Welcome to the Alcohol Problems and Solutions website. It’s been debunking myths and sharing effective peer-reviewed ways to reduce drinking problems and live healthier. And it’s been doing so for a quarter century.
The site is educational and written by Dr. David J. Hanson, Professor Emeritus of the State University of New York. It receives no outside support.
Alcohol and Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk: Are they Associated?
Are drinking alcohol and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk linked? RA is a very serious, painful, and disfiguring disease. And it’s incurable. Millions of people around the world are crippled by RA. RA is an inflammatory disease. And it’s autoimmune condition. The reasons are not known. Instead of attacking an infection, the… Read more
Alcohol and Dementia Risk among Older People
Researchers wanted to test drinking alcohol and dementia risk. In this case, they studied older Mexican-Americans. I. The Study In 2004/05 they studied a group of people. They were aged 75 or older. It was an analysis of 1,255 people. All were Mexican-Americans living in the U.S. southwest. They were… Read more
To-Go Alcohol and Drunk Driving Deaths: Is There a Link?
Are to-go alcohol and drunk driving deaths linked? That’s a very important important question. A researcher decided to find out. Discover here what he found. I. Introduction. To-go alcoholic beverage may be for curbside or delivery. It was temporarily made legal in many states. This was to help restaurants, bars,… Read more
Alcohol and Dementia Risk: Is There a Link?
What’s the connection between drinking alcohol and dementia risk? That’s a very important question. Could either increasing or decreasing drinking reduce it? Dementia is a serious burden on loved ones. It’s also a serious burden on the economy. And in recent decades the global prevalence of dementia has nearly tripled. … Read more
Underage Drinking Legal in Most States Under Some Conditions
The National Minimum Drinking Age Act (MLDA) prohibits the purchase and/or public possession of alcoholic beverages by those under age 21. It does not prohibit persons under 21 from drinking. Nor does it require states to prohibit such drinking. So its title is unfortunately deceptive. Thus, under many conditions is… Read more
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Is It Alcoholism?
What is Alcohol Use Disorder or AUD? Is it just a new name for alcoholism? Or is it something else? Here are the facts. DSM: Alcohol Use Disorder Doctors and mental health professionals use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). They use it because it defines mental… Read more
Reduce Alcohol Problems among Youth: Here’s How We Can Do It
We really can reduce alcohol problems. Here we describe how to do it. I. INTRODUCTION Let’s imagine how we might prepare youth to drive. We would tell young people that driving is very dangerous. Tens of thousands of people die in traffic crashes each year. And many times that number… Read more
Liquor Better than Milk for Good Health: Liquor is Spirits
Is liquor better than milk for good health? Yes. Government agency shows that it’s true. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) facts prove that liquor is better than milk for health. Milk (one cup regular milk) Wine (glass) Beer (can or bottle) Distilled spirits (1.5 oz shot or jigger) Calories… Read more
Older Drinkers Are Healthier Both Before and After Surgery
Research finds that older drinkers are healthier both before and after surgery. Those aged 60 or older who drank moderately or heavily had better health. This was in comparison to those who drank no or little alcohol. There were 628 patients. Of those, 397 were male and 231 were female.… Read more
Generation Z Drinks Less Alcohol (Much Less!) or Abstains
Generation Z drinks less alcohol.1 That is, alcohol consumption by young people has dropped greatly. They are delaying the age at first drink, drinking less frequent, and so-called “binge drinking2 less often. In addition, the proportion of alcohol abstainers has increased dramatically. For example, in the UK “Having a drink within last… Read more
Anti-Alcohol Bias: Governments, Agencies, Researchers, etc.
A reader emailed this question. “Why do so many researchers, governments, agencies, etc. put so much energy into showing the negative effects of alcohol? It seems like there’s a concerted effort to discredit all alcohol consumption.” In other words, why all the anti-alcohol bias? That’s an excellent question. But… Read more
Impact of Non-medical Cannabis Legalization on Substance Use
What was the impact of non-medical cannabis legalization in the state of Washington on the use of other substances? Particularly among young adults? The Study Researchers focused on alcohol consumption, cigarette use, e-cigarette use, pain medication misuse, and heavy episodic drinking (HED). To do so, they used data from six… Read more
Alcohol Facts
- The alcohol content of a regular beer, glass of dinner wine and shot of whiskey or other distilled spirit (80 proof) are all the same. This is alcohol equivalence.
- The U.S. government reports that moderate consumption of alcohol (beer, wine or distilled spirits) improves health and increases longevity.
- Parents have great influence over the choices their children make about alcohol now and in the future.
- Drinking by students in the U.S. continues dropping to historic new lows.
- Distilled spirits (whiskey, brandy, rum, tequila, gin, etc.) contain no carbohydrates, no fats of any kind, and no cholesterol. Get the nutrition facts.
