National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
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National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the lead agency in the United States for research on alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and other health effects of alcohol.
The NIAAA Web site is located at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
NIAAA Mission
NIAAA’s mission is to provide leadership in this nation’s efforts to reduce problem drinking by means of the following:
• Conducting and supporting research in a wide variety of scientific areas, including benefits of alcohol consumption, prevention and treatment, epidemiology, genetics, health risks and neuroscience
• Collaborating and coordinating with other federal programs and research institutes on alcohol-related issues
• Ongoing collaboration with local, state, national and international agencies, organizations and programs that are involved in alcohol-related work
• Dissemination of research findings to healthcare providers, policy makers, the public and researchers
NIAAA Vision
In fulfilling its mission, the NIAAA is guided by its vision to promote and support, through research and education, the best science on alcohol and health for Americans by:
• Increasing understanding of abnormal and normal biological behavior and functions relating to alcohol use
• Enhancing quality health care
• Improving diagnosis, prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorders
FAQ for the General Public on the NIAAA Web Site
The NIAAA Web site has an extensive FAQ for the general public to answer commonly-received questions. These FAQs cover:
• What is alcoholism?
• Is alcoholism a disease?
• Is alcoholism inherited?
• Can alcoholism be cured?
• Which medications treat alcoholism?
• Does alcoholism treatment work?
• Do you have to be an alcoholic to experience problems?
• Are specific groups of people more likely to have problems?
• How can you tell if someone has a problem?
• Can a problem drinker simply cut down?
• If an alcoholic is unwilling to get help, what can you do about it?
• What is a safe level of drinking?
• Is it safe to drink during pregnancy?
• Does alcohol affect older people differently?
• Does alcohol affect women differently?
• Is alcohol good for your heart?
• When taking medications, must you stop drinking?
• How can a person get help for an alcohol problem?
NIAAA Publications
The NIAAA has a number of publications available on various subjects:
NIAAA Spectrum – This is the new NIAAA webzine, published three times a year, which includes interesting articles and relevant information on a wide variety of topics relating to NIAAA and the field of alcohol research. It can be accessed from the NIAAA site or directly at http://www.spectrum.niaaa.nih.gov/
Alcohol Alert – This is a quarterly bulletin that disseminates research findings of a significant nature on a single aspect of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Some titles include:
• No. 78 – A Developmental Perspective on Underage Alcohol Use
• No. 77 – Neuroscience: Pathways to Alcohol Dependence (2009) • No. 76 – Alcohol and Other Drugs (2008)
• No. 75 – Systems Biology: The Solution to Understanding Alcohol-Induced Disorders? (2008)
• No. 74 – Alcohol Research: A Lifespan Perspective (2008)
The alerts may be downloaded online via PDF document, ordered online or requested in writing. Archive alerts cover bulletins from 1988-1999. Some alerts are only available online. For written requests:
NIAAA
P.O. Box 10686
Rockville, MD 20849-0686
Alcohol Research and Health – This is NIAAA’s quarterly, peer-reviewed scientific journal (formerly called Alcohol Health & Research World). Archived titles cover issues from 1994-1999. Full-text copies can be downloaded online, or print copies can be ordered by mail or phone (single copy or subscription prices apply). See the NIAAA Web site publications section for details.
Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much – A Clinician’s Guide – Clinician support and training includes a guide, medications update, online training for CME/CE credits, forms for downloading, PowerPoint slide show, manuals from Project COMBINE, and other resources.
Patient education includes the booklet Rethinking Drinking and Web site, and other publications for the general public in English and Spanish.
Other Publications for Researchers and Health Professionals:
• Professional Education Materials – manuals, monographs and reports
• Teacher Resources and Curricular Materials
• Surveillance Report, Epidemiologic Data Manuals, Directories
• NIAAA Five-Year Strategic Plan
• Health Disparities Materials
• 10th Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol & Health (only available online)
Publications for the General Public
Full-text pamphlets, brochures, fact sheets and posters are available for the public online free of charge (unless otherwise noted) and cover a number of alcohol-related topics. The NIAAA Web site also has a link to ordering Spanish-language versions of the publications.
Public service announcements (PSAs) are also available. In addition, the public can view the current and past issues of the NIAAA Newsletter online.
Information on NIAAA Clinical Trials
The NIAAA site is a useful first stop for patients and physicians to find information on availability and eligibility for clinical trials, as well as current NIAAA studies seeking patients and links to the NIH Clinical Center.
Clinical Trials Information for Patients contains FAQs about clinical trials, answers questions about participating in clinical trials, a glossary of terms, how to find out about current clinical trials, and contact information. The section for Physicians includes information on current clinical trials, how to refer a patient for a clinical trial, glossary of terms and contact information.
NIAAA Resources
Included in the NIAAA Resources section are data and statistical tables on alcohol topics, including amounts and patterns of alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence or abuse, consequences of alcohol consumption, and other topics. Links to other database resources include the Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS), online resources/ETOH Archive, the COMBINE Data Set (the largest pharmacotherapy trial for alcoholism conducted in the U.S.), the Human Genome Sequence links, Medline and Medline Plus, Alcohol Epidemiologic Reference Manual, and data and statistical tables.
NIAAA-Sponsored Web Sites
The NIAAA site contains links to other NIAAA-sponsored Web sites. These include:
• The Cool Spot – This is a site for young teens to get information about alcohol and resisting peer pressure. The site is at http://www.thecoolspot.gov/
• Rethinking Drinking – This is an interactive Web site and booklet, located at http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
• Alcohol Policy Information System – An online resource that provides detailed information on a wide range of alcohol-related topics at the federal and state level. It is located at http://www.alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov/
• College Drinking Prevention – Comprehensive, research-based information on issues related to alcohol abuse and binge drinking among college students. The site’s URL is http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/
• Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free – A national initiative to prevent alcohol use by children ages 9 through 15. The site’s direct URL is http://www.alcoholfreechildren.org/
• Interagency Coordinating Committee on FASD – This covers Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and is located at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/AboutNIAAA/Interagency/default.htm
Contacting NIAAA
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304
Bethesda, MD 20893-9304
--Suzannekane 01:18, 2 December 2009 (UTC)
