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: Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs turns 85
History of the field of addiction: U.S. Surgeon General urges that warning labels on alcoholic beverages be updated to explicitly include cancer risk
History of CAS: Project Harmony 2.0, funded by NIDA, will allow CAS researchers to continue efforts in advancing patient-centered research on PTSD and Substance Use Disorders
History of the field of addiction: Blueprint for a National Prevention Infrastructure for Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders, published by the National Academics of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
History of CAS: CAS Summer Symposium 2023
History of the field of addiction: FDA approves over-the-counter naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray
History of the field of addiction: Naloxone made more widely available over-the-counter in some areas.
History of the field of addiction: COVID-19 pandemic disrupts in-person addiction services; sharp increase in overdose deaths, especially due to fentanyl and polysubstance use.
History of the field of addiction: HEALing Communities Study funded by NIH
History of CAS: Center of Alcohol Studies renamed Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies to reflect its broader mission
History of the field of addiction: Recreational and medicinal marijuana use is fully legalized in 11 states, and mixed in another 28 states
History of CAS: 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
History of the field of addiction: 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
History of CAS: The Estate of Helen E. Chaney provides an endowment to establish a Research Faculty Chair at CAS
History of CAS: CAS Summer School of Addiction Studies celebrates its 75th Anniversary
History of the field of addiction: Opioid over-prescription fuels new heroin epidemic and heroin-related deaths increase >250% in 10 years
History of CAS: CAS Researchers study an innovative relapse prevention technique for women in treatment for alcohol and opioid dependence
History of CAS: CAS Researchers study alcohol and marijuana use in 3 states with different marijuana legalization laws
History of the field of addiction: Recreational marijuana use is legalized in Colorado
History of the field of addiction: Addiction treatment included as essential benefit in the Affordable Care Act
History of CAS: CAS researchers awarded contract to study mechanisms of behavior change initiation as a part of NIAAA's Interdisciplinary Research Consortium
History of the field of addiction: Opioid prescriptions skyrocket as addiction potential is downplayed and pain management is prioritized
History of CAS: CAS researchers awarded a NIDA 'Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Center' grant to study programs for youth at transitional stages of development
History of the field of addiction: Advances in neuroscience methods help refine theories and popular conceptions of addiction
History of CAS: Summer School of Addiction Science
History of CAS: Christopher D. Smithers Foundation endows CAS to broaden its prevention research focus
History of the field of addiction: Medical marijuana is legalized in California
History of CAS: CAS receives a NIAAA training grant to educate a new generation of addiction psychologists
History of the field of addiction: Alcoholism and drug addiction begin to be integrated in treatment and research
History of CAS: CAS researchers awarded a NIAAA center grant to link the treatment of alcoholism to biological and psychological research
History of the field of addiction: Reagan renews the 'War on Drugs'. Drug incarcerations rise sharply
History of CAS: CAS, with support from Johnson & Johnson, created the School Nurse Fellowship Program to help schools deal with alcohol and drug issues
History of the field of addiction: First Lady Nancy Reagan launches “Just Say No”
History of CAS: CAS’ longitudinal study is expanded to other drugs and funded by NIDA and NIAAA for 20 years
History of the field of addiction: ‘Diseasing of America: Addiction Treatment Out of Control” by Stanton Peele is published refuting the ‘addiction as a disease’ model
History of the field of addiction: The 'War on Drugs' begins. The DEA is created.
History of CAS: CAS awarded one of the first NIAAA center grants to conduct a longitudinal study on the etiology of alcoholism
History of the field of addiction: National Institutes on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA) & Drug Abuse (NIDA) created
History of CAS: CAS mission broadens to include illicit drugs
History of the field of addiction: Illicit drug use continues to escalate in the US
History of the field of addiction: Alcoholism as an illness that requires medical treatment gains favor
History of CAS: The Center of Alcohol Studies (CAS) moves to Rutgers Smithers Hall, supported in part by the Christopher D. Smithers Foundation
History of the field of addiction: American Bar & American Medical Associations call for community-based treatment programs
History of CAS: Jellinek publishes "The Disease Concept of Alcoholism"
History of the field of addiction: Private & hospital-based treatment centers open as insurance reimbursements become available
History of the field of addiction: American Medical Association accepts alcoholism as a treatable illness
History of CAS: Christopher D. Smithers foundation focuses on alcoholism prevention and education after founder attends the School of Alcohol Studies
History of the field of addiction: Minnesota first to approve state job position “Counselor on Alcoholism”
History of CAS: ‘Center of Alcohol Studies’ is named; Selden Bacon becomes first director
History of the field of addiction: The disease concept of and treatment for alcoholism emerges in US
History of CAS: ‘Yale Plan Clinic’: A model for outpatient treatment of alcoholism is created
History of CAS: ‘Yale Plan for Business & Industry’: A Model for Employee-Assistant Programs is created
History of CAS: Bill W. (co-founder of AA) teaches at the Summer School (1943-1947)
History of the field of addiction: Marty Mann founds advocacy organization with Jellinek, Haggard, & Bill W. (now: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence)
History of CAS: Summer School of Alcohol Studies begins. It is the first educational program of its kind
History of CAS: Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol published
History of the field of addiction: Prohibition ends
History of CAS: The Laboratory of Applied Physiology (Yale) publishes a series of papers on physiology & metabolism of alcohol
History of the field of addiction: Alcoholics Anonymous is founded