Congressional Commemoration for NIAAA’s 50th Anniversary

Rep. Paul D. Tonko, vice co-chair of the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus, commemorates NIAAA’s 50th anniversary in the Congressional Record.

Fifty years ago, the Comprehensive Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Act of 1970 authorized creation of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. NIAAA’s launch heralded a major advance in America’s understanding of alcohol use disorder as a preventable and treatable medical disorder.

Congress recently acknowledged the institute’s golden anniversary. Rep. Paul D. Tonko—the current Democratic vice co-chair of the Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus—commemorated NIAAA’s milestone in the Congressional Record: “For 50 years, NIAAA has been the leader in generating and disseminating fundamental information about the effects of alcohol on our health and well-being and applying that knowledge to improve the lives of those struggling with alcohol-related problems…With technological advances and an expanding knowledge base, NIAAA is poised to advance alcohol research to the next frontier toward the goal of helping more Americans live healthier, more productive lives.”

Visit NIAAA’s 50th anniversary website for more details: niaaa.nih.gov/our-work/niaaa-50-legacy-advancing-alcohol-research.