Dear English speaking reader, dear friends,

I am glad to send you examples of the new entries on my website. See the website for more entries.
After modernising the website we had to alter the look of this newsletter too. We have split the articles in two separate language newsletters, German and English. With a mouseclick on the titles you come to the original article where you find also the links to the source. We hope to meet your requirements. It is now much shorter and better to read. Anyhow we are willing to improve it when you give us a feedback with proposals. Please check, if you have included our address in your list of accepted addresses that your SPAM-filter doesn’t exclude our newsletter.

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In order to make the e-mail lighter we only send the Word.doc- version.

Kind regards
Yours Hermann T. Meyer
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Introduction to E-Mail-Newsletter

Also in June there was not much to be seen as a result from the WHO-Resolution on a global alcohol strategy. It looks like a tactic game. The people is not allowed to get the information needed which would enable to demand an effective alcohol policy. The Swiss government even plans to reduce the budget for prevention.

The alcohol problem has had a difficult stand this month to find attention in the medias, beside the football/soccer world championship in South Africa and the oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. Anyhow, an institution has taken up again the alcohol sponsoring by FIFA, after the Global Resolution hadn’t succeeded last time. Now FIFA has offered a lecture on alcohol, which looks like easing the own bad conscience.

Besides, the usual madness with alcohol goes on, on roads and public squares, in party scenes, hidden behind doors, during big festivals, etc. The alcohol lobby is lobbying, putting governments, politicians, economies and medias under pressure, the people is suffering and paying the social costs. The institution media critics, which could bring to light this tragedy is not effective. They don’t like to burn their fingers. Perhaps somebody is looking sometimes for a new job, understandable. Therefore an institution is needed which is in the long run independent.

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TOP NEWS

USA: N.C. Rejects Bud Light as Arena Sponsor – 23. Juni 2010
A proposal to name Raleigh, N.C.’s new outdoor performance venue the Bud Light Amphitheater has been shot down by the state’s liquor-control agency, the News Observer reported June 17. Awarding the naming rights to Anheuser-Busch would have netted the city $1.5 million annually, but the N.C. Alcohol and Beverage Control Commission rejected the exception to state liquor laws that would have been required for the deal to go forward. The law explicitly prohibits public venues from being named for alcoholic beverages or brands. (Source: Join Together, 6/22/10)

Smirnoff Ices Viral Game Website – 21. Juni 2010
The main website promoting the viral “icing” drinking game has been taken down — most likely shut down by Diageo, the parent company of Smirnoff, Ad Age reported June 16. The company, whose Smirnoff Ice is the centerpiece of the game, said it had taken “measures” against promotion of the game, which centers on consumption of warm bottles of Smirnoff Ice. … (Source: Join Together, 6/18/10)

The Adelaide Statement on Health in All Policies 2010 – 21. Juni 2010
moving towards a shared governance for health and well-being – Taking account of health – means more – effective government – More effective government – means improved health The Adelaide Statement on Health in All Policies is to engage leaders and policy-makers at all levels of government—local, regional, national and international. It emphasizes that government objectives are best achieved when all sectors include health and well-being as a key component of policy development. This is because the causes of health and well-being lie outside the health sector and are socially and economically formed. Although many sectors already contribute to better health, significant gaps still exist. Health in All Policies, International Meeting, Adelaide 13-15 April 2010

Forum Syd Sweden addresses alcohol and development – 17. Juni 2010
Alcohol is now recognised as a strategic development issue in Forum Syd, Sweden, according to a decision taken in the general assembly of the Forum. – A decision of great importance, comments Per-Åke Andersson from IOGT-NTO in Sweden. Andersson says that this decision has made alcohol as an obstacle to development a concern for mainstream development NGOs in Sweden. Forum Syd is an umbrella organisation which gathers almost two hundred Swedish organisations working with international development cooperation and advocacy on global issues. The common aim is global justice. (Source: ADD-Bulletin 4/2010)

