Harvard to Launch New Online Tool

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of The WAGER, the Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions will be introducing a new online resource encompassing a broad spectrum of tools to advance addiction science and addiction-related education and clinical services. The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS), a "virtual institute" comprised of science and education materials, self-help tools, and addiction resources, will launch Jan. 5.

The Science & Education section of the BASIS will consist of four online journals, each addressing a different aspect of addiction. As one of those four journals, The WAGER will continue to examine and summarize the latest gambling-related research and provide access to all back-issues, editorials and op-eds, a glossary of relevant terms, and the opportunity for readers to submit their own articles and editorials. Beginning in January, The WAGER will be published once a month. New journals will include The Drinking Report for Addiction Medicine (The DRAM), Addiction Smoking Health Education Source (ASHES), and Addiction and the Humanities. The first two journals will focus on drinking and smoking, respectively, and will offer resources similar to those found in The WAGER. Addictions and the Humanities will discuss literature, art, music, and contemporary culture as these relate to addictive behaviors. This journal will shed light on cultural elements and settings that affect how we perceive addiction. Each of these four journals will have a new issue once a month; the current monthly issue will remain available for a month before being moved to the archives.

In the Self-Help section of the BASIS Web site, there will be a variety of self-change tools designed to help people gain information about addiction-related problems, evaluate their relationship with certain substances or behaviors (e.g., alcohol, gambling) and develop change strategies should they decide change is the best course.

Finally, in the Addiction Resources section, the BASIS will offer information and links to publicly available resources such as substance use diagnostic screens, article reprints and educational curricula.

Funding for the BASIS is provided by the National Center for Responsible Gaming, Hyatt Gaming Services and the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, a program of the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School.

Subscriptions to The WAGER will automatically carry over to the BASIS. Visit the Web site to view this online resource.