36. JITAIs and using smartphones to prevent lapse with Olga Perskie (30:05) October 2021
Rob Calder talks to Dr Olga Perski about her recent research on just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) whereby smartphones are used to help prevent lapses among people who are trying to quit or reduce alcohol, tobacco or other drug use. Dr Perski talks about why the literature is so complex and how defining JITAIs is difficult in the first place. She talks about the potential for Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), GPS positioning and micro-randomised trial studies to contribute in this area, and how we may not want to press ahead with full-scale RCTs before having conducted additional conceptual and computational work to clarify what JITAIs are and how to develop them. Dr Perski also discusses the challenges of regulating mobile health apps so that people can access apps based on evidence of effectiveness. This episode was recorded online on 30 September 2021. Perski, O et al. Technology‐mediated just‐in‐time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) to reduce harmful substance use: A systematic review. Addiction 2021; doi:10.1111/add.15687

35. Mental imagery and cocaine craving with John Marsden (31:25) October 2021
Rob Calder talks to Professor John Marsden about cocaine cravings. Professor Marsden discusses the lack of pharmacological treatments for cocaine, and about his recent study using mental imagery to address cocaine cravings. He talks about the benefits of positive imagery compared with negative imagery. He then discusses how useful mixed-methods research can be and the importance of writing up data from unfinished trials. Lowry, N., et al. Acute impact of self‐guided mental imagery on craving in cocaine use disorder: a mixed‐methods analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Addiction 2021; doi:10.1111/add.15405 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.15405

34. Drug treatment commissioning and market mechanisms with Alison Ritter (22:17) October 2021
Professor Alison Ritter talks about her recent paper “Are market mechanisms associated with alcohol and other drug treatment outcomes” and about the Australian context of drug treatment provision and commissioning. We discuss the challenges of measuring outcomes against commissioning structures and Professor Ritter explains how funding arrangements can end up looking like a bowl of spaghetti. Alison discusses why governments don’t necessarily have to tender competitively, about the burdens associated with the machinery of recommissioning and about the potential for fixed-price tendering to improve the quality of addiction treatment services.Ritter, A., van de Ven, K., Vuong, T., Chalmers, J., Dobbins, T., Livingston, M. and Berends, L. Are market mechanisms associated with alcohol and other drug treatment outcomes?. Addiction 2021; doi:10.1111/add.15681 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.15681

33. The Paper Authoring Tool (PAT) with Robert West (27:36) September 2021
Rob Calder talks to Professor Robert West about the Paper Authoring Tool (PAT). Professor West talks about how PAT can be used in the design and write-up phases of a randomised controlled trials, about how it saves time for reviewers and journals and about how using the PAT can make your research more rigorous, well reported and discoverable. He also discusses the future of research publishing and how computer reading can save months or years on evidence synthesis and how this relates to the Human Behaviour Change Project. There is also a small section on the interaction between computers, humans and chess.West, R. PAT: an on‐line paper authoring tool for writing up randomized controlled trials. Addiction 2021; 116: 1938-1940paperauthoringtool.com

32. Cannabis, opioids and the gateway hypothesis with Jack Wilson (16:12) July 2021
Jack Wilson talks to Rob Calder about his recent systematic review and meta-analysis on whether cannabis use increases the likelihood of later life opioid use or opioid use disorders. Jack talks about the limitations of the literature, the influence that the gateway hypothesis has had on policy and on some of the different types of studies that explore this issue. Wilson J, et al. Weeding out the truth: a systematic review and meta-analysis on the transition from cannabis use to opioid use and opioid use disorders, abuse or dependence. Addiction 2021; doi:10.1111/add.15581 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/add.15581

31. Cannabis, schizophrenia and genetics with Emma Johnson (16:29) June 2021
Dr Emma Johnson talks to Rob Calder about shared genetic liabilities for cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia and the role of tobacco smoking. Dr Johnson talks about the implications of this research on the evidence for a causal relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia and for other genetic associations relating to substance use and psychiatric disorders. The episode also covers to ever-fascinating issue of mendelian randomisation. (Be sure to check out episode 22 too!) Johnson E.C. et al. The relationship between cannabis and schizophrenia: a genetically informed perspective. Addiction 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15534