What if Drug Addiction were as Important to the President as Oil Addiction? – 9. Juni 2010
Form the blog by Joseph A. Califano, Jr. Can you imagine how many children and families–and how many tax dollars–would be saved if the President, the governors and the media paid as much attention to our addiction to drugs as they are giving to our addiction to oil! ….In pressing for his energy bill, President Obama has noted that we Americans are five percent of the world’s population, but we consume 25 percent of the world’s oil. What about this one, Mr. President: We Americans are five percent of the world’s population and we consume 66 percent of the world’s illegal drugs. This other American addiction ruins millions of individuals and families each year. These drugs pour across our borders–they come across many of the same beaches now polluted by BP’s oil–and our government is just as inept at keeping them out of our country. (Source: CASA, THE CHAIRMANS CORNER, 6/7/10)

GLOBAL

Lower Drink Drive Limit – say Doctors in Northern Ireland – 28. Juni 2010
Lowering the drink drive limit will save lives, Northern Ireland doctors said last Friday, 25 June. The BMA’s statement comes amid reports that the Republic of Ireland will move to cut the drink drive limit. Fermanagh GP and member of the BMA’s GP committee Dr John Porteous said, “It has been estimated that there would be 8 fewer deaths on our roads in Northern Ireland by lowering blood alcohol levels to 50mg from the current level of 80mg. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/27/10)

Alcohol And Drugs ‘Stifle Artistic Creativity’ – 26. Juni 2010
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)

UK: Late-night bars and pubs face levy … – 25. Juni 2010
..to meet cost of policing binge drinkers. Bars and pubs that stay open after 11pm will have to pay a “law and order” fee, following police concerns over the levels of drink-fuelled disorder. Under plans to dismantle round-the-clock drinking, the government wants late-night bars to help pay for the cost of tackling antisocial behaviour and alcohol-related violence. Town halls will be given the power to charge premises additional fees for late-night licences, with the amount likely to be graded on the establishment’s popularity. The proposals will run alongside new powers reducing the number of outlets selling alcohol. … (Source: Harvard World Health News, 6/24/10) guardian.co.uk, 6/20/10

UK: Late-Night Drinking Laws Brought Violence and Binge Drinking – 25. Juni 2010
Police press home secretary to call time on late-night drinking laws. Campaigners says Labour’s introduction of late licences has encouraged binge drinking and led to more violent crime. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 6/24/10) guardian.co.uk, 6/20/10 Comment: It’s a pity the government didn’t listen to public health specialists.

Experts Critical of Purported Hangover Curative – 25. Juni 2010
A new drink debuting in France claims to reduce drunkenness and lessen hangovers but has health experts wary, Fox News reported June 16. The drink, Outox, purports to “greatly speed up” the breakdown of alcohol in the blood, which the company says has been medically tested, though this has not been independently verified. “If someone invented a product capable of really lowering the level of alcohol in the blood, he would deserve a Nobel prize,” said Alain Rigaud, president of the French anti-alcoholism group Association Nationale de Prevention en Alcoologie et Addictologie (ANPAA). (Source: Join Together, 6/24/10)

Russia hopes shock ads and price hikes will dampen love for vodka – 25. Juni 2010
President Dmitry Medvedev spearheads Kremlin offensive against spirit blamed for 500,000 deaths a year With sensationalist adverts, steep price rises and bombastic rhetoric, Russia is pulling out all the stops to curb the national love affair with vodka that is estimated to cause 500,000 deaths a year, especially among men. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 6/23/10) guardian.co.uk, 6/21/10

Focus On Links Between Alcohol And Cancer, Australia – 25. Juni 2010
AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, said today that more needs to be done to stop young people from taking up drinking at an early age, including banning alcohol advertising and promotions that are targeted at teenagers and adolescents. Dr Pesce said that excess alcohol consumption is known to be a contributor to cancer rates in Australia. The 2010 edition of Australia’s Health, released yesterday, showed that there are rising rates of cancer in the community and that cancer is the leading cause of disease burden in Australia. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/24/10)

EU Open Health Forum conference – 23. Juni 2010
“Together for Health – a Strategy for the EU 2020″ (Brussels, 29-30 June 2010) – The Conference will be broadcast live. Read the programme and watch the event. The Open Health Forum will be broadcast live on this page. All day long, you will have the possibility to watch and listen to all the different speakers taking part in the conference.

