Alcohol Justice Condemns Devastation from Federal Alcohol Prevention Defunding

Advocacy and research groups join together in outrage and solidarity over losses to public health

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., April 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For National Public Health Week, Alcohol Justice is joining the group of 28 preeminent addiction medicine journal editors in condemning the federal government's wasteful, arbitrary, and harmful assault on prevention. In a paired set of articles, the San Rafael-based nonprofit lays out the importance of preventing drug and alcohol harm, and the need to be vocal in support of its allies and values.

The organizational stand was spurred by the prepublication of "A Clarion Call to the Addiction Science Community." The editorial was coauthored by 28 journal editors from the U.S. and 11 other countries, led by legendary alcohol policy researcher Thomas Babor. In it, the authors call for united, principled resistance by addiction medicine researchers to the government's calls for censoring research, erasing vulnerable groups, and financially abandoning young scientists.

With the authors' permission, the public access "Clarion Call" preprint is available on Alcohol Justice's website here. Alcohol Justice published a supporting article, "Alcohol Prevention and Addiction Medicine Must Stand in Solidarity," calling for courage, community, and commitment to the mission of easing the burden of harm.

"Our communities' health depends on being able to talk openly and honestly about race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality," said Cruz Avila, Executive Director of Alcohol Justice. "Silence about this, or about any other truth about our neighbors' and kids' daily lives, leaves them vulnerable to the drug and alcohol industries. No matter how scared of reprisal we may feel, we cannot abandon them."

Aside from federal calls to censor science, Alcohol Justice is highly concerned about the chaos and potential defunding of a number of essential NIH resources. Essential resources for tracking and confronting alcohol harm, including CDC's alcohol epidemiology research and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, have been stripped of staff. Most concerningly, the entire Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has been dissolved, leaving vital recovery resources and youth alcohol prevention funding in limbo.

In its second National Public Health Week article, Alcohol Justice argues that the loss of these resources has greatly weakened the nation. By acting at scale, the federal government used to be able to prevent some alcohol harms well before individuals suffer. This level of intervention is considerably more efficient and cost effective than trying to treat people in the hospital or help them through the recovery process. Without effective prevention, communities lose money, capacity, and lives far in excess of the federal cost savings.

"National Public Health week is intended to celebrate what we can do, and call for what more can be done," Avila stated. "Instead, we're rushing to pick up the pieces of broken infrastructure. Rebuilding will take all of us—but we will get it done."

All Alcohol Justice articles are archived here.

About National Public Health Week
During the first full week of April each year, the American Public Health Association brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week as a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation's health.

About Alcohol Justice
Alcohol Justice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1987 and dedicated to reducing alcohol-related harm through research, advocacy, and community engagement. By holding the alcohol industry accountable and promoting evidence-based policies, Alcohol Justice works to create healthier, safer communities.

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CONTACT:
Carson Benowitz-Fredericks
(917) 426-6443
Michael Scippa
(415) 847-3006 

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SOURCE Alcohol Justice