DOWN THE HATCH –
March 4, 2025 – Despite the research that points to alcohol acting as a “gateway drug,” researchers from organizations like the National Institute of Health also argue that alcoholism — or alcohol use disorder, as medical professionals call the disease — also has plenty of environmental causes, such as drinking at a young age, genetics or mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from childhood trauma.
Research has long found that one extremely popular drug can lead to further substance use — and experts are now saying that that this popular item might be acting as a “gateway drug.”
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), more than 84% of all Americans have consumed alcohol at some point in their life. Researchers say that while many of them drink without too much incident, alcohol use can still alter the brain’s behavior centers, and drinkers may become more susceptible to drug abuse.
“Studies indicate that alcohol alters brain chemistry in ways that increase susceptibility to drug addiction,” Chris Tuell, a clinical psychotherapist and a chemical and behavioral addiction specialist at the Lindner Center told Fox News in an interview published Sunday, March 2.
