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The emerging dual threats of underaged drinking (UAD) and prescription drug misuse (PDM) require sustained prevention efforts across multiple levels of interventions. In response to the continuing proliferation of UAD and PDM among youth and young adults, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) developed the Partnerships for Success (PFS) program. Across five cohorts funded from 2012 to 2016, PFS created linkages between health care providers, treatment and prevention services providers, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations for the delivery of multiple sets of services (e.g., prevention education, community activities, screening) targeted toward UAD and PDM. This paper reports on the impact of the PFS program on reductions in ethanol and prescription drug poisoning exposures as reported from data in the National Poisoning Data System (NPDS). Across 35 States, communities targeted by PFS interventions were compared to non-targeted communities using a non-equivalent comparison groups design and propensity score weighting. Using propensity-weighted, multilevel latent growth modeling, steeper reductions in ethanol and prescription drug poisoning exposure call rates were observed in States which had a higher proportion of communities participating in PFS. Grantee-level longitudinal analogs to Cohen's d effect sizes ranged from -0.24 to -0.97, whereas PFS' effects on individual communities (net of Statewide effects) were negligible. The study serves as a unique exemplar of using the NPDS to extract community-level intervention effects that might otherwise be "hidden" within epidemiological data while underscoring the cumulative effects of PFS' community-level efforts in stemming the tide on underaged drinking and prescription drug misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that the evidential bases for many harm reduction policies targeting hazardous consumptions (including tobacco, alcohol and gambling) have been distorted by commercial industries that derive revenue from such commodities. These distortions are best illustrated by research on tobacco and alcohol, which indicates similar tactics used by industries to determine favourable policy environments through engineering of evidence, among other approaches. Although there is concern that gambling research is similarly vulnerable to commercial interests, the relevant literature lags far behind other fields and the aim of this paper is to increase familiarity with tactics used by industries for influencing research. It summarises the conceptual and empirical bases for expecting conflicts between goals of public health and companies that profit from hazardous consumptions. It also summarises evidence describing practices deployed by tobacco corporations, which include third-party techniques and the selective funding of research to manufacture doubt and deflect attention away from the consequences of smoking. It then reviews both early and emerging evidence indicating similar strategies used by alcohol industry, and uses this literature to view practices of the gambling industry. It argues that parallels regarding selective funding of research and third-party techniques provide grounds for strong concern about commercial influences on gambling research, and implementation of precautionary approaches to management of vested interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase of pathological Internet use recently led to the identification of an “Internet addiction” disorder. While its diagnosis criteria remain unclear, the behavioral consequences of Internet addiction have been widely explored. Its cerebral correlates have also been investigated using electroencephalography, but obtained results have not yet been integrated in a sound theoretical framework. This paper aims at reviewing these studies and at analyzing their results through a dual-process perspective. A systematic literature search was conducted using Pubmed to identify studies in English exploring neural oscillations and/or event-related potentials in individuals displaying problematic Internet use. The 14 articles finally selected show that Internet addiction shares essential features with other addictive states, mainly a joint hypo-activation of the reflective system (decreased executive control abilities) and hyper-activation of the automatic-affective one (excessive affective processing of addiction-related cues). Despite the currently limited data, dual-process models thus appear useful to conceptualize the imbalance between cerebral systems in Internet addiction. We finally propose that future electrophysiological studies should better characterize this disequilibrium between controlled-deliberate and automatic-affective networks, notably by using event-related potentials paradigms focusing on each system separately and on their interactions, but also by better specifying the potential differences between sub-categories of Internet addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the invariance of the factor structure of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised (DMQ-R) between Portuguese and US university students. Following tests of factor model invariance we further evaluated cross-cultural differences in (1) mean levels of the four motives, and (2) the association of the four motives with weekly drinking, peak drinking, and binge drinking among college students from the United States and Portugal. Participants