Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs
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J Stud Alcohol Drugs · Mar 2015
The prospective association between sipping alcohol by the sixth grade and later substance use.
Although there is a clear association between early use of alcohol and short- and long-term adverse outcomes, it is unclear whether consumption of minor amounts of alcohol (less than a full drink) at a young age is prognostic of risk behaviors in later adolescence. ⋯ Our findings that early sipping is associated with elevated odds of risky behaviors at high school entry dispute the idea of sipping as a protective factor. Offering even just a sip of alcohol may undermine messages about the unacceptability of alcohol consumption for youth.
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J Stud Alcohol Drugs · Nov 2014
Blood alcohol concentration in intoxicated patients seen in the emergency department: does it influence discharge decisions?
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measurement was routinely requested in emergency departments and whether the observation period in the emergency department allowed sufficient time for alcohol elimination before the patient was discharged. ⋯ Emergency physicians routinely requested BAC at admission but did not request alcohol kinetics while the patient was under observation. The discharge decision was based on clinical judgment. Doctors who do not advise patients appropriately before discharge may be guilty of negligence in their duty of care.
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J Stud Alcohol Drugs · Jul 2014
Observational StudyTransactional sex involvement: exploring risk and promotive factors among substance-using youth in an urban emergency department.
The current study aims to evaluate individual, relational, and community-level risk and promotive factors for transactional sex involvement among substance-using youth. ⋯ Drug-using youth who reported recent transactional sex involvement are more likely to experience increased HIV risk, depressive symptoms, and negative peer influence and are less likely to experience the promotive factors of school involvement. Future research is needed to better understand the bidirectional relationship between transactional sex involvement and both risk and promotive factors at multiple ecological levels.
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J Stud Alcohol Drugs · May 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial"I will take a shot for every 'like' I get on this status": posting alcohol-related Facebook content is linked to drinking outcomes.
This study investigated whether self-reports of alcohol-related postings on Facebook by oneself or one's Facebook friends were related to common motives for drinking and were uniquely predictive of self-reported alcohol outcomes (alcohol consumption, problems, and cravings). ⋯ Posting alcohol-related content on social media platforms such as Facebook is associated with common motivations for drinking and is, in itself, a strong predictive indicator of drinking outcomes independent of drinking motives. Moreover, self-related posting activity appears to be more predictive than Facebook friends' activity. These findings suggest that social media platforms may be a useful target for future preventative and intervention efforts.