Alcohol Abuse
100 articles
20 Common Things People Realize When They Quit Drinking Alcohol
Of all the culturally conditioned behaviors we’ve mindlessly adopted, alcoholism is one of the most curious.
Can You Handle Your Liquor? Yes...Then, Watch Out, You're at Risk of Alcoholism!
Young people who have a low response to alcohol (who need more to get drunk) are at a much greater risk for the lifetime development of alcove use disorders.
Drinking Games and Toga Parties – New Research on College Binge Drinking
Not entirely surprisingly, college students participating in drinking games tend to get drunker than those that don't.
Drinking Alcohol Even Days Before Surgery, Can Be Deadly
Doctors now caution anyone due for scheduled surgery to limit, or eliminate, alcohol consumption prior to a procedure.
College Class to Study Only Alcoholic Writers
U Mass Professor Michael Carolan leads students in an exploration of the influence alcohol has had on a century of America's greatest authors.
Heavy Drinking Increases the Risks of 6 Types of Cancers, by as Much as 700%
Canadian researchers prove that heavy drinking increases your risk of liver and esophageal cancer by 700% and substantially increases your risks of stomach, colon, prostate and lung cancer.
Can You Handle Your Liquor? Yes...Then Watch Out, You're at Risk of Alcoholism!
Young people who have a low response to alcohol (who need more to get drunk) are at a much greater risk for the lifetime development of alcohol use disorders.
Caffeine Makes Drunks Feel Dangerously Sober
Researchers say that drinking coffee as a way to sober up after drinking too much alcohol may not be such a good idea – in fact, by making people feel more sober than they are, it might just make things worse.
Researchers Looking to Connect Malt Liquor Sales to Homicides.
Poor African American neighborhoods have more liquor stores per capita than comparative urban environments, and those stores sell and promote a lot more malt liquor. These neighborhoods also have higher homicide rates and researchers think there might be a connection between the consumption of malt liquor, and increased aggression.
Beer Pong Spreads H1N1 – Say College Officials
With 21 students now infected, students at Rensselaer Polytechnic in New York State have been asked to stop playing the drinking game ‘beer pong’, which officials suspect may have spread the virus.
The More Often You Drink, the More Often You'll Binge Drink - Say Canadian Researchers
People who drink a glass of wine or a beer a day, a few times a week, binge drink more often than occasional drinkers.
The Last Time They Got Drunk, 12% of Binge Drinkers Drove a Car
According to the latest findings by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 12% of binge drinkers admit to driving after their last binge drinking session. They say that more than half of these people got drunk at a bar or a restaurant and that by enforcing existing laws that limit alcohol service amounts, the numbers of drunk drivers on the roads could fall substantially.
The CFA Wants You to Know How Many Calories/Carbs are in Popular Brands of Beer
A free chart put out by the Consumer Federation of America tells you how many carbohydrates, and calories, and how much alcohol, is in that drink.
Mississippi Moonshine Costs the State Millions Each Year
State Agents closed yet another illegal still last week - but the 2 suspected of operating the illicit distillery face only small fines for what officials call a dangerous practice.
The End of the Teenage Keg Party?
Activists hoping to convince New Jersey State Legislators of a need for name tagging on all kegs of beer sold in the state, hope to see the end of the underage keg party.
One Binge Drinking Session Reduces Immune System Function for 24 Hours
Alcohol reduces the activity of a protein necessary for launching defensive immune system cytokines, leaving bingers at an increased risk of infection for up to 24 hours after heavy drinking.
Research Breakthrough Might End The Anxiety of Alcohol Withdrawal
Illinois researchers now understand on the molecular level how alcohol induces anxiety - and they think they might be able to stop it.
Miller Marketing Alcohol to Kids? 29 Attorney Generals Express Concerns.
Energy drinks with alcohol, that look like regular energy drinks and appear targeted to underage drinkers, have activists seething and Justice Officials concerned.
Medication on the Way to Eliminate Flushing and Redness after Drinking
Hundreds of millions of East Asians can't effectively process alcohol, medication is in clinical trials that may help.
Brewers Say Alcoholic Energy Drinks Are Safe – FDA Says, “Prove It”
The FDA has served spiked energy drinks makers notice – prove within 30 days that adding caffeine to alcoholic drinks isn’t harmful – or we’ll shut you down.
