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Background: Marijuana and alcohol are both substances that, when used during pregnancy, may have profound effects on the developing fetus. There is evidence to suggest that both drugs have the capacity to affect working memory, one function of the hippocampal formation; however, there is a paucity of data on how perinatal exposure to alcohol or cannabis impacts the process of adult neurogenesis. Methods: This systematic review examines immunohistochemical data from adult rat and mouse models that assess perinatal alcohol or perinatal marijuana exposure. A comprehensive list of search terms was designed and used to search 3 separate databases. All results were imported to Mendeley and screened by 2 authors. Consensus was reached on a set of final papers that met the inclusion criteria, and their results were summarized. Results: Twelve papers were identified as relevant, 10 of which pertained to the effects of perinatal alcohol on the adult hippocampus, and 2 pertained to the effects of perinatal marijuana on the adult hippocampus. Cellular proliferation in the dentate gyrus was not affected in adult rats and mice exposed to alcohol perinatally. In general, perinatal alcohol exposure did not have a significant and reliable effect on the maturation and survival of adult born granule neurons in the dentate gyrus. In contrast, interneuron numbers appear to be reduced in the dentate gyrus of adult rats and mice exposed perinatally to alcohol. Perinatal marijuana exposure was also found to reduce inhibitory interneuron numbers in the dentate gyrus. Conclusions: Perinatal alcohol exposure and perinatal marijuana exposure both act on inhibitory interneurons in the hippocampal formation of adult rats. These findings suggest simultaneous perinatal alcohol and marijuana exposure (SAM) may have a dramatic impact on inhibitory processes in the dentate gyrus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The overall prevalence of U.S. young adult alcohol use has decreased, but little is known about historical change in related behaviors such as simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use that may increase alcohol‐related risks and societal costs. The purpose of this paper was to examine historical change in SAM use prevalence among U.S. young adult alcohol users from 1977 to 2016, and consider the extent to which observed historical change in SAM use among alcohol users reflects co‐occurring change in marijuana use during these years. Methods: Data on past 12‐month alcohol, marijuana, and SAM use at up to 6 modal ages (19/20, 21/22, 23/24, 25/26, 27/28, and 29/30) were collected from 11,789 individuals (45.0% men) participating in the Monitoring the Future panel study. Annual prevalence estimates within modal age group were obtained; historical SAM use trends among alcohol and marijuana users were estimated. Results: From 2014 to 2016, SAM use was reported by approximately 30% of alcohol users aged 19/20 and 21/22, and 20 to 25% of alcohol users aged 23/24 through 29/30. Since the mid‐1990s, age‐specific historical trends in SAM use prevalence among alcohol users followed 1 of 4 patterns: significant increase followed by oscillating increases/decreases (at modal age 19/20), consistent and significant increases (at modal ages 21/22, 23/24, and 25/26), stability followed by increase (at modal ages 27/28), or stability (at modal ages 29/30). In contrast, SAM use trends among marijuana users primarily reflected stability, with some evidence of a decrease across time at modal ages 19/20 and 23/24. Historical change in SAM prevalence among alcohol users was strongly and positively correlated with changes in overall marijuana use prevalence. Conclusions: A growing proportion of early and mid‐young adult alcohol users reported SAM use, with the highest risk among those in the early years of young adulthood. Young adult SAM use may continue to increase in proportion to the degree that young adult marijuana use continues to increase. This paper examined historical change in simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use prevalence among U.S. young adult alcohol users from 1977‐2016. While the overall prevalence of U.S. young adult alcohol use has decreased, a growing proportion of early and mid‐young adult alcohol users reported SAM use, with the highest risk among those in the early years of young adulthood. Young adult SAM use may continue to increase in proportion to the degree that young adult marijuana use continues to increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We recently showed that alcohol and cannabis can interact prenatally, and in a recent review paper, we identified parvalbumin‐positive (PV) interneurons in the hippocampus as a potential point of convergence for these teratogens. Methods: A 2 (Ethanol [EtOH], Air) × 2 (tetrahydrocannabinol [THC], Vehicle) design was used to expose pregnant Sprague‐Dawley rats to either EtOH or air, in addition to either THC or the inhalant vehicle solution, during gestational days 5–20. