Journal profile · Toxicology
Alcohol
ISSN 0741-8329 · eISSN 1873-6823 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1984
Alcohol: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.47; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,720; median 83 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 69 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Alcohol is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior, Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects and Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research, together about 35.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Alcohol is an international, peer-reviewed journal that is devoted to publishing multi-disciplinary biomedical research on all aspects of the actions or effects of alcohol on the nervous system or on other organ systems. Emphasis is given to studies into the causes and consequences of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and biomedical aspects of diagnosis, etiology, treatment or prevention of alcohol-related health effects.Intended for both research scientists and practicing clinicians, the journal publishes original research on the neurobiological, neurobehavioral, and pathophysiological processes associated with alcohol drinking, alcohol abuse, alcohol-seeking behavior, tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, protracted abstinence, and relapse. In addition, the journal reports studies on the effects alcohol on brain mechanisms of neuroplasticity over the life span, biological factors associated with adolescent alcohol abuse, pharmacotherapeutic strategies in the treatment of alcoholism, biological and biochemical markers of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, pathological effects of uncontrolled drinking, biomedical and molecular factors in the effects on liver, immune system, and other organ systems, and biomedical aspects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder including mechanisms of damage, diagnosis and early detection, treatment, and prevention. Articles are published from all levels of biomedical inquiry, including the following: molecular and cellular studies of alcohol's actions in vitro and in vivo; animal model studies of genetic, pharmacological, behavioral, developmental or pathophysiological aspects of alcohol; human studies of genetic, behavioral, cognitive, neuroimaging, or pathological aspects of alcohol drinking; clinical studies of diagnosis (including dual diagnosis), treatment, prevention, and epidemiology. The journal will publish 9 issues per year; the accepted abbreviation for Alcohol for bibliographic citation is Alcohol.Alcohol subscribes to the tenets of The Farmington Consensus. Submission of a paper to the journal will be taken as evidence that the authors have complied with the tenets set forth in the Consensus. All submitted material will be subject to peer review. Alcohol considers three types of manuscripts for publication:- Original research articles are full-length reports of the authors' original research addressing topics consistent with the Aims and Scope of the journal. Submissions outside the scope of the journal, or incomplete or fragmentary submissions, will not be considered.- Rapid communications are original, high-quality manuscripts that describe new data of high impact and major importance to the field. These contributions are typically short (e.g., 4 journal pages), and will be peer-reviewed by at least one expert in the field of the research and an Editor, and will be either accepted with minimal or no revisions or rejected. Publication of accepted rapid communications will be expedited.- Invited review articles will be considered for publication, upon invitation from the Editor-in-Chief, as full-length papers or mini-reviews. These contributions will be peer-reviewed. Contact the Editor-in-Chief concerning the suitability of a topic for an invited review.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Toxicology
Editor-in-chief Douglas MatthewsPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 39, Australia 3, Argentina 3, United Kingdom 2, Mainland China 1 (50 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeuroscience14.5%
- Alcohol Consumption and Health EffectsMedicine13.8%
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology ResearchNeuroscience7.6%
- Prenatal Substance Exposure EffectsMedicine6.5%
- Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesMedicine5.2%
- Receptor Mechanisms and SignalingBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4%
- Stress Responses and CortisolNeuroscience3.7%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Substance Abuse | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Toxicology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Substance Abuse | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Toxicology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Pharmacology & Pharmacy | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Substance Abuse | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Toxicology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.47LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.7LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.75LetPub ·
- h-index
- 74LetPub ·
- h-index
- 117OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,504OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.2OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 21.4%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 82LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,969 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 211 | 58 | 21 |
| 2025 | 69 | 42 | 131 |
| 2024 | 130 | 58 | 342 |
| 2023 | 267 | 199 | 513 |
| 2022 | 74 | 47 | 941 |
| 2021 | 108 | 42 | 824 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
83 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 61 days – 121 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 3 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 90 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (184 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 31 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 80 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,720 / EUR 3,480 / GBP 2,980 / JPY 461,390 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,640 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
- Stress and Alcohol – VolterraDeadline
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted10
- commentaryAll submitted material will be subject to peer review. The requirements set forth in the Instructions to Authors apply to all 3 types of manuscripts accepted fo…Length not stated
- editorialAll submitted material will be subject to peer review. The requirements set forth in the Instructions to Authors apply to all 3 types of manuscripts accepted fo…Length not stated
- invited editorials or commentariesInvited editorials or commentaries will be considered for publication, upon agreement by the Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor. These contributions should be…Length not stated
- original researchAll submitted material will be subject to peer review. The requirements set forth in the Instructions to Authors apply to all 3 types of manuscripts accepted fo…Length not stated
- original research articleAll submitted material will be subject to peer review. The requirements set forth in the Instructions to Authors apply to all 3 types of manuscripts accepted fo…Length not stated
- original research articlesOriginal research articles are full-length reports of the authors' original research addressing topics consistent with the Aims and Scope of the journal. Submis…Length not stated
- rapid communicationAll submitted material will be subject to peer review. The requirements set forth in the Instructions to Authors apply to all 3 types of manuscripts accepted fo…Length not stated
- reviewAll submitted material will be subject to peer review. The requirements set forth in the Instructions to Authors apply to all 3 types of manuscripts accepted fo…Length not stated
- review articleAll submitted material will be subject to peer review. The requirements set forth in the Instructions to Authors apply to all 3 types of manuscripts accepted fo…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles can be submitted upon invitation from journal editors or following appropriate screening from editors. Authors with ideas for potential review a…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of one reviewer for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Rea…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1984
- ISSN
- 0741-8329
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-6823
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Alcohol
What CAS zone is Alcohol in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Alcohol is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Pharmacology & Pharmacy / Substance Abuse / Toxicology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Alcohol?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.47; CiteScore 3.9, h-index 117.
How long does peer review take at Alcohol?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 83 days (interquartile range 61–121 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Alcohol?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Suggested reviewers: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Alcohol based?
Of the 50 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (39), Australia (3) and Argentina (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Alcohol?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Alcohol is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Alcohol open access, and what is the APC?
Alcohol is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,720.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .