www.alkoholpolitik.ch

www.alkoholpolitik.ch     Newsletter July/August 2011  (issued 08/31/11)

Dear English speaking reader, dear friends,

I am glad to send you examples of the new entries on my website. See the website for the complete entries.
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.

4676 articles in 148 categories and with 11’650 main expressions (tags) since 1/1/2009. Online August 2001 – August 2011

Kind regards    
Yours Hermann T. Meyer
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Text with Newsletter 1107/8e

Dear reader, dear friends,

This is the last Newsletter in connection with my website. I shall not work any longer intensively on www.alkoholpolitik.ch. After 10 years I think that I have contributed enough regarding individual volunteering and alcohol prevention, which followed 45 years of active NGO volunteering in this field.

The website stays open and may be used as archive. Sometimes I shall probably include an article as a blog. Perhaps you will have a look from time to time.

For your interest, some positive feedback, interesting links or for using my articles I want to thank you. Critics from counterparts were pushing me in finding better arguments and didn’t hurt me, although some PR-people have gone to great trouble to do so.

I want to thank as well the alcohol institutions which thought about a different continuation of the website. After careful reflection I decided as mentioned above.

Especially I want to thank all those who honestly take care to go on this way towards a more healthy, less dangerous and happier life for our people. As UN and WHO are engaging themselves now, it seems that we can have some hope.

Now to the alcohol policy news of the last 1 ½ months:

The Marin Institute in California announced its new name and vision: Alcohol Justice. To hold the industry accountable for the harm alcohol inflicts upon our many diverse communities. They use research, media and organizing to expose the industry’s products and practices, and actively advocate for effective policies such as increasing alcohol prices, restricting youth-oriented products, limiting ubiquitous and inappropriate alcohol advertising, and supporting state alcohol control.
I wish them success and enough finances to manage.

Italy has introduced the case of “road murder” which can be applied also for drunk drivers. Let’s hope this has a preventing effect.

An „International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research“ has started in German speaking medias a campaign against the „WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health for 2011“. This alcohol-lobby organization criticizes that the report only mentions the negative aspects of alcohol. It seems as if the alcohol industry is getting nervous.

In view of September’s summit on non-communicable diseases (NCD) where world leaders will meet at the United Nations in New York, the BMJ raises serious concerns regarding the “powerful sway” of the tobacco, alcohol, food and drug industries as international governments prepare to agree global targets to cut avoidable deaths from chronic diseases.

The Addiction editorial by Robin Room, Jürgen Rehm and Charles Parry argue that in order to reduce the burden of NCD, effective alcohol policies should be implemented locally, nationally and internationally.

Best regards
Yours passive-drinker
Hermann T. Meyer

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TOP NEWS

TOP NEWS: “Powerful Sway” Of Industry To Cut Avoidable Deaths From Chronic Diseases, BMJ Raises Concern – 25. August 2011
In view of September’s summit on non-communicable diseases where world leaders will meet at the United Nations in New York, the BMJ raises serious concerns regarding the “powerful sway” of the tobacco, alcohol, food and drug industries as international governments prepare to agree global targets to cut avoidable deaths from chronic diseases. … (Source: Medical News Today, 08/25/11)

Heineken, Google, and a Hundred Million Minors – 24. August 2011
Heineken, the world’s third-largest brewing company, has signed a landmark partnership with Google aimed at taking over our computer screens – and marketing to our children. The advertising deal is estimated to reach at least 103 million minors under the age of 18 per month, plus several million more underage youth between the ages of 18 and 20 worldwide. Heineken ads will be concentrated on Google’s YouTube and will involve homepage takeovers and pre-roll ad slots. YouTube receives about 490 million visitors per month, of which an estimated 21% are under age 18. Other alcohol advertisers such as Anheuser-Busch InBev (Bud Light) have previously bought standard YouTube pre-roll ad space, but no alcohol company has ever entered into such an extensive deal that will reach so many young people. (Source: Alcohol Justice, 08/24/11)

USA: Victory in Los Angeles – 24. August 2011
City Council Votes 11-1 to Prohibit Alcohol Ads on Bus Benches
On August 19, 2011, the Los Angeles City Council approved a 10-year contract that prohibits alcohol ads on 6,000+ bus benches. “The impact of underage drinking on Los Angeles is devastating, taking young lives and creating enormous financial costs,” stated Council Member Richard Alarcón. “I’m proud that the City of Los Angeles has chosen to prohibit alcohol advertisements on City bus benches — it is the responsible choice for Los Angeles and sends an important message that the City does not condone or promote underage or irresponsible drinking.” Next step: Alarcón introduces a motion to prohibit alcohol ads on all city-owned & controlled property. For the press release, click here. (Source: Alcohol Justice, 08/24/11)

Journal Addiction calls for action on alcohol and NCD – 20. August 2011
The Addiction editorial by Robin Room, Jürgen Rehm and Charles Parry point out that this year the United Nations General Assembly sessions,will hold a special session on non-communicable diseases (NCDs), emphasizing the importance of addressing such diseases in order to reduce the global burden of illness.
Together with smoking, diet and physical inactivity, consumption of alcohol is among the four most important risk factors for non-communicable disease (NCD). Alcohol consumption, especially heavy consumption, impacts on cancer, liver cirrhosis and stroke. To reduce the burden of NCD, effective alcohol policies should be implemented locally, nationally and internationally, argues the authors. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/17/11)

USA: ASAM RELEASES NEW DEFINITION OF ADDICTION – 17. August 2011
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has released a new definition of addiction highlighting that addiction is a chronic brain disorder and not simply a behavioral problem involving too much alcohol, drugs, gambling or sex. This the first time ASAM has taken an official position that addiction is not solely related to problematic substance use. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11)

Alcohol-related collateral damage and the broader issue of alcohol’s social costs – 9. August 2011
Commentary on Laslett et al. (2011).
In their paper, Laslett et al. [1] have done a service not just to the research community, but to the millions of people who are affected by alcohol production, distribution and consumption every day in every corner of the world. In brief, the authors have provided a national-level assessment of how the drinking of individuals can affect the social fabric of a society. The impact is widespread and significant in terms of psychological, physical, social and economic costs. Negative effects from others’ drinking were reported by over 70% of Australians in the past year, with 51% experiencing serious adverse effects. Although Australia may not be representative of countries with lower levels of per capita income and alcohol consumption, the article raises some fascinating questions about the ways in which alcohol-related problems are defined, conceptualized, measured, and controlled. For example, what other legally available consumer product (tobacco, automobiles, gambling, etc.) has a comparable negative impact on the majority of the population of an advanced industrialized country? … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/8/11)Addiction, 106, 1612–1613 onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 2011

California: Caffeinated-beer ban signed by governor – 6. August 2011
Companies will no longer be able to produce or sell beer infused with caffeine in California starting Jan. 1 after Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed legislation introduced because of the health risks of the beverages.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) wrote SB 39 in response to several incidents in which young drinkers were hospitalized for alcohol overdoses while using caffeinated beer. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/3/11) latimesblogs.latimes.com, 08/1/11

Today the Marin Institute announces its new name and vision: Alcohol Justice – 28. Juli 2011
We are now called “Alcohol Justice,” the one and only alcohol industry watchdog. Our laser focus is on the world’s most harmful drug, and the companies that make and market it. This rebranding of Marin Institute reflects our global mission: To hold the industry accountable for the harm alcohol inflicts upon our many diverse communities. We use research, media and organizing to expose the industry’s products and practices, and actively advocate for effective policies such as increasing alcohol prices,restricting youth-oriented products, limiting ubiquitous and inappropriate alcohol advertising, and supporting state alcohol control. (Source: alcoholjustice.org, 07/27/11) Click here to learn more about our new name, “Alcohol Justice.”

GLOBAL

Alcohol News – 35/2011 – 31. August 2011
e.g.: YLE News (Finland/Estonia) – Alcohol tourism to Estonia set to increase
YLE News (Finland) – Study: Finns unfazed by summer binge drinking
The Local.se (Sweden) – Swedish alcohol monopoly launches ‘booze camera’ iPhone app
Drunken Swedes can now record their boozed-up antics with a new iPhone app launched on Monday by a subsidiary of the country’s state-owned alcohol monopoly. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/30/11)

Russians need good wine, not vodka – Medvedev – 29. August 2011
Russia’s winemaking industry should be developed to help tackle widespread alcohol abuse, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.
“Winemaking is one of the branches that should be developed and contribute to the eradication of alcoholism. Countries where this branch is strong, have no problems with alcohol abuse,” the president said at a meeting with the governor of Russia’s southern Krasnodar Territory, Alexander Tkachev. Medvedev said problems with alcohol abuse stem from “other drinks.” … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/27/11) Comment: Wine producing countries have no alcohol-problem. Very funny.

NZ: Alcohol select committee continues to disappoint communities – 26. August 2011
The Drug Foundation today expressed surprise that the Justice and Electoral Committee recommended only tinkering to the Alcohol Reform Bill, saying that many thousands of submitters had expected much greater improvements to the Bill.
The Committee received an unprecedented 8,822 written submissions, and in-fact had to split themselves in half in order to hear from the more than 352 oral submitters.
“The vast majority of submitters urged the Committee to strengthen the Bill, particularly asking for tougher controls over alcohol advertising and an increase to the price of alcohol, which were measures first recommended by Sir Geoffrey Palmer’s Law Commission report,” said Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/25/11) drugfoundation.org.nz, 08/25/11 Read Full Bill

New York: State Busts More Than 100 Bodegas For Selling Alcohol To Underage Customers – 24. August 2011
More than 100 bodegas across the city were busted for selling alcohol to underage customers during a three-day sting by the State Liquor Authority.
The State Liquor Authority visited 212 stores beginning Monday, sending six young men and women inside while a state investigator looked on. At 123 of the undercover visits – or about 58% – the decoys, ages 18 to 20, successfully bought booze.
Of the bodegas visited by the SLA, the Bronx had the highest citation rate. Thirty-eight of the 48 stores – about 79% – sold alcohol to underage spies in the borough. Manhattan wasn’t far behind with 75% of the bodegas selling to customers under the age of 21. …
The state mailed violations to the 123 stores for selling alcohol to minors. First-time offenders face $2,500 fines. Repeat offenders can be slapped with fines of up to $10,000. Business owners can lose their liquor licenses after a third offense. (Source: Join Together, 08/23/11) nydailynews.com, 08/19/11

UK: Portman Group will monitor Responsibility Deal labelling pledge – 23. August 2011
The Portman Group, the industry’s social responsibility body, is to monitor and report on the industry’s progress on the voluntary labelling pledge.
The pledge to provide responsible drinking information on 80 per cent of alcohol labels on UK shelves by 2013 was set out as part of the Government’s controversial Responsibilty Deal earlier this year.
In a press release, the Portman Group said they would monitor and report publicly on the industry’s progress towards the labelling goal. They are contacting all companies who signed up to the pledge asking them to re-affirm their commitments. A database summarising the pledges, companies and brands involved will be published at a later date. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 08/22/11) Comment: The Portman Group will like this job as labelling is not much preventive.

