{"id":3627,"date":"2025-12-10T01:01:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T01:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/alcoholstudies-archives\/?p=3627"},"modified":"2026-02-19T21:22:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T21:22:03","slug":"jsad-85","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.rutgers.edu\/alcoholstudies-archives\/jsad-85\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating 85 years of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Journal<\/a>Eighty-five years ago, the innovative idea to make the study of alcohol a legitimate scientific pursuit became reality with the launch of the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol<\/em> (QJSA). Known today as the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs<\/em><\/a> (JSAD), the Journal stands as the oldest and longest-running publication in the United States dedicated entirely to substance use studies. Published by Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. based at the Rutgers Center of Alcohol and Substance Use Studies<\/a>, JSAD continues to set the standard for rigorous, multidisciplinary scholarship in the field, as envisioned by its founders.<\/p>\n

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Origins and Vision<\/h4>\n<\/section>\n

The Journal\u2019s story began at Yale University. In the wake of Prohibition\u2019s repeal, scholars recognized the urgent need for scientific inquiry into alcohol\u2019s effects on health and society, with an emphasis on the “scientific” approach. Led by E.M. Jellinek<\/a>, a review of the scattered literature on alcohol was launched, thanks to a Carnegie Corporation grant in 1939. The project was so successful that its staff was invited to continue their operations at the Laboratory of Applied Physiology at Yale, under the leadership of Howard W. Haggard<\/a>, M. D., a scholar with strong interest in alcohol research.<\/span><\/p>\n

With Haggard as its first editor, the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol<\/em>\u00a0developed from these efforts to collect, index, and abstract alcohol-related literature, published in the Journal and collected in the Classified Abstract Archive of the Alcohol Literature<\/a> (CAAAL). As the main venue to publish related articles and news about the field, QJSA was instrumental in shaping early substance use research and turning it into a legitimate academic discipline over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Laboratory of Applied Physiology soon established its Section of Alcohol Studies, later renamed the first Center of Alcohol Studies. The Journal and the Center that evolved around it were part of a larger international revival of alcohol studies that started after World War II, and <\/span>were also linked to many other “firsts” in alcohol studies<\/a> at Yale, such as the <\/span>Summer School of Alcohol Studies<\/a>, founded in 1943. <\/span>Archival materials, now preserved in the <\/span>Digital Alcohol Studies Archives<\/a>, showcase these early milestones.<\/span><\/p>\n

At Rutgers since 1962<\/h4>\n
When the Yale Center relocated to Rutgers University in 1962, the journal also moved with it to the Rutgers <\/span>Center of Alcohol Studies<\/a>. This transition marked a new era of growth and influence as, along with the Center and the Summer School, the J<\/span>ournal broadened its scope, reflecting the complexity of substance use issues.<\/span><\/figure>\n
\"Issues<\/a>

Covers of the journal over time<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The name changes tell the story over time<\/a>, as it evolved from Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol<\/em>\u00a0to Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs<\/em>. Established as the Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol <\/em>in 1940, <\/em>it\u00a0published original articles, essay, reviews, and news related to alcohol studies in four issues per year. As alcohol research expanded in the 1970s, the Journal grew from a quarterly to monthly publication in 1975, and its name was changed to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol.<\/em> With this change, the journal began publishing research articles and abstracts in alternating months, dropping the latter due to the lack of funding. Beginning with the January 2007 issue, the journal name changed to its current Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs <\/em>to indicate expanding coverage in addiction science.<\/p>\n

List of Editors (1940-present)<\/span><\/p>\n

The editor-in-chief of the Journal, called the “Editor,” always played a central leadership role in maintaining the Journal\u2019s academic integrity, reputation, and overall quality. Many of the Editors had a chance to truly e<\/span>ngage with authors, reviewers, and readers, building visibility and trust, and creating a community around the Journal. <\/span>Setting the vision and the scope, Editors include:<\/span><\/p>\n