National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Años de vida ajustados por discapacidad ( disability-adjusted life years): Una medida de los años de vida perdidos o vividos con menos de una salud plena. Consumo de alcohol en altas cantidades ( high-intensity drinking): El consumo de alcohol a niveles que son dos o más veces superiores a los umbrales de consumo excesivo y peligroso de alcohol ( binge...

Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) resources

Cross-cutting research programs are NIAAA-managed research portfolios that include topics spanning multiple research goals outlined in this strategic plan. These programs complement the Cross-Cutting Research Themes and Supporting the Mission sections of this strategic plan. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) represent the broad range of neurodevelopmental impairments and other physical effects that result from prenatal exposure...

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...

Celebrations during the holidays is a time when some people are more likely to drink beyond their limits than at other times of the year. Some will suffer adverse consequences that range from fights to falls to traffic crashes. Sadly, we often put ourselves and others at risk because we don’t understand how alcohol affects us during an evening of celebratory drinking.

President Nixon signed the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 on December 31, 1970. This legislation was also known as the Hughes Act for Senator Harold Hughes, a person who was in recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) and championed the cause of AUD research. The Hughes Act authorized a comprehensive Federal program to...

The older adult population is increasing rapidly. Alcohol use among older adults is also increasing. As we focus on the quality of life for this growing population, it’s important to take into account how alcohol affects their overall health.

NIAAA Established The Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 launched the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, authorizing NIAAA “to develop and conduct comprehensive health, education, training, research, and planning programs for the prevention and treatment” of alcohol-related problems. Called the “Hughes Act,” after its champion, Iowa Senator Harold E. Hughes, the legislation...

The Mark Keller Honorary Lecture Series As a tribute to Mark Keller's pioneering contributions to the field of alcohol research, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism established the Mark Keller Honorary Lecture Series. Every fall, the series features a lecture by an outstanding alcohol researcher whose work makes significant and long-term contributions to our understanding of: How alcohol...

Alcohol misuse: Drinking in a manner, situation, amount, or frequency that could cause harm to the person who drinks or to those around them. For individuals younger than the U.S. Minimum Legal Drinking Age of 21, or for pregnant females, any alcohol use constitutes alcohol misuse. Alcohol use disorder (AUD): AUD is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder characterized by an...

Selected articles and videos for deeper dives into Core Resource content

Harassment and Discrimination Protections in NIH Training Applications Applications for National Institutes of Health (NIH) institutional training grants (T15, T32, T34, T35, T36, T37, T90/R90, TL1, TL4) must include a letter on institutional letterhead signed by a key institutional leader that describes the institutional commitment to ensuring that proper policies, procedures, and oversight are in place to prevent discriminatory harassment...

Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a drink. The amount of liquid in your glass, can, or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is actually in your drink. Different types of beer, wine, or malt liquor can have very different amounts of alcohol content. For example, many light beers have almost as much...

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Because drinking alcohol is a large part of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities for many people, this is a good time to be mindful of how alcohol can impact your celebrations and your health.

Underage possession of alcohol is illegal in the United States, and the minimum legal drinking age is 21. The earlier that a young person starts to drink, the more likely they are to have alcohol-related problems as a teenager or adult. Drinking at a young age greatly increases the risk for many problems now and in adulthood. Drinking alcohol can...

The holidays are a time to celebrate, often with family and friends. Many social gatherings include alcohol. However, many adults partaking in the festivities may not wish to drink alcohol for a variety of reasons.

Summer is a wonderful time for outdoor activities with family and friends. For some people, a day at the beach, on the boat, or at a backyard barbecue will include drinking alcohol beverages. But risky drinking and summer activities don’t mix. Drinking impairs both physical and mental abilities, and it also decreases inhibitions—which can lead to tragic consequences on the water, on the road, and in the great outdoors.

Underage drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States. Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth, and drinking by young people poses enormous health and safety risks.

Alcohol screening and brief intervention ranks highly among effective preventive services based on its cost-effectiveness and potential to reduce clinically preventable burden. Screening for heavy drinking can be done easily and effectively if you make it a routine part of care and use a brief tool recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that identifies people with unhealthy alcohol use.

APPARENT PER CAPITA ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: NATIONAL, STATE, AND REGIONAL TRENDS, 1977–2021 Megan E. Slater, Ph.D. Hillel R. Alpert, Sc.D. CSR, Incorporated 1 Suite 270 22375 Broderick Drive Sterling, VA 20166 April 2023 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...