Could unfettered access to marijuana fuel a rise in drinking rates?

Yes, report researchers who found alcohol consumption increased at times and in places where marijuana was made legal for certain groups.

The increase in drinking was mostly driven by young adults and men, according to University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health policy scientists.

"Recreational cannabis l...

Deaths caused by alcohol skyrocketed in the United States between 2019 and 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, according to a just-published government report.

The alcohol-induced death rate jumped 26% during that period, claiming more than 49,000 lives, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported...

For anyone who thinks alcoholism isn't a deadly disease, a new government report shows alcohol abuse caused nearly 13% of deaths in American adults under 65 between 2015 and 2019.

The statistics were even more grim among younger U.S. adults: In people aged 20 to 49, alcohol abuse was the cause of 20% of deaths.

"States and communities can prevent these premature deaths using eviden...

Jon Kostas, a lifelong resident of New York City, started bar-hopping at age 13. At the height of his alcoholism, he was consuming as many as 30 drinks a night.

Desperate for a way out, Kostas, 32, turned to a new therapy: psilocybin -- the psychedelic compound found in so-cal...

A new study of U.S. military veterans reveals they are more comfortable getting help for physical ills than for mental health issues.

"The majority of participants indicated they would be willing to seek treatment for both physical and mental health problems. However, they reported significantly greater willingness to seek treatment for physical than mental health conditions," said princi...

Pills, patches, gums, nasal sprays and lozenges used to help smokers kick the habit can also help heavy drinkers cut back on alcohol, a new study suggests.

The finding follows several months spent working with 400 smokers with HIV who were also heavy drinkers.

Researchers...

Having friends in childhood may help keep you clean and sober as a young adult, new research suggests.

Researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) interviewed more than 300 college students who participated in assessments that focused on childhood loneliness, stress levels and drinking behaviors. The results determined there was a link between feelings of loneliness in their pre-adole...

Drinking by yourself may have lifelong consequences, especially if the habit begins early in life, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that drinking alone during adolescence and young adulthood greatly increases risk for alcohol use disorder later on and the risk for women is especially worrisome.

Alcohol abuse causes more than 3 million deaths a year worldwide.

"Most youn...

Doctor burnout and suicide are a growing concern, a new study finds.

"We often overlook the physical health of our health care workers, but poor health can lead to difficulty performing tasks at work, which then leads to job stress and mental health issues," said corresponding author Dr. Kristen Kim, a resident in psychiatry at UC San Diego Health.

About 1 in 15 doctors experience s...

Americans may have a collective drinking problem, made worse by the obesity epidemic, new research suggests. The new study found that deaths from alcoholic cirrhosis have more than tripled in 20 years.

In 1999, alcoholic cirrhosis -- an advanced form of alcohol-related...

Many may consider an episode of binge drinking -- defined as 5 or more drinks on one occasion --- as just being harmless fun. But a new study suggests that even moderate drinkers who indulge in binge drinking can suffer lasting consequences.

Researchers found that among people who typically drank at moderate levels, those who sometimes binged were at increased risk of alcohol-related prob...

Folks who struggle with depression and substance use disorders often tend to be smokers, but a new study finds that smoking rates among these vulnerable Americans have fallen significantly.

"This study shows us that at a population-level,...

Artificial intelligence (AI) may be able to identify alcoholics at risk of relapsing after treatment, researchers say.

Patients often return to heavy drinking during and after treatment, and may require multiple tries before they can achieve long-term abstinence from