The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol. 24(12) - What are the most important risk factors that predict gambling problems?

This week, The WAGER reviews a study by Matthew Browne and colleagues from 2019 that examined how 25 potential individual and social risk factors predict gambling-related harm within a sample of regular gamblers. Read more →

STASH, Vol. 15(11) - Mapping the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts: How prescribing practices relate to the incidence of fatal opioid overdoses between 2011-2015

This week, STASH reviews a study by Thomas J. Stopka and colleagues that examined how potentially inappropriate prescribing practices could be related to fatal opioid overdoses in Massachusetts between 2011 and 2015. Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 15(11) - The role of flavors in vaping initiation, satisfaction, and addiction.

This week, ASHES reviews a study by Robyn Landry and colleagues that explored how different e-cigarette flavors relate to vaping initiation, satisfaction, and addiction in adults. Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 15(11) - Social Anxiety Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder: A common cocktail?

This week, the DRAM reviews a study by Fartwin Torvik and his colleagues that investigated the nature of the relationship between SAD and AUD. Read more →

What’s Next in Open Science for the Division on Addiction?

During 2009, the Division on Addiction (Division) announced the launch of the Transparency Project,1 a free open access data archive for addiction-related research, especially that which is funded by private interests. This launch reflected our own interests in accelerating addiction science and increasing public and professional trust in published addiction research. Regarding professional trust and open data, we noted, “Ultimately, to the benefit of health providers as well as to political and legal decision-makers deciding on complex addiction-related issues, the Transparency Project will enhance confidence in scientific findings,” (Shaffer, LaPlante, Chao, Planzer, LaBrie, & Nelson, 2009, p. 7). Consistently, the Pew Research Center recently published a report indicating that public confidence in research is greater when researchers engage in data sharing and other contemporary open science practices. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 24(11) - Can't stop, won't stop: The role of impulsivity in gambling disorder

We often assume that individuals with Gambling Disorder have trouble regulating their impulsive behavior. However, impulsivity is a multi-faceted skill, and we don’t know what specific parts of impulsivity might be impaired in Gambling Disorder or whether these impairments extend to people who struggle to manage their gambling but don’t meet diagnostic criteria for Gambling Disorder (i.e., people with problem gambling). This week, The WAGER reviews a meta-analysis by Konstantinos Ioannidis and colleagues investigating the relationship between various domains of impulsivity and Gambling Disorder. What was the research question? Are Gambling Disorder and problem gambling related to dysfunctions in the... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 15(10) - Local trends in adolescent heroin and injection drug use in the United States between 1999 and 2017

This week, STASH reviews a study by Sherri-Chanelle Brighthaupt and her colleagues that examined the prevalence of adolescent lifetime heroin and injection drug use in major American cities. Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 15(10) - Can social media be the answer to quitting smoking? The effects of a social media campaign on young adult smoking cessation

This week, as part of our Special Series on Addiction and Social Media, ASHES reviews a study by Neill Baskerville and colleagues that examined how a social media campaign influenced the chance of successfully quitting smoking. Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 15(10) - Alcohol-branded content on Facebook: What does clicking “Like” say about drinking behavior?

This week, as part of our Special Series on Addiction and Social Media, The DRAM reviews a study by Sandra Jones and colleagues examining the relationship between alcohol brand interaction on Facebook and increased drinking in young people. Read more →

One More Hit of Facebook: Social Media, or Social Menace?

Editor’s Note: This editorial was written by Dr. David Greenfield as part of our Special Series on Addiction and Social Media. One more snort of Snapchat. One more tweak of Twitter. One more hit of something sort-of- social and we will feel better, right? Wrong. With our ever-present screens we have learned to avoid our aloneness, fear or isolation and we mask unwanted feelings by escaping into mindless scrolling, liking and commenting. We lose hours of our productive time voyeuristically viewing, chatting, and snapping selfies to share with our 1000 virtual friends. Sometimes more is less, and less is more... Read more →