NCJ Number
235886
Date Published
January 1987
Length
167 pages
Annotation
This Sixth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health presents statistics and information on progress in research related to alcoholism and alcohol-related problems.
Abstract
The information, assessments, and projections for the future are presented under the following domains: epidemiology of alcohol-related problems, the genetics of alcoholism, alcohol and the brain, other health effects of alcohol abuse, alcohol and pregnancy, prevention and intervention, and treatment. Epidemiological research has shown that although a wide variety of diseases and disorders are alcohol-related, the greatest health hazard from chronic alcohol consumption is liver disease. How much an individual drinks, how often he/she does it, and the response to alcohol exposure are determined by complex interactions of demographic, social, economic, and biological factors. Successful prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse and alcoholism must be based on knowledge of these factors. Evidence for the genetic predisposition to alcoholism continues to increase, and it is now widely accepted by researchers that alcoholism can result from the interaction of heredity and environment. Alcohol can profoundly influence the structure and function of the central nervous system, particularly at the level of the neuronal membrane, where effects are selective. Significant progress is being made in understanding the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing organism. Factors that modify the risk of an alcoholic woman's giving birth to a baby with the fetal alcohol syndrome are being identified. Regarding prevention, research indicates that mass media campaigns by themselves do not change health-related behaviors, but they can create a context that increases the effectiveness of other strategies for changing behavior. Campaigns can be effective when combined with other prevention strategies such as increased enforcement of drinking and driving laws. Extensive tables, 198 references, and a subject index