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect PV interneurons in 1 male and 1 female pup from each litter at postnatal day 70. Results: Significant between‐group and subregion‐specific effects were found in the dorsal cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) subfield and the ventral dentate gyrus (DG). In the dorsal CA1 subfield, there was an increase in the number of PV interneurons in both the EtOH and EtOH +THC groups, but a decrease with THC alone. There were fewer changes in interneuron numbers overall in the DG, though there was a sex difference, with a decrease in the number of PV interneurons in the THC‐exposed group in males. There was also a greater cell layer volume in the DG in the EtOH +THC group than the control group, and in the CA1 region in the EtOH group compared to the control and THC groups. Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to alcohol and THC differentially affects parvalbumin‐positive interneuron numbers in the hippocampus, indicating that both individual and combined exposure can impact the balance of excitation and inhibition in a structure critically involved in learning and memory processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Marijuana policies are rapidly evolving. In the United States, recreational use of marijuana is now legal in 4 states and medical marijuana is legal in 23 states. Research evaluating such policies has focused primarily on how policies affect issues of price, access to, use, and consequences of marijuana. Due to potential spillover effects, researchers also need to examine how marijuana policies may impact use and consequences of alcohol. Methods The current paper is a critical review of articles evaluating alcohol outcomes associated with marijuana decriminalization, medical marijuana legalization, and nonmedical or recreational marijuana legalization. We identified articles and reports through (1) online searches of EBSCO host database including Academic Search Premier, Econlit, Legal Collection, Medline, PsycARTICLES, and Psyc INFO, as well as PubMed and Google Scholar databases; (2) review of additional articles cited in papers identified through electronic searches; and (3) targeted searches of state and local government records regarding marijuana law implementation. We reviewed studies with respect to their data sources and sample characteristics, methodology, and the margin of alcohol and marijuana use, timing of policy change, and the aspects of laws examined. Results The extant literature provides some evidence for both substitution (i.e., more liberal marijuana policies related to less alcohol use as marijuana becomes a substitute) and complementary (i.e., more liberal marijuana policies related to increases in both marijuana and alcohol use) relationships in the context of liberalization of marijuana policies in the United States. Conclusions Impact of more liberal marijuana policies on alcohol use is complex, and likely depends on specific aspects of policy implementation, including how long the policy has been in place. Furthermore, evaluation of marijuana policy effects on alcohol use may be sensitive to the age group studied and the margin of alcohol use examined. Design of policy evaluation research requires careful consideration of these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis to enhance each other's effect can cause potential harm. Time trends are diverging in adolescent use of alcohol, which is declining, and cannabis, which is increasing among certain subgroups. However, little is known about trends in their simultaneous and non‐simultaneous use. Racial and socioeconomic disparities are emerging in cannabis use, which may portend consequences to public health. Methods: The 2000 to 2020 Monitoring the Future surveys included approximately 38,000 U.S. 12th‐grade students with information on simultaneous use and pertinent demographic factors. A 5‐level alcohol/cannabis measure included past‐year simultaneous use (i.e., alcohol and cannabis use at the same time), non‐simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use, alcohol‐use‐only, cannabis‐use‐only, and no use. Multinomial logistic regressions estimated associations (adjusted relative risk ratios; aRRR) with time period (2000 to 2004, 2005 to 2009, 2010 to 2014, 2015 to 2020). Models were adjusted and included interactions with sex, race/ethnicity, and parental education. Results: Between 2000 and 2020, simultaneous alcohol/cannabis use among 12th graders decreased from 24.4% to 18.7%. From 2015 to 2020 compared to 2000 to 2004, the odds of simultaneous use (adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) vs. no use = 0.57, 95% CI [0.50, 0.66]) and alcohol‐use‐only (aRRR = 0.55, 95% CI [0.49, 0.61]) decreased, while cannabis‐use‐only odds increased (aRRR = 2.59, 95% CI [1.87, 3.59]). Notably, the prevalence of cannabis‐use‐only more than doubled from 2011 to 2019. The odds of simultaneous use, alcohol‐use‐only, and non‐simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis declined more rapidly among males than females, whereas the odds for cannabis‐use‐only increased faster for females than males. Increases in cannabis‐use‐only were faster for non‐white adolescents. Conclusion: Simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis is declining among U.S. adolescents, but the decline is slower among females than males. Declines in simultaneous use are largely concomitant with historical declines in alcohol use, indicating that a continued focus on reducing alcohol use among adolescents and young adults has extended benefits to other adolescent substance use. However, cannabis use without any reported past‐year alcohol use more than doubled in the last decade, a concerning trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research conducted during the COVID‐19 Pandemic has identified two co‐occurring public health concerns: loneliness and substance use. Findings from research conducted prior to the pandemic are inconclusive as to the links between loneliness and substance use. This study aimed to measure associations of loneliness with three different types of substance use during COVID‐19: daily number of alcoholic drinks, cannabis use, and non‐cannabis drug use. Method: Data were obtained between October 2020 and May 2021 from 2,648 US adults (Mage = 38.76, 65.4% women) diverse with respect to race and ethnicity using online recruitment. Participants completed baseline surveys and daily assessments for 30 days. A daily loneliness measure was recoded into separate within‐ and between‐person predictor variables. Daily outcome measures included the number of alcoholic drinks consumed and dichotomous cannabis and non‐cannabis drug use variables. Generalized linear multilevel models (GLMLM) were used to examine within‐ and between‐person associations between loneliness and substance use. Results: The unconditional means model indicated that 59.0% of the variance in the daily number of alcoholic drinks was due to within‐person variability. GLMLM analyses revealed that, overall, people drank more on days when they felt a particularly high or particularly low degree of loneliness (positive quadratic effect). There was a negative and significant within‐person association between daily loneliness and the likelihood of cannabis use. There was also a positive and significant within‐person association between daily loneliness and the likelihood of non‐cannabis drug use. Conclusions: Associations between loneliness and substance use vary with substance type and whether within‐ or between‐person differences are assessed. These findings are relevant to the persistence of substance use disorders and thus of potential clinical importance. Individuals who do not experience severe loneliness at intake but who show daily increases in loneliness above baseline levels are at heightened risk of alcohol and non‐cannabis drug use. Future research could profitably examine just‐in‐time adaptive interventions that assess fluctuations in loneliness to prevent the development or exacerbation of substance use disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The majority of adolescents and young adults (AYA) who use cannabis also use alcohol. Although cannabis use is increasing in the United States (US), it is not known whether the increase contributes to either increased co‐use of alcohol and cannabis (e.g., complementarity) or replacement of alcohol with cannabis (e.g., substitution). The current study estimated the prevalence of alcohol use by cannabis use status among US AYA ages 12 to 25 in 2018 and trends in alcohol use by cannabis use status from 2002 to 2018. Methods: Data were drawn from the 2002 to 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health public use data files. The analytic sample included AYA ages 12 to 25 (2018 sample, n = 26,924; total combined sample 2002 to 2018, n = 576,053). Linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate past‐month alcohol use, daily alcohol use, and average quantity of alcohol consumed among AYA with and without past‐month cannabis use from 2002 to 2018. Results: In 2018, any alcohol use and daily alcohol use were significantly more common among AYA who used cannabis use than those who did not use cannabis. Overall, any alcohol use, daily alcohol use, and average drinks per day declined from 2002 to 2018 among AYA irrespective of recent cannabis use. However, the decline in any alcohol use, daily alcohol use, and average alcohol drinks per day was more rapid among AYA who used cannabis (daily and nondaily) than those who did not use