New smartphone app aims to stop drunken driving – 23. August 2011
The Missouri Department of Transportation is getting into the smartphone app business with one aimed at stopping drunken driving.
The “Show Me My Buzz” application helps users determine their estimated blood-alcohol concentration, or BAC, by typing in the number of drinks they’ve had, how long they’ve been drinking and their gender.
The app typically recommends using a designated driver but also will help the user find the phone number of a local cab company, if necessary. … (Source: Alcohol Reports – News, 08/22/11) bizjournals.com, 08/19/11

Philippines may increase alcohol, tobacco tax take – 23. August 2011
The Philippine government will push a proposal to index taxes on alcohol and tobacco products to inflation that could raise around $1.4 billion in revenues as one of 13 priority bills in Congress this year, President Benigno Aquino said on Tuesday. …
For alcohol products, the bill proposes a uniform rate for three years before the tax is indexed to inflation.
However, the revised alcohol tax still provides for a different tariff on products made using local materials — a provision which the WTO says is discriminatory. … (Source: Alcohol Reports – News, 08/22/11) reuters.com, 08/16/11

Ghana: Checking Road Accidents – 23. August 2011
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has embarked on a novelty cause to help check the carnage on our roads. With effect from October, this year, the union is introducing alcometers at all lorry parks to check alcohol levels of drivers. It has also ordered for some reflectors for acquisition by drivers.
These two initiatives by the drivers’ union is highly commendable as they are very bold attempts at putting its house in order. The National Chairman of the GPRTU, Alhaji Yaw Manu, disclosed this at the Seventh Upper West Regional Delegates Conference of the union in Wa. … (Source: Alcohol Reports – News, 08/22/11) modernghana.com, 08/22/11

Alcohol adverts soon to be on Norway cable TV(?) – 23. August 2011
New EU regulations could force the Norwegian government to overturn its current ban on alcohol advertising.
Labour’s (Ap) long hard-fought battle to retain the ban on advertising booze is now hanging by a thread following statements by the EU. Norway will not be exempt from the new European Union TV Directive (AVMSD).
European Commission Vice-President, Neelie Kroes wrote to the government saying it has no choice but to adopt it.
Deputy Foreign Minister Erik Lahnstein said to NRK this was an example of uncommon EU “plainspeaking”.
“The EU says it is consideration for the internal market that weighs heaviest, not Norwegian public health arguments. This puts the government in a difficult situation.” … (Source: Alcohol Reports-News, 08/22/11) theforeigner.no, 08/18/11 our online-comment: The European Union seems to be an economical union only. Not a union for the people. I hope Norway finds a way to resist.

AU: Debate over warning labels on alcohol heats up – 20. August 2011
HEALTH warnings linking alcohol with dire outcomes such as brain damage and cancer have been backed by health groups but described as potentially ”alarming” by an industry-backed group.
The fight over safety labels between the health sector and the multibillion-dollar liquor industry is warming up just as the federal government finally begins formal consultations today on long-awaited warnings, introduced in the United States 22 years ago. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/18/11)

USA: MADD National President: Tools to Reduce Underage Drinking – 20. August 2011
As we prepare to send kids back to classrooms for another school year, it’s important to equip parents and caregivers with the tools for talking with their children about alcohol. This issue is especially personal for me because my beautiful 15-year-old daughter, Alisa Joy, was killed by an underage drunk driver. While the pain of losing a loved one to drunk driving is devastating, we at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) are committed to educating families about how to prevent such needless tragedies.
Teen alcohol use kills 6,000 young people each year, more than all other illegal drugs combined. However, research shows that three out of four teens say their parents are the number one influence on their decisions about alcohol. So it makes sense to provide parents with the tools to effectively harness their tremendous influence. … (Source: Join Together, 08/19/11)

Ireland’s Drinking Culture Isn’t Romantic, It’s Deadly – 16. August 2011
by Fiona Ryan, Director of Alcohol Action Ireland, the national charity for alcohol-related issues.
WE LOVE TO talk about Ireland’s alcohol culture – it allows us to speculate about how we drink and why we drink, without ever actually doing anything about it.
We can engage in romantic notions of the dark Celtic soul, or question if as a nation we just have an addictive personality. In the meantime, one person dies every seven hours from an alcohol-related cause. Alcohol is the biggest killer of young people in Ireland and 100,000 kids – enough to fill Croke Park and then some – are impacted by their parents’ drinking. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11) businessinsider.com, 08/10/11

Zimbabwean Ministers Disown Proposed Tougher Alcohol Sales Policy – 16. August 2011
Ministers from all three governing parties said there are many issues needing more urgent attention than regulating alcohol without clear research showing its consumption is a serious national problem.
Some members of Zimbabwe’s Cabinet are distancing themselves from reports that the government is drafting a tough national alcohol policy that will regulate the sale of beer and other intoxicating beverages with sales forbidden after noon on Sundays. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11) voanews, 08/8/11 Comment: Now we can see that many politicians in Western World are on the same level as in Zimbabwe.

Ghana: Psychiatrist says alcohol should be declared health hazard – 16. August 2011
Koforidua, Aug 9, GNA – Dr Eugene Dordoye, a psychiatrist with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has suggested that alcohol should be declared a public health hazard. He said alcohol intake was resulting in many diseases claiming lives but because alcohol was not a national health issue its related diseases were not being measured. Dr Dordoye, who spoke to the GNA after addressing a five- day Youth Alive Camp in Koforidua, said alcohol effects were measured by the psychiatric hospitals because of its known effects on mental health. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11) ghananewsagency.org, 08/10/11

Finland: Scanners could reveal contraband on interstate rail services – 16. August 2011
The Finnish Customs and Finnish State Railways (VR) are planning closer inspection of express train services between Finland and Russia. A scanning of an entire train was tested for the first time in Helsinki on Tuesday.
Currently on-board train inspections are carried out using sniffer dogs in addition to a manual check of all possible hiding places. This procedure is time consuming and often ineffective. …
Chief Inspector Kai Vehmersalo of the National Customs Board says the use of scanners could improve the search for illegal immigrants in addition to consignments of contraband tobacco, alcohol and drugs hidden in isolated train compartments. However, the cash for scanners is not yet on the financial timetable in either country. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11) yle.fi, 08/9/11

Online Course Reduces Alcohol-Related Problems in College Freshmen – 16. August 2011
An online course that demonstrates the consequences of excessive drinking appears to significantly reduce the most common types of alcohol-related problems among freshman, including binge drinking and sexual assault. The program, called AlcoholEdu for College, has students imagine themselves in real-life situations, such as being with a friend who drinks too much and goes wild, and asks them what they would do. … (Source: Join Together, 08/15/11)

WTO: PANEL REPORT OUT ON DISTILLED-SPIRITS DISPUTE – 15. August 2011
The WTO, on 15 August 2011, issued the report of the panel that had examined complaints by the European Union and the United States regarding “Philippines – Taxes on distilled spirits” (DS396 and DS403). Panel report

Latency Periods Between Alcohol-Related Traffic Violations: Implications for Recidivism – 14. August 2011
Before October 1, 2002, Maryland’s regulations for relicensing drivers with 2 recorded alcohol-related traffic violations distinguished between offenders with 5 or more years between their first and second violations and those with less than 5 years.
Our research examined whether this policy was supported by differential probabilities of recidivism and violation-free survival. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/11/11)

USA: Commercial Liability an Effective Strategy to Reduce Alcohol-Related Problems – 14. August 2011
Holding alcohol retailers liable for injuries or damage done by their intoxicated customers can reduce motor vehicle deaths, homicides, injuries, and other alcohol-related problems, according to the Community Preventive Services Task Force. The independent, nonfederal, volunteer body of public health and prevention experts has determined that commercial host liability, otherwise known as dram shop liability, can be an effective intervention for reducing alcohol-related harms. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 08/10/11) finanznachrichten.de, 10.8.11

Alcohol Reports, Alcohol News – 32/2011 – 9. August 2011
e.g. Alcohol, Drugs To Ease Anxiety Could Spur Substance-Abuse Problems
– More than half of Americans drink alcohol: report
– Zero alcohol law welcomed by SADD (New Zealand)
– New Study Highlights More Dangers Of “Alcopop” Consumption (USA) … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/8/11)

Alcohol and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – 9. August 2011
-time for a serious international public health effort.
Together with smoking, diet and physical inactivity, consumption of alcohol is among the four most important risk factors for non-communicable disease (NCD). Alcohol consumption, especially heavy consumption, impacts on cancer, liver cirrhosis and stroke. To reduce the burden of NCD, effective alcohol
policies should be implemented locally, nationally and internationally. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/8/11)onlinelibrary.wiley.com, Addiction, 106, 1547–1548

AU: Coalition leads the way with new alcohol & drug strategy – 9. August 2011
The Coalition Government is committed to a new strategy for the way government, health and community services, businesses, families, and communities work together to address alcohol and drug related harms in Victoria, Minister for Mental Health, Mary Wooldridge said today.
Announcing the Expert Advisory Group which will inform the development of the whole of government Victorian Alcohol and Drugs strategy, Ms Wooldridge said the appointment of the 17-member expert taskforce, chaired by Professor Richard Larkins is an important step forward. … More information about the whole of government Victorian Alcohol and Drug Strategy, including details about how to make a submission are available on www.health.vic.gov.au/aod/strategy. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 8/8/11)media release, 08/7/11

One in eight drivers in Ireland are drunk – 6. August 2011
Are the roads safe?
Superficially it seemed like a good year for road safety in Ireland. The recession and emigration meant that traffic, and therefore road accidents, were down last year by 48% from ten years ago, (though up again in the first half of this year). New legislation is set to enforce a lower drink drive level at 50mg, down from 80mg, to comply with European recommendations, and random breath tests are also to be implemented, which are known to reduce incidents of drink driving. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/3/11)garglenation.com, 08/3/11

UK: BBC Panorama alcohol report questions industry influence – 6. August 2011
A BBC Panorama alcohol report, ‘Dying for a Drink’, this week questioned the level of industry influence over Government policy whilst exploring the impact of alcohol misuse within hospitals. Scrutinising Government alcohol policy, Panorama revealed that industry representation on the Government and Partners Alcohol Working Group had recently increased from a few up to 7 out of the 16 members. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/3/11)

New York Doctors Report on Dangers of Four Loko – 4. August 2011
A report by doctors at New York’s Bellevue Hospital describes how 11 young people—10 of them under the legal drinking age of 21—were rushed to the emergency room after drinking the “alcopop” Four Loko. Some of the patients ended up in potentially deadly situations, according to NY1. One patient fell onto the subway tracks, another was unconscious at school, and a third was found alone in a park…. (Source: Join Together, 08/3/11)

Heineken’s new online marketing deal to reach 103 million minors monthly – 4. August 2011
Heineken’s new online marketing deal to reach 103 million minors monthly Heineken and Google have started a global partnership which will see the international beer producer increase its YouTube activity. The deal also sets out to use mobile internet as primary marketing channel in emerging markets. This new deal will very likely mean that at least 103 million minors around the world will be exposed to the harmful effects of alcohol marketing on a monthly basis.
According to MarketingWeek.co.uk the agreement spans 20 countries and ‘will see the Dutch brand execute homepage takeovers and use pre-roll ad slots on Google’s YouTube site.’ … (Source: EUCAM, 07/5/11)

One million drivers tested for alcohol in European crackdown – 4. August 2011
A crackdown to enforce drink driving and drug driving regulations across Europe saw police conduct almost one million breath tests in a seven-day period, of which more than 17,000 were positive.
Motorists were also checked for drugs in the operation, organised by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL) at the beginning of June. In total, 986,954 drivers were tested and there were 17,705 alcohol offences and 1,636 drug offences detected. Full results, broken down by country, are shown below. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/1/11)fleetnews.co.uk, 07/27/11

Czechia: Drivers no longer penalised for low alcohol blood content – 4. August 2011
Drivers on Czech roads will no longer be stripped of points for small speeding or a small quantity of alcohol in their blood as from Monday, August 1, when an amendment to the road law takes effect. …
The three-point penalty for alcohol up to 0.3 per thousands has been abolished. A higher quantity will be punished with seven points. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/1/11) praguemonitor.com, 08/1/11

Northern Ireland: Minister backs alcohol pricing move – 4. August 2011
Setting minimum prices for alcohol could help cut the near 700 million pounds wasted each year tackling its misuse, the health minister has said. Edwin Poots said the Stormont Executive is still considering its options on the abuse of alcohol.
But his latest comments came after visiting his counterpart in Scotland where minimum pricing is also under debate. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/1/11) belfasttelegraph.co.uk, 07/25/11

Finland: Alcohol locks on all public school transport – 4. August 2011
The use of alcohol locks became mandatory as of Monday for all authorized vehicles taking children to school and daycare. An alcohol lock prevents a car from starting if a breathalyzer test shows the driver is over the legal limit.
The use of alcohol locks is from now on required in school and daycare transportation that has been organized by the municipality, the school or public facility, or is otherwise supported by the state or the municipality. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/1/11)yle.fi, 08/1/11

USA: New Parent Helpline Provides Support, Resources For Teen Substance Abuse – 31. Juli 2011
When parents find out their teen is abusing drugs or alcohol, the family’s immediate focus is generally on getting help for the teen. But parents are often in great need of help themselves. They may need advice on what to say to their teen, how to evaluate whether he or she needs professional treatment and where to find the appropriate substance abuse treatment program if one is needed. A new toll-free telephone helpline is providing that assistance.
The Parents Toll-Free Helpline, 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373), is staffed by clinical social workers with practical experience in substance abuse prevention and treatment. … (Source: Join Together, 07/29/11)

