The Dry season two review – throw all the awards at this comedy!
Dense, clever, sad, deeply funny: this immaculately plotted Irish comedy drama about rebuilding life in the wake of tragedy and addiction is a supreme achievement
'I used to be a happy drunk: I ain’t any more': Paul Gascoigne on alcohol addiction – video
Paul Gascoigne has described himself as a 'sad drunk' in talking about the nature of his alcohol addiction
Paul Gascoigne says he is a ‘sad drunk’ and lives in his agent’s spare room
The former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne has described himself as a ‘sad drunk’ reduced to living in his agent’s spare room
February 2024
Pass notes
Sloshed, plastered and gazeboed: why Britons have 546 words for drunkenness
Combine ribald humour with peculiar sentence construction and a genuinely horrifying drinking culture, and what do you get? A dictionary’s worth of ‘drunkonyms’
Scotland raises minimum alcohol prices by almost one third
Minimum price of bottle of whisky set at £18.20 as ministers mull health tax to retrieve higher revenue from shops
Scotland expected to raise minimum alcohol price by 30%
Health campaigners will welcome new unit rate of 65p, which will push bottle of whisky to at least £18.20
January 2024
My month in rehab: alcohol was killing me – until I made that crucial call
The crime author Cate Quinn thought she was entering rehab to tackle a nascent drink problem spurred by a family tragedy. The truth? She had never experienced adult life sober
Sober after years of alcoholism, I was about to drink again. Elton John saved me
My addiction had almost destroyed me – and now I was on the brink of a relapse. Then I remembered how the star had turned his own life around
The modern mind
A ‘trigger’ can provoke a powerful emotional reaction. But using trauma language too casually can diminish its gravity
Ashwini Padhi
Guy Lodge's streaming and DVDs
Streaming: the best films about drinking
The long read
What we talk about when we talk about giving up
December 2023
I drank to escape loneliness. But it was only when I stopped that I found the love I craved
Gunnar Ardelius
After years of reliance on alcohol, going sober was terrifying. But losing my addiction has brought unimaginable rewards, says Swedish author Gunnar Ardelius
Alcohol misuse and loneliness ‘increase risk of early-onset dementia’
Ground-breaking research identifies 15 factors that significantly raise chance of developing illness
Why does alcohol make my poo go weird?
Vincent Ho for the Conversation
Diarrhoea and constipation can result from booze as it interferes with the time it takes food to transit the gut
October 2023
‘I drank to self-medicate’: Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan on panic attacks, addiction and rock’s fallen heroes
The bassist suffered in silence with a panic disorder and alcohol problems took him to the brink of death. He explains how he turned his life around
August 2023
Scientists hope weight-loss drugs could treat addiction and dementia
Medications with semaglutide such as Ozempic and Wegovy are being studied to see if they can help other conditions
Form of gene therapy offers hope for severe alcohol addiction, study finds
US research linked to dopamine release finds macaques decreased consumption by up to 90% after treatment
Strictly judge Anton Du Beke says he was once stabbed by father
Dancer tells Kate Garraway he kept attack secret, as he recalls growing up with violent and alcoholic parent
July 2023
‘Champion of the invisible’: blue plaque campaign for pioneer on homelessness
Ask Annalisa Barbieri
My sister is drinking heavily while pregnant. How can I help her stop?