cannabis. The rate of decline in average alcohol drinks per day was also higher among AYA with daily compared to nondaily cannabis use. Conclusions: Even with declines in alcohol use over time, drinking is much more common among AYA who report cannabis than those without recent cannabis use, which is consistent with complementarity. Yet, because the decline in alcohol use has been more rapid among AYA who use cannabis, there is also evidence of substitution. Thus, the current data on alcohol and cannabis use are consistent with both complementarity and substitution. However, these relationships may change as cannabis legalization expands over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prior research shows that negative drinking outcomes among young adults may be exacerbated by cannabis use. However, to date, there have been few longitudinal studies of associations between cannabis use and negative alcohol‐related consequences. This study examined longitudinal within‐person associations between cannabis use and several domains of negative alcohol consequences among young adults and explored the moderating role of sex. Method: We analyzed data from N = 997 students assessed 4 times per year over the first 3 years of university. At each time point, participants completed measures of past‐month cannabis use frequency, typical weekly number of drinks, and 8 domains of negative alcohol consequences. Longitudinal associations were examined in multilevel models. Results: Within‐person changes in frequency of cannabis use were not uniquely associated with changes in total alcohol consequences aggregated across several alcohol consequence domains. However, when examining alcohol consequence domains separately, within‐person increases in cannabis use frequency were specifically associated with increases in some (but not all) of the more severe types of alcohol consequences, including risky behaviors, poor self‐care, and alcohol dependence symptoms. No support was observed for the moderating role of sex in the longitudinal within‐person associations between cannabis use and alcohol consequence domains. Conclusions: Findings suggest that within‐person changes in cannabis use frequency among young adults are associated with corresponding changes in some domains of alcohol consequences (but not others) when examined over the course of several years. Results may inform targeted harm reduction interventions for young adult drinkers who use cannabis, although future research is needed to clarify the mechanisms of the observed associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research suggests bidirectional associations between symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sleep disturbance, both of which have been associated with alcohol problems. However, few studies have examined the interplay of these conditions in predicting alcohol problems over time. This study tested 2 competing models: (i) sleep disturbance as a mediator of the association between intrusive thoughts about trauma and alcohol problems and (ii) intrusion symptoms as the mediator of the sleep/alcohol problem association. Methods: Veterans (N = 325, 93% male, 81% White) completed assessments at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months as part of a larger observational study. Zero‐inflated‐negative binomial models were used to examine indirect effects of baseline predictors on (i) yes/no likelihood and (ii) number of 12‐month alcohol problems through 6‐month mediators. Models controlled for past‐year cannabis use and drinks consumed per week at baseline. Results: The only significant predictor of alcohol problem likelihood was baseline drinking quantity. Baseline PTSD intrusions had a direct effect on number of alcohol problems at 12 months, with no indirect (mediated) effect through 6‐month sleep disturbance. In the competing model, baseline sleep disturbance had a marginally significant direct effect on 12‐month alcohol problems, with a significant indirect effect through 6‐month PTSD intrusions. Conclusions: PTSD intrusions are associated with more alcohol problems and help explain the long‐term association between sleep and alcohol problems among veterans. Because sleep disturbances are associated with more intrusive thoughts about trauma, we recommend that treatments targeting sleep in the context of PTSD and alcohol use include a cognitive component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationships between cannabis use frequency with alcohol use, alcohol‐related harms, and persistent alcohol use disorder (AUD) in a general population subsample of individuals previously treated for AUD were examined. Methods: Secondary analyses of the 2005, 2010, and 2015 U.S. National Alcohol Surveys, a nationwide general population sample of individuals ages 18+, were performed. The analytic subsample (N = 772) reported 3+ lifetime DSM‐IV