The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The Sober Truth

For almost 80 years, AA and its fellow 12-step programs have dominated addiction treatment in this country. I recently reviewed the scientific literature on the success of AA programs for my new book, The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and the Rehabilitation Industry. The results were stark: 12-step programs have a 5-10% success rate, making them statistically one of the least effective treatments in medicine. In fact this rate is less than several estimates of the spontaneous remission rate for alcoholism, meaning that roughly the same number of people get better on their own as do... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 10(4) - Ask the children: Reasons for adolescent substance use and recovery from substance use disorders

Research suggests that adolescents often drink or use drugs for very distinct reasons. For example, some might use substances for “enhancement” (i.e., because they like it) and others might do so to escape depression or anxiety (Kuntsche et al., 2010). Understanding adolescents’ reasons for drinking is important to maximizing positive treatment outcomes. This week’s STASH looks at the association between reasons for alcohol or drug use (i.e., enhancement versus coping) and the effectiveness of skills-based group interventions (Dow and Kelly, 2013). Methods The researchers recruited participants from a private substance use disorder treatment facility in the northeastern United States. They... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 10(3) - E-volution: E-cigarette use patterns over one year

Editor’s Note: Today’s ASHES was written by Kerry Brechbiel. Kerry is a special contributor to the BASIS and a graduate student at East Carolina University. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become a popular alternative to smoking, viewed as a cleaner, safer way to obtain a nicotine fix (Ungar, 2014). Although there is a paucity of scientific research on e-cigarettes, preliminary evidence suggests that their use might reduce cigarette use and increase smoking cessation (Bullen et al., 2013; Caponnetto et al., 2013; see ASHES 7(3) and ASHES 9(13)). This week, the ASHES reviews a longitudinal study of behavior change among e-cigarette users... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 10(3) - Skip two drinks and call me in the morning: Screening for risky drinking at the doctor's office

Binge drinking continues to be a major cause of illness and death in the United States. Research strongly suggests that screenings and brief interventions can reduce alcohol consumption with lasting positive effects (e.g., Maciosek et al., 2009). The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recommends that health professionals screen their patients for binge drinking and deliver brief interventions if they deem patients to be at risk. However, we know little about how frequently health professionals do this. In The DRAM this week, we review a nationwide survey that asked people if they had ever spoken to their doctors... Read more →

Tuesday, March 11 is Gambling Disorder Screening Day: Are you going to do a brief screen?

Healthcare providers of many different specialties might encounter patients who struggle with gambling. Recent research has indicated that people with gambling-related problems are more likely to smoke, consume excessive amounts of caffeine, have more emergency department visits, and be obese (Black et al. 2012). Some analyses of gambling-related problems in primary care settings estimate that as many as 10% of patients report lifetime gambling disorder, and an additional 5% report lifetime subclinical problems (Morasco et al., 2006). Perhaps equally important, analyses of the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication study data show that, although nearly 50% of people who have gambling problems are... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 19(3) - Seeing Red: How gambling in a casino-like context affects betting behavior

Casinos offer a unique sensory experience. Previous studies have shown that the casino environment might be associated with faster betting and more risk taking than other environments (Spenwyn, Barrett, & Griffiths, 2010; Stark, Saunders, & Wookey, 1982). Other factors, such as competition among individuals (Rockloff, Greer, & Fay, 2011), also seem to influence gambling behavior, but it is not clear whether these factors work together to create harmful outcomes. In The WAGER this week, we review a study that examines how the casino environment and competition might jointly affect gambling behavior (Brevers, Noël, Bechara et al., 2014). Methods The authors... Read more →