Alcohol use and coping among emergency medical responders
Official title: Looking through the bottle: Exploring alcohol use among emergency medical service providers
Funded at Ndri-USA, INC. · NIH-11123191 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how and why EMS workers use alcohol and how that use relates to their health, safety, and work performance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ndri-USA, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $412,657 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030975-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11123191 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adult EMS personnel (EMTs, paramedics, ambulance crew) currently working in emergency medical services.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not EMS workers or who have no history of occupational exposure to emergency response are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would be hearing from current emergency medical service (EMS) providers about their experiences with alcohol through surveys and interviews, and researchers will combine those reports with existing health and injury information. The team uses a multi-method approach to understand patterns of drinking, workplace culture, and links to sleep, injuries, and mental health. Findings will be used to shape better health and wellness programs for EMS personnel. The work focuses on real-world experiences of EMS staff in uncontrolled emergency settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could lead to targeted wellness and prevention programs that reduce risky drinking and improve EMS worker health and public safety.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has documented mental health and substance risks among first responders, but focused, multi-method work on alcohol use in EMS is relatively limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Ndri-USA, INC.
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Koeppel, Maria — Ndri-USA, INC.
- Study coordinator: Koeppel, Maria
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.