USA: Drunk Driving Penalties Vary Widely by Location – 31. Juli 2011
Punishments for drunk driving vary widely by location, ranging from receiving a ticket to landing in jail for a first-time offense, according to USA Today.
When former NBA star and ESPN analyst Jalen Rose was sentenced this week in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield for drunk driving, he was ordered to serve 20 days in the county jail for his first offense. Had he appeared in nearby Pontiac, MI, he most likely would not have gone to jail, the newspaper reports.
States that require mandatory jail time for first offenders include Alaska, Tennessee and Georgia, while no jail time is required for first-time offenders in California, Connecticut and Indiana. Wisconsin gives first-time drunk drivers a ticket. (Source: Join Together, 07/29/11)

USA: SAMHSA Awards $1.1 Million To The National Association Of State Alcohol And Drug Abuse Directors – 31. Juli 2011
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a $1.1 million grant to the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) to provide support for states as they navigate the challenges and opportunities presented in the changing health and human services environment.
“Changes are rapidly occurring in health care financing with States playing an increasing role in policy and funding decisions affecting behavioral health prevention, treatment and recovery support services,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. … (Source: Medical News Today, 07/30/11)

USA: Drop in Underage Alcohol Sales in Indiana Follows Strict ID Law – 28. Juli 2011
Following the institution of an Indiana law requiring anyone buying and carrying out alcohol to show identification, regardless of their age, state inspectors report fewer of the state’s liquor stores, bars and restaurants are selling alcohol to those under 21. Under a recent revision to the law, store clerks are no longer required to ask customers for ID if they reasonably appear older than 40. … (Source: Join Together, 07/28/11)

American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology Calls for Regular Alcohol Abuse Screening – 23. Juli 2011
New recommendations issued by the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG) call for annual alcohol screening for women, and screening in the first trimester of pregnancy.
The guidelines state that for women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant, it is important for obstetrician-gynecologists to “give compelling and clear advice to avoid alcohol use, provide assistance for achieving abstinence, or provide effective contraception to women who require help.” ACOG’s new recommendations also note that health care providers should advise women that low-level consumption of alcohol in early pregnancy is not an indication for terminating the pregnancy. … (Source: Join Together, 07/22/11)

USA: Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking – 23. Juli 2011
Underage drinking and associated problems have profound negative consequences for underage drinkers, their families, their communities, and society as a whole. Underage drinking contributes to a wide range of costly health and social problems, including motor vehicle crashes (the greatest single mortality risk for underage drinkers); suicide; interpersonal violence (e.g., homicides, assaults, rapes); unintentional injuries such as burns, falls, and drowning; brain impairment; alcohol dependence; risky sexual activity; academic problems; and alcohol and drug poisoning. On average, alcohol is a factor in the deaths of approximately 4,700 youths in the United States per year, shortening their lives by an average of 60 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] Alcohol-Related Disease Impact [ARDI] software, 2009b). … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/21/11)

UK: Police warn alcoholic energy drink ‘Crunk Juce’ causing rise in violence – 19. Juli 2011
A craze for a ‘turbo-charged’ alcoholic energy drink as strong as wine and sold in pint cans has lead to a rise in violence, police have claimed.
One can of ‘Crunk Juce’ is the equivalent of drinking a pint of wine mixed with an energy drink.
‘Crunk Juce’ is 12 per cent proof and marketed as an alternative to beer and wine that will ‘leave you wondering what happened’.
But police say drinkers of ‘Crunk’ – slang for being crazy drunk – are increasingly involved in crime and are now working with trading standards to investigate its impact on public health. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 7/19/11)metro.co.uk, 06/26/11

UK: Rise in illegal alcohol manufacturing hits news after fatal blast – 16. Juli 2011
Reports of a rise in counterfeit alcohol production have hit the news following a blast that killed 5 people in Boston, Lincolnshire.
In a BBC report on the Growing problem of illegally distilled alcohol, Trading Standards said that in some parts of the UK up to a quarter of licensed premises had been found to be selling counterfeit alcohol. It also reported that alcohol fraud costs the UK about £1bn a year in lost revenue, including £300m from illegal spirit sales, according to government estimates. Over £13 million of smuggled alcohol was seized last year. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 07/15/11)

RESEARCH

Latest Findings alcohol research: parenting, web-based and student interventions reviewed – 30. August 2011
Recent research from the Drug and Alcohol Findings, supporting evidence-based responses to substance misuse drug and alcohol Effectiveness Bank: (Here the first of five reports)
Parenting intervention has remarkable impact on teen drunkenness
In this initial developer-led trial in one county in Sweden, routine parent-school meetings encouraging commitment to take a strong stand against underage drinking had a remarkable impact on adolescent drunkenness. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 08/29/11)

UK: Poor parenting increases likelihood of binge drinking at ages 16 and 34 – 29. August 2011
A study of over 15,000 children by the think tank Demos shows parenting style is one of the most important and statistically reliable influences on whether a child will drink responsibly in adolescence and adulthood.
Demos found that ‘tough love’ parenting, combining consistent warmth and discipline, was the most effective parenting style to prevent unhealthy relationships with alcohol right into the mid-thirties age range.
The report Under the Influence found that: Bad parenting at age 10 makes the child twice as likely to drink excessively at age 34
- Bad parenting at age 16 makes the child over eight times more likely to drink excessively at that age
- Bad parenting at age 16 makes the child over twice as likely to drink excessively at age 34. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/27/11) demos.co.uk, 08/28/11

Networking Site Usage By Teens Linked To Higher Smoking, Drinking And Drug Consumption, USA – 29. August 2011
Teenagers in the USA who regularly use networking web sites are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and use drugs, says a survey carried out by CASA Columbia (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University), titled the National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVI: Teens and Parents.
In this 16th annual back-to-school survey, teens aged from 12 to 17 years were asked, for the first time, whether they used Facebook, MySpace or other social networking web sites regularly (on a typical day). 70% said they do spend some time each day on a networking site, compared to 30% who don’t. The survey found that: … (Source: Medical News Today, 26.8.11)

UK: Latest LAPE alcohol figures hit headlines over rising hospital admissions – 26. August 2011
Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE 2011) figures have been released, drawing media attention to areas with highest rates of harm and a continuing upwards national trend. Total alcohol-related admissions for England reached over one million in 2009/10; an increase of 879 alcohol-related admissions per day compared to five years ago.
The figures indicate that over the five years to 2009/10 there has been a 24.6% increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital due to alcohol specific conditions. However LAPE now includes data indicating there are more than six million people over 16 in England who do not drink alcohol. Patterns of abstention relate strongly to ethnicity as estimates range from 6.4% of adults in Mid Devon to 48.0% in London’s Newham borough. Other reported findings include: … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 08/25/11)

Non-alcoholic Beer Reduces Inflammation And The Incidence Of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections After A Marathon – 26. August 2011
Strenuous exercise significantly increases the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) caused by transient immune dysfunction. Naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds present in food such as non-alcoholic beer (NAB) have strong anti-oxidant, anti-pathogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties.
To determine whether the ingestion of non-alcoholic beer polyphenols for three weeks prior to the Munich Marathon would attenuate post-race inflammation and decrease URTI incidence. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/25/11) Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercice, May 2011 Volume 43

Perceptions of the impact of price on alcohol consumption from a large scale cross-sectional convenience survey in north west England 25. August 2011
A large-scale survey was conducted in 2008 in north west England, a region with high levels of alcohol-related harm, during a regional ‘Big Drink Debate’ campaign. The aim of this paper is to explore perceptions of how alcohol consumption would change if alcohol prices were to increase or decrease.
A convenience survey of residents (>18 years) of north west England measured demographics, income, alcohol consumption in previous week, and opinions on drinking behaviour under two pricing conditions: low prices and discounts and increased alcohol prices (either ‘decrease’, ‘no change’ or ‘increase’). … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/24/11) BMC Public Health 2011, 11:664; doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-664

UK: ‘New media, new problem’-children exposed to online alcohol marketing – 24. August 2011
A new report from Alcohol Concern looks at how children and young people are at risk of being exposed to alcohol marketing and pro-drinking messages via the internet.
‘The report reveals the growing importance to alcohol companies of social networking sites (SNSs) like Facebook and video sharing sites such as YouTube as a means of promoting their products, and the inadequacies of online age verification pages aimed at preventing under 18s from accessing content intended for adults.
It also highlights the frequent practice of users of SNSs posting pictures and descriptions of themselves drinking and being drunk, and asks why so many of us choose to publicise our alcohol consumption in this way.’ (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 08/23/11)

Researchers Study How Excess Alcohol Depresses Immune Function – 23. August 2011
Alcoholism suppresses the immune system, resulting in a high risk of serious, and even life-threatening infections. A new study shows that this effect stems largely from alcohol’s toxicity to immune system cells called dendritic cells. These cells play a critical role in immune function, responding to danger signals by searching for unfamiliar antigens within the body that would be coming from invading microbes, and presenting such antigens to T cells, thus activating them to seek and destroy cells containing these antigens. The research is published in the July 2011 issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. … (Source: Alcohol Reports – News, 08/22/11) infectioncontroltoday.com, 08/9/11

Reinforcement of Smoking and Drinking: Tobacco Marketing Strategies Linked With Alcohol in the United States – 22. August 2011
We investigated tobacco companies’ knowledge about concurrent use of tobacco and alcohol, their marketing strategies linking cigarettes with alcohol, and the benefits tobacco companies sought from these marketing activities.
We performed systematic searches on previously secret tobacco industry documents, and we summarized the themes and contexts of relevant search results. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/20/11)

Average Brit Spends £58,201 ($93,000) On Booze Over A Lifetime And Has 726 Hangovers – 20. August 2011
Over an average British person’s lifetime, 5,800 pints of beer are consumed, plus 8,700 glasses of wine, 2,900 bottles of cider, 5,808 shots of spirits, 1,452 cocktails, 1,452 glasses of liquor, and 1,452 glasses of champagne – the equivalent of 456 drinks annually. The typical Brit also experiences 726 hangovers over a lifetime. £962 are spent annually on alcohol, or £58,201 ($93,000) by the time they die. … (Source: Medical News Today, 08/19/11) our online-comment: In this study it is not included, what everybody pays a life time for alcohol-related social costs. We should not forget this.

Why the New Definition of Addiction, as ‘Brain Disease,’ Falls Short – 20. August 2011
In 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism a “disease.” More than half a century later, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has proclaimed addiction, including alcoholism and “process” addictions like gambling, to be the same.
According to the ASAM’s definition, published on the group’s website on Monday, addiction is a “primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” This clarification, which was based on consultations with more than 80 experts, is aimed in part at de-stigmatizing addictive disorders. … (Source: Join Together, 08/18/11) healthland.time.com, 08/16/11

A Literature Review of Cost-Benefit Analyses for the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence – 17. August 2011
The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review of cost-benefit studies on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatments of alcohol dependence (AD).
A literature search was performed in multiple electronic bibliographic databases. The search identified seven psychotherapy studies from the USA and two pharmacotherapy studies from Europe. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/16/11)

Alcohol Consumption Among University Students in North Rhine–Westphalia, Germany – 16. August 2011
—Results From a Multicenter Cross-sectional Study
To assess alcohol use and problem drinking among university students in the German Federal State of North Rhine–Westphalia (NRW) and to examine the associated factors.
A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in 16 universities in 2006–2007 in NRW by a standardized questionnaire and 3,306 students provided information (response rate of 88%). Problem drinking was measured by the CAGE questionnaire. …
Overall, heavy drinking and problem drinking are common among university students in this sample. Intervention programs should be designed for students at a particularly high risk. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/14/11)

The Danish longitudinal study of alcoholism 1978-2008 A clinical high-risk study – 14. August 2011
Based on a Danish birth cohort (n=9182), a high risk group of sons of alcoholic fathers (HR, n=223) and a low risk group of sons without parental alcoholism (LR, n=106) has been followed prospectively from pregnancy to age 40.
The HR sons are characterized by a high prevalence of alcohol dependence (31%) and a high rate of remission (55%).
Most powerful predictors for alcohol dependence in adulthood are: low birth weight, ADHD, conduct disorder, low cognitive efficiency and high behavioural dyscontrol in childhood.
A 50 year follow-up examination of the sample, including DNA-testing, is planned in the nearest future. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/11/11)