were 983 undergraduate students (67% female) from the US (N=515) and Portugal (N=468). Participants completed a confidential online (US) or paper and pencil (Portugal) survey. Results of a CFA demonstrated that the four-factor model of the DMQ-R was invariant with respect to factor loadings, factor variances, and factor covariances across the two countries. Mean differences in ratings of drinking motives were found, with US students ranking all motives higher than Portuguese students. However, rank order of motives (social>enhancement>coping>conformity) were equivalent across countries. Support for convergent validity was demonstrated by significant associations between drinking motives and alcohol consumption for men and women of both samples. Results support the factorial invariance and convergent validity of the DMQ-R across US and Portuguese college students, making it a trustworthy means of assessing college students' drinking motives, and a useful instrument for clinical and research purposes, both within and across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In recent years, studies have indicated that consumers of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AmED) are more likely to drink heavily and experience more negative consequences than consumers who avoid these beverages. Although researchers have identified a number of plausible hypotheses that explain how alcohol-energy drink co-ingestion could cause greater alcohol consumption, there has been no postulation about reverse causal relations. This paper identifies several plausible hypotheses for the observed associations between AmED consumption and greater alcohol consumption, and provides initial evidence for one such hypothesis suggesting that heavy drinking may be a determinant of AmED use.Method: Data collected from 511bar patrons were used to examine the plausibility of one of the proposed hypotheses, i.e., AmED is an artifact of heavy drinking. Associations between the consumption of an assortment of alcoholic beverage types and total alcohol consumption were examined at the event-level, to assess whether AmED is uniquely related with greater alcohol consumption.Results: Increased alcohol consumption was associated with greater odds of consuming most alcoholic beverage types; this association was not unique to AmED.Conclusions: Results support the overlooked hypothesis that AmED use is an artifact of heavy drinking. Thus, AmED consumption may be a consequence or marker of heavier drinking. Much of the existing research on alcoholic beverage types is limited in its ability to implicate any specific type of drink, including AmED, as a cause of increased alcohol consumption and related harm. More rigorous study designs are needed to examine causal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to study transitions between two states of gambling in adulthood (problem gambling and non-problem gambling) and to identify factors that might influence these transitions.Methods: Data for this 2-year long longitudinal study were collected in a French Outpatient Addiction Treatment Center, in gambling establishments and through the press. Both problem gamblers and non-problem gamblers were evaluated using a structured interview and self-report questionnaires. The statistical analysis was carried out using a Markovian approach.Results: The analyzed cohort consisted of 304 gamblers with 519 observed transitions. Participants with no past-year gambling problems (based on the DSM-IV) had a probability of about 90% of also having no past-year gambling problems at the following assessment, whereas the observed percentage of problem gamblers transitioning to non-problem gambling was of 48%. We reported (i) vulnerability factors of transitioning to problem gambling (such as an anxiety disorder or an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the childhood), (ii) protective factors for non-problem gamblers, (iii) recovery factors (such as ongoing treatment and younger age) and (iv) persistence factors of a gambling problem (such as a persistent ADHD).Conclusions: The status of problem gambler is unstable over time, whereas we found stability among non-problem gamblers. Our findings suggest the existence of vulnerability and protective factors in gambling. These results lead to think about preventive actions and adaptive care, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or researching gambling problems in people with an anxiety disorder or ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Technology has transformed our lifestyles in dramatic and significant ways, including new and less expensive options for recruiting study participants. This study examines cost and participant differences between two recruitment sources, Craigslist (CL), and print newspapers (PNs). This paper also reviewed and compared studies involving clinical trials published since 2010 that recruited participants using CL alone or in combination with other methods.Method: Secondary data analyses from a parent study involving a randomized controlled trial of a mail-based intervention to promote self-change with problem drinkers.Results: Significant differences were found between CL and PN participants on most demographic and pretreatment drinking variables. While all participants had AUDIT scores suggestive of an alcohol problem and reported drinking at high-risk levels, CL participants had less severe drinking problem histories, were considerably younger, and had a higher socioeconomic status than PN participants. The total advertising costs for the 65 CL ads ($275) were significantly less than the 69 PN ads ($33, 311). The recruiting cost per eligible participant was vastly less expensive using CL ($1.46) compared to print newspaper ads ($116.88).Conclusions: Using CL is a viable recruitment method for soliciting participants, particularly those that are younger, for alcohol intervention studies. It is also less expensive than newspaper ads. When CL participants were recruited, they reported being slightly more confident to change their drinking than PN participants. Limitations of using CL are discussed, including that some initial ad responders gave inconsistent answers to similar questions and a few tried to enter the study more than once. