News & Events

“There are a number of reasons why drinking shortens lifespans, and one is that we have lost track of what a “drink” actually is. Longstanding U.S. alcohol guidelines assume that a standard drink consists of just 0.6 ounce of alcohol. That is a 12-ounce beer with 5% alcohol, or a 5-ounce glass of wine with 12% alcohol. But over time, Americans are drinking larger and boozier beers and stronger wines, and getting heavy pours at bars, all of which deliver more alcohol than the standard … [Read more...]

The National Study of Treatment and Addiction Recovery Residences (NSTARR) project is the largest and most diverse study of recovery housing to date. Data from across the U.S. were gathered and analyzed to develop the first comprehensive database and assessment of the recovery residence landscape. As part of the assessment, the study team, led by Scientist and project PI Amy Mericle, created individual state-level reports which provide a snapshot of the number and location of recovery residences … [Read more...]

It was 1971, a year after Nixon signed the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) was established that ARG received its first T32 training grant, beginning its longstanding dedication to train and support the next generation of alcohol researchers. Six years later, ARG established an NIAAA National Alcohol Research Center and in conjunction, its second T32 program. Since that … [Read more...]

ARG, in partnership with the School of Public Health at the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley), offers a training program that provides support and training to both pre- and postdoctoral fellows engaged in alcohol- and drug-related research. Our program is funded by a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) grant titled “Graduate Research Training in Alcohol Problems: Alcohol-Related Disparities” (grant # T32AA007240), and has supported over 280 trainees since … [Read more...]

Michele Cohen Marill--WIRED AS OCTOBER USHERS in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the social media campaign Drink Less for Your Breasts stands out like a red flag against a cheerful tide of pink ribbons, especially the ones printed on labels of alcoholic beverages. This is the time of year when some craft brewers tint their beer pink, and rosé bottles and cocktail menus display the iconic ribbon, touting companies’ donations to breast cancer organizations. Drink Less for Your Breasts … [Read more...]

When data from the National Alcohol Survey (NAS) are released, our scientists update the drinking norms for the US. The most recent data from the 2020 NAS draw on the drinking patterns of individuals residing in 50 states and Washington, DC and look at the number of drinks both women and men said they consumed per week on average in the previous 12 months. As a practitioner, one way to assess your clients' drinking habits is to have them compare their current consumption level to how much the … [Read more...]

As part of a series of public talks recorded for the 44th annual scientific meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA), ARG scientific director and senior scientist Thomas K. Greenfield, PhD speaks about alcohol policies that are most effective in reducing alcohol-related harms, identifies challenges, and discusses ways to assess the policy environment: Support for this presentation was provided by the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at the National … [Read more...]

How to Research, Design & Disseminate a Social Media Health Campaign Despite over thirty-years of research, 75% of  American women are unaware that consuming alcohol, even at low levels, increases their risk of breast cancer. To address this gap, we developed and implemented a social media campaign—#drinklessforyourbreasts—to let young California women know that drinking can lead to breast cancer.  In this webinar you will learn about alcohol use and breast cancer risk among young women, … [Read more...]

Two current ARG studies received NIAAA supplemental awards to look at how the pandemic has impacted our lives. The first is a supplement to our National Alcohol Research Center which will follow up on the latest U.S. National Alcohol Survey. Beginning in January 2021, we will be asking people about their experiences during the pandemic — from changes in economic status to their mental health and well-being and especially their drinking and other drug use. We will also determine how the pandemic … [Read more...]