Alcohol & Alcoholism

A new study suggests drinking too much alcohol can interfere with men’s feelings of empathy and understanding of irony. Chronic heavy drinking may damage parts of the brain involved in deciphering emotions and processing humor, the researchers say.

Parents who closely monitor their teens’ behavior and friends can help counteract their children’s genetic predisposition to an alcohol use disorder, a new study indicates.

Liquor prices tend to be higher in states with a monopoly over liquor sales compared with states without control over alcohol prices, a new study finds.

Living near bars may increase the risk of heavy drinking, a new study suggests.

About half of HIV patients skip taking their medication while they are drinking alcohol, a new study finds. The researchers say not taking the medication could endanger patients’ health.

An analysis of studies that evaluated two medications used to treat alcoholism concludes they are a good first option for people who want treatment but wish to avoid an inpatient program.

Male veterans with a history of heavy alcohol use are more likely than civilians to seek treatment. They are also more likely to report better overall health, and to be less depressed, according to a study presented at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting.

A new study in rodents suggests that having a few drinks a day can adversely affect the brain.

The hormone oxytoxin, known as the “love hormone” because of its role in social bonding, may help block symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, a new small study suggests.

Alcohol’s damaging effect on the brain can begin to subside two weeks after a person stops drinking, a new study suggests. Recovery may vary among different areas of the brain, the researchers say.

A new study links weight loss surgery with an increased risk for substance abuse. The study found patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery were at increased risk for alcohol use after the procedure.

Face-to-face interventions are more effective than computer-delivered programs to curb college drinking, a new study finds.

Veterans who smoke while trying to stop drinking have a more difficult time becoming sober than their peers who don’t smoke, a new study concludes.

Adults living in low-income neighborhoods are generally more likely to be non-drinkers, compared with people living in higher income areas—except for black and Hispanic men, a new study concludes.

Marines cited for drunk driving and other drinking-related incidents will be required to participate in a new program that focuses on early intervention, according to the Marine Corps Times.

Mothers with an authoritative parenting style can influence the friends of their teenagers, making it less likely they will get drunk, or smoke cigarettes or marijuana, suggests a new study.

In the wake of a recent scandal involving alcohol and prostitutes, the Secret Service has announced a new policy that bans agents from drinking alcohol in the hotel where the president or other protected persons are staying.

A new study links heavy smoking and drinking with an earlier onset of pancreatic cancer. While the disease is generally diagnosed at an average age of 72, heavy smokers with pancreatic cancer were diagnosed at age 62, and heavy drinkers at age 61, the study found.

The number of U.S. teens who drink and drive has decreased 54 percent since 1991, according to a new government report. Last year, 90 percent of high school students 16 and older said they don’t drink and drive.

Moderate drinking may increase the risk of the heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation in older people with heart disease or diabetes, a new study suggests.

Africans-American youth are exposed to higher levels of alcohol advertising than children and teens of other racial groups, according to a new study.

Treating alcoholism saves families money, largely by cutting down on expenses related to alcohol and cigarettes, a new study finds.

The Supreme Court announced it will hear a case that centers on the question of whether police must obtain a warrant before forcing suspected drunk drivers to submit to a blood alcohol test.

Laws that ban smoking in bars and restaurants may reduce alcohol abuse, a new study suggests. Researchers found people identified as problem drinkers who live in states with smoking bans have a higher rate of remission, compared with problem drinkers who live in states without laws that ban public smoking.

Doctors and nurses should routinely screen their adult patients and pregnant women for alcohol misuse, and provide those engaged in risky or hazardous drinking with brief behavioral counseling, according to new recommendations from a national task force.