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the expansion of tobacco product options, a better understanding is needed of how information about the known and unknown risks of products is communicated to the public. Engaging in comparative processes is an common way for people to understand novel products, but the referent of comparison matters and can influence perceptions and behavior. This paper builds awareness of research from other disciplines, including decision science, marketing, and psychology, which can help inform research and tobacco control efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Addictions share common etiological factors associated with personality vulnerabilities such as narcissism or emotional instability. Also, there are gender differences in the type of and risk for addiction (e.g., men may be more prone to addictions, overall). These are considerably less understood in relation to behavioral addictions (BAs) than in substance use disorders. This study aimed to investigate associations between profiles of six potential BAs (study, shopping, gaming, Facebook, pornography, and food) and gender, personality, and well-being among Polish emerging adults, as a partial replication and extension of previous work.Participants and Procedure: In a paper-and-pencil cross-sectional study, 1182 Polish undergraduate students (mean age = 20.33 years; SD = 1.68) completed questionnaires measuring six potential BAs alongside questions on demographic variables, personality traits (Big Five, narcissism), and well-being indicators (general quality of life, health quality, sleep quality, perceived stress, anxiety, and hopelessness).Results: Using latent profile analysis, four profiles were identified: (1) elevated levels of study, Facebook, shopping, and food addictions; (2) elevated levels of gaming and pornography addictions; (3) low or average levels of all potential BAs, and (4) highest levels of all potential BAs. The second and fourth profiles included men predominantly, and the first profile included almost exclusively women. The fourth profile, in comparison to all other profiles, demonstrated significantly higher scores on all potential BAs, narcissism, lowest conscientiousness and emotional stability, and lowest well-being.Conclusions: The results suggest that there is a general proclivity to potential BAs. Furthermore, there are gender-specific profiles of potential BAs, which at present are poorly understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, various models have been proposed to explain the psychology and biology of drug addiction, built primarily around the habit and compulsion models. Recent research indicates drug addiction may be goal-directed, motivated by excessive valuation of drugs. Drug consumption may initially occur for the sake of pleasure but may transition to a means of escaping withdrawal, stress and negative emotions. In this hypothetical paper, we propose a value-based neurobiological model for drug addiction. We posit that during dependency, the value-based decision-making system in the brain is not inactive but has instead prioritized drugs as the reward of choice. In support of this model, we consider the role of valuation in choice, its influence on pleasure and punishment, and how valuation is contrasted in impulsive and compulsive behaviours. We then discuss the neurobiology of value, beginning with the dopaminergic system and its relationship with incentive salience before moving to brain-wide networks involved in valuation, control and prospection. These value-based neurobiological components are then integrated into the cycle of addiction as we consider the development of drug dependency from a valuation perspective. We conclude with a discussion of cognitive interventions utilizing value-based decision-making, highlighting not just advances in recalibrating the valuation system to focus on non-drug rewards, but also areas for improvement in refining this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: E-cigarette use has increased rapidly over the last 10 years, mostly among smokers and ex-smokers. Although there may be some degree of dependency on nicotine via e-cigarette use, the nature of this dependency is poorly understood. The aim of this paper is to use tasks from behavioural economics to compare the value that smokers place on tobacco cigarettes to the value that vapers place on e-cigarettes.Method: Exclusive current smokers (n = 25) and vapers (n = 20) attended one session where they completed the Cigarette/e-cigarette Dependence Scale, the Cigarette/e-cigarette Purchasing Task (CPT) and the Concurrent Choice Task (CCT). The CPT requires participants to indicate how many puffs of their chosen product they would purchase at