Retailer Seeks Overhaul of Wash. Liquor Sales System – 23. Juni 2010
Washington voters will be asked this fall whether private companies should be allowed to sell liquor, part of a ballot initiative driven by big-box retailer Costco. The Wall Street Journal reported June 18 that Costco wants to be able to sell liquor in its stores, but Washington currently restricts such sales to state stores, although beer and wine can be sold in grocery stores and elsewhere. Costco contributed more than half a million dollars to the campaign run by a group called Modernize Washington and had its employees collect ballot signatures from customers. (Source: Join Together, 6/21/10)

THE GLOBE – issue 1/2010 – 19. Juni 2010
From the content: Global alcohol strategy endorsed. – UK Government “too close to drinks industry”. – Indian Government urged to formulate National Alcohol Policy. – Articles on Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Pacific Region, etc. THE GLOBE 1/2010 online

Eurocare: What’s NOT on the bottle? – 17. Juni 2010
Eurocare response to vote of the EP on ‘Food Information to Consumers’. Eurocare (European Alcohol Policy Alliance) is extremely disappointed with the shape of the Food Information to Consumers legislation which exempts alcoholic beverages from obligation to list its content. This is despite the fact that alcohol is high in calorie content, carbohydrates and certain ingredients used in its production can cause allergies or intolerances. We strongly believe that we all have the right to make informed choices and the current proposal will mean that one will know what is in a bottle of a fruit juice but not in a bottle of alcoholic beverage. (Source: Eurocare, 6/17/10)

USA: Budget Cuts Gut Mo. Alcohol Enforcement – 17. Juni 2010
The Missouri legislature has cut over $1 million from its Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, leaving just five agents to monitor 12,000 liquor licenses, the Associated Press reported June 14. The burden will now be on local law enforcement to bridge the regulatory gap — checking licenses and monitoring the sale of alcohol to minors — a task police officials say stresses an already overextended police force. (Source: Join Together, 6/16/10)

UK: Drink-driving review wants to lower alcohol limit – 17. Juni 2010
The legal alcohol limit for drivers should be lowered by almost half to save lives and reduce casualties on the roads, a report published on Wednesday advises. The Whitehall-commissioned study outlines 51 recommendations, including reducing the drink-drive limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg. (Source: news.yahoo.com, 6/16/10)

F: L’Alliance prévention alcool, devient une association – 15. Juni 2010
L’Alliance Prévention Alcool organise une conférence de presse le 15 juin. Cette conférence de presse revête une importance particulière, en effet à cette occasion, la constitution en association Loi 1901 de l’Alliance Prévention Alcool sera annoncée. Ce collectif national pour la prévention du risque alcool (qui rassemble des associations, des fédérations, des mutuelles et des personnalités de toute nature, qui veulent agir et communiquer dans le domaine de la prévention du risque alcool) devient officiellement une association…. (Source: anpaa.asso.fr, 15 juin 2010)

More Austrian women become alcohol dependent – 15. Juni 2010
The amount of alcohol dependent women in Austria is increasing rapidly, warns the director of the Austrian Anton Proksch Institute Michael Musalek. If this trend continues, the amount of alcohol dependent women in Austria is going to redouble. Alcohol seems to be very popular in the Alpine Republic. The country takes the top places in the international comparison. (Source: Google alcohol news, 6/14/10) austrianews.co.uk, 6/14/10 Comment: It seems the prevention work of the Institute ist not successful. At least the politicians are not listening to them.

USA: College Official: Don’t Ask Us to Solve Student Drinking – 15. Juni 2010
Binge and underage drinking are societal problems that college officials can’t be expected to solve, according to a speaker at the annual meeting of the American College Health Association (ACHA). USA Today reported June 4 that Edward P. Ehlinger, head of the Boynton Health Service at the University of Minnesota, said that current efforts to combat dangerous drinking among college students aren’t working. “I don’t think the problem of alcohol is an underage problem. It is not a college or university problem,” he said. “I think alcohol is a community problem — it is a societal problem.” (Source: Join Together, 6/11/10) with our online comment

Alcohol targeted in Venezuela by Chavez – 13. Juni 2010
Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez has promised tighter restrictions on alcohol sales. President Hugo Chavez says he wants Venezuelans to stop drinking so much alcohol, and he has ordered the military to crack down on businesses selling beer on the streets or after legal hours. Chavez said his government is considering raising taxes on alcohol and cigarettes. Venezuelans’ taste for beer and Scotch whisky is an irritation to the leftist president, and he raised liquor and cigarette taxes three years ago while calling for similar measures – to little effect. (Source: Google alcohol news, 6/12/10) nzherald.co.nz, 6/12/10

