National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

This article was first published in NIAAA Spectrum Volume 14, Issue 3. Gene editing could one day help reverse anxiety and excessive drinking caused by adolescent exposure to alcohol, according to a new study in rats supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). A team of investigators led by NIAAA grantee Subhash C. Pandey, Ph.D., the...

Alcohol is dually reinforcing because it can both activate the brain’s reward processing system that mediates pleasure and reduce the activity of the brain’s systems that mediate negative emotional states such as stress, anxiety, and emotional pain. Repeated, excessive use of alcohol can lead to the development of addiction, which is associated with reduced reward function and increased activation of brain stress systems. The process of becoming addicted is thus accompanied by a shift in drinking motivation from positive reinforcement to negative reinforcement, during which drinking is motivated by attempts to reduce the emotional discomfort of acute and protracted withdrawal.

Supporting research to better understand and address alcohol-related health disparities and improve the health of underserved populations is one of the highest priorities of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Dry January is a time when people take a break from drinking and examine their relationship with alcohol. There are many potential reasons to take advantage of this time to examine your relationship with alcohol. It may be part of a New Year’s resolution to incorporate healthy behaviors into your routine. You may have overindulged during the holidays, and it...

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM AGENDA 150th Meeting of the NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM Thursday, February 7, 2019 Conference Rooms A,B,C, 6700-B Rockledge Dr., Bethesda, MD 20817 Webcast: National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - February 2019 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM...

On September 9 th each year, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recognizes International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day as a reminder that that there is no safe amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the first clinical reports by U.S. researchers identifying fetal alcohol syndrome...

TRENDS IN ALCOHOL-RELATED MORBIDITY AMONG COMMUNITY HOSPITAL DISCHARGES, UNITED STATES, 2000–2015 Chiung M. Chen, M.A. Young-Hee Yoon, Ph.D. CSR, Incorporated 1 Suite 500 4250 N. Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203 August 2018 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service National Institutes of Health 1 CSR, Incorporated, operates the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System (AEDS) under Contract No. HHSN275201300016C...

There are many reasons why people choose to participate in Dry January—a time when people take a break from drinking and examine their relationship with alcohol. For some people, it may be part of a New Year’s resolution to incorporate healthy behaviors into their routine. Taking a break from alcohol for an entire month provides one with an opportunity to...

Understanding how alcohol use and misuse impact women and developing interventions tailored to the unique needs of women

What Is Binge Drinking? The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08%—or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter—or more. This typically happens if a woman has four or more drinks, or a man has five or more drinks, within about 2 hours...

TRENDS IN UNDERAGE DRINKING IN THE UNITED STATES, 1991–2019 Chiung M. Chen, M.A. Young-Hee Yoon, Ph.D. CSR, Incorporated 1 Suite 220 22375 Broderick Drive Sterling, VA 20166 March 2021 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service National Institutes of Health 1 CSR, Incorporated, operates the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System (AEDS) under Contract No. HHSN275201800004C for the National...

What is the definition of recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)? Recovery from AUD Recovery is a process through which an individual pursues both remission from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cessation from heavy drinking 1. An individual may be considered “recovered” if both remission from AUD and cessation from heavy drinking are achieved and maintained over time. For those...

This article was first published in NIAAA Spectrum Volume 14, Issue 3. Suicide deaths involving heavy alcohol use have increased significantly among women in recent years, according to a new study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Previous research has shown that alcohol is a risk factor for suicidal behavior and that women have a...

The size of the older adult population is increasing rapidly. Alcohol use among older adults is also increasing . Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate that approximately 20 percent of adults aged 60-64 and around 10 percent over age 65 report current binge drinking. Older adults can experience a variety of problems from drinking alcohol...

La mezcla de alcohol con ciertos medicamentos podría provocar náuseas, vómitos, dolor de cabeza, letargo, desmayos o pérdida de la coordinación. También podría ponerlo en riesgo de sufrir hemorragias internas, problemas del corazón y dificultades respiratorias. Además de estos peligros, el alcohol puede disminuir la acción terapéutica del medicamento e, inclusive, hasta anularla por completo y convertirlo, así, en algo dañino o tóxico para el cuerpo.

The first 6 weeks of freshman year are a vulnerable time for harmful and underage college drinking and alcohol-related consequences because of student expectations and social pressures at the start of the academic year. Research shows that students who abstain from drinking often do so because their parents discussed alcohol use and its adverse consequences with them.

Alcohol-related deaths among individuals ages 16 and older, which increased during the first year of the pandemic, continued to increase during the second year of the pandemic, according to new analyses of 2021 mortality data by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) researchers. 1 In a previous study, they reported that alcohol-related death numbers soared 25.5% between 2019...

George F. Koob, Ph.D., is an internationally-recognized expert on alcohol and stress, and the neurobiology of alcohol and drug addiction. He is the Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), where he provides leadership in the national effort to reduce the public health burden associated with alcohol misuse. As NIAAA Director, Dr. Koob oversees a broad...

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.

The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS), a project of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), has expanded its resources for assisting studies on the effects of alcohol-related policies adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. APIS is an online resource that provides detailed information on a variety of alcohol-related policies in the United States at both state...