CT Clearinghouse

Alcohol

Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, is an intoxicating ingredient found in beer, wine, and liquor. 
Alcohol affects every organ in the body. It is a central nervous system depressant that is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver by enzymes. However, the liver can only metabolize a small amount of alcohol at a time, leaving the excess alcohol to circulate throughout the body. The intensity of the effect of alcohol on the body is directly related to the amount consumed.

Excessive drinking both in the form of heavy drinking or binge drinking, is associated with numerous health problems, including

  • Chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis (damage to liver cells); pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas); various cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx (the voice box), and esophagus; high blood pressure; and psychological disorders.
  • Unintentional injuries, such as motor-vehicle traffic crashes, falls, drowning, burns, and firearm injuries.
  • Violence, such as child maltreatment, homicide, and suicide.
  • Harm to a developing fetus if a woman drinks while pregnant, such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
  • Alcohol use disorders.

Source: CDC

Fact Sheets

Related Links

Research & Statistics

  • Alcohol and Public Health, Data & Surveillance - CDC

    Includes data on excessive drinking, and links to CDC-sponsored surveys:

  • Alcohol Research Group - National Alcohol Research Center
  • Alcohol Research: Current Reviews

    Alcohol Research: Current Reviews (ARCR) is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) at the National Institutes of Health. As of 2020, ARCR has published articles on a continuous, rolling basis, comprising one virtual issue per yearly volume.

  • Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Health: Current Evidence

    Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Health: Current Evidence is a free online newsletter summarizing the latest clinically relevant research on substance use and health. 

  • Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

    BRFSS tracks a variety of health risks in the United States. Users may search for data from interactive databases that provide prevalence data on health risks such as alcohol and tobacco use, and follow trends in behaviors such as binge drinking. Trends and Prevalence data are viewable by state or nationwide. Maps illustrate health risks at national, state and local levels.

  • Connecticut Data Collaborative

    Users may search by location or topic. Topic selections include: Civic vitality, Demographics, Economy, Health, Education, Housing, and Safety. The Health category includes data sets on mental health, treatment admissions, substance use, mortality, and tobacco use.

  • Connecticut SEOW Prevention Data Portal

    Search, view, and access 200+ indicators relevant to substance use/misuse, mental health, suicide, gambling, and social determinants of health. Explore 30+ data sets relevant to behavioral health, each with multiple visualization capabilities, downloadable data, and metadata.

  • Data and Dissemination - SAMHSA

    Find data and reports on mental health, substance use treatment, and drug use from sources that include: the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), National Mental Health Services Survey (NMHSS), and more.

  • Hospitalization Statistics - CT Department of Public HealthThis site includes summary data & tables for causes of hospitalization, by age grouping & gender. Includes mental disorders.
  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)MADD's website includes statistics on the impact of drunk driving.
  • NHTSA Research

    NHTSA's research offices are the Office of Vehicle Safety Research and the Office of Behavioral Safety Research. The Office of Vehicle Safety Research's mission is to strategize, plan, and implement research programs to continually further the agency's goals in reduction of crashes, fatalities, and injuries. Research is prioritized based on potential for crash/fatality/injury reductions and is aligned with Congressional Mandates, along with DOT and NHTSA goals. The Office of Behavioral Safety Research studies behaviors and attitudes in highway safety, focusing on drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and motorcyclists, and uses that to develop and refine countermeasures to deter unsafe behaviors and promote safe alternatives.

  • NIAAA Spectrum - Alcohol Research News

    This webzine, published 3 times a year, includes in each issue: feature-length stories, news updates from the field, articles, photo essays, and an interview with an NIAAA staff member or alcohol researcher.

  • PubMed

    PubMed comprises more than 20 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full-text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites.

  • Research Data, Measures & Resources - NIDA

    Links to various NIDA publications, databases, surveillance, prevention & treatment resources, and more.

  • The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS) Database

    A project of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, APIS is an electronic resource that provides authoritative, detailed, and comparable information on alcohol-related policies in the United States, at both State and Federal levels. Designed primarily as a tool for researchers, APIS is intended to encourage and facilitate research on the effects and effectiveness of alcohol-related policies.

  • The Connecticut School Health Survey

    The Connecticut School Health Survey (CSHS) is comprised of the Youth Tobacco Component (YTC) (PDF) and the Youth Behavior Component (YBC) (PDF). These two school surveys have been co-administered since 2005. The YTC is a school-based survey of students in grades 6 - 12, with randomly chosen classrooms within selected schools, and is anonymous and confidential. The YBC is also a school-based survey of students, but only of high-school grades 9 - 12 and it, too, is anonymous and confidential.

  • The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

    The YRBSS monitors health risk behaviors in youth that contribute to leading causes of death, disability and social problems. Monitored behaviors include: tobacco use, diet, physical activity, alcohol and drug use, sexual behavior, and behaviors that contribute to unintentional injury or violence.

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