News & Events

People who only participate virtually are three times more likely to report difficulties with maintaining abstinence, study finds. Originally published in Philly Voice Much of life went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic — work, school and even some doctor's appointments. So did many support groups for people with alcohol use disorder. But people who attended Alcoholic Anonymous, SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety and other mutual-help groups in person were "significantly" more … [Read more...]

Priscilla Martinez, ARG's deputy scientific director, was recently interviewed by Vox about the Alcohol Intake and Health Study, a federal research project examining alcohol's health risks. As a co-author of the study commissioned under the Biden administration, Martinez discussed the research findings, which link alcohol consumption to seven types of cancer and show that negative health effects begin at low levels of drinking. The study was intended to inform the 2025 federal dietary … [Read more...]

In Public Good News, Sarah Zemore, senior scientist at PHI’s Alcohol Research Group, shares findings from her recent study which revealed that people with alcohol use disorders who attended a mutual-help group experienced the same benefits for recovery, regardless of the group they chose. “The ways public health collectively treats, talks about, and understands addiction and substance use disorders is changing. This is, in part, thanks to people in recovery, mental health … [Read more...]

A new study, co-authored by Dr. Pamela Trangenstein and Dr. Thomas Greenfield at PHI’s Alcohol Research Group, shows that more than half of college students reported alcohol-related harms from others, with harms ranging from verbal abuse and physical confrontations to academic disruptions and emotional distress. Over 1,900 students from 46 colleges and universities across the U.S. participated in the study. “More than half of US college students have experienced alcohol-related … [Read more...]

Originally published in The Wall Street Journal by Brianna Abbott and Josh Ulick "You can probably assume that the tequila shot staring at you from the sticky bartop isn’t good for you. But what about that glass of red wine at dinner? Some Americans have long been sold on the so-called health benefits of red wine, partly because of animal studies that touted the promise of an antioxidant called resveratrol to fight against a range of diseases. But scientists have debunked that concept in … [Read more...]

“The tide has largely turned against alcohol. Drinking, at least in moderation, was once seen as a harmless—or even healthy—indulgence that could strengthen your heart and even lengthen your lifespan. But in many scientific circles, consuming virtually any amount of alcohol is now seen as toxic. On Jan. 3, outgoing Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory warning that alcohol consumption raises the risk of at least seven types of cancer. Shortly afterward, a second federal … [Read more...]

Senior Scientist Thomas K. Greenfield, PhD, discusses restrictive state alcohol control laws that can reduce the prevalence of binge drinking. December 3, 2024. "North Dakota is the state with the highest rate of binge-drinking, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show. Binge drinking is defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as five or more alcoholic drinks for males, or four or more for females, on the same … [Read more...]