A blanket statement that someone drinks too much may be too broad to make an impact. Approaching a heavy drinker with facts about the effects of too much alcohol and better ways to manage consumption can empower change.

Brains work in mysterious ways, influencing diet more than people might realize. It might scientifically be a lot tougher for one person to turn down a brownie sundae than another.

Opioid receptors in the brain are the target of many legal and illegal drugs, from hospital anesthetics to heroin. Until recently the details of these important receptors has been somewhat of a mystery.

When young children use alcohol and illicit drugs, the effects on their mental health can be lasting and dramatic. Parenting is key to avoiding alcohol and drug use, but teachers can have an effect as well.

Heavy drinkers are known to have increased risk for several health related problems. In addition, drinking could be related to longer recovery time from hospital visits.

Tweens , or children aged 10-12, are among the most impressionable age groups, and currently they are decidedly ambivalent towards cigarettes and alcohol. What can be done to change their minds?

Teens who binge drink can put themselves at risk of serious problems, including a greater chance of developing alcohol addiction later in life. Now, a new study says that part of the problem may be attributed to the movies that kids watch. Researchers from institutions in Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Scotland studied 16,551 students between the ages of 10 and 19 and found that kids who watched the most instances of drinking in films were more likely to have engaged in at least one episode of binge drinking, which is consuming more than five drinks on a single occ...

Chlamydia is the most common and among the most easily treated sexually transmitted diseases, but barely over a third of sexually active women are screened for it each year.

Continuous excessive drinking can cause changes in the brain related to functional and physiological activity - which may hinder alcoholics’ ability to process information, and, importantly, to stop drinking. The research suggests that people who have alcohol dependence (AD) have problems transferring and applying new knowledge to additional contexts. The lack of ability to apply knowledge to new situations may also hurt their ability to quit drinking. Treatment of addiction continues to improve - ask for new treatments. "AD individuals often have problems applying the knowled...

There are many reasons that a person may begin drinking heavily. Stress, depression, and mental health are all factors. One of the biggest reasons may be a traumatic experience or abuse during childhood. Previous studies have suggested that alcoholics are much more likely to have been physically or sexually abused as children. New research adds that emotional abuse and neglect may be equally important factors. Get professional help if you suspect child abuse. Markus Heilig , M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug...