For More: alcoholinformation.org

This is a personal web site of David J. Hanson, who has received no financial support or other consideration from any agency, company, organization, group or person to post or maintain it.

About the Author

The host of this web site is David J. Hanson, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology of the State University of New York at Potsdam.

Professor Hanson has researched the subject of alcohol and drinking for over 40 years, beginning with his Ph.D. dissertation investigation. Shortly thereafter, he began a continuing series of nation wide studies of collegiate drinking over time (after 1981 with Dr. Ruth C. Engs of Indiana University).

He has received alcohol research grants from federal and state agencies, published over two dozen chapters in books on alcohol, prepared articles for several encyclopedias, and published two books on alcohol. His publications and scholarly papers number over 300 and textbooks in over a dozen fields of study report his research.

Dr. Hanson has served as alcohol consultant to the Canadian government and testified on Capitol Hill; his research has repeatedly been reported in the New York Times and other major newspapers, where he is frequently quoted; and he has appeared as an alcohol expert on the "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," the BBC’s “The World Tonight,“ the "Dr. Laura" television program, MSNBC’s “Live,“ CBC’s “Daybreak,“ the Fox News Channel, "CNN Saturday," National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" and "To the Best of Our Knowledge," the Voice of America, the ABC national radio news, and over sixty radio programs across the U.S. and several other countries. He has been quoted in Family Circle, Health  magazine, Parade (the Sunday newspaper supplement), and many other popular publications.

This web site is another effort to expand alcohol knowledge beyond the "ivory tower."

As one who does not require outside research funding, Dr. Hanson is free to draw whatever conclusions logic dictates without regard to whomever might be either pleased or offended.

The objective of this site is to provide information to stimulate thought and discussion about alcohol issues. It is informational only and nothing on it constitutes advice.

I. Publications and Papers

This select list of publications and presentations dating from about 1990 includes:

A. Books

  • Alcohol Education: What We Must Do. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1996.
  • Preventing Alcohol Abuse: Alcohol, Culture and Control. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1995.

