Research on Promising Medications (not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA]) to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Varenicline (Chantix®), a medication approved for smoking cessation, was found in a recent 200-patient clinical trial conducted by NIAAA’s Clinical Investigations Group (NCIG) to reduce alcohol consumption and craving among people who are alcohol-dependent. Varenicline may work by partially stimulating...

The NIAAA community mourns the passing of Ann P. Streissguth, Ph.D., who died on August 1, 2023. An internationally renowned expert on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), Dr. Streissguth and colleagues published the first study identifying “fetal alcohol syndrome” in the United States and its link to maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. “Dr. Streissguth was a pioneer whose seminal research...

Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): Promising Practices for System Involved Youth with FASD FASD is a group of medical conditions that describe a range of effects that can occur in an individual prenatally exposed to alcohol. These effects, often invisible, may include mental, behavioral, and or learning disabilities with lifelong implications. This session will highlight available resources on this...

Drinking to the point of a blackout has gained pop culture notoriety in recent years. Alcohol-induced blackouts can lead to impaired memory of events that transpired while intoxicated, and a drastically increased risk of injuries and other harms. They can occur in anyone who drinks alcohol, no matter their age or level of experience with drinking. In this factsheet, we...

Appendix A. Differences Among Survey Data Sources Item NHSDA/NSDUH MTF YRBS Sample Characteristics Survey population Civilian, noninstitutionalized population ages 12 and older, including residents of households and noninstitutional group quarters, and civilians living on military installations 8th, 10th, 12th graders enrolled in school 9th through 12th graders enrolled in school Sample size (2019) 67,625 youth and adults 18,766 12- to...

Appendix A. Differences Among Survey Data Sources Item NHSDA/NSDUH MTF YRBS Sample Characteristics Survey population Civilian, noninstitutionalized population ages 12 and older, including residents of households and noninstitutional group quarters, and civilians living on military installations 8th, 10th, 12th graders enrolled in school 9th through 12th graders enrolled in school Sample size (2019) 67,625 youth and adults 18,766 12- to...

NIAAA’s ability to pursue its research priorities is supported by the commitment to building and sustaining a robust research capacity. At the core of NIAAA’s efforts to build research capacity are cultivating a talented scientific and administrative workforce to advance research to the next frontier and maximizing NIAAA research resources and infrastructure to promote discovery. Objective 1: Enhancing and Sustaining...

In 2010, NIAAA celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding this year with a fresh, new look and new publications that examined the Institute's pivotal role in alcohol-related research and outreach. The Institute hosted a special symposium on October 4, 2010, recognizing the anniversary. At this symposium, leaders in the field discussed the ways in which alcohol research has evolved...

NIAAA Resources Today there are more options available for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) than ever before. Decades of research have led to advances in medications and behavioral therapies to help people recover. Professionally led alcohol treatment now takes place in a variety of settings, including outpatient care that can help many people recover while still living at home. To...

The mission of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is to generate and disseminate fundamental knowledge about the adverse effects of alcohol on health and well-being, and apply that knowledge to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related problems, including alcohol use disorder, across the lifespan. NIAAA leads the national effort to reduce alcohol-related problems by: Conducting and...

Can NIAAA accept donations? Yes. Although the NIAAA is a federally funded organization and not a fund-raising organization, the U.S. Congress has authorized NIAAA to accept donations and bequests to support its research mission. Donations to the NIAAA are deposited in a Gift Fund account which is separate from the funding NIAAA receives from Congress. How are donations used? Projects...

Treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) includes behavioral treatments such as mutual support groups and individual therapy, as well as pharmaceutical treatments. Often these are used in combination. Currently, there are three Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for the treatment of AUD: Disulfiram (Antabuse®) In 1949, disulfiram became the first drug approved to treat alcoholism. The drug works by...

Para muchas personas, una noche de alcohol puede resultar en una mañana desagradable y los temibles efectos de una resaca. ¿Qué nos dice la ciencia sobre este fenómeno? ¿Qué factores causan los síntomas característicos de una resaca? Y la pregunta que quizás sea tan antigua como la resaca misma: ¿existe algún remedio real? ¿Qué es la resaca? La resaca se...

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has launched a LinkedIn page. We are excited to expand our social media footprint to engage with professional audiences, including researchers, health care professionals, educators, public health officials, and more. Visit and follow the LinkedIn page today. On this account, we will share NIAAA news and events, information on funding, job...

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has released Advancing Alcohol Research to Promote Health and Well-Being, the Institute’s Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2024-2028. The plan charts a course for the next five years and outlines the goals and priorities that will guide NIAAA’s research through a dynamic balance of basic, translational, and clinical research relevant to...

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...

NIAAA’s major initiatives seek to address alcohol-related issues across the lifespan. Our aim is to reduce the tremendous burden of illness resulting from the misuse of alcohol by: Preventing children and adolescents from beginning and continuing to drink alcohol Offering effective intervention for problem alcohol use at all ages To accomplish this, we support research in areas ranging from basic...

NIAAA and the scientific community mourn the death on April 5th of Enoch Gordis, M.D., who served as the NIAAA director from 1986 to 2001. Dr. Gordis emphasized science as a way of understanding alcohol use disorder (AUD). He earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Columbia University in New York City. Trained in internal medicine, Dr. Gordis conducted research...

In the 1990s, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), began sponsoring the Work Group on Women, Drinking, and Pregnancy, one of four work groups then supported by the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD). In 2018, the Work Group changed its name to the Interagency Work Group on Drinking...

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) offers many easy-to-understand patient resources on alcohol use disorder, alcohol’s effects on health, alcohol overdose, and related topics in multiple languages, such as Spanish, Chinese, and Russian. See our multilingual resources below.