5th Annual Search for Mechanisms of Change in Altering Addictive Behavior

A Jointly Sponsored SATELLITE SESSION

COLUMBIA U. NATIONAL CENTER ON ADDICTION & SUBSTANCE ABUSE (CASA)

RUTGERS U. CENTER OF ALCOHOL STUDIES (CAS)

U. ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

U. CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES INTEGRATED SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS (ISAP)

U. NEW MEXICO CTR ON ALCOHOLISM, SUBSTANCE ABUSE & ADDICTIONS (CASAA)

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE & ALCOHOLISM (NIAAA)

Saturday June 20, 2009
32nd Annual Research Society on Alcoholism Conference
San Diego, California

Topics for the day’s session

• Studying social networks and behavior change.


• Longitudinal design and analysis in the study of mechanisms of change.


• How to effectively address mechanisms of change in grant applications.


• Update on current NIAAA priorities and future funding opportunities for mechanisms of change research.


• Informal roundtable discussion is open to all participants.


• Invited Speakers Include: Nicholas Christakis, Robert Stout, Katie Witkiewitz, Kevin Lynch, Richard Longabaugh, J. Scott Tonigan, and Mark Willenbring.

FOR INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION: VISIT OUR WEBSITE

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On Drinking Styles and Race: A Consideration of the Socio-Structural Determinants of Alcohol Use Behavior

Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, Volume 8, Issue2 April 2009 , pages 146 - 162

The current study contributes to the theoretical literature on alcohol use and race. We use logistic regression models which suggest race and attitudes pertaining to race relations matter in predicting non-binge drinking and abstinence behavior.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: rp32@uakron.edu

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Alcohol Expectancies as a Mediator of the Relation Between Impulsivity and Alcohol Consumption in Asian Americans
Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, Volume 8, Issue 2 April 2009 , pages 178 - 200

Results showed that positive alcohol expectancies fully mediated the pathway between dimensions of impulsivity and alcohol use for Asian Americans. For Caucasian participants, only impulsivity predicted alcohol use. Future research on alcohol use and abuse by Asian Americans should consider the role of alcohol expectancies in different social contexts.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: shan8@gmu.edu
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Social status, gender and alcohol-related problems: the black young adult experience
Ethnicity & Health Early View 3 June 2009

While blacks are not as engaged in risky/heavy drinking, they are not shielded from problems conditional on drinking patterns. Focus on alcohol-related problems among black males and unemployed is indicated.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: dgodette@uga.edu
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Tapping Fright, Hope For Drinking Warnings

By Susan Kinzie Washington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, June 6, 2009

When a University of Virginia class got the assignment -- create an ad campaign to keep students from drinking too much -- students knew two things right away.

First, it would be incredibly difficult. Binge drinking by college students has changed very little over the past couple of decades, despite millions of dollars in advertising and countless other efforts to combat it. . . . . . .

Read Full Article

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Treatment for Alcohol Dependence in Catalonia: Health Outcomes and Stability of Drinking Patterns over 20 Years in 850 Patients

Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on June 2, 2009

Over the long-term, abstinence is the most frequent and stable drinking outcome achieved and is associated with fewer problems and better psychosocial functioning. Controlled drinking is rarely achieved and sustained. Women appear to do better than men in the long term.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: tgual@clinic.ub.es

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A Preliminary Study of the Population-Adjusted Effectiveness of Substance Abuse Prevention Programming: Towards Making IOM Program Types Comparable
The Journal of Primary Prevention Volume 30, Number 2 / March, 2009

pp. 89-107

A meta-analysis was performed on 43 studies of 25 programs to examine program comparability across IOM categories. When examining unadjusted effect sizes at the individual level, universal programs were modestly more successful in reducing tobacco use, but selective and indicated programs were modestly more successful in reducing alcohol and marijuana use. When adjusted to the population level, the average effect sizes for selective and indicated programs were reduced by approximately half. At the population level, universal programs were more successful in reducing tobacco and marijuana use and selective and indicated programs were more successful in reducing alcohol use.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: sshamblen@pire.org

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Temperance, alcohol, and the American evangelical: a reassessment

Addiction Volume 104 Issue 7, Pages 1075 - 1084

Abstinence from alcohol is a way of life for many American evangelicals, with rates of abstention running at over 70% among some Pentecostal denominations.

This paper examines the religious beliefs that, historically, have supported teetotalism. The most notable of these is Christian perfection, a doctrine that originated in 18th-century England, that was then radicalized in America in the early 19th century. Abstinence from alcohol is highest among denominations that make Christian perfection the cornerstone of their teachings, and lowest among those that discount human agency.

The paper also argues that 19th-century American evangelicals were by no means committed uniformly to temperance as a way of life, and that this was especially true of the various Methodist churches.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: jessica_warner@camh.net

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Genetic and non-genetic influences on the development of co-occurring alcohol problem use and internalizing symptomatology in adolescence: a review

Addiction Volume 104 Issue 7, Pages 1100 - 1121

Externalizing disorders, family alcohol problems and stress, as well as the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) S-allele, the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) low-activity alleles and the dopamine D2 receptor (DDR2) Taq A1 allele have been associated most frequently with both traits. An increasing number of papers are focusing upon the role of gene–gene (epistasis) and gene–environment interactions in the development of comorbid alcohol problem use and internalizing symptomatology.

