Harvard Chan School to host advance screening of Risky Drinking, documentary on the dangers of alcohol abuse

An advance screening of HBO Documentaries’ Risky Drinking, a soon-to-be-released documentary on the dangers of alcohol abuse, followed by a panel discussion, will be held at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on November 16 at 5:30 PM in Kresge G1.

In time to mark the annual Harvard-Yale football game that will take place at Harvard Stadium on November 19, the film will also be screened at the Yale School of Public Health on November 17.

Hosted by the Office for Student Affairs, the screening was coordinated by the NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) and HBO.  Special guests include Oscar and Emmy Award Winning Director Ellen Goosenberg and Carrie Wilkens from the Center for Motivation and Change.

Risky Drinking takes a case study look at the risks of alcohol use and the ways in which the medical community is viewing and treating “risky drinkers” today. Profiling four subjects (filmed over the course of several months in 2014), who fall at different points on the spectrum of problem drinking, from binge drinking to alcohol dependence, the film provides an up-close-and-personal look at men and women from different walks of life, united in their struggle with alcohol and its detrimental effect on their physical health, relationships and happiness. Interspersed with these powerful stories are informative interviews with addiction experts, who explain the science behind alcohol-use disorder, as well as stunning statistics about its prevalence and hazards. Equal parts informative and empathetic, Risky Drinking is a humanizing account of the serious, often lifelong problem of alcohol addiction, offering strategies and resources for those who are, many times, literally fighting for their lives.