increasing price points. The CCT requires participants to choose between earning a money point or a point towards a cigarette/e-cigarette after being presented with a neutral, money or cigarette/e-cigarette cue.Results: Overall scores on the self-report scales suggest a comparable level of dependency between smokers and vapers. The CPT revealed that vapers are more sensitive than smokers to escalating costs as consumption declined as costs increased. On the CCT, when primed with money, vapers showed a decrease in choosing e-cigarettes.Conclusion: These findings suggest that, on behavioural economic tasks, tobacco cigarettes have a higher relative value than e-cigarettes. Vapers appear to place a lower limit on what they will spend to access e-cigarettes and more readily choose money over e-cigarette puffs when primed by money cues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In 2016, the US Surgeon General issued a Call to Action to address adolescent e-cigarette use and school-based prevention interventions are an effective component of comprehensive tobacco control. This study describes the development and dissemination of CATCH My Breath, an e-cigarette prevention program for middle and high school students.Methods: Starting in 2014, a university and nonprofit collaboration designed, formatively evaluated, pilot tested, and disseminated the CATCH My Breath Program (CMB). The team used Social Cognitive Theory to develop the program and Diffusion of Innovations Theory to disseminate the program. Dissemination strategies were applied beginning in 2016. This paper describes the application of both theories and the resulting reach of CMB.Results: Since dissemination began, CMB has been rapidly adopted, following the typical diffusion normal curve. As of June 2020, approximately 4,000 schools in the United States have adopted the program, 70,000 teachers have taught the program, and 1,400,000 students have been exposed to program materials.Conclusion: The application of Social Cognitive Theory and Diffusion of Innovation Theory resulted in effective prevention results and rapid, widespread adoption of the CMB. This level of adoption and implementation represents 25% of the school marketplace. CMB should be considered as the school component of the recommended combustible and e-cigarette prevention and control toolkit, alongside mass media, marketing restrictions, retail access, taxation, flavor ban, and FDA premarket approval. Other public health interventions seeking rapid adoption should consider applying principles of Diffusion of Innovation as a guide for development and dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Accumulating evidence demonstrates a strong link between alcohol consumption and smoking status among Latinx individuals. However, there is a need to evaluate the cognitive processes and experiences related to quitting smoking among Latinx smokers. The purpose of the current paper was to examine the association between alcohol consumption and smoking expectancies, barriers to cessation, cigarette dependence, quit problems, and intentions and confidence to quit.Methods: Data were taken from a sample of Spanish-speaking Latinx daily smokers (N = 359; 59% female; Mage = 33.20, SD = 9.71) who completed an online survey. The alcohol consumption subscale of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; Babor, Higgins-Biddle, Saunders, & Monteiro, & World Health Organization, 2001) was used to predict smoking variables.Results: Consistent with our prediction, alcohol consumption significantly predicted smoking variables indicative of poorer smoking cessation ability. Specifically, greater alcohol consumption was associated with greater positive and negative smoking expectancies, barriers to cessation, and quit problems experienced during prior cessation attempts. Unexpectedly, greater alcohol consumption was also associated with greater confidence to quit smoking.Conclusions: The current research suggests that alcohol consumption should be considered in the context of smoking cessation among Latinx individuals. The findings confirm and extend previous research by demonstrating that alcohol consumption is associated with proximal predictors of smoking outcomes that can be targeted during treatment. Implications for future research include addressing alcohol consumption during intervention and treatment of Latinx daily smokers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem gambling has been linked to impairments in decision-making under uncertainty. Problem gamblers are more likely to favor high-risk, high-reward, and short-term gains over more advantageous choice alternatives, and this preference has been linked to impaired learning about decision outcomes. In this paper we link specific learning processes in decision-making to specific harms related to problem gambling. We asked a group of 140 casual gamblers to 1) perform a canonical decision-making task (the Iowa Gambling Task) online, and 2) to complete a self-report survey (the GamTest) designed to measure self-perceived harm caused by their gambling. We used a reinforcement learning model to explain individual differences in the decision task, and related individuals' model parameters to the specific problem areas reported using the questionnaire. We found that people who learned more from gains than from losses on the task were more likely to report overall gambling problems, and problems specifically related to money. We also found that people whose learning was more driven by the frequency of rewards were more likely to report problems related to the amount of time spent gambling, as well as social problems. We discuss possible psychological and neural processes mediating learning and gambling related harms, and we discuss the relevance of our approach to the diagnosis of problem gambling and its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to explore whether in the eyes of young adolescents the consumption of different alcoholic beverages is associated with different alcohol expectancies, namely beliefs on what emotional outcomes take place when alcohol is consumed. 