USA: ‘Icing’ Drinking Game Goes Viral – 10. Juni 2010
Smirnoff Denies Responsibility. From college campuses across the U.S. to Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, “icing” has become the first viral drinking game of the modern era, the New York Times reported June 8. A modification of “tag” involving alcohol, players “ice” one another by handing off a warm Smirnoff Ice malt beverage, which must then be consumed on one knee immediately, regardless of the setting. The only way to avoid being “iced” is if the target also has a Smirnoff Ice in their possession – in which case the attacker must consume both drinks in the same fashion. Thanks to social media and websites like BrosIcingBros.com, the fad has spread almost overnight, even targeting celebrities like Coolio and rock band The National. (Source: Join Together, 6/9/10)

USA: New Indiana Alcohol Law: ID Everyone – 10. Juni 2010
Starting July 1, store owners in Indiana will be required to check legal photo identification from all alcohol buyers, regardless of how old they appear, the Associated Press reported June 5. The law will apply to any establishment selling “carry-out” alcohol — such as liquor stores, convenience stores, pharmacies and supermarkets — but not restaurants, bars, and other businesses where drinks are consumed on the premises. (Source: Join Together, 6/8/10)

California Proposes Raising Alcohol Taxes – 9. Juni 2010
In a move long overdue, California’s Senate Democrats have proposed legislation to increase the state’s alcohol taxes to help close the $19 billion budget deficit. The proposal would raise $4.9 billion in taxes and other revenues, including $210 million from alcohol taxes. While this increase would add less than 2 cents to the cost of a beer, it would go a long way toward preserving critical programs. The last time California increased its alcohol tax was 1991. (Source: Marin Institute, 6/4/10)

USA: Costco Using Employees to Take Control of Spirits – 9. Juni 2010
..in Washington State, USA Just how low is a big-box retailer willing to stoop to undermine state authority over alcohol to increase its own bottom line? Costco is apparently willing go pretty darn low. The retail giant is making its employees gather signatures from customers in Washington State for a ballot initiative that would eliminate the state’s control over spirits sales. Initiative 1100 would remove the state’s role in the sale of alcohol once and for all, as well as remove current restrictions on volume discounts, among other worrisome provisions that would deal a serious blow to state-based alcohol regulation. (Source: Marin Institute, 6/4/10)

EU: DG Health and Consumers, new Update – 9. Juni 2010
The on-line database RAYPRO (Resource on Alcohol and Youth Projects) is now accessible. (Source: EU, 6/9/10)

Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals – 7. Juni 2010
United States Public Health Foundation Adopts Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, Council on Linkages between Academia and Public Health Practice unanimously adopted a new set of Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals. United State Public Health Foundation website: http://www.phf.org/ List of competencies available online at: http://bit.ly/bmIjUF These competencies can be used by you and your organization to help guide public health workforce development efforts that are vital for achieving high-performing public health organizations to protect and promote the public’s health.

TJ Maxx Pulls Drinking Games . 4. Juni 2010
An inquiry from a Boston Globe reporter led retailer TJ Maxx to remove a series of drinking games from store shelves, the Globe reported May 30. Reporter Beverly Beckham spotted the games — which require players to drink shots of liquor when they lose — in TJ Maxx stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The games were on display near Father’s Day and graduation gifts. Some of the games were based on classics like Bingo, tic-tac-toe, and checkers; others had names like Drink Like a Fish, Gargle, Drink Til You Drop, Ship Wrecked, and Battle Drinks. (Source: Join Together, 6/2/10)

Eurocare Newsletter April-May 2010 – 4. Juni 2010
Items: News from Eurocare; News from Eurocare members; News from the EU; News from the WHO; News from the Member States; Alcohol Industry News; New research; Upcoming Events; Past Events; Questions from MEPs to the Commission on Alcohol. Eurocare Newsletter

Officials Not Crazy About Potent ‘Four Loko’ Energy Drink – 2. Juni 2010
A new energy drink called “Four Loko” has a 12-percent alcohol content and is loaded with caffeine and sugar, WABC-TV reported May 28. Twice the size of a regular can of soda, the 24-ounce energy drink sells for under $3 — cheaper than a beer — which officials in New York say makes it appealing to kids. Four White Plains teenagers recently were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko, prompting warnings from White Plains Public Safety Commissioner David Chong. “The kids have a nickname for it, they’re basically calling it coke in a can,” he said. (Source: Join Together, 6/1/10) See Video