USA: 40 Sports Stars Whose Vices Ruined Their Careers – 14. August 2011
Drugs, alcohol and gambling are all vices that have ruined the lives of athletes. Even the greatest and most talented players in the world have succumbed to these vices, which inhibit their ability to play and drain them financially.
The vices may be different, but the outcome is generally the same: Athletes that get caught up in these worlds ruin their careers and never live up to their potential.
Here are the athletes that had their playing and coaching days cut short and ruined perfectly good careers. … (Source: Join Together, 08/12/11) bleacherreport.com, 08/8/11

NL: Trends in adolescent alcohol use: Effects of age, sex and cohort on prevalence and heritability – 14. August 2011
To determine the effect of age, sex, and cohort on the prevalence and genetic architecture of adolescent alcohol use (AAU). Design Survey study in participants registered with the Netherlands Twin Register. Setting Twins from the general population.
Two cohorts (data collected in 1993 and 2005-8) of twins aged 13-15, 16-17 and 18-21. In 1993 and 2005-8 a total of respectively 3269 and 8207 twins took part. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/11/11)

One Measure Of Spirits Can Raise Acute Pancreatitis Risk By 52% – 9. August 2011
According to a study published online by BJS (British Journal of Surgery), the risk of an acute pancreatitis attack can be increased by drinking just one 4cl measure of spirits, however, wine or beer do not appear to have the same effect.
The Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducted a study, in which researchers followed 84,601 people aged between 46 to 84 years from the general population in Vastmanland and Uppsala for an average of ten years, during which time 513 developed acute pancreatitis. … Source: Medical News Today, 08/6/11)

USA: Alcohol Abuse Has Doubled in Army in Past Five Years – 8. August 2011
…Official Says
The rate of alcohol abuse among soldiers has doubled in the past five years, says Dr. Les McFarling, Director of the Army Substance Abuse Program. McFarling attributes the rise to the stress of serving in wars, readjusting to life at home and then repeating the cycle, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He says about 13,000 soldiers were treated for substance abuse in 2010—most of them for alcohol. …
The Army announced last month it is trying to fill 130 substance-abuse counselor positions by October 1. The Army Substance Abuse Program is looking for professionals to help substance-impaired soldiers who have the potential to continue military service. (Source: Join Together, 8/8/11)

Alcohol Reports – Articles on FASD – 8. August 2011
e.g. Binge drinkers have sex they later regret
A new study has found that binge drinking puts teenage girls at risk of having unprotected sex, unplanned pregnancies and contracting sexually-transmitted diseases. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/7/11)

The Effects Of Smoking And Alcohol Use On Risk Of Upper Aero-Digestive Cancers – 6. August 2011
Upper aero-digestive tract cancers (UADT), especially those of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, are often referred to as alcohol-related cancers as it has been shown repeatedly that heavy drinkers, in particular, are at increased risk. The combination of heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking is the key factor in increasing the risk of these cancers. (Source: Medical News Today, 08/4/11)

NL: “In Control: No Alcohol!”: Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial – 6. August 2011
In the Netherlands, children start to drink at an early age; of the Dutch 12-year olds, 40% reports lifetime alcohol use, while 9.7% reports last-month drinking. Starting to drink at an early age puts youth at risk of developing several alcohol-related problems later in life. Recently, a home-based prevention program called “In control: No alcohol!” was developed to delay the age of alcohol onset in children. The main aim of this project is to conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. … (Source: biomedcentral.com, 08/4/11

Prevention of alcohol misuse among children, youths and young adults – 6. August 2011
Background: Despite many activities to prevent risky alcohol consumption among adolescents and young adults there is an increase of alcohol intoxications in the group of ten to twenty year old juveniles.
This report gives an overview about the recent literature as well as the German federal prevention system regarding activities concerning behavioral and policy prevention of risky alcohol consumption among
children, adolescents and young adults. Furthermore, effective components of prevention activities are identified and the efficiency and efficacy of ongoing prevention programs is evaluated. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/3/11)egms.de, 07/22/11

EU: Protecting the unborn baby from alcohol – 6. August 2011
September 7th, 2011 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM; Location Rue Wiertz 60 European Parliament Brussels, B 1047
Belgium Contact Phone: +32 (0)2 736 39 76 Email: aleksandra.kaczmarek@eurocare.org
This event is jointly organized by European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare) and the Polish State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems (PARPA) to mark International Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Day.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is the leading known cause of birth defects and developmental disorders in the EU.
This meeting will be a unique opportunity to learn more about this condition, share experiences and good practices, and discuss with specialist working in the field the different policy options to curb its incidence. … (Source: Eurocare, 08/4/11)

Vermont Leads U.S. in Underage Drinking – 6. August 2011
Vermont has the highest rate of underage drinking in the nation, a new federal report reveals. The state ranks second in youth marijuana use, the Burlington Free Press reports.
The report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a state-by-state analysis of a range of behavioral health issues. The report found 36.6 percent of 12- to 20-year-olds in Vermont said they drank alcohol in the previous month, the highest rate in the nation. Utah had the lowest underage drinking rate, 14.2 percent. … (Source: Join Together, 08/4/11)

Drink may cause ‘invisible’ brain harm – 4. August 2011
MORE than 4,000 Irish people could be suffering from an “invisible” serious brain injury caused by alcohol abuse, according to research. It suggests one quarter will die from the little-known condition and another 1,000 will need long-term nursing care, at a cost of tens of millions of euro a year. The research said there were no national policies in relation to alcohol-related brain injury and no public awareness of it. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/1/11)

UK: Fewer 11-15 year olds drinking finds NHS survey – 31. Juli 2011
Latest figures from a national survey of 11-15 year old pupils suggests fewer young people are drinking, and are less accepting of drunkenness. However it also finds no clear trend in consumption levels for those that do drink. The findings come from an annual survey which in 2010 included 7,296 pupils from 246 schools.
Some key findings from the report includes:
Between 2009 and 2010 the percentage of 11-15 year olds who had tried alcohol fell from 51% to 45%. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 07/28/11)

New research exposes alcohol industry public relation tactics – 26. Juli 2011
A new study has revealed how the alcohol industry is using its Drinkwise organisation to create an impression of social responsibility while promoting measures for which there is little evidence of impact and are unlikely to hurt profits.
A research team from Deakin University’s School of Psychology examined submissions to the Australian National Preventative Health Taskforce (NPHT) to determine which organisations or individuals discussed positive relationships or work by Drinkwise. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/25/11)

UK: Behavioural interventions most effective for higher risk drinkers – 26. Juli 2011
A report from the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO) demonstrates brief interventions for alcohol are the most cost effective, followed by interventions for smoking, sexual health and physical activity.
Changing Health Choices – A review of the cost-effectiveness of individual level behaviour change interventions.
Key findings include: The cost-effectiveness of brief interventions is strongest for interventions among high risk drinkers. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/25/11)

USA: Effects of an alcohol intervention on drinking among female college students… – 26. Juli 2011
… with and without a recent history of sexual violence.
Alcohol misuse among college students is a significant public health problem that can have negative long-term implications. One important correlate of problem drinking among college female populations is sexual violence. The current study investigated: (1) past year sexual violence and its association with alcohol consumption and related psychosocial variables (stress, coping, and mental health); and (2) whether the impact of an alcohol intervention was different for college women with a history of sexual violence compared to those without such a history. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/24/11)

Almost One-Quarter of Americans Report Binge Drinking in the Past Month – 21. Juli 2011
Almost one-quarter of Americans age 12 or older say they participated in binge drinking in the previous month, according to a government survey. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found binge drinking rates varied among states, ranging from 14.1 percent in Utah, to 29.8 percent in North Dakota. The survey defines binge drinking as having five or more drinks on one occasion. …
The survey included interviews with more than 137,000 people between 2008 and 2009. … (Source: Join Together, 07/21/11)

UK: ‘Nudge alone is not enough’ says Lords Committee report – 21. Juli 2011
… as BBPA reveal Responsibility Deal unit campaign.
A Lords Select Committee report on behaviour change was released today, stating ‘nudge’ approaches alone are not sufficient for achieving population level public health improvements. Launching the report, Committee Chair Baroness Neuberger said a “package of measures” was needed ranging from nudges to taxes and regulation…. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 07/19/11)

The rise of the teetotal generation – 19. Juli 2011
Binge drinking among young people may have peaked according to official new data.
Amid the constant furore surrounding binge drinking among Britain’s young people, a quiet revolution is taking place. Increasing numbers are abstaining from alcohol in what appears to be a rejection of media stereotypes and peer pressure.
An annual survey of young people’s drinking habits, to be published by the NHS Information Centre in two weeks, is expected to show another rise in the number of young teenagers who have never had a drink. This follows nine years of steady increases in the proportion of 11 to 15 year olds who have never tried alcohol, from 39 per cent in 2001 to 49 per cent last year.
These figures coincide with a 21 per cent decline in the number of children under the age of 16 needing hospital treatment for alcohol-related diseases in the past two years, suggesting that safe drinking messages may be starting to get through. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 07/19/11) independent.co.uk, 07/06/11

Chinese Culture Encourages Binge Drinking In Middle Aged Men – 19. Juli 2011
A nationwide study confirms that binge drinking has reached epidemic proportions in China and argues that efforts to tackle the problem must address the country’s unique drinking culture.
In this study, published online today in the journal Addiction, binge drinking was defined as consuming 50g or more pure alcohol in one day for men (about five 330ml tins of beer), and 40g or more for women. The study found that of the almost 50,000 people surveyed across China, 55.6% of men and 15% of women were current drinkers, having had at least one drink in the previous twelve months. Among current drinkers, men averaged a daily intake of 47.8 grams of pure alcohol, with a median of 5.6 binges per year. Women fared a bit better, with an average daily intake of 19.1g and a median of 2.4 binges per year. 26% of male drinkers and 8% of female drinkers were classed as ‘frequent drinkers’, drinking 5-7 days per week. …(Source: Medical News Today, 07/18/11)

AU: Is the “alcopops” tax working? – 19. Juli 2011
Probably yes but there is a bigger picture.
The Australian Government’s decision to raise taxes on ready-to-drink spirit-based beverages (RTDs; “alcopops”) in 2008 caused great controversy. Interest groups have selectively cited evidence to support their points of view.
The alcohol industry cited Victorian data from the Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug Survey (ASSADS) as evidence that the tax had failed, but closer examination of the data suggests that fewer students are drinking, and fewer are drinking at risky or high-risk levels. Excise data from the first full year after the tax came into effect showed a more than 30% reduction in RTD sales and a 1.5% reduction in total pure alcohol sold in Australia. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/17/11)

Wine strength stronger than labelled – 19. Juli 2011
Wine makers “systematically” understate the strengths of wines, according to a Guardian report. A study found that 57% of the wines analysed were stronger than on the label; average ABV content was found at 13.6% but the average labelled strength was 13.1%. The analysis also revealed that strength of wine across the world has risen by almost one per cent in recent years. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/17/11)

Binge Drinking Damages Teenage Girls’ Brains More Than Boys’ – 19. Juli 2011
Teenage girls who binge-drink have a higher risk of long-term harm to the brain compared to boys of the same age who also binge drink, researchers from the University of California, San Diego and Stanford University reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Their definition of binge-drinking is consuming at least four (for females) or five (for males) alcoholic drinks at one sitting.
The investigators said that activity levels in several regions of the brain among girls who binge drink were lower than what one would normally find among typical teenagers. …(Source: Medical News Today, 07/17/11)

Alcohol-related deaths and deaths among people who were alcohol dependent in Ireland, 2004 to 2008 – 16. Juli 2011
This paper describes, for the first time, trends in alcohol-related deaths and deaths among people who were alcohol dependent in Ireland, as recorded by the National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) for the years 2004−2008. The main findings of the analysis are:
The NDRDI recorded 672 poisoning deaths in which alcohol was implicated in the five-year period. This total comprised almost equal numbers of alcohol-only poisonings and alcohol polysubstance (alcohol plus other substance/s) poisonings. The annual number fluctuated over the period, being highest in 2007 (170 deaths) and lowest in 2006 (111 deaths). Alcohol was the substance most frequently
implicated in all fatal poisonings in Ireland in the five-year period. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/15/11) HRB Trends Series 10

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Editor:
Hermann T. Meyer, Projekte und Dienstleistungen, Lindenstr. 32, CH-8307 Effretikon, Switzerland,
Tel. +41 (0)52 343 58 75, Fax: +41 (0)52 343 59 29         e-mail
Copyright © 2001-2011: Hermann T. Meyer. All rights reserved.
Texts from third persons do not necessarily reflect our own opinion. If you use our texts for distribution, please state the source.
Last entry08/31/11

This is our last Newsletter. Wishing you all the best. Kind regards

Hermann T. Meyer

e.g.: YLE News (Finland/Estonia) – Alcohol tourism to Estonia set to increase
YLE News (Finland) – Study: Finns unfazed by summer binge drinking
The Local.se (Sweden) – Swedish alcohol monopoly launches ‘booze camera’ iPhone app
Drunken Swedes can now record their boozed-up antics with a new iPhone app launched on Monday by a subsidiary of the country’s state-owned alcohol monopoly. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/30/11)

e.g. Alcohol, Drugs To Ease Anxiety Could Spur Substance-Abuse Problems
– More than half of Americans drink alcohol: report
– Zero alcohol law welcomed by SADD (New Zealand)
– New Study Highlights More Dangers Of “Alcopop” Consumption (USA)
(Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/8/11)

www.alkoholpolitik.ch     Newsletter June/July 2011  (issued 07/15/11)

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.

