Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

OBJECTIVE: The current study used U.S. national data to examine trends in cannabis use from 2013-2021, focusing on changes in cannabis prevalence during young and middle adulthood, and whether trends differed by sociodemographic characteristics. METHOD: Data from 2013-2021 from 21,133 respondents aged 19-30 and 29,898 aged 35-55 in the national Monitoring the Future panel study (followed since they were in 12th grade in 1976-2020) were used to model historical trends in cannabis prevalence (any 12-month use, any 30-day use, and near-daily use [20+ occasions in the past 30 days])...

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the consequences of substance-related advertising on driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) or cannabis (DUIC). This study seeks to estimate associations between substance-related digital advertising exposures and DUIA and DUIC, respectively, in a sample of young adults. METHOD: The Rhode Island Young Adult Survey 2022 was a cross-sectional web-based survey of N=1,022 adults aged 18-25 years. Analyses were conducted among lifetime alcohol users (n=824) and lifetime cannabis users (n=471)...

OBJECTIVE: World Health Organization (WHO) risk drinking levels (i.e., low, moderate, high, or very high risk) have been used as a drinking reduction endpoint in clinical trials. Yet, prior work has not attempted to quantify reductions in WHO risk levels among mandated students, who may also benefit from reduced drinking. We sought to validate WHO risk drinking levels in differentiating students' alcohol-related outcomes, depressive symptoms, and academic performance. Defining risk via typical drinks per drinking day versus drinks per day was compared, and gender differences were examined...

OBJECTIVE: Neighborhood characteristics have been shown to influence lifestyle behaviors. Here we characterized alcohol outlet density in Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii and assessed the association of alcohol outlet density with self-reported alcohol intake in the Multiethnic Cohort. METHOD: Participants (n=178,977) had their addresses geocoded, at cohort entry (1993-1996), and appended to block group-level alcohol outlet densities (on- and off-premises)...

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between mental health and substance use among military populations is well-established, and evidence suggests these risks may be greater for those who have left the military. However, it is less clear what independent effects leaving the military may have on substance use behaviors. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between leaving the military and substance use outcomes (hazardous drinking, frequent heavy drinking, non-medical use of prescription drugs, illicit drug use) in a cohort of Reserve and National Guard (R/NG) soldiers...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: Many young adults report frequent cannabis use and are at risk for cannabis harms. Knowledge of the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) concentrations of cannabis products may promote harm reduction, but few studies have characterized cannabinoid concentration knowledge in this population. This study used day-level data to examine predictors of cannabinoid concentration knowledge and associations of cannabinoid concentration knowledge with substance-related consequences among young adults...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Impaired control over alcohol is a hallmark of addiction relevant to young adults but additional prospective findings are needed, particularly in samples reporting heavy drinking. Further, we lack understanding of how attempts and failed efforts to control drinking relate to each other in predicting outcomes. We hypothesized attempted and failed control would prospectively predict outcomes, with endorsement of both being especially problematic. METHODS: We used data from young adults reporting heavy drinking who enrolled in laboratory alcohol self-administration studies ( N =109)...

OBJECTIVE: Prevalence of smoking combustible cigarettes has decreased, but rates of nicotine vaping among adolescents and young adults have increased dramatically. Vaping is associated with acute health problems and exposes users to toxic metals with unknown long-term consequences. Research on factors influencing vaping is needed to inform development of effective prevention and intervention methods. Nicotine vaping expectancies, or expected effects related to vaping, may be an important target as they can predict vaping behaviors...

OBJECTIVE: Assumptions about alcohol's health benefits profoundly influence global disease burden estimates and drinking guidelines. Utilising theory and evidence, we identify and test study characteristics that may bias estimates of all-cause mortality risk associated with low volume drinking. METHOD: We identified 107 longitudinal studies by systematic review with 724 estimates of association between alcohol consumption and all-cause mortality for 4,838,825 participants with 425,564 recorded deaths...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

OBJECTIVE: Washington state legislators have attempted to regulate high THC cannabis to reduce cannabis-related harms. Historically, industry actors of other health compromising products have influenced governments' adoption of evidence-based regulation policies. A better understanding of the industry rhetoric can be used by public health advocates to develop counter arguments and disseminate alternative narratives that protect the public's health. We analyzed the arguments used by cannabis industry actors opposing regulations to de-incentivize the availability and use of high THC products in Washington State...

OBJECTIVE: Bystander intervention (BI) is a promising approach for promoting collective behavior change that has been applied to several domains, including sexual assault, bullying, and more recently problematic alcohol use. Accurately measuring the strategies that bystanders use to reduce others' alcohol-related risk is an essential step towards improving bystanders' ability to reduce alcohol-related harm in their communities, but current measures of BI are not easily modifiable and applicable for alcohol-related BI...

OBJECTIVES: Prior studies have linked fall-related emergency department (ED) visits among older adults to alcohol use. Characteristics related to falls in the working age population (WAP) (15-64 years) may vary with alcohol and substance use. This study aimed to identify factors associated with fall-related ED visits related to alcohol and substance use in the WAP. METHODS: Using nationally representative 2019-2020 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data, fall-related ED visits within 72 hours were stratified by indication of alcohol use, substance use, and concurrent alcohol and substance use...

OBJECTIVE: Most states prohibit sales of alcohol to customers who are apparently intoxicated and many require training in responsible beverage service (RBS), with the aim of reducing driving while intoxicated (DWI) and other harms. Sales to apparently intoxicated patrons were assessed in on-site alcohol sales establishments and compared across three states. METHODS: A sample of 180 licensed on-site alcohol establishments was selected in California (n=60), New Mexico (n=60), and Washington state (n=60)...

OBJECTIVE: To test two non-exclusive mechanisms by which parental monitoring might reduce teen substance use. The first mechanism is that monitoring increases punishment for substance use, since parents who monitor more are more likely to find out when substance use occurs (M1). The second mechanism is that monitoring directly prevents/averts teens from using substances in the first place for fear that parents would find out (M2). METHOD: 4,503 teens ages 11-15 years old in 21 communities across the U...

OBJECTIVE: The present analyses investigated substance use and dependence as correlates of past-year suicide attempt and of unplanned versus planned suicide attempt in a nationally representative sample. METHOD: Participants were 214,505 adults (52% female; 64% White, 12% Black, < 1% Native American, < 1% Pacific Islander, 6% Asian, 16% Hispanic, 2% multiracial) from the 2015-2019 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Four logistic regression models were constructed...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to review applications of immersive, Head Mounted Display (HMD)-delivered virtual reality (VR) technology for the assessment and modification of clinically-relevant factors (e.g., craving, electrophysiological reactions, brain activation) present in illicit substance use. METHOD: A PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)-guided systematic review was conducted and retrieved articles from four databases...

INTRODUCTION: This project aimed to characterize the relationship between physical pain experienced at time of entry to residential treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) and the frequency of treatment dropout. We hypothesized that both endorsement of recent pain and higher magnitude of endorsed pain intensity would be associated with higher dropout rates. We further hypothesized that these effects would be exacerbated among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). METHOD: Participants included 1,095 individuals in residential treatment for SUD...

OBJECTIVE: Governments generate substantial revenue from the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. However, the use of this alcohol results in considerable public costs of healthcare, criminal justice and economic loss of production. As comparisons of these two sides of the same coin are limited, this study aims to estimate this net alcohol surplus or deficit in Canada and each province/territory for a fourteen-year study period. METHOD: Net government revenue from alcohol sales and net social costs of alcohol use were estimated for Canada and each province/territory for all years of study 2007 to 2020 and all dollar figures were CPI-adjusted to 2020 $CAD...