Further research in adolescents is warranted; the increasing availability of large longitudinal genetically informative studies will provide the evidence base from which effective prevention and intervention strategies for comorbid alcohol problems and internalizing symptomatology can be developed

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Request Reprint E-Mail: saracenol@cardiff.ac.uk

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Bayes' Theorem to estimate population prevalence from Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores

Addiction Volume 104 Issue 7, Pages 1132 - 1137

Important information on the probable differences in real world prevalence and impact of prevention and treatment programmes can be produced by applying Bayes' Theorem to studies where diagnostic outcome measures are used. However, the usefulness of this approach relies upon good information on the accuracy of such diagnostic measures for target conditions.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: david.foxcroft@brookes.ac.uk

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Binge drinking and depressive symptoms: a 5-year population-based cohort study

Addiction Volume 104 Issue 7, Pages 1168 - 1178

This study supports the hypothesis that heavy drinking, and in particular a binge pattern involving intoxications, hangovers or pass-outs, produces depressive symptoms in the general population. The frequency of hangovers was the best predictor for depressive symptoms.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: tapio.paljarvi@helsinki.fi

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The longitudinal association between multiple substance use discrepancies and marital satisfaction

Addiction Volume 104 Issue 7, Pages 1201 - 1209

Patterns of substance use among newly married couples are important predictors of changes in marital functioning over time. It was not simply the heavy alcohol use or cigarette smoking that predicted dissatisfaction but, rather, differences between husbands' and wives' substance use that impacted the relationship.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: ghomish@buffalo.edu

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The role of drunken older siblings and drunken peers in the alcohol–violence nexus

The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on May 29, 2009

The present study confirmed the occurrence of cumulative risk processes and demonstrated that excessive alcohol consumption among older siblings and peers represents a crucial contextual factor for the link between adolescents’ risky drinking and violence and delinquency. For prevention, the findings suggest that a focus on peers alone may not be effective if the familial background is not taken into consideration.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: ekuntsche@sfa-ispa.ch

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Alcohol and pregnancy message


The documents and emails released to the applicant on 4 June 2009, relate to the policy process, in 2006/7, by which the UK Chief Medical Officers decided to have a single message on alcohol and pregnancy, and what that message should be. The papers explore different options for the wording of the message on alcohol and pregnancy, including a shorter message to be printed on alcohol containers.


The current published alcohol and pregnancy message which emerged from the 2006 policy development process in question is as follows:
'As a general rule, pregnant women or women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol. If they do choose to drink, to protect the baby they should not drink more than 1 to 2 units of alcohol once or twice a week and should not get drunk.


This advice can be summarised (for example, on containers of alcohol) as: "Avoid alcohol while pregnant or trying to conceive" '.





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Download Document pack 5 (PDF, 2825K)

Download Document pack 6 (PDF, 1993K)





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Minimum Alcohol Pricing: A targeted measure?

This review identifies significant concerns with the evidence base behind the case for minimum alcohol pricing, and shows that the economic case for the introduction of minimum alcohol pricing in the United Kingdom appears to be weak.

This report, which was commissioned by SABMiller plc, reviews the evidence base behind the case for minimum pricing, and provides an assessment of the potential costs and benefits to consumers, firms and wider society of the introduction of such a policy.

Read Full Report (PDF)

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Housing First for Homeless Persons with Active Addiction: Are We Overreaching?

Milbank Quarterly Volume 87 Issue 2, Pages 495 - 534

This article suggests that the current research data are not sufficient to identify an optimal housing and rehabilitation approach for an important homeless subgroup. The research regarding Housing First and linear approaches can be strengthened in several ways, and policymakers should be cautious about generalizing the results of available Housing First studies to persons with active addiction when they enter housing programs.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: skertesz@uab.edu.

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State Estimates of Substance Use and Mental Health from the 2006-2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health

This report presents State estimates for 23 measures of substance use or mental health problems based on the 2006 and 2007 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs) and determines whether changes in these measures between 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 are statistically significant.

Read Full Report (PDF)

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Discussion on the Prevention and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders and Health Reform

As you know, health reform is a priority for the Obama Administration. As requested by the Department of Health and Human Services, we have sought your input regarding health system reform. Over the past several months you have shared your thoughts with us on how to bring the best possible prevention, health promotion, early intervention, treatment, and recovery services to people in need. This dialogue, as promised, resulted in a document titled Ensuring U.S. Health Reform Includes Prevention and Treatment of Mental and Substance Use Disorders – A Framework for Discussion: Core Consensus Principles. A copy of the Core Consensus Principles is attached. At this time we believe it is important to get back together to discuss briefly the Principles; to inform you about the various pieces of legislation being discussed by Congress and the Administration; and most importantly to continue the dialogue.

View event:
You will be able to view the event at http://videocast.nih.gov/ when the event is live.

Air date:
Monday, June 08, 2009, 1:00:00 PMTime displayed is Eastern Time, Washington DC Local

For more information, visit http://www.samhsa.gov/Healthreform/index.aspx

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Drinking Nation
Yesterday, 22:33 Alina Pastukhova, Kyiv Post Staff Writer

Alcohol abuse and addiction take a heavy toll on the nation’s health, longevity and productivity. Drinking starts early and the beer and booze are cheap.

The sight of teenagers drinking beer, champagne or even vodka in public places – often with cigarettes dangling from their mouths – has become so commonplace that many adults in Ukraine don’t even give the young drinkers a second look.

But public health advocates believe that more adults – including the nation’s lawmakers – should be paying closer attention. They say the nation as a whole needs to take a hard look in the mirror at its culture of drinking. . . . . . .

Read Full Article
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Trampoline injuries

BMJ 2009;338:b2197

We note that children have been hurt while being supervised or bouncing with adults who have been drinking at a summer garden party, for example. Adults, please note that lager, wine, and trampolines do not mix.

Read Full Letter

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