Alcohol's Effects on Health

Research-based information on drinking and its impact

Alcohol Basics

An infograph displaying what is a standard drink
What Is a Standard Drink?

You may be drinking more than you realize

a silhouette of a head with drinking terms inside the silhouette
Drinking Levels Defined

Definitions for Moderate, Binge, and Heavy Drinking, and other key terms

man holding a pen writing on paper chart
Alcohol Facts and Statistics

Up-to-date statistics on alcohol consumption

A silhouette of a woman on the left and of a man on the right stating 0.08 grams percent in 2 hours is binge drinking
Binge Drinking

How much drinking is considered binge drinking?

woman siting outside, contemplating
Alcohol Use Disorder

Understanding the medical diagnosis of AUD

A silhouette of a body with color coded organs inside
Alcohol's Effects on the Body

Impact on the brain, heart, liver and other organs

How does alcohol affect different groups and people with certain disorders?

A group of teens taking a selfie with a cell phone
Underage
woman sitting at a table looking away and contemplating
Women
ariel view of people sitting on chairs
Diversity & Health Disparities
A college woman studying
College
group of older adults
Older Adults
man sitting in a psychiatrist office
Other Psychiatric Disorders
pregnant woman having a check up
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
HIV AIDS ribbon
HIV/AIDS

Support and Treatment

family talking to practitioner
Alcohol Treatment Navigator

Pointing the way to evidence-based care

woman sitting at table thinking
Evaluate Your Own Drinking

Rethinking Drinking is NIAAA's interactive site for self-help tools to assess and change drinking behavior