4521 articles in 147 categories and with 11’306 main expressions (tags) since 1/1/2009. Online since August 2001.

Kind regards
Yours Hermann T. Meyer
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Text with Newsletter we sent

Several articles during this periode show the unbroken will of Big Alcohol to stop any attempt of curbing its influence and market power. e.g. Lithuania would become the first EU country to have a total ban on alcohol advertising in 2012. As this year is approaching different stakeholders are getting more active to reverse this decision. Even the Vice President of the Carlsberg Group traveled to Lithuania to convince the prime minister why the total ban must be stopped.

On top level 79 NGOs from various sectors have issued a statement of concern to the President of the UN General Assembly. The NGOs are concerned about the lack of clarity of roles for the industry sector in the recently held UN interactive hearing for civil society and the UN High Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCD) in September.

The British Government is still cooperating with the alcohol industry that even a churchman,the Bishop of Stafford, has criticised the government for “doing little” to prevent alcohol abuse. At this time we get informed that the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions in England has topped one million for the first time, according to official statistics. An NHS Information Centre report said admissions had increased by 12% between 2008-09 and 2009-10.

The alcohol industry, in its efforts in social marketing, has started an information campaign: Global Actions, your briefing on our efforts around the world as part of Global Actions on Harmful Drinking.

On the other hand it is amazing how many efforts are necessary and on the way worldwide in order to fight the harm done by Big Alcohol. Fortunately science is more and more on the side of Public Health. And politicians will have to accept where their responsibilities are.

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TOP NEWS

Alcohol consumption guidelines inadequate for cancer prevention – 13. Juli 2011
Current alcohol consumption guidelines are inadequate for the prevention of cancer and new international guidelines are needed, states an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) (pre-embargo link only) http://www.cmaj.ca/site/embargo/cmaj110363.pdf.
Guidelines in some countries are not currently based on evidence for long-term harm. Most guidelines are based on studies that assessed the short-term effects of alcohol, such as social and psychological issues and hospital admissions, and were not designed to prevent chronic diseases. As well, in some countries, alcohol producers were either part of working groups defining sensible drinking or instrumental in dissemination of the guidelines. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/11/11)

Alcohol marketing regulations in Europe: How effective are they? – 21. Juni 2011
Key points of the fact sheet are:
* Effective alcohol marketing regulations are an essential control measure in a comprehensive alcohol policy that aims to decrease alcohol-related harm and to protect young people.
* Effective alcohol marketing regulations are recommended to restrict the volume of alcohol marketing practices to protect harmful exposure to alcohol advertising among young people. …(Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/20/11) eucam.info, 06/17/11

USA: Buzz kills. No amount of alcohol safe to drive – 21. Juni 2011
In the United States, the blood-alcohol limit may be 0.08 percent, but no amount of alcohol seems to be safe for driving, according to a University of California, San Diego sociologist. A study led by David Phillips and published in the journal Addiction finds that blood-alcohol levels well below the U.S. legal limit are associated with incapacitating injury and death.
Phillips, with coauthor Kimberly M. Brewer, also of UC San Diego, examined official data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This dataset includes information on all persons in the U.S. who were involved in fatal car accidents – 1,495,667 people in the years 1994 to 2008….. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/20/11) eurekalert.org, 06/20/11

The Alcohol Industry Needs More Scrutiny – 1. Juni 2011
The influence of “Big Alcohol” in the health arena deserves as much scrutiny as Big Pharma and Big Tobacco, especially in light of evidence of bias in funded research, unsupported claims of benefit, and inappropriate promotion and marketing by the alcohol industry, says a new editorial in this week’s PLoS Medicine. The PLoS Medicine editors argue that the statistics about problem drinking are troubling enough, but what also demands more attention and research is the influence of the alcohol industry on health research, government policy, and public perceptions of the harms and benefits of alcohol. … (Source: Medical News Today, 05/31/11)

GLOBAL

Questionable Health Claims by Alcohol Companies – 15. Juli 2011
For years, food companies have used advertising, packaging, and brand image to lead people to believe certain products are healthier than they really are. Whether it’s putting a sports star’s face on a Coca-Cola ad, labeling junk food as a “smart choice,” or attaching arbitrary designations such as “all natural” to foods high in fat, sugar, and salt, the food industry knows it must attract health-conscious shoppers. Over the past few years, alcohol companies have begun appropriating many of these misleading advertising techniques. Spirits companies are positioning their vodka as “all natural,” even though the products haven’t changed. Beer companies are sponsoring marathons and running ads showing toned drinkers meeting up at a bar after a work-out. Superstars of grueling, high-endurance sports are being tapped to promote alcoholic beverages. These advertising practices are legally tenuous, morally unsound, and potentially dangerous. Alcohol consumption costs society billions of dollars annually while causing immeasurable human suffering every day. Using health messages to sell products that can cause such widespread harm is not only unethical, it’s illegal, and yet the regulatory system has failed miserably to protect the American public. Because market research shows purchase intent and consumption of a brand increase
when people believe alcoholic products are all-natural or fitness-friendly, intense scrutiny and strict regulation of such misleading claims is essential. This report examines this disturbing trend to promote alcohol as a health and fitness product, analyzes the potential legal implications, and makes policy recommendations. … (Source: Marine Institute, June 2011)

AU: Alcohol products to carry warnings – 15. Juli 2011
HEALTH warnings will appear on most beer, wine and spirit products as a result of a liquor industry decision to take voluntary measures after years of government dithering.
The warnings, aimed at young people, pregnant women and problem drinkers will be carried by alcohol products representing 80 per cent of the market, including supermarket chain brands. The interchangeable warnings are: ”Is your drinking harming yourself or others?”, ”Kids and alcohol don’t mix” and ”It is safest not to drink while pregnant”. An image discouraging drink when pregnant is also available. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/13/11) theage.com.au, 07/11/11

USA: Non-Communicable Diseases – 15. Juli 2011
“Once viewed as afflictions limited to the developed world, non-communicable diseases are rising quickly in low- and middle-income countries.
“If we are effectively to reverse the increased global rates of NCDs, we will need to use all the tools at our disposal, including multi-lateral diplomacy.” — Deputy Assistant Secretary Nerissa Cook
“Once viewed as afflictions limited to the developed world, non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, – including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and cancers – are rising quickly in low- and middle-income countries. This growing prevalence of NCDs has significant health, economic and social implications on the individual, national, and global levels,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary Nerissa Cook at a recent Global Health Council meeting at the United Nations.
Nearly two-thirds of deaths in the world are now caused by non-communicable diseases. In the United States, NCDs account for 70 percent of deaths, limit the activities of tens of millions more Americans, and cost the economy billions each year. … (Source: (Harvard World Health News, 07/14/11) voanews.com, 07/11/11

Aussies Will Warning Label Liquor To Curb Youth, Binge Drinking – 13. Juli 2011
Since 2006, Australia has had graphic image warnings on cigarette packages. Now announced this week, the liquor industry is volunteering to label its products with health warnings also. About 80% of alcohol sold in the country will carry the warnings.
According to government statistics, the proportion of people drinking at high risk level has increased from 8.2% in 1995 to 13.4% in 2005, when the last National Health Survey was conducted. The increase has been greater for women. … (Source: Medical News Today, 07/12/11)

USA: Calif Assembly bans caffeine-laced beer drinks – 13. Juli 2011
The California Assembly moved Monday to prohibit the production and sale of beer laced with caffeine and join other states concerned the beverages are aimed at young people and make it easy to drink too much.
The ban was approved on a 43-24 vote. It passed the state Senate in April but that chamber must now reconsider changes made by the Assembly before the bill can be sent to the governor.
The bill, SB39, would ban the import, production, distribution or retail sale of beer and related alcoholic beverages that have caffeine added. At least six other states have passed similar bans. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/11/11) sacbee.com, 07/11/11

USA: Alcohol Involved in Half of Water Recreation-Related Deaths – 13. Juli 2011
Drinking and engaging in water sports can be a deadly mix, warns the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Half of all water recreation-related deaths of teens and adults involve alcohol, the NIAAA says.
HealthDay reports that the institute is warning against a number of dangerous scenarios as the weather heats up and more people take to the water. For example, swimmers who drink alcohol may have impaired judgment, and swim out farther than they should. Drunk swimmers in a pool can jump into too-shallow water, or crash into the diving board. Surfers who have been drinking may try to ride a wave that is too difficult for them to handle. Drinking and boating is an especially dangerous combination. The NIAAA says that alcohol may be involved in up to 60 percent of boating deaths. … (Source: Join Together, 07/12/11)

Aurelijus Veryga on alcohol ad ban in Lithuania – 12. Juli 2011
In 2012 Lithuania was supposed to ban all alcohol advertising. With this it would become the first EU country to have a total ban on alcohol advertising. As the year 2012 is approaching different stakeholders are getting more active to reverse this decision. Aurelijus Veryga, President of the Lithuanian National Tobacco and Alcohol Control Coalition, explains what this small Baltic country is going through. (Source: activeeurope.org, 7/11/11 press release) nordan.org, 7/11/11

Big Alcohol informs: Global Actions on Harmful Drinking – 9. Juli 2011
Welcome to Global Actions, your briefing on our efforts around the world as part of Global Actions on Harmful Drinking. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/07/11) Comment: Active social marketing by the alcohol industry.

South Africa: Alcohol advertising ban ‘no matter what’ – 7. Juli 2011
The government is forging ahead with legislation that will crack down on alcohol advertising despite warnings of massive revenue and job losses.
According to a preliminary study by Chris Moerdyk, an independent marketing analyst, a total ban on the advertising of alcoholic beverages could cost media companies revenue of as much as R1.8-billion a year. …
About R800-million would be lost to sports sponsorships and development grants, and forfeited marketing expenditure.
Though the government does not plan to ban alcohol advertising outright, several state departments are determined to win the war on alcohol and drug abuse and have spearheaded a campaign that will enforce stringent restrictions on alcohol advertising. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 07/07/11) timeslive.co.za, 07/5/11

USA: Several Fast Food Chains Try Selling Alcohol – 7. Juli 2011
Burger King, Sonic and Starbucks are among the fast food chains experimenting with selling alcohol, according to USA Today.
Two Sonic restaurants in South Florida will soon be selling beer and wine along with burgers, the newspaper reports. Burger King “Whopper Bars” that sell beer have opened in Miami, Kansas City and Los Angeles. Several Seattle Starbucks are now selling local wine and beer. These chains are adding alcohol to the menu in an attempt to boost sales during evening hours, the article notes. … (Source: Join Together, 07/5/11)

Alcohol News 27/2011 by Alcohol Reports – 7. Juli 2011
International News on alcohol politics, 07/04/11

Church of England reviews alcohol investment policy – 7. Juli 2011
The Church of England could threaten to pull its investments from British-listed supermarkets that fail to meet its minimum ethical standards on the sale of alcohol, in an attempt to stem the sale of cheap alcohol and reduce binge drinking.
The Ethical Investment Advisory Group, the investment body that makes recommendations to the Church’s three national investing bodies, said it wants to tighten its policy because of concerns about ‘corporate complicity in the misuse of alcohol, including through inappropriate pricing and promotions.’ (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/04/11) lse.co.uk, 06/29/11

Swedes drink less alcohol – 7. Juli 2011
Swedes are drinking less alcohol than before. The trend is visible among the younger generation; older people drink as much
The alcohol consumption in Sweden was 13% lower in 2010 compared with 2004 when the consumption peaked. This development has come as a surprise for many researchers since the import restrictions for private use was liberalized in 2004.
-When the quotas were liberalized in 2004 and the alcohol consumption reached record levels, not many people foresaw this development. It seems like the mechanisms are more complex than we thought; said Mats Ramstedt, researcher about alcohol at SoRAD (Centre for research on Drugs and Alcohol) to the news site forskning.se. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/04/11) stockholmnews.com, 06/27/11

THE GLOBE – Issue No 2 2011 – 4. Juli 2011
Online with many important articles:
* Alcohol and Cancer in the spotlight – * Alcohol and cancer – the forgotten link – * New WHO report: deaths from noncommunicable diseases on the rise, with developing world hit hardest – * Countries endorse a resolution on noncommunicable diseases at the World Health Assembly – * Is the cardio-protective action of alcohol a myth? – * Teaching responsible drinking ‘doesn’t work’ ….

