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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Alcohol Researchers Prove Success with Primary Care Interventions

Michael Fleming, M.D., M.P.H., and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison report in the April 2 Journal of the American Medical Association results from Project TrEAT (Trial for Early Alcohol Treatment), the first large U.S. clinical trial to test the effectiveness of brief physician advice for intervening with nondependent problem drinkers. Supported by a grant from...

NIAAA Researchers Estimate Alcohol and Drug Use, Abuse, and Dependence Among Welfare Recipients

Proportions of welfare recipients using, abusing, or dependent on alcohol or illicit drugs are consistent with proportions of both the adult U.S. population and adults who do not receive welfare, report National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism researchers in the November American Journal of Public Health. However, certain age, gender, and ethnic characteristics of the general population group with...

Rates of nonmedical prescription opioid use and opioid use disorder double in 10 years

Almost 10 million U.S. adults report misusing prescription opioids in 2012-2013 Nonmedical use of prescription opioids more than doubled among adults in the United States from 2001-2002 to 2012-2013, based on a study from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. Nearly 10 million Americans, or 4.1 percent of the adult...

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week begins January 23
Event registration opens today; new teacher resources available. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) announced today that the next National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW) will be held Jan. 23-29, 2017, with event registration beginning immediately. NDAFW is an annual, week-long observance that brings together teens and scientific...
U.S.-Born Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites at Increased Risk for Psychiatric Disorders: Findings Raise New Questions About Influence of Culture

According to the results of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, reported in the December issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry (Volume 61), Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites born in the United States have a higher risk for developing psychiatric disorders than their foreign-born counterparts who have immigrated to the United States. The psychiatric disorders included alcohol and...

Prevalence of Marijuana Use Among U.S. Adults Doubles Over Past Decade

Surveys show 9.5 percent of Americans use marijuana; 30 percent of users meet criteria for a disorder The percentage of Americans who reported using marijuana in the past year more than doubled between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, and the increase in marijuana use disorder during that time was nearly as large. Past year marijuana use rose from 4.1 percent to 9.5...

Integrated stepped alcohol treatment for people in HIV care improves both HIV and alcohol outcomes
New clinical research supported by the National Institutes of Health shows that increasing the intensity of treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD) over time improves alcohol-related outcomes among people with HIV. This stepped approach to AUD treatment also improves HIV-related disease measures in this patient population. A report of the new study, led by researchers at Yale University, is now...
Frequency of Light-to-Moderate Drinking Reduces Heart Disease Risk in Men

A 12-year study of 38,077 male health professionals found that men who drank alcohol three or more days per week had a reduced risk of heart attack compared with men who drank less frequently. Men who drank less than one drink a day had similar risk reduction to those who drank three. Many epidemiologic studies have reported that moderate drinking-for...

Experts release improved clinical guidelines for diagnosing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
A group of experts on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) has proposed updated clinical guidelines for diagnosing FASD, which can result when a child is exposed to alcohol during prenatal development. The new guidelines clarify and expand upon the guidelines published by Hoyme and colleagues in 2005, which were the first to help clinicians distinguish among the four distinct subtypes...
Expanded National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week begins January 25
Two NIH institutes join forces to educate teens about the risks of using drugs and alcohol An annual, week-long observance that brings together teens and scientific experts to shatter persistent myths about substance use and addiction will feature information about alcohol in addition to drug use. Now called National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW), the observance will be held...
Event registration opens for National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week®

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) announced that event registration begins today for the next National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW), to be held Jan. 22-28, 2018. NDAFW is an annual, week-long series of educational events that brings together teens and scientific experts to SHATTER THE MYTHS® about...

Landmark study of adolescent brain development renews for additional seven years

NIH-supported, multi-institute research program will generate robust data about how young brains mature. With nearly $290M of new funding for seven years to research institutions around the country, the National Institutes of Health renewed its commitment to the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child health ever conducted in the United States...

Early Studies on Prevention of Alcohol Use in Pregnancy

April 23-24, 1998 • Ramada Inn • Bethesda, Maryland Abstracts The Seattle Pregnancy and Health Program: A Demonstration Grant to Prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Intervene in Female Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy Ruth E. Little, Sc.D., Ann P. Streissguth, Ph.D., and Gay M. Guzinski, M.D. From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology...

When It Comes to Reducing Alcohol-Related Stigma, Words Matter
Here are some recommendations for reducing alcohol-related stigma How certain words are used to describe alcohol-related problems and the people who are affected by them perpetuate stigma. Stigma is a significant barrier in many people’s willingness to seek help for alcohol problems and can affect how they are treated in all aspects of life, including availability and quality of care...
Data Directory and Reference Manuals
Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Directory The Alcohol Epidemiologic Data Directory [ PDF] is compiled by the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System (AEDS). The directory is a current listing of surveys and other relevant data suitable for epidemiologic research on alcohol. Most data sets described in this document are national in scope. In some cases, however, select specialized data sets may be included...
NIAAA Concept Clearance
A concept describes the basic purpose, scope, and objectives of a potential solicitation of grants or contracts. Most frequently, the concept will be developed into a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or Request for Proposals (RFP) — initiatives to stimulate research in a well-defined scientific area in order to accomplish specific program objectives. A concept clearance is the process by...
Want to Reduce Stigma? Choose Your Words Wisely
We can help alleviate the stigma associated with alcohol-related conditions by consistently using non-pejorative, non-stigmatizing, person-first language to describe these concerns and the people who are affected by them. Keep in mind that some words that are commonly used in society, such as “alcoholic” and “alcohol abuse,” can be stigmatizing.
Research Monographs
The majority of the research monographs are based on papers presented at NIAAA-sponsored conferences on a topic. Each monograph reviews and analyzes studies conducted by alcohol researchers as well as investigators conducting research germane to the area on which the monograph focuses. The NIAAA Research Monographs are available through The SALIS Collection. Research Monograph No. 37: Alcohol Use Among American...
Drinking Levels and Patterns Defined

Drinking in Moderation: According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture, adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or to drink in moderation by limiting intake to 2 drinks or less in a day for men and 1 drink or less in a day for...

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