Topiramate, a drug already approved for the treatment of epilepsy, has proven effective at reducing alcohol cravings in recovering alcoholics.

A recent study on the harm reduction drug Nalmafene, that researchers claim allows alcoholics to reduce their drinking by as much as a third, has me thinking about the relative merits of harm reduction versus abstinence as theories of recovery. This new drug has showed an ability to reduce quantities consumed, but alcoholics using the drug still drank to excess once in every three days. Is harm reduction as a treatment framework acceptable, and should we be satisfied with any treatment philosophy that does not solve the destruction caused by drug or alcohol addiction, and only reduces it?

Early testing results on varenicline's ability to decrease alcohol consumption are proving very exciting to addictions professionals. The drug, already approved safe for human use, has only been tested on animals for use as an alcohol cessation medication, but preliminary results indicate that varenicline cuts alcohol consumption in half, and that the effects of the drug last even after the patient stops taking it. It works well for rats anyways, for humans we'll have to wait and see!

The NIAA says that there are 5 kinds of alcoholic. Which kind are you?

The National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has determined that there is a "lost decade" between the age of onset of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency and the age of first treatment.

If a couple of drinks makes you flushed and red in the face, watch out…you're at a greatly increased risk for alcohol related cancers!

Alcoholics fall over a lot…and have weakened bones; not an ideal combination.

About a quarter of people who admit that they need treatment, but who don't get it, say that it is a fear of the stigma of being labled a drug addict or alcoholic that keeps them using!

A recent Japanese study indicates that alcoholism induces brain damage, and that this brain damage is occurring before any cognitive declines or structural changes are evident. The problem is that this early brain damage progresses unnoticed by all, and as such never scares people into getting help, and stopping the damage.

Although Naltrexone helps some people to stay sober, it actually makes others want to drink more!

Can problem drinkers be taught to drink responsibly? Do alcoholics really have to quit for life?

Dr. Levy of Harvard University thinks they can, some of them anyway, and he has developed a system to help them drink, in controlled moderation.

Breast cancer, higher rates of dementia, heart attack, cirrhosis of the liver...the list goes on. It's not fair, but women just suffer more from their heavy drinking than do men.

If the cravings are bad, acamprosate might help. Research shows that recovering alcoholics using acamprosate feel less temptation, and those using a combination of natrexone and acamprosate do best of all.

You may think that a few drinks loosens you up and makes you better company. Let me tell you though, more than a few drinks sure does the opposite, and this, I know from experience.

Admittedly, talking about locking up alcoholics makes me sound a touch whack-job (I do realize this) but is it really so crazy?

Every year tens of thousands of chronic alcoholics slip into the dementia and confusion of Wernickes-Korsakoffs syndrome. Every year thousands die. It's A simple vitamin b1 deficiency, caused by years of abuse and poor diet, and it's a veritable tragedy to witness.

It's also completely preventable. So why do we add vitamins to bread but not beer?

Is it alcoholism, problem drinking, heavy drinking...what do all these things even mean anyway?

You may not believe you're an alcoholic - and you may even be right...but what's the significance of that nagging voice inside your head that wonders if something might be wrong?

OK - so here it is, once and for all. Read this and know for sure whether or not you have a drinking problem. It's an easy little test and in 5 minutes you'll know, and what you do then is up to you.

They say that the humble fruit fly is actually a pretty reliable animal model for human behavior. Well, when the fruit fly gets drunk enough, for long enough, he starts doing things he wouldn't ordinarily do...