Portman concern: Tesco moves alcohol units to front of pack – 2. Juni 2010
The Portman Group has challenged a decision by Tesco to move information on alcohol units from the back to the front of alcohol packaging. The supermarket giant said last week that it would move information on alcohol units from the back label of the pack to the front in order, it said, to “help consumers make responsible decisions” about drinking. The announcement came as a new poll found that three in five UK adults would support tobacco-style health warnings on alcohol packaging….Alcohol marketing watchdog The Portman Group questioned Tesco’s move decision, saying that it would make more sense to keep all warnings in one place on the back of the pack. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 6/2/10) packagingnews.co.uk, 24 May 2010

UK Government rejects health watchdog’s alcohol policy – 2. Juni 2010
The Government clashed with its medical advisers yesterday over how to tackle Britain’s burgeoning problem of heavy drinking. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) called for the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol to discourage supermarkets from discounting the cheapest products and promoting heavy drinking. It said its recommendations were backed by more than 100 scientific studies. But Health Secretary Andrew Lansley rejected its analysis and said ministers instead favoured banning supermarkets and off-licences from selling alcohol “below cost price”. Mr Lansley said: “It is not clear that [Nice's] research examines specifically the regressive effect on low-income families [of a minimum price], or proves conclusively that it is the best way to impact price in order to impact demand.” (Source: Google Alkohol News) n2day.com, 6/2/10 / bbc.news.co.uk, 6/2/10) with our online-comments. (2)

RESEARCH

Most Evangelical Leaders Abstain from Alcohol – 29. Juni 2010
Practicing What they Preach. A family history of alcoholism and religious teachings were among the reasons cited by the 60 percent of U.S. evangelical leaders who said they don’t drink alcohol socially, CNN reported June 24. About two out of three Americans drink, but the Evangelical Leaders Survey found that even those religious leaders who do drink typically say they do so in moderation or rarely. (Source: Join Together, 6/25/10) with interesting comments.

Addicts Need to Deal with Stress to Ensure Recovery – 29. Juni 2010
Recovering addicts who failed to take steps to deal with the stress in their lives were more susceptible to craving — a major predictor of relapse — according to researchers at Penn State University. Sify News reported June 24 that researchers analyzed recovery diaries kept by college students in recovery and found that those who avoided problems in their lives rather than dealing with them were more likely to experience craving when they experienced stress or negative moods. (Source: Join Together, 6/25/10)

Greater Risk Of Drunken Violence In Those Who Suppress Anger – 25. Juni 2010
A study published in the journal Addiction reveals that drunkenness increases the risk for violent behaviour, but only for individuals with a strong inclination to suppress anger. The two authors, Thor Norström and Hilde Pape, applied an approach that reduces the risk of drawing erroneous conclusions about cause and effect. They conclude that their study adds to the body of evidence suggesting that drinking may in fact inflict physical aggression. The authors elaborate this conclusion: “Only a tiny fraction of all drinking events involve violence and whether intoxicated aggression is likely to occur seems to depend on the drinkers’ propensity to withhold angry feelings when sober.” (Source: Medical News Today, 23.6.10

Greater Religiosity During Adolescence May Protect Against Developing Problem Alcohol Use – 23. Juni 2010
Phenotypes are measurable and/or observable traits or behaviors. The heritability of an alcohol-related phenotype depends upon the social environment within which it is measured, such as urbanicity, marital status, or religiosity. A new study of the effects of religiosity on the genetic variance of problem alcohol use in males and females has found that religiosity can moderate genetic effects on problem alcohol use during adolescence but not during early adulthood. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/22/10)

Alcohol Companies Use New Media to Lure Young Drinkers – 17. Juni 2010
New American report: The alcohol industry uses the whole menu of new social media to reach new drinkers and to promote their brands. Sophisticated marketing techniques are being used, concludes a new report just launched in the US. The report starts by describing how Heineken developed a new marketing concept in order to reach young people in Puerto Rico. The company’s marketing strategists realized that 30-second TV spots or other traditional media would not be effective in reaching Puerto Rican youth. Instead, they decided to benefit from the new social media and young people’s 24/7 access to these media as a tool to promote Heineken beer. (Source: ADD Bulletin 4/2010)

