Alcohol & Alcoholism

The U.S. Navy will begin conducting random blood-alcohol tests on sailors in the United States in February, the Associated Press reports.

Drinking alcohol may help a person fall asleep, and increase deep sleep during the first half of the night, but can disrupt sleep during the second half, a new study finds.

Having a parent or sibling who has been deployed in the military increases the risk of drug and alcohol use among middle and high school students, a new study finds.

A new phone app shows the effect of drinking alcohol on a person’s facial appearance. The “Drinking Mirror” is designed to make people aware of the physical toll of heavy alcohol consumption.

Bars and restaurants in Washington, D.C. will be able to serve liquor until 4 a.m., and can stay open 24 hours continuously until the day after the presidential inauguration, NBC Washington reports.

Doctors miss drinking problems in almost three-fourths of patients because they don’t conduct alcohol screening, a new study finds. Instead, many doctors rely on gut feelings about whether a patient is engaging in problem drinking.

A graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has invented ice cubes that can warn drinkers when they’ve consumed too much alcohol, ABC News reports.

Teens who live in a caring community may be less likely to abuse alcohol than their peers who report fewer positive experiences in their community, a new study suggests. Spending time with antisocial peers can increase the risk of alcohol abuse, researchers from Penn State report.

One in five high school girls binge drink, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report finds almost 14 million women in the United States binge drink about three times a month.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case Wednesday on the question of whether police must obtain a warrant before forcing suspected drunk drivers to submit to a blood alcohol test.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin announced Monday the state will set up DUI courts to reduce the number of repeat drunk drivers. The courts will operate much like the three drug courts in the state, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. military has introduced a number of measures aimed at reducing binge drinking, NBC News reports. Service members and addiction specialists say alcohol abuse in the military is widespread.

Scientists are testing the synthetic version of the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” psilocybin, for a variety of purposes, including treatment of alcoholism, according to Time.com. The compound is also being studied as a smoking cessation aid.

Men and women benefit in different ways from Alcoholics Anonymous, a new study suggests.

A new study concludes that parental involvement is more important than the school environment in preventing or limiting children’s use of alcohol or marijuana.

Scientists in London have found a genetic variation that may play a role in binge drinking in teenagers, Reuters reports. The two-phase study included mice and teenage boys.

Drug abuse or heavy drinking can cause long-term changes in the heart, arteries or blood that increase the risk of stroke in young adults, a new study finds.

One-quarter of 12-to-20-year-olds say they drank alcohol in the past month, according to a new government report. Almost 9 percent said they purchased their own alcohol the last time they drank.

Some inebriated people picked up by emergency medical service ambulance crews can be treated effectively at a detoxification center, instead of an emergency room, according to a new study. Increasing the use of such centers could reduce costs, and lessen crowding of emergency rooms, the researchers note.

Raising alcohol excise taxes can help deter young people from drinking, according to a leading expert on preventing drinking in youth.

The Alcohol Policy Information System has updated its list of state alcohol policies to reflect substantive changes that occurred last year. The list is available online.

A new study suggests even moderate drinking in pregnancy can result in lower IQ levels in children.

Alcohol accounts for a large number of calories consumed by many American adults, a new government study concludes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found 19 percent of men and 6 percent of women take in more than 300 calories daily from alcoholic drinks.

College women who act impulsively when they are in distress are at higher risk for alcohol dependence, a new study suggests.

College students who drink alcohol before going out to a bar, club or sporting event are more likely than their peers who don’t “pre-drink” to experience blackouts, hangovers, alcohol poisoning or absence from work or school, a new study finds.