B. Chapters & Articles Reprinted in Books

  • DARE. In: Cautin, R. and Lilienfeld, S. (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell (in press).
  • Congressional Temperance Society. In: Martin, S. (Gen. Ed.) Alcohol: Social , Cultural, and Historical Perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage (in press).
  • Historical Evolution of Alcohol Consumption in Society. In: Boyle, P., et al. (Eds). Alcohol: Science, Policy and Public Health. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2013.
  • Education on Drinking Responsibly Must Replace Neo-Prohibitionism. In: Kesbye, S. (Ed). Should the Legal Drinking Age be Lowered? Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2013.
  • The Effects of Substances on Driving. In: Miller, P. (Ed.). Principles of Addiction, Vol. 1. Amsterdam: Elsevier Academic Press, 2013.
  • Responses to Arguments Against the Minimum Drinking Age. In: Channell, C. and Crusius, T. (eds). Engaging Questions: A Guide to Writing. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2012.
  • Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). In: Barnett, G. (Ed). Encyclopedia of Social Networks. London: Sage, 2011.
  • Thinking Like a Researcher. In: Korgen, K., et al. (Eds). Sociologists in Action, Social Change, and Social Justice. Los Angeles: Sage, 2011.
  • History of Alcohol and Drinking around the World. In: Wilson, H. (Ed). Drugs, Society and Behavior. 25th edition. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
  • The Extent of Teen Drinking is Exaggerated. In: Roleff, T. (Ed). Alcoholism. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2010.
  • Living with Drugs: History of Alcohol and Drinking around the World In: Wilson, H. (Ed). Drugs, Society and Behavior. 24th edition. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
  • DWI Courts: Effectively Addressing Drunk Driving. In: Higgins, P. and Mackinem, M. (Eds.) Problem-Solving Courts: Justice for the Twenty-First Century. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2009.
  • Repeal of Prohibition in the U.S. In: Engdahl, S. (Ed.) Constitutional Amendments: Amendments XVIII and XXI - Prohibition and Repeal. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Publishing, 2009.
  • Extracts from Alcohol Problems and Solutions website. In: Hollen, Kathryn H. Encyclopedia of Addictions. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Press, 2008.
  • Alcohol Facts and Fiction. In: Merino, Noel (Ed.) Gateway Drugs. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2008.
  • What about the Drinking Age? (with Heath, Dwight B. and Rudy, Joel S.), Chronicle of Higher Education. In: Kiesbye, Stephen (Ed.). At Issue: Should the Drinking Age be Lowered? Bloomfield Hills, MI: Cengage Publishing, 2008.
  • World Drinking Ages table from website. In: Hanson, Glen, Venturelli, Peter, and Fleckenstein, Anette. Drugs and Society. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishing, tenth edition, 2008.
  • Drinking Alcohol Damages Teenagers’ Brains. In: Nakaya, Andrea C.  (Ed.) Opposing Viewpoints: Underage Drinking. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2007.
  • The Legal Drinking Age: Science vs. Ideology. In:  Power-Up English (Advanced), (a textbook for English as a Foreign Language course in Japanese universities.) Tokyo: Nan’un-Do Publishers, 2007.
  • How Alcohol Effects Us: The Biphasic curve.  In: Solohub, Roman T. Clear Thinking When Drinking: The Handbook for Responsible Alcohol Consumption. Acworth, GA: Empennage Press, 2007.
  • Healthy Drinking.  In: Solohub, Roman T. Clear Thinking When Drinking: The Handbook for Responsible Alcohol Consumption. Acworth, GA: Empennage Press, 2007.
  • It’s Better to Teach Safe Use of Alcohol. In: Solohub, Roman T. Clear Thinking When Drinking: The Handbook for Responsible Alcohol Consumption. Acworth, GA: Empennage Press, 2007.
  • The Legal Age Should be Lowered. In: Solohub, Roman T. Clear Thinking When Drinking: The Handbook for Responsible Alcohol Consumption. Acworth, GA: Empennage Press, 2007.
  • The Legal drinking Age: Science versus Ideology.  In: Solohub, Roman T. Clear Thinking When Drinking: The Handbook for Responsible Alcohol Consumption. Acworth, GA: Empennage Press, 2007.
  • Exaggerating the Problem of Underage Drinking is Ineffective Prevention. In: Merino, Noel (Ed.) Issues that Concern You: Underage Drinking.  San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2006.
  • Binge Drinking is Declining among Youths. In: Aue, Pamela Willwirth (Ed.) Opposing Viewpoints: Teen Drug Abuse. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2006.
