New NIAAA Resource Helps Healthcare Professionals Provide Better Alcohol-Related Care

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has released The Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol (HPCR) to help healthcare professionals provide evidence-based care for people who drink alcohol. Created with busy clinicians in mind, the HPCR provides concise, thorough information designed to help them integrate alcohol care into their practice. Healthcare professionals can earn … Read more

NIAAA Fosters Innovation Through Its Small Business Research Program

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) program supports the development and commercialization of innovative tools, technologies, and strategies. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) SBIR/STTR program aims to improve the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment—as well as recovery from—alcohol-related problems. The SBIR/STTR program enhances NIAAA’s research portfolio across … Read more

Words Matter When Discussing Alcohol Issues: A New Stigma-Free Vocabulary for Better AUD Outcomes

Word choice may seem out of place among the myriad factors that can influence outcomes for a complex condition like alcohol use disorder (AUD). In fact, the stigma created by the language that is used to describe alcohol problems can decrease many people’s willingness to seek help for alcohol problems. It also can affect how … Read more

As Male and Female Drinking Patterns Become More Similar, Adverse Alcohol Risks for Women Become More Apparent

The steady near-equalization in patterns of alcohol use and misuse between women and men over the last decade has revealed women’s greater risks for alcohol-related consequences. A 2015 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)-led analysis of annual data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that differences in measures such as current … Read more

Brain Research: A Focus on Childhood Trauma and Alcohol Misuse

News reports of college drinking tragedies, and concerns about increased access to alcohol in the home during the pandemic, make clear that COVID-19 has provided no reprieve from the problems of underage drinking. A perennial public health priority, alcohol misuse by young people increases the likelihood of myriad serious consequences, including altered brain development, academic … Read more

Recovery – Coming to Terms with this Complex Concept

For many years, the concept of recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) has permeated our societal discourse and been celebrated for individuals with AUD who do recover. Yet, recovery’s complex nature has led to ambiguity about its meaning. This lack of agreement about the kinds of outcomes that define recovery has complicated efforts to compare … Read more