Alcohol: A Major Public Health Problem-South Asian Perspective – 2. Juli 2011
Over the years, use of alcohol, excessive and prolonged, has been associated with various health hazards.
With increasing clinical experience and research in the area, the association has become stronger and progressively more alarming. The evidence from different treatment settings viz. the outpatient department, inpatient setup, emergency department, and the consultation liaison services has linked the use of alcohol with a wide array of hazards to the physical and the psychological health of the users. The impact on psychological health extends beyond the users of alcohol to involve caregivers and other family members of users.
Alcohol consumption is the leading risk factor for disease burden in low-mortality developing countries and the third largest risk factor in developed countries. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/30/11)

USA: APIS Announces Update of Alcohol Policy Information – 30. Juni 2011
The Alcohol Policy Information System (APIS), a project by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, announces its latest update of state-by-state alcohol policies. The update reports developments in 29 current APIS policy topics, for the period 1/2/2009 through 1/1/2010. Visit the APIS website to obtain details on these and other important policy developments across the country. Many of these changes are consistent with the goal of reducing underage drinking and its consequences as well as alcohol-related death and injury in the general population. (Source: Marin Institute, 06/29/11)

USA: Gasolina “Party in a Pouch” Adds New Fuel to the Booze Fire Targeting Urban Kids – 30. Juni 2011
Gasolina-CapriSun Following in the footsteps of brands like Four Loko and Blast who use colorful, youth-oriented packaging and pop-culture icons to market their products to an underage, urban demographic, newcomer Gasolina Urban Blends has upped the ante with its “Party in a Pouch” line: Brightly colored, 200-ml aluminum pouches complete with little straws inside to suck up the vodka, tequila, and rum, plus some fruit juice.
These pouches look remarkably similar to Capri Sun. Yes, the same packaging you see at youth soccer games across the country has now been repurposed for easy-access, take-anywhere alcohol. … (Source: Marin Institute, 06/29/11)

NL: First European network conference on reducing youth drinking by law enforcement – 28. Juni 2011
On October the 27th the Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy (STAP) will host the first European network conference on reducing youth drinking by law enforcement. Law enforcement experts and professionals from all over Europe will be able to exchange knowledge and experiences during a conference specifically focussed on enforcing alcohol legislation. … Because the knowledge about law enforcement in Europe has grown substantially over the last decades it is the right moment to organise the first European alcohol enforcement meeting. … (Source: stap.nl, 6/27/11)

NGOs express concern over conflict of interest at the UN General Assembly – 26. Juni 2011
79 NGOs from various sectors have issued a statement of concern to the President of the UN General Assembly. The NGOs are concerned about the lack of clarity of roles for the industry sector in the recently held UN interactive hearing for civil society and the UN High Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCD) in September. The statement was addressed to Dr. Joseph Deiss, President of the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Permanent Representative of Luxembourg, and Ambassador Raymond Wolfe, Permanent Representative of Jamaica. All are key actors in the ongoing process on NCD in UN. … (Source: add-resources.org, 06/23/11)

UK: Older people advised to drink less than adult guidelines – 24. Juni 2011
A report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists advises people over 65 should not drink more than 1.5 units of alcohol a day – at least half the standard adult daily guidelines. The reduced amount advised for older adults is the equivalent of about half a pint of lager (5%) or a small glass of wine. See the full RCP report Our Invisible Addicts. ….(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/22/11)

Eurocare Newsletter May – June 2011 – 20. Juni 2011
Important informations on alcohol politics. Issued June 19, 2011 Content:
News From Eurocare Members – News From the EU – News From the WHO – News from across Europe – News From Around the World – Upcoming events – Questions from MEPs

Eurocare Annual General Assembly (24th- 25th May, Brussels): New president and Board – 20. Juni 2011
After 21 years of valuable service to Eurocare, Dr. Michel Craplet from ANPAA resigned from his post as Chairman of the organization. The former vice Chairman of Eurocare, Ms. Tiziana Codenotti was elected to be the new president. The General Assembly elected as well a new Board. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter May – June 2011)

Alcohol-Industry declares war on proposed alcohol advertising ban in Lithuania – 20. Juni 2011
In 2008 the Lithuanian Parliament accepted an amendment to the Alcohol Control Law that would install a comprehensive ban on alcohol advertising in the year 2012. Now with only 6 months left the pressure to withdraw the ban is steadily rising. The alcohol industry has stepped up its lobbying activities and politicians are backing out. The Lithuanian National Tobacco and Alcohol Control Coalition reports that Sven Langeneckert, Vice President of the Carlsberg Group traveled to Lithuania to convince the prime minister why the total ban must be stopped. …. (Source: Eucam, 06/17/11) Comment: In other countries the parliament not even dares to accept such a law.

Better alcohol control policy means less injuries, more safety and money saved – 16. Juni 2011
Budapest, Hungary, June 16, 2011- The European Union is the heaviest drinking region in the world. Therefore, in Europe we suffer from the highest alcohol related problems. It is estimated that 58 million adults in the EU drink at risky levels, and 23 million are alcohol addicted. Alcohol constitutes the primary risk factor for accidents, injuries and violence. Approximately half of the deaths attributable to alcohol are from injuries.
This issue is being addressed at the 3rd European injury prevention conference, organised by EuroSafe in cooperation with the Hungarian Presidency of the European Council. Today stakeholders in the prevention of accidents and injuries from Europe and other continents meet in Budapest to exchange, debate and discuss the latest results in injury research, policies and practices. … (Source: Eurocare, Active Press Release, 06/16/11)

UK: Diageo funding for midwife training sparks controversy – 14. Juni 2011
Drinks giant Diageo is to fund alcohol training for 10,000 midwives as part of the Government’s controversial Responsibility Deal. The training programme will be run by the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome UK (Nofas-UK) to encourage midwives to highlight the risks of drinking during pregnancy.
But the news made the headlines amidst criticism that the alcohol industry be funding such initiatives, with reports from the BBC, Guardian, Independent and The Daily Mail. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/13/11)

Alcohol News 24/2011 by Alcohol Reports – 14. Juni 2011
More international informations. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)

Victory on Stopping Bus Bench Alcohol Ads in Los Angeles – 14. Juni 2011
The Coalition to Ban Alcohol Ads from Public Property organized a lively grassroots rally in Los Angeles City Hall Plaza this morning to send a message to the L.A. Board of Public Works that promoting alcohol on city-owned bus benches was a really bad idea. The Board heard the concerns and agreed by asking for a full ban on all alcohol ads in the new contract. The contractor, Martin Outdoor Media, LLC quickly agreed. There will be no alcohol ads on 6,000 L.A. city-owned bus benches. This will reduce youth exposure to messages that are feeding an epidemic of underage alcohol consumption and harm. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11) prnewswire.com, 06/10/11

AU: Parents’ plans to supply their adolescents with alcohol – 14. Juni 2011
The aim was to determine the extent to which parent and adolescent characteristics and patterns of alcohol use influence parents’ plans to supply their adolescent aged 14–16 years with full serves of alcohol (i.e. not necessarily initiation) in the next 6 months. A cross-sectional sample of parents from Victoria, Australia, completed an online survey. Parents’ plans to supply alcohol in the next 6 months was significantly associated with their reports of supplying alcohol in the previous 3 months, perceptions that their adolescent drinks, reports of not practising religion, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)

USA: WV Students Create Public Service Announcements To Prevent Underage Drinking – 14. Juni 2011
More than two dozen West Virginia youth from Cabell, Greenbrier and Kanawha counties will star in new public service announcements (PSAs)
designed to raise awareness of and prevent underage drinking. Earlier this year, the teams of youth from Cabell County’s Substance Abuse
Prevention Coalition, the Marshall University Ad Club, Greenbrier East High School and the South Charleston Housing Authority submitted draft scripts for this year’s 2011 PSA Challenge. This month, the youth will fine-tune their scripts and work with the Tri-State CW and WV Radio Corporation to produce the television and radio spots. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11) prevnet.org, 06/13/11 Comment: This could be an idea for other regions too.

Scotland: Alcohol’s harm to others conference – Beyond the drinker – 11. Juni 2011
Our “Alcohol’s harm to others” conference took place on 3 June in Edinburgh. Around 100 delegates attended to hear from expert speakers and workshop leaders on the impact of excessive drinking on people other than the drinker, with a particular focus on children and young people.
Presentations can be downloaded below and the conference report will be available soon. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/10/11)

Northern Ireland consultation on minimum pricing – 10. Juni 2011
A consultation on minimum pricing and other options for Northern Ireland is currently open.
Northern Ireland’s Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety are seeking views on setting a minimum price per unit of alcohol. A press release and BBC report announced the move earlier this year.
The survey “forms part of the stakeholder consultation process on minimum pricing of alcohol in Northern Ireland and provides an opportunity for comment on plans to crack down on the availability of cheap alcohol.” It also includes questions on: … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/09/11)

AU: Roxon approves national plan for minimum alcohol price – 10. Juni 2011
THE cost of some cask wine could quadruple, with Health Minister Nicola Roxon signing off on a plan to develop a nationwide minimum floor price for alcohol. The National Preventive Health Agency has been asked to “develop the concept” as part of a plan approved by Ms Roxon but yet to be approved by her state counterparts.
The interim chief executive of the agency, Rhonda Galbally, said that while she wasn’t at liberty to reveal everything in the strategic plan approved by Ms Roxon, she was prepared to confirm that it included developing the concept of a uniform alcohol floor price that would apply nationwide. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/08/11) theage.com, 06/08/11

In-School Drug and Alcohol Abuse Clinic Opens in New York State – 10. Juni 2011
A public high school in Long Island, New York is opening an in-house drug and alcohol abuse clinic. According to Daytop Treatment Services, which will run the clinic, it is the first such facility in New York State and possibly in the United States.
Reuters reports that the clinic is opening in response to a jump in substance abuse among students. It will be housed at the William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, NY, and will open in August. The clinic will provide counseling, but will not dispense methadone or other medications. (Source: Join Together, 06/09/11)

USA: Growing Alcohol Sales Defy Sluggish Economy – 10. Juni 2011
A sluggish economy has not stopped alcohol sales, according to industry analysts who say alcoholic beverage sales grew by nearly 10 percent from May 2010 to May 2011.
During that period, the unemployment rate was more than 9 percent, CNNMoney reports. Esther Kwon, an alcohol industry analyst for Standard & Poor’s, said that in a recession, people continue to drink, although they tend to drink more at home instead of in a bar. … (Source: Join Together, 06/09/11)

California Bill Would Ban Retailers From Selling Alcohol Through Self-Service Checkouts – 9. Juni 2011
A bill under consideration by the California Senate would ban retailers from selling alcohol through self-service checkouts. The bill has already been approved by the state Assembly.
The bill aims to make it more difficult for minors or already-intoxicated customers to purchase alcohol. Supporters say it would also reduce theft. Similar bills have been considered twice before by the California Legislature, the Oakland Tribune reports. In 2009, a similar bill was approved by the Legislature but vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. … (Source: Join Together, 06/08/11)