US-Report: Violent Crime Increasing At Hospitals/Clinics – 17. Juni 2010
“More and more violent crimes are occurring in America’s hospitals, clinics and other health care facilities, according to a new alert issued by the Joint Commission, an independent health care oversight group,” USA Today reports. “Since 2004, there have been ’significant increases in reports of assault, rape and homicide, with the greatest number of reports in the last three years,’ the group said in its ‘Sentinel Event Alert’ released last week, the latest in a series of alerts on serious adverse events occurring in health care settings.” Russell L. Colling, a health care consultant who advised the Joint Commission, “cited a number of reasons for the increase in violent outbreaks in health care settings, including an increase in drug and alcohol abuse and a lack of adequate care for psychiatric patients.” (Source: Medical News Today, 6/15/10)

Substance Abuse And Mental Illness in US States – 13. Juni 2010
A new report providing state-by-state analyses of substance abuse and mental illness patterns reveals that despite wide variations among the states in the types and levels of behavioral health problems they experience — every state suffers from these problems. For example, among those aged 12 and older, Iowa had less than one third the current illicit drug use rate of Rhode Island (4.1 percent vs. 13.3 percent) – yet Iowa’s population aged 12 and older was among the group of states with the nation’s highest levels of people participating in binge drinking in the past month (27.2 percent). (Source: Medical News Today, 6/12/10)

Alcohol Labels To Help Prevent Harm To Babies – 11. Juni 2010
New research released today shows one in three Australian women are drinking while pregnant or breastfeeding, prompting health experts to renew calls for health advisory labels on all alcohol products. These labels would better inform consumers and help prevent harms, such as fetal alcohol syndrome. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/10/10)

The economic costs of alcohol consumption in Thailand – 10. Juni 2010
There is evidence that the adverse consequences of alcohol impose a substantial economic burden on societies worldwide. Given the lack of generalizability of study results across different settings, many attempts have been made to estimate the economic costs of alcohol for various settings; however, these have mostly been confined to industrialized countries. To our knowledge, there are a very limited number of well-designed studies which estimate the economic costs of alcohol consumption in developing countries, including Thailand. Therefore, this study aims to estimate these economic costs, in Thailand, 2006. (Source: BMC Public Health, 6/9/10)

Alcohol Risk Factor For Headaches And Migraines In Teens – 9. Juni 2010
A novel study by German researchers reported that alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were associated with increased migraines and tension-type headaches (TTH) in high school students. Coffee drinking and physical inactivity were associated specifically with migraines. Results of this study, the first to investigate modifiable risk factors for different types of headaches in a youth population, appear online early in Headache, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Headache Society. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/7/10)

College Athletes Take Risks With Alcohol And Energy Drinks – 9. Juni 2010
Among 401 NCAA athletes at a major Division-I university, more than one-third reported mixing alcohol and energy drinks in the previous year, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s 57th Annual Meeting in Baltimore. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/7/10)

Combined Therapies For Alcohol Dependency Reduce Societal Costs – 4. Juni 2010
Combining medications and behavioral interventions for treating alcohol-dependent patients reduces social costs of health care, arrests and motor vehicle accidents, according to a new study by researchers at RTI International, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Pennsylvania and Yale University. The study, published in the May issue of Medical Care, looked at the economic impact of combined alcohol dependency treatments, including the treatment costs and the economic costs of other health care use, arrests and motor vehicle accidents. Source: Medical News Today, 6/3/10)

Substance Abuse On An Average Day In USA – 4. Juni 2010
New Report Provides Startling Look At Substance Abuse On An Average Day In The Life Of American Adolescents On an average day, 508,000 adolescents aged 12-17 in the United States drink alcohol; 641,000 use illicit drugs; and more than 1 million smoke cigarettes, according to a national survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (Source: Medical News Today, 6/3/10)

USA: Doctors’ role in drug studies criticized – 4. Juni 2010
Some recommend drugs, vouch for studies but don’t see raw numbers Richard Page thinks Multaq is an excellent new drug for treating atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat that affects more than 2 million Americans. And Page, chairman of the department of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, should know. He co-authored a large, international study that led to the drug’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration last year, a move that could mean hundreds of millions in sales for Sanofi-Aventis, the company that makes the drug. But in putting his name on the influential paper, Page allowed Sanofi-Aventis to dictate the terms. He vouched for the accuracy and completeness of the study despite not seeing the raw data. The company, which paid for the study, collected that information and performed the analysis without an external audit for accuracy or completeness. Page says it comes down to trusting the drug company. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 6/3/10) jsonline.com, 5/30/10 Comment: The same problem with the alcohol industry and their studies.

