Background and Aims
Public views on alcohol, its harms, and related policies can influence behaviour and support for policies. This research aimed to (i) summarise evidence on public understanding of alcohol, (ii) compare public views with expert opinions, and (iii) develop new ways to improve public understanding and support for alcohol policies in the UK.

Methods
The study used a mix of methods:

1. A literature review to explore previous evidence on framing and alcohol policy.
2. Focus groups (20 participants) to compare public views on alcohol harms with those of public health experts.
3. Work...

The National Survey of Substance Use and Mental Health Services (N-SUMHSS) is a voluntary, annual survey that collects data from all active substance use and mental health treatment facilities across the United States, its territories, and Washington D.C. The annual report provides valuable insights into key operational characteristics of these treatment facilities, including the use of pharmacotherapies, availability of language assistance services, and the provision of suicide prevention assistance. This comprehensive survey helps to inform policymakers, researchers, and service providers on...

Individuals with chronic pain are more likely to engage in hazardous alcohol use compared to the general population. Despite this increased risk, they are an underserved group regarding targeted interventions. There is a pressing need to explore and develop alternative strategies to effectively reduce hazardous drinking in this vulnerable population. One promising approach is to focus on managing pain-related anxiety, which is a potential mechanism linked to hazardous drinking.

Researchers adopted a phased model (1A/1B) to address this need to create and test a new personalized feedback...

A significant number of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) do not seek treatment, and the factors influencing treatment-seeking behavior are not well understood. While it is known that alcohol consumption levels can fluctuate with the seasons, the impact of these seasonal changes on seeking treatment for AUD remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether there are seasonal patterns in the pursuit of treatment for AUD.

To investigate this, researchers conducted a time-series analysis involving adults in Denmark aged 18 and older who sought treatment for AUD. They focused on two...

Previous studies have shown that when students perceive their parents set strict limits on underage drinking, they tend to consume less alcohol. However, the best ways to communicate these limits effectively remain unclear. To explore this, a recent study examined the potential impact of hypothetical text messages focused on drinking limits on students' estimated alcohol consumption.

The study involved 253 undergraduate students who participated in an online survey. They were asked to imagine a scenario where they planned to attend a night event that involved drinking. Each participant was...

A study was conducted to examine how patterns of alcohol and cannabis use are associated with bystander intervention in situations involving the risk of sexual and relationship violence among college students. Researchers aimed to explore whether students' substance use influenced their awareness of risky situations (referred to as bystander opportunities) and their likelihood of taking action (bystander behaviors). Two key hypotheses guided this investigation: the first being that the frequency of bystander opportunities would vary depending on the students’ patterns of alcohol and cannabis...

Conducted annually, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides nationally representative data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs; substance use disorders; mental health issues; and receipt of substance use and mental health treatment among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older in the United States. NSDUH estimates allow researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and the general public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health. These reports and detailed tables present national estimates from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use...

This research evaluated alcohol consumption in the Latin American and Latin Caribbean adult population during COVID-19 confinement, taking into account age and employment status. Non-probabilistic design with convenience sampling, with a sample of 4975 participants. Age, employment status and alcohol consumption were analysed during confinement and retrospectively before the pandemic. The results show that regardless of the country, young people aged 18-29 decreased consumption during confinement; while the largest in- crease was in adults aged 45-54 years. Full-time workers consumed more than...

INTRODUCTION: The study examined the effect of trait psychopathy and BAS fun-seeking on alcohol drinking and whether this effect is moderated by thinking styles. We hypothesised that psychopathy will indirectly predict alcohol drinking through BAS fun-seeking, moderated by experientiality and rationality.

METHODS: The research sample of the cross-sectional study consisted of 241 working adults (47.30% men). Participants completed the Short Dark Triad, Behavioral Inhibition (BIS) and Behavioral Activation Scales (BAS), the Rational-Experiential Inventory-40, and the Health Behaviour Inventory...

The report summarises the evidence drawn from worldwide evidence reviews, mathematical modelling, and extensive consultations and discussions. The Guidance provides people in Canada with accurate and current information about the risk of harms associated with the consumption of alcohol. Results will also provide the evidence base for future alcohol policy and alcohol use disorder prevention resources.

Many people seeking treatment for severe alcohol use disorder begin with a goal of alcohol abstinence. There are also, however, many less severe cases who hope to reduce their drinking rather than stopping altogether, and evidence suggests this is possible for some individuals, usually those with these less severe drinking problems.

This study examined whether one of these interventions is superior to the other in a head-to-head comparison. The researchers hypothesised that behavioural self-control training’s special focus on helping individuals moderate their drinking would produce superior...