulting in a BAC level of at least 0.08g/dL (NIAAA, 2012b). Researchers, however, often use a different definition of binge drinking: 5 drinks for men or 4 drinks for women consumed on one occasion (Wechsler, Davenport, Dowdall, Moeykens, & Castillo, 1994). Importantly, it is unknown how college students define binge drinking. This week, the DRAM reviews a study that assessed college students’ current definitions and understanding of binge... Read more →