  • The Drinking Age Should be Lowered.  In: Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints: Drunk Driving. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2006.
  • A Junk Science Congregation. In: Stanford, Eleanor (Ed.) Introducing Issues with Opposing Viewpoints: Advertising. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2006.
  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving: A Crash Course in MADD. In: Overby, Chris. The Drinking & Drug War in America. Lulu.com/, 2005. ISBN: 978-1-4116-7022-8. 
  • The Reputation of MADD. In: Overby, Chris. The Drinking & Drug War in America. Lulu.com/, 2005. ISBN: 978-1-4116-7022-8. 
  • Underage Drinking. In: Hybels, Saundra, and Weaver, Richard L. (Eds.) Communicating Effectively. NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
  • Alcohol Consumption (graph). In: Bello, Ignacio and Britton, Jack. Contemporary Mathematics. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2004 (eighth edition).
  • Alcohol and Stroke Risk (graph). In: Bello, Ignacio and Britton, Jack. Contemporary Mathematics. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2004 (eighth edition).
  • Alcohol and Risks of Mortality (graph). In: Bello, Ignacio and Britton, Jack. Contemporary Mathematics. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2004 (eighth edition).
  • The Legal Drinking Age: Science vs. Ideology. In: Balkin, Karen (Ed.) Alcohol: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2004.
  • College Students, Alcohol and Rape (with others). In: O’Biereck, Gary, and O’Biereck, Sheila A. (Eds.) Human Portraits and Behavioral Inquiries. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Scholars’ Press, 2002.
  • The Extent of Underage Drinking is Exaggerated. In: Torr, James D. (Ed.) Teens and Alcohol: Current Controversies. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2002.
  • Alkoholmisbrug kan Begraenses. In: Nielsen, Lone Soderstron (Ed.) Beretning Aret 2000. Copenhagen, Denmark: GODA, 2001.
  • Formal Education. In: Houghton, Eleni, and Roche, Anne M. (Eds.) Learning About Drinking. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2001.
  • Advertising Doesn’t Encourage Teen Alcohol Abuse. In: Egendorf, Laura. K. (Ed.) Teen Alcoholism. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2001.
  • Interview of Roderic B. Park, Lerner Permits for Underage Drinkers. In: Egendorf, Laura. K. (Ed.) Teen Alcoholism. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven, 2001.
  • Alcohol, Law and Policy. In: Torr, James D. (Ed.) Alcoholism. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2000.
  • Binge Drinking. In: Torr, James D. (Ed.) Alcoholism. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2000.
  • Historical Overview of Alcohol Abuse. In Ammerman, Robert T., Ott, Peggy J., and Tarter, Ralph E. (Eds.) Prevention and Societal Impact of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Mahwah, NJ and London, England: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1999.
  • Health: Alcohol Use and Abuse. In Smith, Shelly Wilkerson (Ed.) Stand! Drugs and Society. St. Paul, MN: Coursewise Publishing, 1999.
  • (Alcohol and Culture in) The United States of America. In: Heath, Dwight B. (Ed.) International Handbook of Alcohol and Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995.
  • Drinking Behavior: Taking Personal Responsibility (with Engs, Ruth C.)  In: Venturelli, Peter (Ed.) Drug Use in America: Social, Cultural and Political Perspectives. New York: Jones and Bartlett, 1994.
  • College Students' Drinking Patterns and Problems. In: Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education and Texas Christian University. HELP: Higher Education Leaders/Peers Network Resource Manual. Washington, DC and Fort Worth, TX: Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education and Texas Christian University, 1992.
  • The Drinking Age Should be Lowered. In: Goldberg, Raymond G. (Ed.) Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Controversial Issues on Drugs and Society. Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing, 1993. Reprinted from Controversies in the Addictions Field. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt, 1990, where it was first published.
  • Black College Students' Drinking Patterns (with Engs, Ruth C.). In: Forster, Brenda, and Salloway, Jeff (Eds.) The Socio-Cultural Matrix of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1990.
  • The Drinking Age Should be Lowered. In: Engs, Ruth C. (Ed.) Controversies in the Addictions Field. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt, 1990.