Alcoholic Drinking Can Damage the Brain’s Ability to Decode Facial Expressions
Chronic heavy drinking can cause brain damage in regions of the brain needed for emotional processing, leaving alcoholics in recovery less able to interpret the emotions displayed in facial expressions.
Police Arrest Same Man for DUI Twice in 3 Hours
Oneida County Sheriff's Deputies arrest a man for extreme drunk driving twice in a single night!
Baby Boomers Still Binge Drinking
Duke University researchers say that baby boomers and those 65+ are binge drinking in high numbers.
The End of the Teenage Keg Party?
Activists hoping to convince New Jersey State Legislators of a need for name tagging on all kegs of beer sold in the state, hope to see the end of the underage keg party.
Online Alcohol Intervention Reduces College Drinking by 17%
College students who met the criteria for harmful drinking behaviors drank 17% less one month after participating in an easy web based alcohol intervention.
Ordering Wine at a Restaurant? Be Careful, Scientists Say There's More Alcohol in It Than You Think!
California researchers visited 80 bars and restaurants to see just how much alcohol was in a served drink - and they found that with wine especially, people were getting served a lot more than a standard serving of alcohol in each glass.
Turn Up The Volume - Increase the Hangover?
French researchers staked out local bars to see what effect turning up the volume might have on drinking behavior.
Students Who Drink Alcohol at Greater Risk For Sexual Assualt
University students who drink alcohol to excess face a greater risk of violent or sexual assault. Critics say - don't blame the victim!
Can Fruit Flies Become Alcoholics?
According to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, fruit flies given unlimited access to alcohol start to act very similarly to human alcoholics.
Worldwide, Alcohol Leads to Early Death for 1 in 25. In Europe, It’s 1 in 15
Alcohol’s influence on early death has grown since the year 2000, attributable largely to an increase in drinking by women, and overall increases in developing countries such as India and China.
Alcohol free, Packers' Koren Robinson Gets Another Chance
After numerous alcohol related suspensions and a lengthy DUI prison sentence, Packers' Koren Robinson leaves his troubled past behind as he prepares for this week's NFC championship game.
2 Drinks a Day Pulls Alzheimer's 5 Years Younger
Drinking 2 or more drinks per day causes a 5 year earlier onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Quick and Easy Online Intervention Helps Problem Drinkers Cut-Down by 30%
Canadian health researchers say that heavy drinkers given access to an online intervention tool reduced their alcohol consumption by 30% - and that this reduction proved lasting beyond 6 months.
Researchers Find a Potential ‘Cure’ for Alcoholism
Scientists have found a brain hormone that they say plays a central role in the development and perpetuation of alcohol dependence (Alcoholism). They say that by blocking this hormone, they ‘cured’ alcoholic mice from their excessive drinking habits.
Knowing How Much Less Other Students Drink Helps Heavy Drinking College Students Cut Back
College students who drink heavily often wrongly believe that their peers drink equivalently, but when heavy drinking college students receive accurate information about the quantity consumed by peers; they reduce their own drinking.
Alberta Bar May Face Criminal Charges in Alcohol Poisoning Death
The bar that served shooters all night to 22 year old Tammy Kobylka may face criminal charges after her death.
Lowered Drinking Age Increases Rates of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
People who came of age in states with a drinking age of 18 are far more likely to have current day problems with alcohol and drug addiction than people who grew up in states that enforced a legal minimum drinking age of 21.
Alcohol Abuse Costs Each Canadian $463 Per Year
In a newly released report, the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Addiction recommends 6 policy changes that they say could save 800 lives, and almost a billion dollars, each year.
Little Change in Drinking Behaviors at “Party Schools” Since 1993
American colleges that dealt with problem drinking in 1993 had equally problematic drinking in 2005.
Red Faced and Flushed after Drinking? New Medication May Help
Hundreds of millions of East Asians lack enzymes necessary for the breakdown of alcohol in the liver - a pill is on the way that may help.
Newborn Baby Girl Born to Drunk Mom Has a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.29
The mom, who was noticeably drunk during labor, faces up to 5 years in prison.
HIV Positive Patients that Drink Alcohol Are Less Likely to Take Their Medications
HIV positive patients that drink alcohol are less likely to take their medications as directed, and as alcohol consumption goes up, medication regimen adherence goes down.
