Years ago, the co- founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill W., described alcoholism as a cunning and baffling disease. Because the alcoholics recognized the need for research to better understand alcohol and the human body, Bill W gave testimony to the United States Congress in support of establishing the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). While many knew intuitively that alcohol use disorders are a public health issue, NIAAA has been able to provide the evidence through the epidemiology of alcohol. Now, the World Health Organization is examining the public health approaches needed to be better deal with the morbidity and mortality of alcohol use.

Epidemics in the Justice System: Alcohol and Rural Courts