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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Rethinking Your Holiday Drinking
The holidays are a time for celebration and alcohol is often present at festive gatherings. Despite all good plans, people may consume alcohol more than they intended.
Chronic Plus Binge: A Better Model of Alcohol Abuse; Watch the NIH IRP Video
Above: Dr. Bin Gao, Chief of the Laboratory of Liver Diseases in the Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research (DICBR) , NIAAA. (Credit: NIH IRP) The following is an excerpt from a web page feature from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Intramural Research Program (IRP): While many people may enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage, excessive alcohol consumption causes...
Press Room
The NIAAA press office is the central contact for all members of the news media. The office can assist you in arranging interviews with NIAAA experts and in providing accurate and timely alcohol-related research news and information. Contact the Press Team Reporters or other members of the news media can reach the NIAAA press team via NIAAAPressOffice@mail.nih.gov or 301-443-2857. Members...
NIAAA Spectrum: NESARC-III: Adults Are Drinking More Alcohol Than a Decade Ago

Adults drank more alcohol in 2012–2013 than they did in 2001–2002, according to the most recent National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). NESARC–III is a cross-sectional survey sponsored, designed, and directed by NIAAA and is the largest study ever conducted on the co-occurrence of alcohol use, drug use, and related psychiatric conditions. To assess how drinking patterns...

News Release

NIH-support studies show online course helps reduce harmful college drinking
For Release

An online alcohol prevention course can help reduce harmful drinking among college freshmen, but the benefits in the fall don’t last through the spring, according to a study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. Led by Mallie J. Paschall, Ph.D., and colleagues at the Pacific Institute for Research...

Underage Drinking in the United States (ages 12 to 20)
Prevalence of Underage Alcohol Use, People Ages 12 to 20 Prevalence of Lifetime Drinking According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 13.2 million people ages 12 to 20 (34.2% in this age group) reported that they have had at least one drink in their lives. 1,2 This includes: 6.5 million males ages 12 to 20...
Introduction
Alcohol is part of our society. People use it to celebrate, socialize, relax, and enhance the enjoyment of meals. Nearly 90 percent of adults in the United States report that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime, and more than half report drinking in the last month. 1 Although most people drink in moderation, nearly 40 percent of...

News Release

Early Drinking Onset Increases Lifetime Injury Risk
For Release

Ralph Hingson, Sc.D., and other researchers at the Boston University School of Public Health reported in the September 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that the younger people are when they begin drinking the more likely they are to be injured later in life when under the influence of alcohol. Those who start drinking before age...

News Release

NIH study identifies gene variant linked to compulsive drinking
For Release
Carrying a gene variant that affects the release of a specific brain protein may put one at greater risk of developing an alcohol use disorder, according to the results of a recent animal study. The study was led by Professor Dorit Ron, PhD, Endowed Chair of Cell Biology of Addiction, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, and was...
The Basics: Defining How Much Alcohol is Too Much
Show your patients a standard drink chart when asking about their alcohol consumption to encourage more accurate estimates. Drinks often contain more alcohol than people think, and patients often underestimate their consumption. Advise some patients not to drink at all, including those who are managing health conditions that can be worsened by alcohol, are taking medications that could interact with alcohol, are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, or are under age 21.
Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose
An alcohol overdose occurs when there is so much alcohol in the bloodstream that areas of the brain controlling basic life-support functions—such as breathing, heart rate, and temperature control—begin to shut down. Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizure, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses such as no gag reflex (which prevents choking), and extremely low body temperature. Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Study Highlights Importance of Positive Alcohol Responses for Future Alcohol Problems

Some people experience the initial effects of alcohol as stimulating and euphoric, while others experience mostly unpleasant sedative effects. How individuals’ immediate responses to alcohol influence their future drinking behavior has been an active area of scientific research. One theory holds that people who have a low level of positive response to alcohol and who also are less sensitive to...

Advisory Council Minutes

Minutes of the 148th Meeting of the NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM 148th Meeting of the NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM May 15, ​2018 The National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) convened for its 148th meeting at 9:49 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15, 2017, at NIAAA headquarters in Rockville...
Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain
As adolescents mature, they undergo complex developmental changes, especially in their brains. The widespread changes in the organization and functioning of the brain—which continue into a person’s mid-20s—bring about the cognitive, emotional, and social skills necessary for adolescents to survive and thrive. The nature of these rapid changes may also increase the adolescent brain’s vulnerability to alcohol exposure. Patterns of...
Risk Factors: Varied Vulnerability to Alcohol-Related Harm
Knowing which patient groups are at greater risk for alcohol-related harm can reinforce your efforts to conduct careful screening, assessment, advising, and referral. Risks for alcohol-related harm vary by a wide range of factors, including your patient’s age, gender, sexual minority status, genes, mental health, and exposure to trauma or other stressors.

News Release

National Alcohol Screening Day (April 6) A National Wake-up Call - APRIL 4 Media Briefing To Kick Off Event
For Release

"What are you waiting for - last call, or a wake-up call?" is the question to be posed by alcohol research and treatment leaders at a media briefing to be held 10:30-11:30 A.M., Tuesday, April 4, in Georgetown University's Copley Hall. The briefing launches the second annual National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD), a national outreach program designed to educate people...

Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Fetal alcohol exposure occurs when a woman drinks while pregnant. Alcohol can disrupt fetal development at any stage during a pregnancy—including at the earliest stages before a woman even knows she is pregnant.
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