Skip to main content

News & Events

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

April 5 Marks National Alcohol Screening Day - 1200 Sites To Screen About 50,000 Persons

News Release

Health care professionals at more than 1200 sites stand ready to educate the public about signs and symptoms of alcohol problems during the third annual National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) on Thursday, April 5, 2001.

Individuals concerned about their drinking or that of another may access free, confidential screening and research-based alcohol information at college and community health and counseling centers, hospitals, and clinics across the country. The health care professionals will discuss the clinical disorders alcohol abuse and alcoholism, as well as high-risk drinking, and help NASD participants to recognize indications of such problems.

Each site also will offer a brief, anonymous, self-administered screening test, consultation with a health professional, and referral to local resources for those in need of formal evaluation and possible treatment.

"National Alcohol Screening Day gives individuals the opportunity to explore whether alcohol is a problem and puts them in direct contact with resources that offer solutions," said Enoch Gordis, M.D., Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "For at least one day each year, NASD also encourages our entire society to face alcohol problems head on."

NASD is a program of the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, Inc., in partnership with the NIAAA and two components of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).

"This activity offers a great opportunity for people to assess their level of alcohol consumption and determine if they have a problem," said CSAT Director H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D. "NASD provides an excellent example of the way that CSAT regularly 'partners' with local communities to disseminate information about substance use."

"In our ongoing prevention efforts, National Alcohol Screening Day is a wonderful springboard to provide information and to educate people about alcohol problems," said CSAP Director Ruth Sanchez-Way, Ph.D.

Persons who wish to participate may call 1-800-405-9200 to determine a nearby site. The toll-free site locator line is operational 24 hours a day.

Sponsors of the 2001 event are:

American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Medical Association
American Osteopathic Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association and its College of Professional Psychology
American Society of Addiction Medicine
College Parents of America
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
Higher Education Center for Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse & Violence Prevention (funded by the U.S. Depart. of Education)
Join Together
McLean Hospital
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems
National Center for Farmworker Health
National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
National Interfraternity Conference
National Mental Health Association
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
National Panhellenic Conference
Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

For an interview with Dr. Gordis, please contact 301/443-0595; for information about alcohol research, please contact 301/443-3860 or visit http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/.

For an interview with Dr. Clark, please contact 301/443-5052. For an interview with Dr. Sanchez-Way, please contact 301/443-0383. For information about alcohol treatment and prevention services, please visit http://www.samhsa.gov/.

For additional information about NASD or an interview with Screening for Mental Health Executive Director Douglas G. Jacobs, M.D., contact Screening for Mental Health (781/239-0071), visit http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org, or email info@mentalhealthscreening.org.

About the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA):
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is the primary U.S. agency for conducting and supporting research on the causes, consequences, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol use disorder. NIAAA also disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at www.niaaa.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Contact info:
NIAAA Press Office
301-443-2857
NIAAAPressOffice@mail.nih.gov

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov