Alcoholism

Young Adult Drinking: Environmental Influences
by National Institute of Health
Policy measures intended to control alcohol use and related problems have seldom been specifically targeted toward the entire group of young people between the ages of 18 and 25. Research evaluating these policies also tends not to focus on the 18-25 age

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Referral Considerations
by CDC
Providers of medical, educational, and social services often must decide whether to refer a child, person, or family to a specialist for a full FAS diagnostic evaluation. This decision can be difficult.

Functional Imaging of Craving
by National Institute of Health
To visualize brain activity associated with mental states, such as craving for alcohol and other drugs (AODs), researchers have begun to use functional imaging techniques. Three commonly used techniques are single photon emission computed tomography

Substance Abuse In Cancer
by National Cancer Institute
Substance abuse is very uncommon among patients with cancer. The number of known patients with cancer who are substance abusers may be small because these patients do not seek medical help in hospitals, or they may not acknowledge to health care providers

Hepatitis C and Alcohol
by National Institute of Health
Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) who drink heavily are likely to suffer more severe liver injury, promoting disease progression to cirrhosis and increasing their risk for liver cancer.

Adolescent Drinking: Environmental Considerations
by National Institute of Health
A number of environmental factors can influence an adolescent's risk for drinking, including parenting styles, an adolescent's choice of peer groups, and even whether he or she is active in after-school activities.

Alcohol
by CDC
Alcohol use is very common in our society. Drinking alcohol has immediate effects that can increase the risk of many harmful health conditions. Excessive alcohol use, either in the form of heavy drinking (drinking more than two drinks per day on average

Social and Psychological Influences on Drinking Behavior
by National Institute of Health
Emerging adulthood, the transitional period between high school and young adulthood, is marked by the formation of identity, the establishment of more mature interpersonal and intimate relationships, and the transition to new adult-type roles.

Alcohol Craving Treatment
by National Institute of Health
Although many alcoholics experience craving, researchers have not yet developed a common, valid definition of the phenomenon. Numerous models of the mechanisms underlying craving have been suggested, however.

Problematic Alcohol Use: Maturing Out
by National Institute of Health
Problematic alcohol use - that is, heavy drinking, or drinking that is accompanied by unpleasant consequences - tends to increase as people go through late adolescence, peaking at about age 22 or so, and then decline as they grow older.

Young Adults and Drinking: Screening and Brief Intervention
by National Institute of Health
Both college and noncollege populations face a high risk of becoming heavy drinkers and experiencing negative consequences of alcohol use. Because young people in these populations do not tend to identify themselves as having alcohol problems

Smoking and the Genetic Contribution to Alcohol-Dependence
by National Institute of Health
Genes influence a person's risk of becoming a smoker as well as the risk of alcohol dependence. Because substantially higher rates of smoking are observed in alcoholics than in control groups, uncovering the mechanisms underlying this association

Alcohol Dependence and Habitual Smoking : Risks
by National Institute of Health
Smoking and alcohol dependence frequently occur together, and both behaviors are determined in part by genetic influences. The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), which is investigating the genetic factors contributing to alcohol

Alcoholic Liver Disease: Liver Transplantation
by National Institute of Health
In many patients, long-term heavy drinking leads to chronic liver disease, liver failure, and even death. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease, including alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

Young Adult Drinking Prevention
by National Institute of Health
This article briefly summarizes three evidence-based community intervention trials sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Designed to reduce alcohol use among youth and young adults, these trials demonstrate

Alcohol and Tobacco Use: Patterns of Co-Occurring Consumption and Dependence
by National Institute of Health
Epidemiologists have conducted nationwide surveys, such as the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) and the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), to estimate the prevalence of either the individual or the concurrent consumption of and dependence

Alcohol: What You Don't Know Can Harm You
by National Institute of Health
If you are like many Americans, you may drink alcohol occasionally. Or, like others, you may drink moderate amounts of alcohol on a more regular basis. If you are a woman or someone over the age of 65, this means you have no more than one drink per day

The Role of Stress in Alcohol Use
by National Institute of Health
Addiction to alcohol or other drugs (AODs) is a complex problem determined by multiple factors, including psychological and physiological components. Stress is considered a major contributor to the initiation and continuation of AOD use

Women and Drinking
by National Institute of Health
Alcohol presents yet another health challenge for women. Even in small amounts, alcohol affects women differently than men. In some ways, heavy drinking is much more risky for women than it is for men. With any health issue, accurate information is key.

Developmental Issues in Underage Drinking
by National Institute of Health
To better understand underage drinking and how it can be prevented, research is being conducted in a wide variety of disciplines - focusing on aspects such as risk and protective factors, biological processes underlying human development, and the impact