UK Scientists Working on Alcohol Replacement That Would Get You Buzzed But Not Drunk
British scientists are working on a replacement for alcohol that could be drunk to produce a mild intoxication, but that could not get you drunk and that could be reversed instantly when needed.
Reduce Cancer Incident Rates by 35% By Reducing Societal Binge Drinking.
Jim Bishop, of the Australian Cancer institute, claims that 35% of cancer cases could be eliminated by a change in public drinking behaviors.
Canadian First Nations People Are 5 Times More Likely to Die from Alcohol Use than General Population
Provincial health advisor, Dr. Evan Adams, calls for intervention from within the First Nations community.
3 Drinks a Day Raises Breast Cancer Risk by 51%
A massive study from the National Cancer Institute has linked post menopausal alcohol consumption to greatly increased rates of breast cancer.
ND Surgeon Attempts Operation With An Astounding 0.35 Blood Alcohol Content
Hospital staff noticed Dr William Yvorchuk's intoxication as he was about to start his third operation of the day.
Fairbanks Mayor to Ban Malt Liquor in Certain Parts of Town
Faced with problem levels of public intoxication, Fairbanks Mayor Terry Strel is banning the sale of Malt Liquor in problem areas.
Scientists Understand College Drinking Better, But College Drinking Fatalities Continue to Rise
Despite research over the past number of years that has produced a greater understanding of the kinds of interventions that reduce excessive drinking on college campuses, the fatality and binge drinking rates continue to rise.
After Stress Women Feel Sad - Men Want to Drink Alcohol
Yale University researchers say that stressful situations prompt greater cravings to drink for men, than for women.
Alcohol Harms 1 in 4 Relationships
The drinking habits of one partner has caused relationship problems for 26% of Britons.
Overweight Drinkers at Increased Risk of Liver Damage
Heavy drinking harms the liver – as does being obese – but when obese people drink heavily, the damage to the liver increases exponentially.
Occasional Binge Drinking Erases the Cardiac Benefits of Moderate Drinking
While a drink a day may be heart healthy, binge drinking, even occasionally, seems to eliminate the cardiovascular benefits of moderate drinking and increase the risk of heart disease.
Canadian Soup Kitchen Removes Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizers Due to Abuse
A soup kitchen in Saskatoon Canada was forced to stop offering anti bacterial hand sanitizer after they found that people were distilling the alcohol out of the gel for consumption.
Soldiers Come Home – Beer Sales Shoot Up
Beer and liquor sales skyrocket in Alaska when soldiers return from overseas combat. The Army says it’s trying to help by teaching more responsible drinking.
American Alcohol Consumption on the Rise
Texas University researchers who studied the alcohol consumption habits of different groups say that whites are drinking more alcohol than they did in 1992 and that more Hispanics and blacks are drinking today than they did in 1992.
WHO Releases Worldwide Plan to Fight Alcohol Abuse
Minimum pricing, controlled sale times, lower BACs for motorists and health warning labels on bottles are among the recommendations made by the WHO to reduce the human costs of alcohol abuse.
Drinking While Pregnant Decreases the Eventual Fertility of Male Children
Male children who are exposed to alcohol in the womb by their imbibing pregnant moms are likely to have lower sperm counts 20 years later and may have greater difficulty fathering children.
A Third of Children Get Scared When Watching Adults Drink
BBC researchers questioned over a thousand children and young teens in the UK to find out how watching adults drink (and get drunk) made them feel
Underage Drinking Leads to an Increase in Emergency Room Visits Every Memorial Day Weekend
Emergency room visits due to underage drinking go up by 11% over the Memorial Day weekend.
Women over 30 Who Drink While Pregnant More Likely to Cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Moms over 30 who binge drink while pregnant are more likely than younger women who also binge drink to give birth to a child with alcohol exposure caused permanent brain damage.
20 Year Old Hooligan Barred From Every Pub in England and Wales
20 year old Laura Hall has been getting drunk and causing problems in her hometown of Bromsgrove for years. She is now the first person in England to receive a national ban on drinking in public.
Man Stopped for DUI Has One Last Drink before Taking Sobriety Test
A Floridian driver pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving finished off his cocktail prior to attempting a field sobriety test.
1 in 5 Australians Will Experience an Alcohol Abuse Problem
22% of Australians will develop a drinking problem at least once in a lifetime and young adults today are drinking a lot more than their earlier cohorts did.
