Where you live matters for your health, and new research shows this is especially true when it comes to alcohol problems among young Mexican Americans living near the US-Mexico border. Researchers studied 575 Mexican American men and women between ages 18 and 30 in San Diego County, California, to understand how their residential neighborhoods and cultural experiences relate to alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study focused on two neighborhood characteristics: the percentage of Mexican American … [Read more...]
New Findings
Exploring Links Between Substance Use Combinations and Mental Health Wellness in College Students
The intersection of substance consumption and psychological well-being among college students represents a growing area of concern for public health professionals. Although researchers have documented connections between individual substance use and mental health challenges, less attention has been paid to how using multiple substances simultaneously affects psychological outcomes across different demographic groups. This investigation examined how exclusive, dual, and combined use of alcohol, … [Read more...]
Understanding Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicide Risk Among Youth
Researchers: Camillia K. Lui, PhD, Nina Mulia, DrPH Understanding the complex interplay between mental health, substance use, and identity among adolescents is crucial for effective prevention and intervention. Recent research highlights significant disparities in suicidal ideation, substance use, and mental health risks among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) youth, as well as other racial and ethnic groups. While certain subgroups face heightened risks, broad data … [Read more...]
How Flawed Science Could Shape U.S. Alcohol Guidelines
Why NASEM's approach to assessing alcohol risks deserves a closer look With updated US dietary guidelines being developed, a group of leading alcohol and public health researchers is urging caution about how we interpret data on drinking and health. In a recent commentary in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, researchers argue that many of the studies and approaches used to inform drinking guidelines, including those cited and employed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and … [Read more...]
New Study Reveals Why Alcohol Use Increased During the Pandemic
PRESS RELEASE Shifting alcohol availability, accessibility, and coping strategies drove higher consumption A new study published today in PLOS One uncovers key social and environmental factors that drove a significant rise in alcohol consumption during COVID-19. Researchers from the Alcohol Research Group, a program of the Public Health Institute, found that increased alcohol availability and accessibility, and drinking as a coping mechanism, played a major role in shaping drinking … [Read more...]
When Health and Alcohol Mix: Insights on High-Risk Drinking
Researchers: Won Kim Cook, PhD, Christina Tam, PhD, Camillia Lui, PhD, Thomas K. Greenfield, PhD, William C. Kerr, PhD Excessive alcohol consumption remains a critical public health issue, particularly among individuals with chronic health conditions. While heavy drinking and high-intensity drinking (HID) are well-documented concerns, their relationship with multimorbidity, that is managing multiple chronic illnesses, adds another layer of complexity to understanding alcohol-related risks. Our … [Read more...]
The Impact of Discrimination on Alcohol Use Varies Across Different Groups
A new study in Addictive Behaviors Reports applied an intersectional lens to explore the impact of discrimination on same day drinking patterns among sexual minority populations and uncovered significant differences between groups shaped by intersecting identities such as race, sex, and sexual orientation. The research team conducted a daily diary survey with self-identified sexual minorities, defined as individuals whose sexual identity differed from the majority orientation of people (e.g., … [Read more...]
Even Small Amounts of Alcohol Increase Health Risks, New Report Reveals
Emeryville, CA –The recently released Alcohol Intake and Health Study finds that even low levels of drinking raise the risk of cancer and death. Conducted by a scientific review panel under the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD), the study includes contributions from Priscilla Martinez, PhD, Deputy Scientific Director and Scientist at the Alcohol Research Group, a program of the Public Health Institute. Key Findings Risks far outweigh the … [Read more...]
Millions of Americans Hurt By Others’ Drinking, Drug Use: Study
by Amy Norton PISCATAWAY, NJ – The risks of alcohol and other drug consumption to the user are well known, but many Americans—nearly 160 million—say they’ve been harmed by someone else’s substance use, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. In a national survey of U.S. adults, researchers found that 34% said they’d ever suffered “secondhand harm” from someone else’s alcohol use—ranging from marriage and family problems to financial fall-out to being … [Read more...]
Alcohol Consumption Trends Across Different Populations
Results from new US study suggest beverage-specific policies could help mitigate alcohol-related health risks among vulnerable populations A recent U.S. study is the first to identify alcoholic beverage preferences among demographic subpopulations who face heightened alcohol-related health risks, including those with lower socioeconomic status (SES) and heavy drinkers. Published in Drug and Alcohol Review, the study analyzed a sample of over 37,000 adults who consume alcohol and … [Read more...]
