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
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
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are the broad range of neurodevelopmental and physical effects that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. People with FASD may have facial abnormalities and growth impairments, but the most profound effects are cognitive and behavioral deficits. These deficits can contribute to lifelong learning disabilities, poor social skills, and other problems … Read more
In 2015, Princeton University economists Anne Case, Ph.D., and Angus Deaton, Ph.D., reported something unexpected. After decreasing since the end of World War II, rates of death began to increase in the United States for people in some groups. The rise in deaths was driven primarily by drug and alcohol overdoses, suicides, and liver disease. … Read more
Nearly 15 million people in the United States have alcohol use disorder (AUD), but in any given year, less than 10 percent of them receive treatment. And even those who receive treatment may not receive the type of care that best fits their needs and improves their chances of a successful recovery. Research shows that … Read more
Breakthroughs in neuroscience have firmly established our understanding of alcohol use disorder (AUD) as a chronic brain disease. But when it comes to the adverse health effects of alcohol, the brain is not the only game in town. Drinking too much—on a single occasion or over time—can take a serious toll on just about every … Read more