Teens Girls Who Drink At Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
Drinking while a teen is found to increase the odds of benign breast disease in the 20’s – which is a known risk factor for later in life breast caner.
More than a Third of Seniors Are Drinking at High Risk Levels
Researchers at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA say that more than a third of people over the age of 60 are either drinking too much, or drinking at levels that when combined with the medications they take, puts them at risk.
In England, People from Poorer Areas Are Far More Likely to Die from Alcohol Related Causes
English researchers say that people living in poorer areas are significantly more likely to die from alcohol related causes than people from more affluent parts of the country.
Women Who Drink Beer at Increased Risk of Psoriasis
Women who drink 5 or more regular strength beers per week more than double their risks of developing psoriasis.
London to Enforce Alcohol Abstinence for Those Convicted of Alcohol Related Crimes
The city of London is thinking of copying South Dakota’s mandatory sobriety program for offenders involved in alcohol related crimes. If they do, those in the program will have to come to a testing facility twice a day to blow into a breathalyzer and prove their sobriety – or end up in jail.
6% of American 12 to 14 Year Olds Drink Alcohol in Any Given Month
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), about 6% of kids between the ages of 12 and 14 are drinking alcohol in any given month – almost none of them are paying for it, and about 15% of them have parents who knowingly provide the booze.
Binge Drinking Doubles Heart Disease Risk
Researchers in Ireland say that people who regularly drink more than 4 or 5 drinks in a sitting have nearly twice the risk of heart disease.
Alcoholics Get Married Later – More Likely to Get Divorced
Dreaming of that white wedding? Well, be careful with your drinking, because not only do problem drinkers get married later in life, they’re also more likely to have relationships that run into trouble - in fact, alcoholics are twice as likely as non problem drinkers to get divorced.
3 Year Old Treated for Alcoholism in England
In an extreme case of collateral damage from the UK’s culture of binge drinking, a 3 year old child was admitted to a West Midlands hospital sometime between 2008 and 2010 for alcohol dependency.
Canadian Researchers Say Booze Is Too Cheap, but Homeless Alcoholics Should Get Free Alcohol
Researchers at The University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research say that alcohol is way too cheap in British Columbia. They recommend tripling the minimum cost and recommend giving free alcohol to homeless alcoholics, so that after a price hike, they won’t have to resort to drinking mouthwash or anti freeze or other non beverage types of alcohol.
Alcohol Cheaper than Water in New Zealand
N.Z. researchers have found that a drink of easily found bargain priced wine is, on average, less than the price of a 250ml bottle of water.
American Teens Say Getting Drunk, Is No Big Deal
According to study data from the Partnership at Drug Free.org, almost half of American teens see ‘no great risk’ in drinking 5 or more drinks per day.
College Students Taking a Semester Overseas Double Their Drinking While Away
Students under the age of 21 who go overseas increase their drinking even more dramatically.
CDC Reports No Decline in Binge Drinking over Last 15 Years
The CDC says that despite considerable public education campaigns, binge drinking hasn’t declined in more than 15 years, and according to alcohol sales information, it may actually be on the rise.
Let Your Teen Have A Glass of Wine at Home? Research Says You’re Increasing the Odds of Alcohol Problems
Although a lot of parents think that by introducing alcohol to young teens in the home adolescents can learn responsible drinking habits, a large harm reduction study out of Australia and America suggests that these well meaning parents may be doing a lot more harm than good.
SIDS (Crib Death) Far More Likely to Occur on New Years Eve – Researchers Blame Drunk Caregivers
SIDS deaths spike by a third on New Year’s Eve, prompting researchers to speculate that increased alcohol consumption decreases childcare effectiveness and leads to the increased deaths.
UK Study Finds Alcohol Most Harmful Drug – Worse than Heroin and Crack
When considering the total costs of drug use by substance, and when factoring both personal costs and costs to society at large, researchers in the UK say alcohol is far and away the most harmful drug out there today.
Moderate Drinking in First Trimester Causes 3 Fold Increase in Conduct Disorder Risk for Unborn Child
Hoping to avoid trouble with your teen children? Then make sure you don’t drink at all during the first trimester of pregnancy because as little as one drink a day during those first three months triples the risk of teen conduct disorder.