Some Binge Drinkers Report Sub-Optimal Health Status – 3. Juni 2010
Binge Drinkers Report Sub-Optimal Health Status More Often Than Non-Binge Drinkers Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that excessive drinking is responsible for approximately 79,000 deaths annually in the United States. Binge drinking accounts for more than half of those deaths. A new study has looked at the frequency of binge drinking in relation to drinkers’ own perceptions of their overall health status. Findings indicate that binge drinkers have a 13 to 23 percent greater likelihood of self-reporting sub-optimal health status. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/2/10)

Portugal’s Burden Of Disease From Alcohol Consumption – 2. Juni 2010
The World Health Organization has estimated that 3.2 percent of the “burden of disease” around the world is attributable to the consumption of alcohol. Portugal is currently ranked eighth in the world in alcohol consumption. A new study has found alcohol consumption in Portugal represents a heavy economic burden for that country’s health system. “This is a brilliant study,” said Helmut K. Seitz, professor of internal medicine, gastroenterology and alcohol research at the University of Heidelberg, and president of the European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcohol (ESBRA). “It shows very clearly on the basis of real data that alcohol consumption is not only a risk factor for various diseases, especially liver disease, but it also shows that these alcohol-related diseases cost enormous money. We have data from Canada and England and some other countries, but we need more accurate data to convince the public, the doctors and the politicians that we have to do something about it.” (Source: Medical News Today, 6/1/10)

Major Decrease In Impulsivity-Related Problem Drinking – 2. Juni 2010
… Seen In 18- To 25-Year-Olds Personality traits associated with impulsivity normally decrease during emerging and young adulthood, and these decreases are associated with reduced substance use. A new study of “trajectories” of impulsivity and their association with problem alcohol use has found that the 18-to-25-years-of-age group exhibited the largest declines in impulsivity as well as the sharpest decreases in alcohol consumption. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/1/10)

Increased Alcohol Traffic-Risk Among College Students – 2. Juni 2010
Increase In Alcohol-Related Traffic-Risk Behaviors Among College Students At Age 21. Alcohol-impaired driving and associated motor-vehicle accidents are a major public-health problem. National studies have shown that approximately 25 percent of college students report that they have driven while intoxicated in the past month, and an even greater percentage report having driven after having any amount of alcohol and/or ridden with a driver believed intoxicated. A new study on how these behaviors may change as students move through their college years has found that prevalence and frequency of alcohol-related traffic-risk behaviors took a significant upturn when students turned 21 years old. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/1/10)

Parental attitudes and behaviours regarding teenage drinking – 2. Juni 2010
A telephone survey of parental attitudes and behaviours regarding teenage drinking Irish teenagers demonstrate high rates of drunkenness and there has been a progressive fall in age of first drinking in recent decades. International research indicates that parents exert substantial influence over their teenager’s drinking. We sought to determine the attitudes and behaviours of Irish parents towards drinking by their adolescent children. … Conclusions: We found no evidence of widespread permissive attitudes and behaviours among Irish parents. Given that parental influences have been demonstrated to exert substantial impact on teenage drinking, it may be possible to harness the concerns of Irish parents more effectively to reverse the trends of escalating alcohol related harm in Ireland. (Source: BMC Public Health 2010, 10:297doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-297, Published: 1 June 2010)

Underage Drinking: Hospital Emergency Department Visits – 1. Juni 2010
A new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reveals that daily underage drinking-related visits to hospital emergency departments are 11 percent higher during the Memorial Day weekend than they are on an average day. The latest Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) report estimates that on an average day, there are 519 hospital emergency department visits involving underage alcohol use. For the three day Memorial Day weekend, however, the number of daily hospital emergency department visits jumps to 577. (Source: Medical News Today, 5/30/10)

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Editor:
Hermann T. Meyer, Projekte und Dienstleistungen, Lindenstr. 32, CH-8307 Effretikon, Switzerland,
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Last entry: June 29, 2010