Dr. Jennifer Merrill & former CAAS Postdoc Dr. Carpenter recently published a manuscript on the impact of not only amount, but also rate of alcohol consumption during drinking events, on alcohol-related consequences. The manuscript titled, "How much and how fast: Alcohol consumption patterns, drinking-episode affect, and next-day consequences in the daily life of underage heavy drinkers" was published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence and highlighted the importance of consumption rate, not just amount.

Some key findings and highlights from the manuscript:

How quickly people drink (above and beyond how much they drink) increases the likelihood of both negative and positive effects of alcohol consumption. Drinking faster (not just more) predicts drinking consequences.

This manuscript highlights another critical component to better understanding acute problematic alcohol behavior. Specificity is key to the narrative.