Objective: We investigated offspring alcohol use outcomes as a function of unremitted and remitted parental alcohol use disorder (AUD). Method: Self-report data of participants in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) were used. Offspring (n = 2,244, mean age 16.3 years at baseline, 26.9 years at follow-up, 50.8% female) were linked to parental data. Time-varying associations of parental AUD and remission with offspring age at first drink, years from first drink to AUD onset, and years from AUD onset to first remission were tested in Cox models adjusted for polygenic risk for problematic alcohol use (PGSPAU). Analyses were stratified by genetically inferred continental groups of European Americans (EA; 65.9%) and African Americans (AA; 34.1%) because of sociocultural factors that can contribute to differences in alcohol use and problems. Results: In EA, maternal remission was associated with increased risk for offspring AUD; neither maternal nor paternal remission was associated with other outcomes. In AA, maternal and paternal remission were associated with an increased likelihood of early drinking; the association with maternal drinking varied as a function of whom offspring lived with during adolescence. Paternal, but not maternal, remission was associated with a heightened risk for AUD onset. Parental status had no association with offspring remission in EA or AA. Conclusions: Evidence that parental remission can help mitigate the risk associated with parental AUD and increase the likelihood of remission in affected offspring was limited and mixed based on continental group and sex. These nuanced outcomes highlight the complex interplay of parental AUD status and offspring’s alcohol-related behaviors.

Objective: Increasing engagement in evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder during pregnancy is pressing. Generative artificial intelligence large language model conversational agents may sup...

Objective: Heavy drinking is common among men who have sex with men (MSM) and significantly increases HIV acquisition risk. MSM who report heavy drinking also report higher cannabis use, which has also been associated with sexual behaviors known to elevate HIV transmission risk. Despite evidence of associations at the between-subjects level, the effects of alcohol and cannabis use on sexual risk behavior among MSM who engage in heavy drinking are largely unknown. The current study used ecological momentary assessment to examine the between- and within-subject associations of heavy drinking, cannabis use, and sexual behavior. Method: This is a secondary data analysis of a study on alcohol intoxication and sexual decision making that included 115 MSM who reported cannabis use and were not using pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at baseline. Participants reported daily alcohol and cannabis use and sexual activities over 6 weeks. Multilevel multinomial regression was used to evaluate how alcohol and cannabis use were associated with sexual behaviors. Results: Higher alcohol use was associated with higher rates of intercourse at the between-persons level and a higher likelihood of all sexual behaviors at the event level. In contrast, cannabis use at the between-person level was associated with an increased rate of condomless anal intercourse relative to both anal intercourse with a condom as well as no sex. At the within-person level, cannabis was associated with an increased likelihood of anal sex with or without a condom relative to no sex. Conclusions: Cannabis and alcohol may have independent effects on sexual risk behavior among MSM. Interventions addressing sexual health among MSM who engage in heavy drinking should also consider the additive risks of cannabis use.

Objective: Numerous studies have reported associations between child maltreatment and drug use and abuse. We ask whether internalizing and externalizing symptoms during young adulthood mediate the rel...

