National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Alcoholism is the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
For most adults, moderate alcohol use is not harmful. However, nearly 17.6 million adults in the United States are alcoholics or have alcohol problems. Alcoholism is a disease with four main features:
Alcoholism carries many serious dangers. Heavy drinking can increase the risk of certain cancers. It can cause damage to the liver, brain and other organs. It can cause birth defects. It increases the risk of death from car crashes and other injuries as well as the risk of homicide and suicide.
NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)