30. Pay for Performance funding and emergency hospital admissions with Thomas Mason (19:01) June 2021
Rob Calder talks to Dr Thomas Mason about his research on pay for performance models of addiction treatment and how they were associated with increased emergency hospital admissions. Mason T, Whittaker W, Jones A, Sutton M. Did paying drugs misuse treatment providers for outcomes lead to unintended consequences for hospital admissions? Difference-in-differences analysis of a pay-for-performance scheme in England. Addiction 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15486

29. Vaping and smoking cessation with Máirtín McDermott and Leonie Brose (17:29) April 2021
Rob Calder talks to Dr Máirtín McDermott and Dr Leonie Brose about their research into the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for quitting smoking.McDermott M.S, East K.A, Brose L.S, McNeill A, Hitchman S.C, Partos T.R. The effectiveness of using e‐cigarettes for quitting smoking compared to other cessation methods among adults in the United Kingdom. Addiction 2021. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15474

28. Alcohol attributable mortality in the Americas with Maristela Monteiro (20:29) April 2021
Rob Calder talks to Dr Maristela Monteiro about deaths in the Americas between 2013 and 2015 that were 100% attributable to alcohol. Chrystoja B.R et al.  Mortality in the Americas from 2013 to 2015 resulting from diseases, conditions and injuries which are 100% alcohol attributable. Addiction 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15475

27. Social norms and smoking behaviour with Katie East (11:30) April 2021
Rob Calder speaks to Dr Katie East about her research into social norms in relation to smoking behaviour East K, et al. Social norms as a predictor of smoking uptake among youth: a systematic review, meta‐analysis and meta‐regression of prospective cohort studies. Addiction 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15427

26. Heroin use and general population surveys with Jon Caulkins (16:42) March 2021
Rob Calder speaks to Professor Jon Caulkins about his Addiction Opinion & Debate article discussing the difficulties of measuring heroin use with general population surveys Reuter P, et al Heroin Use Cannot Be Measured Adequately with a General Population Survey. Addiction 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15458

25. Alcohol policy and gender with Petra Meier (16:41) March 2021
Rob Calder speaks to Professor Petra Meier about her research using computer modelling to estimate how the impact of alcohol pricing policies might differ according to gender. Meier PS, et al Alcohol policy and gender: a modelling study estimating gender-specific effects of alcohol pricing policies. Addiction 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15464

24. Online search behaviour and minimum unit pricing (15:10) February 2021
Rob Calder speaks to Professor David Leon about his research into on-line search behaviour as minimum unit pricing of alcohol was introduced in Scotland, and what it told him about how people responded to minimum unit pricing policies. Leon DA, et al. What on-line searches tell us about public interest and potential impact on behaviour in response to minimum unit pricing of alcohol in Scotland. Addiction 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15388

23. Data collection methods with Richard Miech (16:27) February 2021
Suzi Gage talks to Professor Richard Miech about his paper exploring the impact of a change in the Monitoring the Future project data collection from pen and paper surveys to digital technology Miech RA, et al. The impact of survey mode on US national estimates of adolescent drug prevalence: results from a randomized controlled study. Addiction https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15249

22. Cannabis use and the brain with Janna Cousijn (14:52) February 2021
Suzi Gage talks to Janna Cousijn about her paper on the long term consequences of cannabis use for the brain, written for the series Clinical issues: substance use disorders and the body Kroon E, et al Heavy cannabis use, dependence and the brain: a clinical perspective. Addiction 2020; 115: 559-572 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.14776You can access all articles published in the Clinical issues series so far in the virtual issue https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/(ISSN)1360-0443.clinical_issues_substance_use_disorders_and_the_body_virtual_issue

21. Professor Robert West (43:37) January 2021
John Marsden talks to Robert West about his time as Editor-in-Chief of Addiction