Major Update to Popular Alcohol Facts and Statistics Resource
NIAAA has released a major update to the Alcohol Facts and Statistics webpage. The content of this popular online resource has been expanded with demographic and other data and is now reorganized for improved readability and easier navigability. The webpage can be found on the main NIAAA website in the Alcohol’s Effects on Health drop-down menu or by searching for “facts and stats” in the search box.
In this Issue
The Importance of Alcohol Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment in Closing the Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Gap
Decades of research have firmly established the importance of asking primary care patients about their alcohol use, providing brief advice about reducing alcohol misuse, and referring them to appropriate alcohol treatments, as necessary. Studies consistently find that these practices, known collectively as alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), can be used effectively by providers across the health care spectrum to prevent or reduce alcohol misuse among their patients.
Alcohol and Other Substance Use To Cope With Social Anxiety
Using alcohol to cope with social anxiety is associated with increased substance use and more consequences among young adults, according to a study by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)-supported researchers. The findings also suggest that young adults who drink to cope with social anxiety experience more negative consequences associated with their alcohol use, on average.
Five Questions With Bridget Williams-Simmons, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Basic Research and Director of the Office of Science Policy and Communications, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.