alcohol dependence criteria and prior AUD treatment. Primary exposure was past 12‐month frequency of cannabis use (weekly or more, or "heavy;" more than monthly/less than weekly or "midlevel;" less than monthly or "light;" none). Primary outcomes were past 12‐month total volume, average frequency of 5+ drinks/month, past 12‐month alcohol‐related harms, and past 12‐month DSM‐IV alcohol dependence. Results: Multivariable negative binomial and logistic regressions showed that the only cannabis users who consistently differed significantly from cannabis abstainers were midlevel users; specifically, more than monthly/less than weekly cannabis users drank 2.83 times as many drinks (95% CI: 1.43, 5.60); had 2.83 as many 5+ occasions (95% CI: 1.38, 5.79); had 6.82 times the odds of experiencing any harms (95% CI: 2.29, 20.33); and had 6.53 times the odds of persistent AUD as cannabis abstainers (95% CI: 2.66, 16.02; all ps < 0.05). The relationship between midlevel cannabis use and harms remained significant after adjustment for volume and frequency of 5+ (OR = 6.18, 95% CI: 1.35, 28.37). Conclusions: Among those with lifetime AUD who have been to treatment, only more than monthly/less than weekly cannabis use is related to more alcohol‐related harms and persistent AUD compared to cannabis abstinence. Heavier and lighter cannabis use is not related to worse alcohol outcomes compared to cannabis abstinence. Among individuals previously treated for alcohol use disorder (AUD), those who use cannabis more than monthly/less than weekly had 2.83 times the number drinks, 2.83 times more heavy drinking episodes, 6.53 times greater odds of current alcohol dependence, and 6.82 times higher odds of alcohol‐related harms in the past 12 months compared to cannabis abstainers. Those who use cannabis weekly or more did not differ from cannabis abstainers on any of these outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aims were to examine daily associations between marijuana and alcohol use and the extent to which the association differs as a function of cannabis use disorder (CUD) and/or alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis. Methods: Timeline Followback interview data was collected in a study of veterans (N = 127) recruited from a Veterans Affairs hospital who reported at least 1 day of co‐use of marijuana and alcohol in the past 180 days (22,860 observations). Participants reported 40% marijuana use days, 28% drinking days, with 37% meeting DSM‐5 criteria for CUD, 40% for AUD, and 15% for both. Use of marijuana on a given day was used to predict a 3‐level gender‐adjusted drinking variable (heavy: ≥5 (men)/4 (women) drinks; moderate: 1 to 4/3 drinks; or none: 0 drinks). A categorical 4‐level variable (no diagnosis, AUD, CUD, or both) was tested as a moderator of the marijuana–alcohol relationship. Results: Multilevel modeling analyses demonstrated that participants were more likely to drink heavily compared to moderately (OR = 2.34) and moderately compared to not drinking (OR = 1.61) on marijuana use days relative to nonuse days. On marijuana use days, those with AUD and those with AUD + CUD were more likely to drink heavily (OR = 1.91; OR = 2.51, respectively), but those with CUD were less likely to drink heavily (OR = 0.32) compared to moderately, nonsignificant differences between any versus moderate drinking in interaction models. Conclusions: Heavy drinking occurs on days when marijuana is also used. This association is particularly evident in individuals diagnosed with both AUD and CUD and AUDs alone but not in those with only CUDs. Findings suggest that alcohol interventions may need to specifically address marijuana use as a risk factor for heavy drinking and AUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study used prospective data from 706 young adults to evaluate the impact of parental divorce and family history of alcoholism (FH+) on the outcomes of offspring alcohol problems, marijuana use, and interpersonal relationships with parents. Methods: Assessments of parental divorce were based on parent reports, and young adult outcomes were collected from an offspring cohort (n = 706; X age = 33.25 years; females = 53%) via computer‐based individual interviews (CAPI and ACASI). Family history of alcohol disorders for parents was based on assessments by mothers, fathers, and young adults. Results: Parental divorce significantly predicted marijuana use but not alcohol problems. Maternal, but not paternal, alcoholism also significantly predicted marijuana use. Two‐way interactions indicated that sex moderated several of the relationships. For example, among those with divorced parents, daughters reported higher levels of conflict with fathers than sons, and sons reported lower levels of maternal support than daughters. Paternal alcoholism was also associated with higher levels of alcohol problems among sons relative to daughters. There was also a significant 2‐way interaction between divorce status and maternal alcoholism indicating that young adults who experienced both maternal alcoholism and parental divorce had the highest levels of marijuana use. Conclusions: These findings highlight the role that parental divorce and FH+ have on alcohol problems, marijuana use, and interpersonal relationships in young adulthood, and how sex may moderate some of these more nuanced relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Abundant cross-sectional evidence links eveningness (a preference for later sleep-wake timing) and increased alcohol and drug use among adolescents and young adults. However, longitudinal studies are needed to examine whether eveningness is a risk factor for subsequent alcohol and drug use, particularly during adolescence, which is marked by parallel peaks in eveningness and risk for the onset of alcohol use disorders. This study examined whether eveningness and other sleep characteristics were associated with concurrent or subsequent substance involvement in a longitudinal study of adolescents. Methods Participants were 729 adolescents (368 females; age 12 to 21 years) in the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence study. Associations between the sleep variables (circadian preference, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep timing, and sleep duration) and 3 categorical substance variables (at-risk alcohol use, alcohol bingeing, and past-year marijuana use [y/n]) were examined using ordinal and logistic regression with baseline age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and psychiatric problems as covariates. Results At baseline, greater eveningness was associated with greater at-risk alcohol use, greater bingeing, and past-year use of marijuana. Later weekday and weekend bedtimes, but not weekday or weekend sleep duration, showed similar associations across the 3 substance outcomes at baseline. Greater baseline eveningness was also prospectively associated with greater bingeing and past-year use of marijuana at the 1-year follow-up, after covarying for baseline bingeing and marijuana use. Later baseline weekday and weekend bedtimes, and shorter baseline weekday sleep duration, were similarly associated with greater bingeing and past-year use of marijuana at the 1-year follow-up after covarying for baseline values. Conclusions Findings suggest that eveningness and sleep timing may be under recognized risk factors and future areas of intervention for adolescent involvement in alcohol and marijuana that should be considered along with other previously identified sleep factors such as insomnia and insufficient sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background All stages of development of alcohol use disorder ( AUD) have not been equally studied. While initiation of drinking has been given considerable attention, other stages have not been as thoroughly investigated. It is not clear whether the same factors are associated consistently across early and late transitions in AUD involvement. High-risk family samples that are enriched for AUD vulnerability and transitions in AUD development offer an opportunity to examine influences across multiple stages of AUD development. Methods Data from adolescents and young adults from high-risk families were used to study 4 transitions in AUD development-time to first drink, first drink to first problem, first drink to first diagnosis, and first problem to first diagnosis. Cox modeling was used to compare associations of parental AUD, parental separation, peer substance use, offspring ever-use of cannabis, trauma exposures, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology across transitions. Results Hazards of most transitions were elevated for those who had ever used cannabis, those who attributed substance use to their peers, those with externalizing disorders, and those with parents with AUD. Many risk factors were linked to early initiation of alcohol, particularly cannabis use. Internalizing disorders were associated with later stages. Nonassaultive trauma was associated only with early initiation; assaultive trauma was not associated with any transition. Conclusions In this large, ethnically diverse sample of high-risk youth, significant influences across transitions were fairly consistent, with externalizing disorders and cannabis ever-use elevating the likelihood of each stage, and peer and parental (and especially maternal AUD) influences linked to initiation and some later stages. Finally, in light of the increasingly permissive legal and social stances toward cannabis in the United States, the marked elevations of all alcohol outcomes observed for cannabis use underscore the importance of studying the underpinnings of this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Underage college students who obtain and use false