National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Commitment to Improving Research The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is committed to improving the quality and quantity of alcohol research studying underrepresented populations. Groups shown to suffer health disparities, or differences in the incidence, morbidity, or mortality associated with alcohol misuse as well as different medical, interpersonal and social consequences include: Racial and ethnic minorities Rural and...

Supplemental Information for National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Institutional National Research Service Awards (T32 and T35) I. INTRODUCTION This policy statement of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) supplements the general guidelines of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as described in the program announcements “Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional...

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...

With a brief intervention, you can help patients who drink too much to cut back or quit alcohol use as needed.

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...

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH Research Priorities and Procedures The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIAAA supports and conducts research on the impact of alcohol use on human health and well-being. It is the largest funder of alcohol...

LIVER CIRRHOSIS MORTALITY IN THE UNITED STATES: NATIONAL, STATE, AND REGIONAL TRENDS, 2000–2019 Chiung M. Chen, M.A. Young-Hee Yoon, Ph.D. CSR, Incorporated 1 Suite 220 22375 Broderick Drive Sterling, VA 20166 February 2022 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...

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM AGENDA 147th Meeting of the NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM Thursday, February 8, 2018 5635 Fishers Lane, Terrace Conference Rooms, Rockville MD 20852 10:15 AM - 3:00 PM: OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Time Activities Presenters 10:15 CALL TO ORDER AND...

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 and diverse scientific and administrative workforce to advance research to the next frontier and maximizing NIAAA research resources and infrastructure to promote discovery. Objective 1: Enhancing...

CollegeAIM stays in-step with latest college alcohol intervention research. Since it was first launched in 2015, the CollegeAIM (Alcohol Intervention Matrix) guide and website has provided research-based information to help college officials address harmful and underage student drinking by identifying effective alcohol interventions. Developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health...