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Alcohol Use Among Special Populations - Editor's Note
Do characteristics such as race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, occupation, or even geographical location influence how likely people are to drink alcohol or to experience problems related to alcohol use? This issue of Alcohol Research: Current Reviews (ARCR) explores this question with an in-depth look at special populations, or groups of people who may be at increased risk for—or protected from...
The prevalence of alcohol use and the contrast between the drinking patterns of men and women vary widely across the globe. For instance, rates of current drinking ranged from 3 percent and 37 percent for women and men, respectively, in the Indian state of Karnataka to 94 percent and 97 percent for women and men in Denmark (Wilsnack et al. 2009). Overall, however, men have higher rates of alcohol...
Recent Developments in Alcohol Services Research on Access to Care
Of the more than 18 million Americans who need treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), less than 10 percent actually receive care (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA] 2013). This problem, often referred to as the substance abuse treatment gap, is a longstanding concern for alcohol services research. Studies suggest that many factors contribute to the treatment gap...
Drinking Over the Lifespan: Focus on Early Adolescents and Youth
In describing patterns of alcohol use among early adolescents (ages 12–14) and youth (ages 15–20), there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that research findings with U.S. national epidemiology data from long-term annual surveys of high-school students, such as the Monitoring the Future surveys, have indicated historical shifts toward overall decreases in levels of alcohol use among...
Drinking Across the Lifespan: Focus on Older Adults
In 2010, when the leading edge of the post–World War II “Baby Boom” reached age 65, the United States began a period of increased growth in its older adult population. By 2030, it is expected that there will be 72.1 million adults age 65 or older living in the United States, almost double the 2008 population. Those older adults will represent 19.3 percent of the U.S. population, compared with 12.9...
Alcohol Use Patterns Among Urban and Rural Residents: Demographic and Social Influences
Geographic location can be an important factor in determining a person’s level of risk for alcohol-related problems. Certain factors associated with living in an urban or rural area may increase risk, while others may be protective. For example, the availability of alcohol, norms for acceptable drinking behaviors, demographic characteristics, and economic factors all vary with respect to...
Advances in Medications and Tailoring Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
Despite decades of research on various methods for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD), AUD remains prevalent throughout the world, making it critical to develop a more comprehensive approach to address the issue. Heavy drinking is the third largest risk factor for global disease burden, leading to enormous social and economic decline (World Health Organization 2014). Each year, alcohol misuse is...
A person with alcoholism engages in risky or dangerous drinking despite experiencing serious negative physical and social consequences. Such persistence in pursuing damaging behaviors suggests that the short-term “appetitive” results of drinking (such as intoxication and losing one’s inhibitions) have greater control over the alcoholic’s behavior than do the negative consequences. From a...