identification (fake ID) are at risk for negative outcomes. However, it is currently unclear how uniquely the fake ID itself serves as a vehicle to subsequent harm (i.e., the 'fake ID effect') over and above general and trait-related risk factors (e.g., deviant peers, low self-control). Methods To investigate whether the 'fake ID effect' would hold after accounting for phenotypic risk, we utilized propensity score matching ( PSM) in a cross-sectional sample of 1,454 students, and a longitudinal replication sample of 3,720 undergraduates. Individuals with a fake ID were matched with individuals without a fake ID, in terms of a number of trait-based and social risk factors. These matched groups were then compared on 5 problematic outcomes (i.e., frequent binge drinking, alcohol-related problems, arrests, marijuana use, and hard drug use). Results Findings showed that 'fake ID effects' were substantially-although not fully-diminished following PSM. The 'fake ID effect' remained strongest for alcohol-related arrests. This may relate to issues of enforcement and students' willingness to engage in deviant behavior with a fake ID, or it may be a function of combined processes. Conclusions Overall, the findings suggest that interventions should not only be aimed at reducing the fake ID-related alcohol access specifically, but should also be aimed more generally toward at-risk youths' access to alcohol. Future research might examine whether fake IDs have their strongest potency as moderators of the effects of risky traits-such as impulsiveness-on drinking outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Females in the United States consume less alcohol and cause and experience fewer alcohol-related harms than males. However, recent research suggests such gaps might be narrowing. The purpose of this study was to explore changes in alcohol use and associated outcomes among females and males in the United States between 2002 and 2012. Methods Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were used to assess the prevalence and trends for females and males aged 12+ in lifetime abstinence, age of onset, current drinking, binge drinking, drinking and driving, reaching DSM-IV criteria for an alcohol use disorder, combining alcohol with other drugs such as marijuana, and other variables. Of particular interest was whether differences between females and males narrowed during the decade under study. Results Differences in the drinking patterns of females and males aged 12+ narrowed between 2002 and 2012 for current drinking, number of drinking days per month, past year DSM-IV alcohol abuse, and past-year driving under the influence of alcohol. In addition, convergence was noted in 1 or more age subgroups for the prevalence of binge drinking and DSM-IV alcohol dependence and mean age at drinking onset. Divergence in drinking habits did not occur for any measure in any age subgroups with the exception of a greater increase in the prevalence of combining alcohol with marijuana among young adult male drinkers than female drinkers aged 18 to 25. Conclusions Between 2002 and 2012, differences in alcohol consumption and related outcomes narrowed for females and males. Reasons for converging patterns of alcohol use are unclear and do not appear to be easily explainable by recent trends in employment status, pregnancy status, or marital status. More research is needed to identify the psychosocial and environmental contributors to these changes and to assess implications for prevention and treatment efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The influence of repeated substance use during adolescent neurodevelopment remains unclear as there have been few prospective investigations. The aims of this study were to identify longitudinal changes in fiber tract integrity associated with alcohol- and marijuana-use severity over the course of 1.5 years. Methods Adolescents with extensive marijuana- and alcohol-use histories by mid-adolescence ( n = 41) and youth with consistently minimal if any substance use ( n = 51) were followed over 18 months. Teens received diffusion tensor imaging and detailed substance-use assessments with toxicology screening at baseline and 18-month follow-ups (i.e., 182 scans in all), as well as interim substance-use interviews each 6 months. Results At an 18-month follow-up, substance users showed poorer white matter integrity in 7 tracts: (i) right superior longitudinal fasciculus, (ii) left superior longitudinal fasciculus, (iii) right posterior thalamic radiations, (iv) right prefrontal thalamic fibers, (v) right superior temporal gyrus white matter, (vi) right inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and (vii) left posterior corona radiata ( ps < 0.01). More alcohol use during the interscan interval predicted higher mean diffusivity (i.e., worsened integrity) in right ( p < 0.05) and left ( p = 0.06) superior