The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC)—a huge resource for data and research findings The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions NESARC), waves 1 and 2, has been the source of empirical data for more than 740 scientific papers, many of them cited more than 100 times. These papers have been authored by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) intramural scientists, and by extramural scientists from around the world. Dr Caetano [1] raised many questions about the NESARC. While a full-scale review of these issues is beyond the scope of a commentary, many of the questions can be addressed with factual information. WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE NESARC? The following were included: detailed drinking quantity and frequency measures; frequency of drug use; diagnoses and symptom data for major common and less-common psychi- atric and substance use disorders; medical conditions; treat- ment utilization; functional impairment; immigration; socio-economic information; childhood maltreatment and other adversities; family history of substance and psychiatric disorders; past-year stressful life events; discrimination due to minority group statuses; and social support. Wave 2 re- interviews of initial participants provided information on 3-year incidence, remission and chronicity. NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS By 22 October 2014, using the search terms: ‘National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions’, ‘NESARC’ ‘Nationally Representative Sample’ and Alcohol and ‘United States’, ‘43,093’ and ‘34,653’, Pubmed and Scopus indicated 743 empirical NESARC papers. New papers are published monthly, including in high-impact journals, indicating substantial scientific contribution. WAVES 1 AND 2 PUBLICATIONS Of NESARC papers, 420 used wave 1 data, 118 used wave 2 data and 205 used data from both waves. Thus, both waves generated enormous scientific productivity. NESARC CITATIONS Scopus indicates six NESARC papers cited >600 times (range = 602–1128); six cited 301–600 times; 31 cited 101–300 times; and 274 cited 11–100 times. The scien- tific community has thus shown substantial interest in NESARC findings. INTRAMURAL VERSUS EXTRAMURAL SCIENTISTS The NESARC was designed, approved and funded to ad- dress issues key to NIAAA ’s mission. A major responsibil- ity of the NIAAA Intramural Laboratory of Epidemiology and Biometry (LEB) is to conduct in-depth analyses of NESARC data to achieve those objectives. Accordingly, intramural scientists were the only authors on some pa- pers. However, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) always planned to make NESARC data available to the wider scientific community. Therefore, LEB spent more than a year meticulously cleaning the data and providing detailed documentation to ensure quality, precision, accuracy and ease of use of these public-use data. This effort was highly successful. First authors, senior (last) authors and co-authors of NESARC papers were located at hundreds of academic and other institutions around the United States and world-wide. Authors ranged from leading senior scientists to junior investigators, whose work with NESARC formed an important aspect of their scientific and professional development. FUNDING NESARC RESEARCH Scientific value is also indicated by sources allocating funding to extramural investigators for NESARC analyses. NIH was the most widely reported source of extramural support (426 papers); funding was also acknowledged from non-profit organizations, US state governments and governments of other countries. Thus, a wide vari- ety of organizations allocated funds towards NESARC- related work. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction Addiction, 110, 378–380 EDITORIAL doi:10.1111/add.12794