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 over 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 Problems and Solutions: Online since 1997

pick a rehab

Pick a Rehab: Helpful Suggestions for Selecting a Good One

To pick a rehab is a awesome task. Whether it’s for you or a loved one. The stakes are high.The pressure is great. You want to select a good one. It’s a major choice. The results can be enormous. So how do you pick a rehab? We have concrete suggestions… Read more

drink too much?

Drink Too Much Alcohol? Helpful, Practical Suggestions

Do you suspect you might drink too much alcohol. Many people do. Here are practical suggestions for either cutting down or quitting. There are also tips for helping loved ones who have a drinking problem. Useful sources of help for alcohol and drinking abuse problems are also given. Drink Too… Read more

Dominion Alliance

Dominion Alliance: Total Suppression of the Liquor Traffic.

The US had the Anti-Saloon League. And Canada its Dominion Alliance. To be more specific, the Dominion Alliance for the Total Suppression of the Liquor Traffic. The temperance movement began in Canada in the early nineteenth century. It was largely local. And it began in the eastern provinces. The movement… Read more

temperance trivia

Temperance Trivia: Fun Trivia Mostly From the Past

Temperance trivia! It’s fun. Amaze yourself. Then impress your friends and family. Trivia A temperance “scientist” said that inhaling alcohol vapors could lead to defective children. And for three generations.1 Those vapors must be really powerful! A temperance newspaper warned of people who drink alcohol. If they gave birth to… Read more

F.E.W. Harper

F.E.W. Harper: African American Temperance Advocate

F.E.W. Harper was an author, poet, and public speaker. She wrote and spoke about temperance and abolition. And later she spoke on the right of women to vote. Frances Ella Watkins was born free in Baltimore. It was on September 24, 1825.  She was orphaned by age three. Watkins’ aunt… Read more

Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells: African American Temperance Advocate

Ida B. Wells was born in Holly Springs, MS on July 16th, 1862. That was during the the Civil War (1861-1865). She was born enslaved.  Wells saw the link between enslavement by humans and by alcohol. So she promoted the temperance movement. In 1895, Ms. Wells married Ferdinand Lee Barnett. He… Read more

Martin Delany

Martin Delany: African American Temperance Advocate

Martin Delany was an African American abolitionist and temperance supporter.  Delaney was born in Charles Town, VA (now WV). He was the son an enslaved father and a free mother. That was in 1812. In 1843 he began publishing a newspaper Later, along with Frederick Douglass, they published The North Star.… Read more

detecting intoxication

Detecting Intoxication: Difficult Even for Police

Police officers and sheriff’s deputies often assume that they’e good at detecting intoxication. They report that people smelled of alcohol, acted drunk, or sounded intoxicated because of their slurred speech. And such testimony usually persuades juries. However, research does not support officers’ self-reported ability to make such judgments accurately or… Read more

alcohol tolerance may be

Alcohol Tolerance May be a Sign of Alcohol Dependence

People sometimes take pride in their ability to “hold their liquor.” Instead they should see their doctor. That’s because alcohol tolerance may be a warning sign Alcohol tolerance refers to a decreased response to the effects of alcohol. This reduced sensitivity requires that higher amounts of alcohol be consumed. That… Read more

alcohol and cancer risk

Brain Science of Alcohol Research Findings often Confused

The findings of brain science of alcohol research can often be confusing. They’re also commonly misrepresented. Many news reports and groups warn us that any consuming alcohol by those under age 21 harms their brains. They tell us that early drinking can Reduce intellectual ability. Harm brain development. Cause learning… Read more

abstainers try drinking

Underage Drinking is Legal in Most US States (Learn Which)

Most U.S. states permit persons under the age of 21 to consume alcohol in many ways. Thus, underage drinking is legal in 41 US states. In spite of “The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984” (The Act). The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 A group opposed to… Read more

Kudzu and alcohol

Kudzu for Hangovers. Does It Help Sober Up & Relieve Hangovers?

Can people use kudzu for hangovers? Does it help people sober up? Background Kudzu is a vine that flourishes in many states. It’s very common in eastern and southeastern parts of the US. The government promoted it this Asian plant for animal fodder and erosion control. Chinese medicine has used… Read more

Alcohol Facts