longitudinal fasciculi, above and beyond baseline values in these bundles. Marijuana use during the interscan interval did not predict change over time. More externalizing behaviors at Time 1 predicted lower fractional anisotropy and higher radial diffusivity (i.e., poorer integrity) of the right prefrontal thalamic fibers ( p < 0.025). Conclusions Findings add to previous cross-sectional studies reporting white matter disadvantages in youth with substance-use histories. In particular, alcohol use during adolescent neurodevelopment may be linked to reductions in white matter quality in association fiber tracts with frontal connections. In contrast, youth who engage in a variety of risk-taking behaviors may have unique neurodevelopmental trajectories characterized by truncated development in fronto-thalamic tracts, which could have functional and clinical consequences in young adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Several lines of evidence link cannabinoid ( CB) type 1 ( CB1) receptor-mediated endogenous CB (e CB) signaling to the etiology of alcohol dependence ( AD). However, to date, only peripheral measures of e CB function have been collected in living humans with AD and no human in vivo data on the potentially critical role of the brain CB1 receptor in AD have been published. This is an important gap in the literature, because recent therapeutic developments suggest that these receptors could be targeted for the treatment for AD. Methods Medication-free participants were scanned during early abstinence 4 weeks after their last drink. Using positron emission tomography ( PET) with a high-resolution research tomograph and the CB1 receptor selective radiotracer [11 C] OMAR, we determined [11 C] OMAR volume of distribution ( VT) values, a measure of CB1 receptor density, in a priori selected brain regions in men with AD ( n = 8, age 37.4 ± 7.9 years; 5 smokers) and healthy control ( HC) men ( n = 8, age 32.5 ± 6.9 years; all nonsmokers). PET images reconstructed using the MOLAR algorithm with hardware motion correction were rigidly aligned to the subject-specific magnetic resonance ( MR) image, which in turn was warped to an MR template. Time-activity curves ( TACs) were extracted from the dynamic PET data using a priori selected regions of interest delineated in the MR template space. Results In AD relative to HC, [11 C] OMAR VT values were elevated by approximately 20% ( p = 0.023) in a circuit, including the amygdala, hippocampus, putamen, insula, anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, and orbitofrontal cortex. Age, body mass index, or smoking status did not influence the outcome. Conclusions These findings agree with preclinical evidence and provide the first, albeit still preliminary in vivo evidence suggesting a role for brain CB1 receptors in AD. The current study design does not answer the important question of whether elevated CB1 receptors are a preexisting vulnerability factor for AD or whether elevations develop as a consequence of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy, a known teratogen often associated with drug use and smoking is a well-known public health concern. This study provides prevalence data for alcohol, smoking, and illicit drug use before, during, and after pregnancy among Inuit. Factors associated with alcohol use are also identified. Two hundred and eight Inuit women from Arctic Quebec were interviewed at mid-pregnancy, and at 1 and 11 months postpartum to provide descriptive data on smoking, alcohol, and drug use during pregnancy, and the year before and after pregnancy. Sociodemographic and family characteristics potentially associated with alcohol use were documented. Ninety-two percent of the women reported smoking and 61% reported drinking during pregnancy. Episodes of binging during pregnancy were reported by 62% of the alcohol users, which correspond to 38% of pregnant women. Thirty-six percent of the participants reported using marijuana during pregnancy. Alcohol use and binge drinking during pregnancy were more likely to be reported by women who lived in less crowded houses, had a better knowledge of a second language, drank alcohol more often and in larger amounts prior to pregnancy, and used illicit drugs. Binge drinkers were more likely to be single women and to have had fewer previous pregnancies. Postpartum distress and violence were more likely to be experienced by women who used alcohol during pregnancy. Binge drinking during pregnancy was best predicted by drinking habits before pregnancy, maternal symptoms of depression, the use of illicit drugs during pregnancy, and the number of young children living with the mother. These results confirm that alcohol is a major risk factor to maternal and child health in this population, underscoring the need for culturally relevant and effective prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]