Does participation in an alcohol administration study increase risk for excessive drinking?

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Concerns exist that alcohol administration studies may increase problem drinking.
• Emerging evidence suggests study participation does not negatively impact subsequent drinking behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of alcohol administration studies on drinking behavior in non-treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent individuals and social drinkers.
• To assess if participation in such studies poses a risk for increased alcohol consumption.

Main Methods:

• 27 alcohol-dependent subjects and 32 social drinkers underwent an alcohol administration study.
• Blood alcohol concentration was maintained at 0.08 g/dl.
• Drinking behavior (PDA, D/DD, PHDD) was assessed for 6 weeks pre- and post-study.
• Alcohol-dependent subjects received brief intervention post-study.

Main Results:

• Alcohol-dependent subjects showed a 24% increase in Percentage of Days Abstinent (PDA).
• They decreased Drinks per Drinking Day (D/DD) by 2.4 and Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days (PHDD) by 21.6%.
• Social drinkers showed no significant changes in PDA or D/DD, but a slight increase in PHDD.

Conclusions:

• Participation in alcohol administration studies does not increase alcohol consumption in alcohol-dependent individuals.
• Such studies, particularly with brief interventions, may temporarily decrease alcohol intake.
• Non-treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent individuals can be safely included in these studies.