Independence Day - Hospitals across America Ready for Spike in Underage Alcohol-Related Admissions
Hospital emergency rooms around the country are ready for a little extra business today, as Independence Day revelry sparks an upswing in underage drinking and all the violence and accidents that go hand in hand with summertime binge drinking .
5 Killed in UK Moonshine Operation Explosion
Police in the UK say that chemicals and equipment found with the debris at a blast site in an industrial estate in Lincolnshire indicate an illegal vodka making factory. Bottles of black-market vodka can be bought in the area for as little as 2 pounds and are marketed mainly at the large Eastern European immigrant community.
In 34 Alaskan Communities Looking to Stop Homebrew Alcohol, Possessing Yeast and Sugar is a Crime
In 34 Alaskan communities, the possession of sugar and yeast is a crime and police are on the lookout for anyone with the supplies and intent to make up a batch of homebrew.
Drunk Father on Road Trip Lets 8 Year Old Son Drive Through Louisiana
Too drunk to drive, a 28 year old Mississippi man left the driving through Louisiana to his 8 year old son while he passed out, with an open container, in the passenger seat.
Working 50+ Hours Per Month Raises Alcohol Abuse Risk Dramatically
People who work 50 or more hours per week are as much as three times more likely to develop a problem with alcohol as those who are unemployed.
Scientists Explain Why Alcohol Causes Embarrassing Behaviors
Researchers at the University of Missouri say they know why we’re more likely to do really dumb things when drunk – it’s not that we don’t realize that we’re screwing up, it’s just that we just lose the ability to care very much about the mistakes we know we’re making.
Even Brain Damaged Alcoholics Can Expect Neural Recovery with Prolonged Sobriety
A study which proves that it is never too late to quit drinking shows that even severely brain damaged alcoholics (who suffer balance and walking problems from their neural deficits) will recover much balance and motor function in time.
What You Post on Your Facebook Page Reveals Your Risk of Problem Drinking
Researchers say that college students who posted pictures or references of intoxication on their facebook pages were far more likely to meet the criteria for problem drinking than students who did not.
Alcohol Abuse Damages Brain Areas Necessary for Maintaining Sobriety
Want to understand why you have such a hard time staying sober? Researchers at Harvard Medical School say they have the answer based on the results of a recent brain imaging experiment – The very areas of the brain you need most to maintain abstinence are the areas most damaged by excessive alcohol use!
Heavier Drinkers Have Less Neural Response to Risk Taking
Researchers at Yale University School of Medicine say that compared to moderate drinkers, heavier drinkers show less activation in areas of the brain which modulate risk management.
Experimental Medication Nalmefene Helps Alcoholics Drink Less
Heavy drinkers given Nalmefene to take as needed reduced the amount they consumed by 66%.
Study Says That for Those Not Yet Dependent, the Best Way to Reduce Risky Drinking Is to Record Daily Consumption
It won’t work once you’re dependent, but a new study says that for heavy and binge drinkers who haven’t yet crossed that line, recording the amount consumed each day is an effective way to cut down.
Common Anti-Smoking Drug Varenicline (Chantix) Helps Heavy Drinkers Cut Down
In a recent study, the common anti smoking drug varenicline (Chantix) helped heavy drinkers reduce consumption by 36%.
Researchers Say Binge Drinkers Taking Kudzu Root Extract Drink Less
Harvard University Medical School researchers say that an extract taken from the kudzu root may help alcohol abusers drink less.
Gastric Bypass Surgery Increases Likelihood of Developing an Alcohol Abuse Problem
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center say having gastric bypass surgery raises a person’s risk of developing an alcohol abuse problem by 50%.
Controlling Your Drinking with Glassware? Some Types of Glasses Increase Drinking Rate, Other Types Slow You Down
People trying to reduce their alcohol consumption may want to pay attention to their glassware. Researchers at the University of Bristol say that people drinking alcohol out of curved glasses drink about twice as fast as people drinking alcohol out of straight-sided glassware.
AA Study: Alcoholics Who Help Others Most Likely to Stay Sober
AA study - Researchers say that while attending meetings improves your recovery odds, it’s helping others in the program that really makes the difference.
Alcohol Abstinence Reverses Brain Damage – But Treatment Must Be 2 Weeks or Longer to Take Advantage of Healing
Your brain heals quickly once you stop drinking and after a couple of weeks people start to see big improvements. Researchers say alcohol treatment needs to be at least this long to take advantage of this return of function.