National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

A molecular pathway within the brain's reward circuitry appears to contribute to alcohol abuse, according to laboratory mouse research supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The findings, published online today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also provide evidence that the pathway may be a...

November 1, 2017

An Introduction and demonstration of the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator, presented by Dr. George F. Koob, Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and Dr. Lori Ducharme, lead developer in the NIAAA Division of Treatment and Recovery Research. Watch video:

Understanding parental influence on children through conscious and unconscious efforts, as well as when and how to talk with children about alcohol, can help parents have more influence than they might think on a child’s alcohol use. Parents can play an important role in helping their children develop healthy attitudes toward drinking while minimizing its risk.

A medication for heart problems and high blood pressure may also be effective for treating alcohol use disorder, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their colleagues. The study presents converging evidence from experiments in mice and rats, as well as a cohort study in humans, suggesting that the medication, spironolactone, may play...

In any given year, more than 15 million adults in the US meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder, but less than 10% of them receive treatment... What accounts for this alcohol “treatment gap?”

Tue, 10/03/2023 - 12:00

This article was first published in NIAAA Spectrum Volume 15, Issue 3. For many years, complete abstinence from alcohol consumption was viewed as the most effective way to recover from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and was a primary outcome of AUD treatment. A large body of evidence, however, suggests that treatment and recovery strategies that reduce heavy alcohol consumption and...

For some patients, alcohol treatment referral may not be a single event but instead part of an ongoing process of engagement. You can help patients surmount barriers to following through on a treatment referral by countering the effects of stigma, conveying that treatment can be effective, and offering a range of choices for care.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism welcomes the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announcement of an indication for use of the pharmacologic agent naltrexone (REVIA tm) as a safe and effective adjunct to psychosocial treatments for alcoholism. Naltrexone offers new hope for preventing relapse in many of the more than 1 million Americans treated each year for the...

May 1, 2014

In recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month, NIAAA held a Twitter chat on treatment options for alcohol problems on April 29 at 3:00 p.m. ET, (#NIAAAchat), which was co-hosted by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (@NCADDnational).. Scientific Expert: Dan Falk, Ph.D., NIAAA Division of Treatment and Recovery Research Follow us at @NIAAAnews

A brain circuit that underlies feelings of stress and anxiety shows promise as a new therapeutic target for alcoholism, according to new studies by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In preclinical and clinical studies currently reported online in Science Express, NIAAA Clinical Director Markus Heilig, M.D...

Visit the our new home for Alcohol Research: Current Reviews (ARCR) , NIAAA's peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Thursday, February 9, 2023

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM 162nd Meeting of the NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM February 9, 2023 The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) convened its 162nd meeting at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday, February 9, 2023, via Zoom videoconference and NIH Webcast...

Takeaways You can maximize patient choice and outcomes by offering a full menu of evidence-based treatment options. Approaches for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) include behavioral health treatments, FDA-approved AUD medications, and mutual support groups, or a combination of any of these. Behavioral health treatments for AUD can bring lasting positive change. Steer patients in need of referral for behavioral...

Treatment Category and Year Unweighted N (sample) Weighted N (population) Percent S.E. Needed treatment for alcohol use 2015 1,569 4,749,820 6.4 0.2 2014 1,488 4,842,959 6.6 0.2 2013 1,710 5,071,922 6.9 0.3 2012 1,902 5,445,202 7.4 0.3 2011 1,935 5,315,542 7.3 0.3 2010 2,086 5,279,373 7.2 0.3 2009 2,149 5,479,053 7.4 0.3 2008 2,223 5,981,709 8.2 0.3 2007 2,117 4,982,691...

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. It encompasses the conditions that some people refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, alcohol addiction, and the colloquial term, alcoholism. Considered a brain disorder, AUD can be mild, moderate, or severe. Lasting changes...

This guide is geared to parents and guardians of young people ages 10 to 14. Keep in mind that the suggestions on the following pages are just that—suggestions. Trust your instincts. Choose ideas you are comfortable with, and use your own style in carrying out the approaches you find useful. Your child looks to you for guidance and support in making life decisions—including the decision not to use alcohol.

A study reported in the Journal of Family Practice (Volume 48, Number 5) shows that brief intervention can reduce alcohol consumption in problem drinkers aged 65 years and older. Project GOAL (Guiding Older Adult Lifestyles) is the first U.S. randomized controlled clinical trial to test the effectiveness of brief counseling by community-based primary care physicians in older problem drinkers. "Following...

February 16, 2024

How does alcohol affect a teen’s health? Test your knowledge about underage drinking with an online quiz , now available from Kahoot! The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has partnered with Kahoot!, an online learning platform, to provide free interactive quizzes and games for educators and learners. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is excited to have...