283 nine to 12-year olds from Switzerland completed the Alcohol Expectancy Task (AET). Participants were asked to assign one of 12 beverages (four alcoholic, eight non-alcoholic) to 16 adults depicting four emotional states (happy, angry, relaxed, sad). General linear modelling was used to examine beverage attributions across the four different emotional states. Beer was the most commonly attributed beverage across all 16 adults depicted. Happy and angry persons were most commonly attributed beer. Gender variations were found for relaxed persons, with females predominantly attributed champagne and males predominantly attributed beer. Young adolescents predominantly gave white wine to sad persons. Findings reveal a level of nuanced knowledge existing among young adolescents with minimal drinking experience, in that they hold very different expectancies for different beverages, prompting for future investigations to examine beverage-specific expectancies. Furthermore, findings showing beverage-specific expectancies among young adolescents may have implications for researchers' considerations of how alcohol-related knowledge and expectancies develop throughout childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Residential rehabilitation treatment (including both Therapeutic Communities (TC) and non-TC rehabs) is a key component of service delivery for people seeking treatment for substance use disorders in Australia and globally. While mutual aid is often associated with better long-term outcomes, there is little evidence about whether inconsistencies between residential rehabilitation philosophies and particular types of mutual aid influence subsequent engagement and treatment outcomes.Objective: To assess the uptake of mutual aid groups (12-step and other) on individuals leaving TC (n = 58) or non-TC (n = 78) residential treatment, and measure its impact on substance use outcomes.Methods: Using secondary analysis of existing data, the current paper reports on 12-month outcomes from a prospective cohort study of 230 individuals entering specialist alcohol and other drug residential rehabilitation treatment in two Australian states.Results: Participants who attended TC settings were more likely to attend non-spiritual mutual aid groups (i.e., SMART Recovery) than non-TC residents. Engaging in mutual aid groups was associated with significantly improved outcomes for the non-TC residents only, where it significantly predicted abstinence (OR = 5.8, CI = 1.5-18.46) and reduced frequency of use of participants' primary drug of concern (OR = 8.6, CI = 2.6-28.6).Conclusions/importance: Although 12-step is the most readily available and accessible form of mutual aid in Australia and benefited those attending non-TC residential rehabilitation, individuals exiting a TC program (whether they have completed treatment or not) may benefit from other forms of post-treatment recovery support, including alternative forms of peer-based support. The findings suggest treatment outcomes may be enhanced when the philosophies of residential treatment and post-discharge mutual aid are more compatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer support is widely acknowledged to be an important factor in recovery from problem drinking. Many seek this from support groups, including those online. Whilst Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step groups have provided help to many people, some individuals do not find them useful. This paper aims to contribute to the current limited knowledge on non-12-step groups, i.e., those that do not follow the approach of AA.Methods: Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were carried out with users of five non-12-step alcohol online support groups (AOSGs) which differed in approach to recovery from problem drinking, size and location. The study was publicised via the groups, and interviewees self-selected. Data were analysed using thematic and template analysis.Results: The most important benefit of the groups, according to most interviewees was finding 'someone like me': something that many did not feel they could do elsewhere, including in AA. Another key perceived difference from 12-step groups was that their groups provided support without requiring them to follow a set programme for recovery. The groups respected individuals' rights to choose their own goal for sobriety (e.g., abstinence, moderate drinking) and to choose how they achieved it. Other key benefits included seeing that recovery is possible and sharing experiential information. Some disadvantages of using the forums are also discussed.Conclusion: The findings report the experiences and perceptions of twenty-five users of non-12-step AOSGs. These are groups that have received little research attention so the findings offer a rare insight into users' opinions on these sources of peer support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]