Confused as to whether any amount of alcohol is safe for an expecting mom to drink? You’re not alone. Recent, well-publicized studies from researchers in Denmark downplay the risks of consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Such a suggestion is wrong, according to Dr. Susan Astley, a University of Washington fetal alcohol syndrome expert and […]

Autism or FASD? Autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are different disabilities with some similar symptoms. The causes of autism are not fully known, though most scientists agree genetics plays a role. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, including fetal alcohol syndrome, can only be found in children whose mothers drank during pregnancy. The […]

In Alaska’s long struggle with alcohol misuse, we’ve learned that we need to confront the problem on multiple fronts — education, treatment and counseling, tough enforcement and effective alternatives to jail time. For repeat DUI offenders, being married to a 24/7 Breathalyzer covers several of those fronts. That’s the message in Kyle Hopkins’ Jan. 5 […]

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers today scored Alaska four out of five stars in a state-by-state ranking of DUI prevention across the country. In its “2014 Report to the Nation,” the non-profit outline five actions each state should take to curb drunken driving. Alaska has already enacted most of those steps, including: – Requiring ignition interlock […]

States that directly control their own alcohol sales through state-run liquor stores get more revenue from booze than states like Alaska that issue liquor licenses to private retailers, the University of Michigan has found. Unlike Alaska, which takes its cut of the alcohol business through high taxes, some states also directly handle wholesale and/or retail […]

Lanita Sweatt-Sanders says goodbye to her daughter, Citari Townes-Sweatt. Police say the 20-year-old was struck and killed by a drunk driver. Sweatt-Sanders has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Anchorage court, accusing Chilkoot Charlie’s of liability in the death. […]

Larry Berg submits breath samples to an alcohol monitor in his home twice a day as he awaits a court hearing on his fourth DUI charge. Alaska Pretrial Services monitors his compliance with a court order to not drink. […]

Can you tell when you’re too drunk to legally drive? Alaska law says a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher means you’re too soused to get behind the wheel, but we wondered just how precise partygoers are when it comes to guessing their limits. After buying what seemed like the last pocket Breathalyzer in Anchorage, […]

When a hostess at an Airport Heights buffet offered underage customers a 10 percent military discount on beer, she was breaking not one Alaska law, but two, according to charges filed this week in state court. Prosecutors on Wednesday charged Kogi restaurant owner Young Hyon Kim with perjury, failure to have a valid alcohol […]