The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol. 20(7) - Raising a child: How gambling relates to young fatherhood

Expanded gambling --such as today’s opening of the first casino in Massachusetts-- raises many concerns about possible negative effects of gambling and gambling establishments. With this opening occurring in such close proximity to Father’s Day, it is natural to consider in which ways fatherhood and gambling might be related. Teen boys who gamble might also engage in other risky behaviors, including unprotected sex. This week, as part of our Special Series on Fatherhood and Addition, The WAGER reviews a study that addresses risk for early fatherhood among teen boys who gamble (Lee, Storr, Ialongo, & Martins, 2013). Methods The authors... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 11(6) – My father’s father: Multi-generational substance use behavior outcomes

Alcohol and drug abuse affects families in many ways. For example, The BASIS previously reported that there is a relationship between pre-natal smoking and ADHD in children, parental drinking behavior is associated with child alcohol consumption, and pre-natal alcohol exposure relates to children’s future alcohol sensitivity. This week, for our special series on Fatherhood and Addiction, we review research that examines fatherhood roles and addictive behavior among young Native American dads (Neault et al., 2012). Method Researchers recruited 87 male partners of teen mothers who were enrolled in a clinical trial that was taking place in three tribal nations in... Read more →

ASHES, Vol 11(6) – Prenatal exposure exposed: Alternate explanations for associations between prenatal nicotine exposure and later life outcomes

Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are at higher risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (see Langley, Rice, van den Bree, & Thapar, 2005 for a review). However, studies that examine prenatal exposure to substances and child outcomes often fail to account for other factors that might differ between families and account for those associations. In this week’s ASHES, as part of our Special Series on Fatherhood and Addiction, we review a study that examined whether the apparent association between prenatal exposure to nicotine and child ADHD can be explained in part by fathers’ smoking behaviors (Langley, Heron, Smith,... Read more →

Introduction to the Special Series on Fatherhood and Addiction

“I learned it by watching you!” For those of us old enough to remember, these words call to mind the 1980s anti-drug PSA warning parents, especially dads, not to model drug use for their impressionable kids. These days, we know much more about the complex pathways between fatherhood and addictive behavior. We review some of this research this month, in honor of Father’s Day. We hope you enjoy our Special Series on Fatherhood and Addiction. First, The DRAM reviewed a study describing mothers’ and fathers’ drinking behavior and attitudes toward underage drinking. Next, ASHES reviewed whether certain associations between maternal... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 11(6) – Stuff my dad says: Parents, their views of underage drinking, and their children’s choices

In a 1980s anti-drug PSA, a father confronts his teenage son about a box of drug paraphernalia found in the boy’s closet. The father asks, “Who taught you how to do this stuff?” The boy’s response is the big reveal. “You, all right? I learned it by watching you!” The last line comes from an off-camera narrator: “Parents who use drugs have children who use drugs.” Indeed, for many kinds of activities, parents who are involved tend to have children who are involved (e.g., sports: Shakib, 2004, smoking: Green et al., 1991). In this week’s DRAM, to open our Special... Read more →