
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) was founded in 1980 to reduce drunk driving, but the group has become neo-prohibitionist, and a self-serving bureaucracy.
The host of this web site is David J. Hanson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology of the State University of New York at Potsdam. Professor Hanson has researched the subject of alcohol and drinking for over 50 years, beginning with his Ph.D. dissertation investigation. Shortly thereafter, he began a continuing series of nation wide studies …
You really can control your alcohol drinking. A popular myth is that if you have a drinking problem, you have to abstain from alcohol. But that simply isn’t true Most people who have a drinking problem are not alcoholic. But even many alcoholics can learn to drink in moderation. For example, federal government did nation-wide …
A person with a drinking problem usually has a direct negative impact on 4-6 others. Most people don’t know how to help a problem drinker. In fact, most feel helpless. There are also two common myths. The first is that anyone with a drinking problem is alcoholic. The second is that those who are alcoholic …
Government dietary guidelines must be be reasonable and based on science. Imagine you’re at a friend’s party. You finish nursing your first beer and casually reach for a second. Everyone immediately stops and stares. Your friends start whispering to themselves, wondering if they should stage an intervention. Ridiculous and unjustified, right? Wrong! At least according …
I. Potential Problem Industry funding of research can sometimes bias research findings. That was the case of tobacco company support of smoking research. Many people are concerned that alcohol research funding on health effects of moderate drinking by producers may bias the findings. That’s a very logical and sound concern. Here’s a good example of …
Are drinking alcohol and weight gain linked? We hear much about the calories in alcohol. So what’s the story? I. The Study Researchers wanted to find out. To do so, they studied 37,000 non-smokers for five years. Smoking and drinking interact to influence weight. So the researchers limited their study to people who had never …
There are, and have been, many alcoholic politicians. Today, some have reported themselves to be alcoholic and have sought treatment. For alcoholic politicians of the past, it was harder. So historians base their judgements on accounts of those who knew the politicians and their actions. But it’s safe to assume that there are many politicians …
I. Background Alcoholic musicians are not unusual. In fact, alcoholism occurs in every occupation. Also, musicians often work in settings conducive to drinking too much. Indeed, people often push drinks on them. Some alcoholic musicians have died from its effects on their bodies. Others have quit drinking. And many alcoholic musicians continue to drink. In …
Alcoholic athletes? Of course. Athletes are people, and alcoholism cuts across society. It doesn’t respect occupation, race, income, or other demographics. (Be sure to visit Famous Alcoholics and Alcoholic Musicians.) Perhaps you’ll be surprised at some of the names. Please see the disclaimer note at the end of this page. Now on to the list …