The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

STASH, Vol. 15(9) - WhatsApp with social media and smartphone messaging apps in the illicit drug market?

In 2018, 18% of college students reported having used an illicit drug other than marijuana in the previous year, a rate that is higher than other age groups. These students, and other people their age, might be experimenting with social media apps as a new method for buying and selling drugs. This week, as part of our Special Series on Addiction and Social Media, STASH reviews a study by Leah Moyle and her colleagues looking at how social media applications are currently being used to facilitate drug transactions. What was the research question? What are common practices and motivations for... Read more →

Introduction to the Special Series on Addiction and Social Media

Social media are online and mobile technologies that enable communication between individuals through text, photos, videos, and other forms of user-generated content. But you likely knew that already, because you probably use it. And if you don’t, your kids probably do. For the majority of us, social media use constitutes a major portion of our time online. Websites like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram have altered our relationships with each other and with the experiences we enjoy, including potentially addictive ones. Read more →

Op-ed: How The Phoenix and the Red Sox are partnering to change the stigma of addiction

Even in a nation that has spent substantial resources combatting the addiction epidemic, for many there remain significant barriers to accessing care, such as long waiting lists for treatment beds, high financial cost to receiving quality care and lack of long-term recovery support services. While the US has made significant strides in bending the curve of addiction related deaths in recent years, many of these challenges will require additional financial investment, time and innovation to meet the need. One less tangible, but equally strong barrier to overcoming addiction however, is the concept of stigma. Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 15(6) - Turn of the Century: Reasons why people did not seek help for drinking between 1991 and 2002.

This week, as part of our Special Series on Stigma and Addiction, The DRAM reviews a study by Karen Chartier and colleagues that examined changes over time in the most common reasons people give for not seeking help for their drinking. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 24(6) - Differences in stigma across levels of gambling behavior

This week, as part of our Special Series on Stigma and Addiction, The WAGER reviews a study by Billy A. Palmer and colleagues on the stigmatization of people with gambling disorder. Read more →

How stigma thwarts evidence-based and compassionate public policy

Editor’s Note: This editorial was written by Michael Botticelli as part of our Special Series on Stigma and Addiction. There may be no more dangerous contributor to the current opioid epidemic than stigma. Stigma is the lack of respect for a person or a group of people because they have done something or have traits of which society disapproves. And stigma isn’t just an abstract concept – it’s present every day in how society perceives people with a substance use disorder (SUD). People with a SUD are referred to as addicts, junkies and worse. When we call people things like... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 15(5) - Drug injection, syringe source, and self-stigma in New York City

This week, as part of our Special Series on Stigma and Addiction, we review a study by Alexis Rivera and colleagues that investigated which injection risk behaviors and demographic factors are associated with self-stigma among PWID in New York City. Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 15(5) - Stigma, socioeconomic status, and healthcare support for quitting smoking

This week, as part of our Special Series on Stigma and Addiction, ASHES reviews a study by Patrick Hammett and colleagues that explored how socioeconomic status and perceptions of smoking-related stigma relate to interactions with healthcare providers. Read more →

Introduction to the Special Series on Stigma and Addiction

According to a nationally representative survey, 80% of people who have experienced alcohol use disorder and 75% of people who have experienced a drug use disorder have never sought treatment for their addiction. One of the reasons for these low rates of treatment seeking is stigma. Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 24(4) - How do gambling patterns of poker players change over time?

This week, as part of our special series on Gambling Disorder, The WAGER reviews a study by Magali Dufour and colleagues that examined problem gambling, mental health, and risky behaviors in poker players over three years. Read more →