Do state policies intended to reduce and eliminate alcohol use among pregnant women work? And, do the effects vary by pregnant women’s educational status? Research by a team with scientists from the Prevention Research Center at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation finds that the answer to the first question is that, overall, such […]
Media Releases
Recreational Marijuana Availability in Oregon and Use Among Adolescents
New research from the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation suggests that legalization and greater retail availability of recreational marijuana is positively associated with marijuana use among adolescents. The researchers investigated whether legalization of recreational marijuana sales in 2015 and retail availability of marijuana in Oregon counties were associated with […]
Compliance with ID rules in Recreational Cannabis Stores
A new study by collaborators at Klein Buendel, Inc. and the Prevention Research Center finds that recreational cannabis stores in Colorado and Washington state, both of which legalized adult recreational use in 2012, show high levels of compliance with rules preventing underage purchase of cannabis. The study also shows that there is more than can […]
Gibbs Leadership Prize: Best Paper in 2019 in Women’s Health Issues awarded to team with PIRE Researchers
“State Policies Targeting Alcohol Use during Pregnancy and Alcohol Use among Pregnant Women 1985–2016: Evidence from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System” won the Charles E. Gibbs Leadership Prize for the best paper published in Women’s Health Issues in 2019. Authored by Sarah CM Roberts, Amy A. Mericle, Meenakshi S. Subbaraman, Sue Thomas, Ryan D. […]
Smoking Among Urban Emergency Department Patients in California
A new study from the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation offers a more in-depth understanding of smoking among patients in an urban emergency department. Studying patients in urban emergency departments matters because these patients smoke cigarettes and use other substances at higher rates than the general population. The data […]
Space and Place in Alcohol Research
Every time someone drinks an alcoholic beverage, she or he will drink that beverage at some place and some time. Not surprisingly, this means that the physical and social environments in which that drinking takes place will be affected by: The physical characteristics of places that may encourage drinking, such as the ready availability of […]
Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Overuse Among Young Adult Nightclub Patrons
A new program developed by researchers at the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation demonstrates that Nightclub Safety Plans (NSPs) help keep drinkers safe. For this study, a group-based mobile intervention at nightclubs called Nightlife Safety Plans was tested to determine whether risks related to overuse of alcohol and other […]
The Relationship between Lifetime Drinking and Non-Fatal Acute Myocardial Infarction
New research from the Prevention Research Center of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation suggests that the impact of alcohol consumption on coronary heart disease may be underestimated. Although much of the literature to date on the subject suggests that risk is lower among current moderate drinkers than nondrinkers or heavy drinkers, the relationship […]
“It Just Depends on the Environment”: Patterns and Decisions of Substance Use and Co-Use by Adolescents
Using in-depth interviews with 13 adolescents (16-19 years of age) who used alcohol and marijuana, this study examines the role that social and physical contexts play in adolescent decision-making about simultaneous use of alcohol and marijuana. The research findings show that context matters in three ways: context characteristics inform decisions about simultaneous use, context […]
Youth Smoking and Vaping: Implications for Tobacco Control
Because most people who smoke cigarettes begin young, public health efforts to prevent tobacco use among youth are a priority. The increasing popularity of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-cigarettes,also called personal vaporizers, vape pens, e-cigars, e-hookah, vaping devices, mod systems or pod systems, raises concerns about normalizing cigarette smoking and perpetuating nicotine addiction. […]