Objective: Media alcohol exposure is a modifiable environmental risk factor for adolescent drinking behavior. Shifts in teen media use have made social media engagement nearly ubiquitous among this population. TikTok, a short video-sharing social media platform, is the fastest-growing platform among teens. A total of 98% of the most viewed videos tagged “#alcohol” on TikTok portray alcohol positively. TikTok also offers a search function that provides algorithmically identified “Top Videos,” for which alcohol-related content has yet to be characterized. Alcohol-naive and curious youth may be more susceptible to encountering content this way. Method: A Python script using a newly created account was used to download the 100 “Top Videos” for five alcohol-related search terms: #alcohol, #beer, #wine, #vodka, #tequila. Videos were qualitatively coded for context, setting, and positive/negative sentiment of alcohol depiction. Twenty percent of videos were double coded, with a total percent agreement of 95.8% (Cohen’s kappa = .81). Results: For terms related to specific alcohol types (e.g., #beer), videos were overwhelmingly alcohol positive (96.9%), rarely depicted alcohol problems, and frequently were humorous and depicted alcohol recipes and games. For the “#alcohol” search term, nearly half of videos (41.8%) were identified as being alcohol negative and more often depicted alcohol problems and dependence. Conclusions: In contrast with the most viewed videos on TikTok for “#alcohol,” videos returned via the search function included significantly more alcohol-negative content. Content returned by all other search terms remained alcohol positive. Understanding content delivery algorithms may be beneficial for mitigating the risk of alcohol exposure on digital/social media platforms.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors contributing to the decline in the number of passengers riding with alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal crashes since 1982 and to examine the impact of simulated interventions on this group through 2050. Method: Historical data were obtained from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. We applied linear regression to analyze changes in the average numbers of passengers per alcohol-impaired young driver involved in fatal crashes between 1982 and 2020 by age and sex. We also extended our existing system dynamics simulation model developed to examine driving-while-impaired (DWI) behaviors of U.S. male and female drivers ages 15 to 24 and explored riding-with-an-impaired-driver (RWI) behaviors and corresponding interventions. We conducted sensitivity analyses to examine the likely trajectories of alcohol-impaired drivers’ passengers in fatal crashes across multiple scenarios through 2050. Results: Our findings show that the decline in passengers of alcohol-impaired drivers in fatal crashes primarily stems from a decrease in the number of impaired drivers rather than a change in the average number of passengers per impaired driver. The simulation model replicated historical trends from 1982 to 2020, and the sensitivity analyses show that the policies reducing DWI trips also decrease RWI trips. Conclusions: Wide adoption of a comprehensive strategy combining increased enforcement, an alcohol truth campaign, the provision of alternative transportation, and the enactment of a new DWI restrictive law could significantly reduce the number of passengers in fatal crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers while minimizing possible unintended consequences.

Objective: Buprenorphine is a high affinity partial agonist that can displace full opioid agonists and could be used to reverse opioid induced respiratory depression. There is scant evidence to suppor...

Objective: Latino/as comprise nearly 20% of the US population; 25% report past month binge drinking, and disparities in care persist. Culturally adapted interventions may improve outcomes and access. ...

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 86(5), 834–841 (2025). http://dx.doi.org/10.15288/jsad.24-00463 -->

Objective: This pilot micro-randomized trial (MRT) evaluated feasibility of the MRT design and compared acceptability and preliminary impacts of drinking-focused and maternal-focused text messages to ...

Objective: Involvement in mutual-help groups (MHGs) is associated with positive alcohol recovery outcomes. Attendance is a first step to involvement, but barriers to attendance remain poorly understoo...

Background: Bisexual individuals consistently report higher levels of alcohol use and are at greater risk for developing alcohol use disorder compared to heterosexual, gay, or lesbian individuals. Acc...

Objective: As the legalization of adult-use cannabis has expanded to include almost half of the states in the United States, substance use–related enforcement responsibilities for state and local law enforcement agencies may have changed. We assessed the use of cannabis and alcohol enforcement strategies at local and state levels and in legal and nonlegal cannabis states. Method: We conducted surveys of 1,024 local law enforcement agencies, 53 state alcohol beverage control agencies, and 48 state patrol agencies. We calculated the prevalence of cannabis enforcement strategies and their analogous alcohol strategies and analyzed differences across legal and nonlegal cannabis states. We assessed associations between cannabis enforcement strategies, cannabis legalization status, and agency and jurisdiction characteristics. Results: Cannabis enforcement strategies were less common than their analogous alcohol strategies. The percentage of agencies conducting enforcement of cannabis-impaired driving and public use of cannabis did not differ significantly across agencies in legal and nonlegal states. Agencies in cannabis-legal states (compared with nonlegal states) were more likely to train officers in identifying cannabis impairment among drivers (risk ratio [RR] = 1.23, 95% CI [1.08, 1.42]). Several local agency and jurisdiction characteristics were associated with a higher likelihood of conducting cannabis enforcement, but results were inconsistent across strategies. Conclusions: Our study shows that cannabis enforcement strategies were used less than analogous alcohol strategies in legal and nonlegal jurisdictions, suggesting that increased cannabis enforcement could lead to reductions in public health harms. This study provides a foundation for much-needed research on cannabis and alcohol enforcement during a changing cannabis legalization landscape.

Objective: In 2015, 193 nations adopted the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Alcohol was included as a specific focus in target 3.5 (substance abuse), highlighting its relevance i...