C. Booklet

  • University Students' Drinking Patterns and Problems: Examining the Effects of Raising the Purchase Age (with Engs, Ruth C.) Baltimore, MD: American Council on Alcoholism, 1989. Reprinted from Public Health Reports, where it was first published.

  • D. Encyclopedia Articles

  • Alcohol. Encyclopedia of Environmental History. (forthcoming)
  • Alcohol Use and Youth Education. The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Deviant Behavior. Philadelphia, PA: Brunner/Routledge, 2001.
  • Wayne Bidwell Wheeler. American National Biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. (Wayne Wheeler was the de facto leader of the Anti-Saloon League and was the single most powerful leader of the American temperance movement)
  • Drug Prevention Education. Encyclopedia of Education and Encyclopedia of Higher Education. Oxford, England: Elsevier Science, 1998. CD-ROM
  • Alcohol, Drug and Smoking Educations. The International Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford, England: Pergamon Press, second edition, 1994.
  • Drug Education Programs. The International Encyclopedia of Curriculum. New York: Pergamon Press, second edition, 1991.

E. Journal Articles

  • Reduction of consumption theory: a test using the drinking patterns and problems of collegians in the United States, 1983-1994 (with Engs, Ruth C.). The College Student Journal, September, 1999.
  • The drinking behaviors of a sample of university students in Nanning, Guangxsi province, People's Republic of China (with others). Substance Use and Abuse (formerly the International Journal of the Addictions), 1997.
  • The effectiveness of specific public policies on substance abuse prevention. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, May, 1996.
  • Collegiate drinking: administrators' perceptions campus policies and student behaviors (with Engs, Ruth C.) National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Journal, Winter, 1995.
  • Boozing and brawling on campus: a national study of violent problems associated with drinking over the past decade (with Engs, Ruth C.) Journal of Criminal Justice, May, 1994.
  • Drinking games and problems related to drinking among moderate and heavy drinkers (with Engs, Ruth C.) Psychological Reports, August, 1993.
  • The Student Alcohol Questionnaire: an updated reliability of the Drinking Patterns, Problems, Knowledge, and Attitude Subscales (with Engs, Ruth C.) Psychological Reports, January, 1994.
  • College students' drinking problems: a national study, 1982-1991 (with others). Psychological Reports, August, 1992.
  • The drinking patterns of American and Polish university students: a cross-national study (with others). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 1991.
  • The influence of religion and culture on drinking behavior: a test of hypotheses between Canada and the U.S.A. (with others). British Journal of Addiction, 1990.
  • Alcohol knowledge and drinking patterns of nursing students over time (with Engs, Ruth C.) College Student Journal, Spring, 1989.
  • Reactance theory: a test with collegiate drinking (with Engs, Ruth C.) Psychological Reports, June, 1989.
  • The alcohol knowledge and drinking myths of a national sample of university students (with Engs, Ruth C) Journal of College Student Development, March, 1989.

F. Papers/Presentations (Recent)

  • The Drinking Age and a Drinking Learner Permit. Franklin and Marshall College, November 5, 2009.
  • Testimony on effects of Sunday alcohol beverage sales presented to the Indiana State Assembly Interim Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverages, September 15, 2009.
  • The Minimum Legal Drinking Age. Invited presentation to the Moral Forum, Center for Ethics & Social Responsibility. University of Alabama, September 14, 2009.
  • A Drinking Learner's Permit. Presenter, Drinking Age Debate, Issues Day. Saint Mary's Hall, San Antonio, TX, March 26, 2009.
  • Toward New Alcohol Policies. Guest speaker at Beyond Amethyst: The Conference, sponsored by the Five Colleges Consortium (Hampshire, Amherst, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts Amherst), at Hampshire College, April 24, 2009.
  • Keynote Address at MADD Power Camp, Storrs, CT, August 3, 2005.
  • Alcohol Education: What Works. Invited presentation at American Campus and Alcohol Regional Conference, Mystic, CT, November, 2003.
  • Alcohol Education: What Works. Invited presentation at American Campus and Alcohol Regional Conference, Orlando, FL, September, 2002.
  • Thinking and Drinking: Alcohol Expectancies and Consequences. Invited presentation at the GODE Alkoholdninger meetings, Copenhagen, Denmark, April, 2001.
  • Alcohol Education: What works. Invited presentation t American Cam0us and Alcohol Regional Conference, San Antonio, TX, November 2001.
  • Cultural Impact on Alcohol Abuse. Invited presentation at the Scandinavian Medical Alcohol Board (SMAB) meetings, Oslo, Norway, October, 2000.
  • Alcohol Education: What Works. Invited presentation at the American Campus and Alcohol National Conference, Washington, DC, October, 2000.
  • Expert witness and alcohol consultant in federal civil cases (2000 to present).

II. Miscellaneous

  • Expert testimony Sunday alcohol sales presented to Indiana legislative Interim Study Committee on Alcoholic Beverages (September 15, 2009)
  • Advisory Board member, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) “Science inside Alcoholism” project, 2007-2010.
  • Expert testimony on alcohol advertising and marketing to youth presented to New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (October 22, 2002).
  • Age of propaganda: the government attacks teenage drinking with junk science (with Matt Walcoff). Reason, October, 2004.
  • President, New York State Sociological Association (1982-1983; 1993-1994).
  • Research cited in textbooks in sociology, psychology, social psychology, adolescent psychology, personality, social deviance, social problems, social foundations of education, political science, alcohol studies, drug studies, health science, marriage and Family, and research methods.

The material on this site is for information only and is not advice.