The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

STASH 10(14): Perceived discrimination as a risk factor for substance use disorders

Recent events have brought perceived racial discrimination, particularly in the context of police interactions, to the forefront of the country’s consciousness. Researchers have previously explored the link between experiences of discrimination and stress-sensitive mental health disorders among racial and ethnic minorities (Hunte & Barry, 2012). However, there are many unanswered questions. For example, do certain types of discrimination increase the risk for specific disorders, such as drug abuse and depression? Does more frequent perceived discrimination lead to more negative outcomes? This week, we review a study that examined the link between perceived discrimination and mental health/substance use disorders among American... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 10(13) – Going the distance: Do smoking bans increase drunk driving?

Smoking bans and other public health initiatives have been effective at decreasing smoking (see ASHES 9(5)) as well as possibly reducing the rate of alcohol use disorders (See The DRAM 9(7)). However, the specific relationship between smoking bans and drunk driving has not been thoroughly explored. It is possible that individuals might drive longer distances to bars outside their county in order to smoke, potentially increasing the risk of drunk driving. This week, as part of our Special Series on Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, we review a study that examined how drunk driving fatalities have varied with the... Read more →

Happy Holidays from The BASIS!

As the holiday season approaches, we’re reflecting on our efforts during the past year to make the latest discoveries in addiction research more accessible to a broad audience. We hope that you’ve benefitted from the material we’ve posted this year, which included 13 editions each of ASHES, The DRAM, STASH, and The WAGER and over 20 editorials from noted researchers, treatment providers, industry and policy experts, and educators. We’d love to learn more about how you’ve used The BASIS in your own life! Please share your experiences by emailing us at [email protected] An exciting development this year was the addition... Read more →

Introduction to the Special Series on Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants

For many of us, the holiday season brings happy times with family and friends. Unfortunately, the season also brings a surge of substance-related car accidents. In recognition of the role that alcohol and other drugs can play in dangerous driving—by impairing perception, judgment, motor skills, and memory—the government and some private organizations have designated December National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. Consequently, The BASIS is dedicating the month of December to the complex issue of impaired driving. STASH and The DRAM will highlight recent research related to the predictors and consequences and drugged and drunk driving. The WAGER and ASHES will... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 10(13) - Rationality, education, and intoxicated driving: More than just the facts, ma’am

Unlike traditional economics, behavioral economics recognizes that people do not always make decisions in entirely rational ways. However, certain decisions can be imperfectly rational (i.e., basically rational but flawed because of cognitive deficits, biases, or lack of understanding of consequences) or irrational (i.e., based on emotions and personality instead of consideration of future consequences), and this distinction has implications for how we intervene to change behavior. This week’s DRAM, part of a Special Series on Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, reviews a study by Sloan, Eldred, and Xu (2014) that tests whether driving after drinking can be understood as... Read more →

Thank you to our Organizational Sponsor

We thank the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling for providing essential financial support for The BASIS during 2014. Thanks in part to their generous support, we continued to provide The BASIS free of charge to thousands of interested readers worldwide. To learn more about how your organization can support The BASIS, please click here. To donate to The BASIS as an individual, please click here. Thank you! We look forward to continuing the conversation during 2015 and beyond. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 19(13) - How do casinos relate to drunken driving fatalities?

Many different factors influence rates of drunken driving and alcohol-related fatalities. For example, these rates vary with environmental factors, such as the availability of bars and public transportation (Nelson & Tao, 2012). This week, as part of our Special Series on Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, we review a study that examined how the availability of casinos varies with rates of alcohol-related fatalities (Cotti & Walker, 2010). Methods The authors analyzed casino opening records (from 1990-2000) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) records. They identified 131 counties with casino openings and 1,437 counties... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 10(13) - Correlates of drunk and drugged driving

During the past three decades, public health campaigns have helped reduce the rate of drunk driving. At the same time, however, rates of drugged driving—driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol—have risen (Kelly, Darke, & Ross, 2004). In response, researchers have begun to expand the study of driving under the influence (DUI). This week, as part of our Special Series on Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, we review a study that examined characteristics of people convicted of first-time DUI, including their use of a wide range of substances on the day of their arrest (Pilkinton, Robertson, &... Read more →

This #GivingTuesday, Support Addiction Science

Consider supporting The BASIS this year! Help us continue to produce this information resource at no cost to readers! Scientific advances have improved the lives of countless people struggling with addiction and its consequences. Yet, we have more work to do. Too often, members of the general public, including those affected by addiction, cannot access accurate information about scientific discoveries and science-based resources. This Giving Tuesday, show your support for addiction science by supporting The BASIS, a product of the Division on Addiction, at the Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. Your tax-deductible contribution will help us... Read more →