History
A Timeline of Events
For nearly a century, the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies has played a pivotal role in addiction education, research, and policy.
- History of CAS
- History of the field of addiction
Center of Alcohol Studies renamed Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies to reflect its broader mission
Recreational and medicinal marijuana use is fully legalized in 11 states, and mixed in another 28 states
Project Harmony, funded by NIAAA, will allow CAS researchers to use big data strategies to study effectiveness of treatments for PTSD and alcohol and other substance use disorders
NIH launches the HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative, an aggressive, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis
The Estate of Helen E. Chaney provides an endowment to establish a Research Faculty Chair at CAS
CAS Summer School of Addiction Studies celebrates its 75th Anniversary
Opioid over-prescription fuels new heroin epidemic and heroin-related deaths increase >250% in 10 years
CAS Researchers study an innovative relapse prevention technique for women in treatment for alcohol and opioid dependence
CAS Researchers study alcohol and marijuana use in 3 states with different marijuana legalization laws
Recreational marijuana use is legalized in Colorado
Addiction treatment included as essential benefit in the Affordable Care Act
CAS researchers awarded contract to study mechanisms of behavior change initiation as a part of NIAAA's Interdisciplinary Research Consortium
Opioid prescriptions skyrocket as addiction potential is downplayed and pain management is prioritized
CAS researchers awarded a NIDA 'Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Center' grant to study programs for youth at transitional stages of development
Advances in neuroscience methods help refine theories and popular conceptions of addiction
Summer School of Addiction Science
Christopher D. Smithers Foundation endows CAS to broaden its prevention research focus
Medical marijuana is legalized in California
CAS receives a NIAAA training grant to educate a new generation of addiction psychologists
Alcoholism and drug addiction begin to be integrated in treatment and research
CAS researchers awarded a NIAAA center grant to link the treatment of alcoholism to biological and psychological research
Reagan renews the 'War on Drugs'. Drug incarcerations rise sharply
CAS, with support from Johnson & Johnson, created the School Nurse Fellowship Program to help schools deal with alcohol and drug issues
First Lady Nancy Reagan launches “Just Say No”
CAS’ longitudinal study is expanded to other drugs and funded by NIDA and NIAAA for 20 years
‘Diseasing of America: Addiction Treatment Out of Control” by Stanton Peele is published refuting the ‘addiction as a disease’ model
The 'War on Drugs' begins. The DEA is created.
CAS awarded one of the first NIAAA center grants to conduct a longitudinal study on the etiology of alcoholism
National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA) & Drug Abuse (NIDA) created
CAS mission broadens to include illicit drugs
Illicit drug use continues to escalate in the US
Alcoholism as an illness that requires medical treatment gains favor
The Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) moves to Rutgers Smithers Hall, supported in part by the Christopher D. Smithers Foundation
American Bar & American Medical Associations call for community-based treatment programs
Jellinek publishes "The Disease Concept of Alcoholism"
Private & hospital-based treatment centers open as insurance reimbursements become available
American Medical Association accepts alcoholism as a treatable illness
Christopher D. Smithers foundation focuses on alcoholism prevention and education after founder attends the School of Alcohol Studies
Minnesota first to approve state job position “Counselor on Alcoholism”
‘Center of Alcohol Studies’ is named; Selden Bacon becomes first director
The disease concept of and treatment for alcoholism emerges in US
‘Yale Plan Clinic’: A model for outpatient treatment of alcoholism is created
‘Yale Plan for Business & Industry’: A Model for Employee-Assistant Programs is created
Bill W. (co-founder of AA) teaches at the Summer School (1943-1947)
Marty Mann founds advocacy organization with Jellinek, Haggard, & Bill W. (now: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence)
Summer School of Alcohol Studies begins. It is the first educational program of its kind
Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol published
Prohibition ends
The Laboratory of Applied Physiology (Yale) publishes a series of papers on physiology & metabolism of alcohol
Alcoholics Anonymous is founded