www.alkoholpolitik.ch

If actress/starlet/addict Lindsay Lohan accomplishes nothing else in this life — and this seems increasingly probable — we’ll at least be able to say that she has sparked a conversation about the relative merits of drug treatment versus incarceration.
As you may know, Lohan used up even the long rope afforded repeat offenders in Hollywood and was sent to jail in July for violating the terms of her probation stemming from a drunk-driving conviction. Lohan’s teary courtroom appearances have elicited some sympathy. …(Source: Join Together, 8/16/10)

The idea that alcohol and drugs can stimulate artists, writers and musicians to create great works of art is a “dangerous myth” and can actually stifle creativity, a psychiatrist has said.
Dr Iain Smith, a consultant in addiction psychiatry at Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow, was speaking at the International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Edinburgh.
He said that while many artists and writers, such as the 19th century French poet Baudelaire and American writer Ernest Hemingway, were well known for their use of intoxicating substances (cannabis and alcohol respectively), most produced their greatest works when they were sober. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/25/10)

..as Marin Institute hosts a San Francisco benefit screening on June 24th at the Fort Mason Cowell Theater (6:00 – 9:00 pm). The movie was written and directed by Peter Bratt, starring Benjamin Bratt.
Buy Tickets Online LinkTickets $50
La Mission was filmed in San Francisco’s Mission District and portrays a proud man’s struggle to accept a changing society, living in a neighborhood battling to end its own cycle of violence and intolerance.
Marin Institute will honor brothers Peter and Benjamin Bratt with our first ever Barky Award for “Inspirational Media Leadership.” Senator Mark Leno will moderate a question and answer session with Peter and the stars after the film. We invite you to become a sponsor of this event or advertise in the program book.
La Mission features Benjamin Bratt as Che, a reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic. Marin Institute supports La Mission because the movie raises awareness of how alcohol and violence touches the lives of everyone. La Mission sends the right message. Help Marin Institute continue its fight against the Big Alcohol companies.
See complete La Mission event information at http://www.marininstitute.org/site/about-us/events.html

Washington (CNN) – Las Vegas and alcohol probably aren’t the first two things that come to mind at the mention of Sarah Palin, but the former vice presidential candidate is about to change that. At least that’s according to Craig Wolf, the president and CEO of the Wine and Liquor Wholesalers of America, who announced Tuesday that Palin will keynote the group’s annual convention and expo in Las Vegas in early April. (Source: Google Alkohol Alert, 1/13/10) politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, 1/12/10 With some nice comments online.

Media Ignores Health Consequences Of Drinking And Driving Among Young Celebrities. The recent drinking and driving (DUI) arrests of celebrities Paris Hilton, Nicole Ritchie, Michelle Rodriguez and Lindsay Lohan yielded widespread news coverage, however, very little of it offered any public health context, according to a new report by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Injury Research and Policy. “Media are an important source of information about the consequences of alcohol consumption, and influence how individuals define acceptable behavior,” said Katherine Smith, PhD, lead author of the study and assistant professor with the Bloomberg School’s Center for Injury Research and Policy. (Source: Medical News Today, 4/23/09)