Turkish regulatory agency chief defends alcohol ordinance – 8. Juni 2011
A regulation partly overruled by the Council of State would have helped prevent the recent deaths of several Russian tour guides from consuming unlicensed alcohol, the president of Turkey’s alcohol regulatory agency has said.
The decision of the Council of State was only an interim judgment and did not reflect the final verdict, said the Tobacco and Alcohol Market Regulatory Agency, or TAPDK, chief. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/07/11) hurriyetdailynews.com, 06/06/11

Police begin week-long alcohol and drug operation on Europe’s roads – 8. Juni 2011
Police officers across more than 25 European countries, including the UK, today begin a seven-day crackdown on drink driving and drugged driving. The operation is co-ordinated by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network.
Chief Superintendent Pasi Kemppainen, chairman of TISPOL’s strategic alcohol and drugs working group, commented: “We know that driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs remains one of the ‘big three’ killers on Europe’s roads, along with speeding and non-wearing of seatbelts. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/07/11) fleetnews.co.uk, 06/06/11

UK: Stafford bishop accuses government over alcohol abuse – 8. Juni 2011
The Bishop of Stafford has criticised the government for “doing little” to prevent alcohol abuse. The Rt Rev Geoff Annas has described alcohol misuse as “one of the major sins of our time”. Writing in a pastoral letter, published in parish magazines across the Diocese of Lichfield, he called for a “seismic shift” in attitudes towards drinking. The government has said it is tackling alcohol-related crime “at its source” through a variety of measures.
He said charities were left to tackle the effects of “this drug abuse”, with government action not going far enough.
… (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/07/11) bbc.co.uk, 06/01/11 Comment: It is far too seldom we here from a Churchman such words. To be drunk means the human dignity has gone.

India: Mumbai votes to increase alcohol age limit – 8. Juni 2011
Mumbai has voted to raise the age limit for buying spirits from 21 to 25 and beer 18 to 21, sparking concern from the drinks industry and fury among young people.
Politicians agreed to change the minimum age as part of moves to discourage under-age consumption and problem drinking.
The measures – which include fines for illegal drinking, a ban on serving alcohol at public functions and ceremonies and more “dry days” when the sale of alcohol is banned – will apply in Mumbai and across the state of Maharashtra…. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/07/11) telegraph.co.uk, 06/02/11

Iceland: Call for Stricter Laws on Alcohol and Tobacco – 8. Juni 2011
Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson submitted a bill in parliament yesterday evening on amendments to the law on alcohol with the purpose of making the ban on advertising alcoholic beverages clearer and more efficient.
It is suggested that the supervision of the ban be moved from the police to the Consumer Agency and that administrative fines can be issued in the case of violations. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/08/11) icelandreview.com, 06/01/11

Fetal alcohol syndrome: dashed hopes, damaged lives – 7. Juni 2011
Since the term was coined about 40 years ago, fetal alcohol syndrome has slowly become recognized as a public health issue. Alicestine October reports from South Africa’s Western Cape province, which has the highest reported rate in the world.
“When I was pregnant with my son I drank a lot – mostly on weekends,” says Marion Williams, a 45-year-old mother who lost two of her five children in childbirth.
Williams lives in one of South Africa’s famous wine-growing areas in the Western Cape. She started drinking as a teenager and was taken out of school, she suspects, to work to buy wine for her parents. … (Source: Bulletin of the World Health Organization 2011;89:398–399. doi:10.2471/BLT.11.020611)

Hidden harm? Alcohol and older people in Wales – 7. Juni 2011
Alcohol Concern Cymru have released a briefing paper on alcohol and older people: Hidden harm? Alcohol and older people in Wales [pdf]
An Alcohol Concern page states: ‘To make sure older people in Wales receive the support they need to enjoy alcohol healthily, Alcohol Concern is recommending that professionals working with older people need to be aware of alcohol misuse; better joint working is needed between local older people’s services and alcohol treatment services; and research is needed into whether current unit guidance and screening methods for alcohol misuse are relevant to older people.’ (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/06/11)

EU: European Alcohol and health Forum – COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL ALCOHOL POLICY AND ACTION – 7. Juni 2011
Eighth plenary meeting of the European Alcohol and health Forum, Brussels, 8 April 2011 – Summary report available, Released 06 June 2011
European Alcohol and Health Forum – List of members updated, Released 24 May 2011
8th meeting of the Committee on National Alcohol Policy and Action, Luxembourg, 1-2 March 2011 – Summary report and presentations available. (Source: EU, 06/06/11)

UK: Drink Drive crackdown throughout June 2011 – 4. Juni 2011
Police officers will be out in force throughout June to detect drink and drug drivers across the country, reports the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). A similar 30 day scheme ran last year in which just under 101,000 people were stopped and tested, with 5.6% testing positive or refusing a test. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 6/2/11) Also: Minimum pricing posed to BBC Question Time panel – Trade and industry news – Local Authorities in Scotland could soon be taking measures to ban under 21s from purchasing alcohol from supermarket and off-licenses

New Guide Safeguards Children Affected By Substance Misuse, UK – 2. Juni 2011
A third of drug addicts or problem drinkers in treatment have childcare responsibilities and the lives of these children are much improved when providers and children’s services get together early on to ensure the whole family gets the support it may need.
A new practical guide issued today (Wednesday, 1st June) by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) says those responsible for drink and drug treatment must take a wider, more preventative approach, identifying early on when families need help as well as protecting children from neglect and harm. (Source: Medical News Today, 06/01/11)

Sweden: State liquor stores moot higher tax on wine – 1. Juni 2011
Sweden’s state-run alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget has demanded an extra tax on box wine equating a price hike of up to 25-30 percent in order to curb the thirst for bag-in-box wines.
A wine box typically contains the equivalent of four bottles of wine, but typically costs as much as three – a discount that the Systembolaget wants to see removed. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/30/11) thelocal.se, 5/26/11 our online-comment: I am sure, many public health specialists in other countries would be glad if they could have such a system which reduces alcohol consumption to such an extent. In any case cheap alcohol by special sales reductions should be avoided.

Alcohol Reports – Alcohol News 22/2011 – 1. Juni 2011
International News from Sweden, UK, USA, Canada, Malaysia, India etc. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/30/11)

UK: Alcohol-related hospital admissions reach record level – 1. Juni 2011
The number of alcohol-related hospital admissions in England has topped one million for the first time, according to official statistics. An NHS Information Centre report said admissions had increased by 12% between 2008-09 and 2009-10. That includes liver disease and mental disorders due to alcohol abuse as well as some cancers, accidents and injuries. The Department of Health will publish a new alcohol strategy later this year. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/30/11) bbc.co.uk, 05/26/11

Alcohol ban threat for Scotland’s under 21s - 1. Juni 2011
Local authorities have been given the green light to ban individual outlets from selling alcohol to people aged between 18 and 21 where the stores have previously fallen foul of the law by selling to under 18s, or where there is a problem with teenage drinking.
The move comes as the majority SNP Government signals its intent to tackle Scotland’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Power to restrict sales only to those drinkers aged 21 and over would be a powerful tool in the arsenal of the local licensing boards who police the retailers. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 5/30/11)

RESEARCH

The Distribution of Alcohol Consumption and the Prevention Paradox in Brazil – 15. Juli 2011
To examine the proportion of self-reported alcohol consumed by different gender and age groups in Brazil over the past year, and to examine whether the “prevention paradox” applies to Brazilian data on alcohol-related problems.
A multistage cluster sample, representative of the Brazilian household population 14 years of age or older (N=3007). The response rate was 66.4%.
The top 2.5% of the drinkers by volume consume 14.9%, the top 5% consume 27.4%, and the top 10% consume 44.2% of all alcohol consumed in Brazil. Men consume 77.8% of the total alcohol, and 18 to 29 year olds consume 40.3%. Individuals below risky drinking guidelines for weekly volumetric intake account for 49-50% of all problem drinkers and 45-47% of all problem types reported. Individuals who do not binge or who binge infrequently (1-3 times/year) account for 50-51% of all problem drinkers and 45-46% of all reported problem types. Most binge drinkers are low volume drinkers. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/13/11)

Pre-Teen Alcohol Use as a Risk Factor for Victimization and Perpetration of Bullying – 14. Juli 2011
We examined the association between pre-teen alcohol use initiation and the victimization and perpetration of bullying among middle and high school students in Georgia. …
Pre-teen alcohol use initiation is an important risk factor for both the perpetration and victimization of bullying among boys and girls in Georgia. Increased efforts to delay and reduce early alcohol use through clinical interventions, education and policies may also positively impact other health risk behaviors, including bullying. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/12/11)

Alcohol damages DNA of unborn children beyond repair, says study – 9. Juli 2011
Binge drinking can cause permanent genetic damage especially to the unborn children of women in the earliest stage of pregnancy, according to a study which shows for the first time how alcohol destroys DNA.
Scientists have identified the precise molecular mechanism leading to the breakdown of the body’s natural defences that protect DNA against damage from excessive alcohol in the bloodstream. They believe the results demonstrate that binge drinking causes a build-up of toxins within the body, causing irreversible genetic damage, which may explain the phenomenon known as foetal-alcohol syndrome, when babies of mothers who drink during pregnancy are born with congenital learning problems. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/08/11)

Attitudes as Mediators of the Longitudinal Association Between Alcohol Advertising and Youth Drinking – 9. Juli 2011
Objective: To test the hypothesis that changes in alcohol-related attitudes and expectancies mediate the effect of alcohol advertising on youth drinking. Design: Longitudinal survey with a 9-month interval. Setting: Twenty-nine public schools in 3 German states….
Results:  A total of 581 of the students (28%) started to drink alcohol during the observation period. Alcohol use initiation was positively related to baseline alcohol advertisement exposure. This effect of alcohol advertisement exposure on alcohol use was partially mediated by a change in alcohol-related attitudes, which explained about 35% of the total effect after controlling for baseline covariates and exposure to other advertising contents. The analysis revealed similar results for binge-drinking initiation. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/07/11) archpedi.ama-assn.org, July 2011

USA: The Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Public Health – 9. Juli 2011
The Amethyst Initiative, signed by more than 100 college presidents and other higher education officials calls for a reexamination of the minimum legal drinking age in the United States. A central argument of the initiative is that the U.S. minimum legal drinking age policy results in more dangerous drinking than would occur if the legal drinking age were lower…. Does the age-21 drinking limit in the United States reduce alcohol consumption by young adults and its harms, or as the signatories of the Amethyst Initiative contend, is it “not working”?
In this paper, we summarize a large and compelling body of empirical evidence which shows that one of the central claims of the signatories of the Amethyst Initiative is incorrect: setting the minimum legal drinking age at 21 clearly reduces alcohol consumption and its major harms. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/06/11)

USA: Researchers Link Deaths to Social Ills – 9. Juli 2011
Poverty is often cited as contributing to poor health. Now, in an unusual approach, researchers have calculated how many people poverty kills and presented their findings, along with an argument that social factors can cause death the same way that behavior like smoking cigarettes does.
In an article published online for the June 16 issue of The American Journal of Public Health, scientists calculated the number of deaths attributable to each of six social factors, including low income.
To estimate the number of deaths caused by each factor, the scientists reviewed 47 earlier studies on the subject, combining the data in a meta-analysis. The studies were generally based on large national surveys like the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a continuing study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 07/08/11) nytimes.com, 07/04/11 Comment: Regularly moderate wine drinkers do not belong to this group. Many abstainers do. One more reason why studies with positive health results for moderate drinkers vs. abstainers are not correct.

Correlation between driving-related skill and alcohol use in young-adults … – 2. Juli 2011
..from six European countries: the TEN-D by Night Project.
Only few studies with small experimental samples investigated the impact of psychoactive substances on driving performance. We conducted a multicenter international cross-sectional study to evaluate the correlation between alcohol use and driving-related skill as measured by brake reaction time (RT). …
This field study confirms previous experimental data on the negative impact of alcohol use on driving-related skill, supporting regulations and educational campaigns aimed at discouraging driving after consumption of psychoactive substances. (Source: biomedcentral.com, 07/1/11

USA: Are Alcohol Companies Making Illegal Health Claims? – 30. Juni 2011
Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, released a new study today: Questionable Health Claims by Alcohol Companies: From Protein Vodka to Weight-Loss Beer. The report analyzes Big Alcohol’s latest marketing scheme to jump on the healthy product bandwagon made popular by the food industry. But, the report concludes, when it comes to alcoholic beverages, such marketing messages are “legally tenuous, morally unsound, and potentially dangerous.”
“The wine industry has been exaggerating wine’s health benefits for years. Now Big Alcohol is taking such messages to a whole new level,” said Marin Institute’s Research and Policy Director Michele Simon, JD, MPH and coauthor of the report. “Major alcohol companies are exploiting ineffective or non-existent regulatory oversight with deceptive marketing and potentially dangerous products.” … (Source: Marin Institute, 06/29/11)

Adolescent Substance Use: America’s #1 Public Health Problem – 30. Juni 2011
NATIONAL STUDY REVEALS:
ORIGINS OF AN EPIDEMIC, TEEN SUBSTANCE USE AMERICA’S #1 PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM.
90 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION STARTED SMOKING, DRINKING, OR USING OTHER DRUGS BEFORE AGE 18.
ALMOST HALF OF ALL AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SMOKE, DRINK, OR USE OTHER DRUGS.
Nine out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18, according to a national study released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. …. (Source: CASA press release, 06/29/11)

UK: Supermarkets promote alcopops more than any other drink – 30. Juni 2011
- reports the Telegraph. A survey found 47 per cent of alcopops had been on offer in the past year, compared to only 20 per cent of red wines and 10 per cent of after-dinner tipples such as port. The Health Secretary recently called on supermarkets to take further action on front of store sales as part of the controversial Responsibilty Deal. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/29/11) telegraph.co.uk, 06/05/11

UK: The Risks And Benefits Of Alcohol Drinking In The Elderly – 30. Juni 2011
The Royal College of Psychiatrists of London has published a report related primarily to problems of unrecognized alcohol misuse among the elderly. The report provides guidelines for psychiatrists and family physicians on how to find and how to treat elderly people with misuse of alcohol and drugs. Forum members consider it very important to identify abusive drinking among the elderly and this report provides specific and very reasonable recommendations to assist practitioners in both the identification and treatment of such problems. … (Source: Medical News Today, 06/28/11)

Young Adult Binge-Drinkers May Be Damaging Their Brains – 30. Juni 2011
It’s considered a rite of passage among young people – acting out their independence through heavy, episodic drinking. But a new University of Cincinnati study, the first of its kind nationally, is showing how binge drinking among adolescents and young adults could be causing serious damage to a brain that’s still under development at this age.
Researcher Tim McQueeny, a doctoral student in the UC Department of Psychology, is presenting the findings this week at the 34th annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Atlanta. … (Source: Medical News Today, 06/28/11)

USA: Numbers from ABC Show Where Minors Really Buy Alcohol – 30. Juni 2011
An analysis of three years worth of data from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) shows that the vast majority of alcohol sales to minors occur at locations other than the full-service supermarkets and specialty grocers that use assisted self-checkout stands….. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 06/28/11) trading-house.net, 06/28/11

Contextual Determinants of Alcohol Consumption Changes and Preventive Alcohol Policies – 24. Juni 2011
A 12-Country European Study in Progress.
Beginning with France in the 1950s, alcohol consumption has decreased in Southern European countries with few or no preventive alcohol policy measures being implemented, while alcohol consumption has been increasing in Northern European countries where historically more restrictive alcohol control policies were in place, even though more recently they were loosened. At the same time, Central and Eastern Europe have shown an intermediate behavior. We propose that country-specific changes in alcohol consumption between 1960 and 2008 are explained by a combination of a number of factors:…This article describes the methodology of a research study designed to understand the complex interactions that have occurred throughout Europe over the past five decades. … Read More (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/22/11)

Monitoring Alcohol Marketing in Africa – 21. Juni 2011
Monitoring Alcohol Marketing in Africa – MAMPA Project is a new report released by the Africa Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO). The study on alcohol marketing was commissioned by the WHO Regional Office for Africa in 2010. The background was an intention to support governments decide on what measures to take regarding alcohol advertising. In order to inform such decisions insight into the impact of advertising, specifically in terms of volume, frequency, and content of alcohol advertising and promotion is essential. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/20/11) WHO-Report, 06/20/11

The Australian National Binge Drinking Campaign – 21. Juni 2011
Campaign recognition among young people at a music festival who report risky drinking.
The Australian Government launched a mass media campaign in 2009 to raise awareness of the harms and costs associated risky drinking among young Australians. The aim of this study was to assess if young people attending a music festival who report frequent risky single occasions of drinking (RSOD) recognise the key message of the campaign, “Binge drinking can lead to injuries and regrets”, compared to young people who report less frequent RSOD.
Conclusions: Whilst a high proportion of the target group recognised the campaign, our analysis suggests that participants that reported frequent RSOD – and thus the most important group to target – had statistically significantly lower odds of recognising the campaign message. (Source: BMC, Public Health, 06/20/11) Comment: Who wonders?

Use and Correlates of Protective Drinking Behaviors During the Transition to College – 20. Juni 2011
Analysis of a National Samplestar.
This study examined patterns and correlates of protective drinking behaviors among incoming first-year college students.
Incoming first-year students (N = 76,882) from 258 colleges across the U.S. provided baseline data on demographics, drinking practices, and protective behaviors as part of a web-based alcohol education program. Across the several colleges, responses to protective behavior questions were collected from seven weeks before the start of the school year to five weeks after. … Conclusions: College students increase risky drinking after the start of school while progressively using fewer behaviors that might mitigate the consequences of drinking. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/18/11) sciencedirect.com, 06/15/11

Recent Heavy Alcohol Consumption at Death Certified as Ischaemic Heart Disease – 20. Juni 2011
Correcting Mortality Data from Kaunas (Lithuania).
To assess the proportion of deaths assigned to ischaemic heart disease (IHD) which in fact were caused by the toxic effects of alcohol, and how this may affect the official statistics of mortality from IHD in Lithuania. …
A significant number of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania were misclassified as coronary deaths, accounting for almost one-tenth of officially registered deaths from IHD in ages 25–64. A high prevalence of positive post-mortem blood or urine alcohol tests suggests that the proportion of alcohol-related deaths among out-of-hospital IHD deaths may be actually even higher. A similar situation may be present in some other countries where high levels of alcohol consumption and binge drinking patterns are observed. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/18/11)

UK: Young people, alcohol and influences – 19. Juni 2011
This study differs from other research: it develops evidence of how different domains of influence work together, understanding their relative importance in tackling different patterns of drinking among different groups.
The study involved a survey of 5,700 teenagers aged 13–14 (Year 9) and 15–16 (Year 11) in schools in England and data was statistically modelled to highlight the strongest influences on and predictors of young people’s drinking. (Source: Alcohol Reports: 06/17/11)

S: The Örebro prevention program revisited – 19. Juni 2011
This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Örebro prevention program (ÖPP), an alcohol misuse prevention programme that aims to reduce youth drinking by changing parental behaviour. Cluster-randomized trial, with schools randomly assigned to the ÖPP or no intervention.
Forty municipal schools in 13 counties in Sweden. 1752 students in the 7th grade and 1314 parents were assessed at baseline. Students’ follow-up rates in the 8th and 9th grades were 92.1% and 88.4% respectively. …
The Örebro prevention programme as currently delivered in Sweden does not appear to reduce or delay youth drunkenness. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/17/11)

Alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking, and subsequent problems among adolescents in 23 European countries – 19. Juni 2011
- does the prevention paradox apply?
According to the prevention paradox a majority of alcohol-related problems in a population can be attributed to low to moderate drinkers simply because they are more numerous than heavy drinkers, who have a higher individual risk of adverse outcomes. We examined the prevention paradox in annual alcohol consumption, heavy episodic drinking (HED), and alcohol-related problems among adolescents in 23 European countries. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/18/11)

Alcoholism Drug Shows Promise in Three Danish Studies – 17. Juni 2011
An experimental drug to treat alcohol dependence has shown promising results in three clinical trials in Denmark. The company is now submitting the drug for approval in Europe, The Wall Street Journal reports.
The drug, nalmefene, was tested for its effectiveness in reducing a person’s craving for alcohol. Unlike current drug treatments for alcoholism, nalmefene can be taken with alcohol. Nalmefene blocks a craving mechanism that is regulated by the brain’s opioid receptors, according to the article. Other currently available drugs that treat alcoholism discourage drinking by causing unpleasant side effects when a person drinks even a little bit of alcohol. … (Source: Join Together, 06/16/11)

USA: Gun Owners Twice as Likely to Binge Drink as Those Without Firearms – 17. Juni 2011
People who own guns are twice as likely to binge drink and to drink and drive, compared with those who don’t own firearms, a new study finds.
Researchers at the University of California, Davis found that heavy alcohol use was most common among firearm owners who also engaged in behaviors such as carrying a firearm for protection against other people, and keeping a firearm at home that was both loaded and not locked away. The study included the results of a telephone survey of more than 15,000 people in eight states.
In the journal Injury Prevention, the researchers conclude that firearm ownership and specific firearm-related behaviors are associated with alcohol-related risk behaviors. … (Source: Join Together, 06/16/11)

Canada: Drinking, cannabis use and psychological distress increase – 15. Juni 2011
The latest survey of Ontario adults from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows increasing rates of daily drinking and cannabis use and high levels of psychological distress. The results of the 2009 CAMH Monitor survey, the longest running survey tracking mental health and addiction indicators among adults in Ontario, were published today.
The proportion of adults reporting daily drinking increased from 5.3% in 2002 to over 9% in 2009. The average number of drinks consumed weekly among drinkers has also increased from 3 drinks to 4.6 drinks, and the proportion of adults exceeding low-risk drinking guidelines remains at elevated levels (22%). However, there were also some encouraging findings: there was a significant decline in binge drinking from 12.6% in 2006 to 7.1% in 2009, and the decline was evident especially among young adults, from 24% to 11.5%. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)

Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Volume 28, 2011 – 15. Juni 2011
Number 1 / 2011 (Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)
Alcohol policy is becoming a truly global issue (PDF) — The rise of the total abstinence model. Recommendations regarding alcohol use during pregnancy in Finland and Denmark (PDF) — The effects of missing data when surveying alcohol habits (PDF) — Alcohol-related mishaps on weekends in Reykjavík (PDF)
A window to alcohol problems and politics in Africa. Kettil Bruun Society Meeting in Uganda (PDF)

Number 2 / 2011 (Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)
In control and out of control. The discourse on intoxication among young Finnish women in the 1980s and 2000s (PDF) — Risky drinking of alcohol in Sweden: A randomized population survey comparing web- and paper-based self-reports (PDF) — The Drinking Habit Survey revival (PDF)

The Association Of Alcohol Drinking With Migraine Headache – 14. Juni 2011
Migraine is a neurovascular disease that affects about 15% of the western population. Compounds in foods and beverages (chocolate, wine, citrus, etc) considered as migraine triggers include tyramine, phenylethylamine and possibly histamine and phenolic compounds. Avoiding those triggers may significantly reduce the frequency of migraines in some patients. However, only a small percentage of patients in one study became headache-free simply by excluding those foods, epidemiological studies are pointing out that genetic factors may be an underlying cause. … (Source: Medical News Today, 06/13/11)

The effects of alcohol and dosage-set on risk-seeking behavior in groups and individuals – 14. Juni 2011
A great deal of risky activity occurs in social contexts, yet only recently have studies begun to examine the impact of drinking on risk-seeking behavior in groups. The present study sought to extend this work by examining both pharmacological and expectancy (dosage-set) effects of drinking. In addition, by using a much larger sample than in prior studies we aimed to increase the power to examine how drinking affects the decision-making process (i.e., Does the initial proposed decision stand, or does it shift during discussion to a safer or riskier final decision?). … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)

Contributions of alcohol use to teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection rates – 13. Juni 2011
A report from the Centre for Public Health, UK, found expected higher alcohol related hospital admissions amongst areas with higher teenage pregnancy and STI rates: Contributions of Alcohol Use to Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection Rates. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/10/11)

Is the Demand for Alcoholic Beverages in Developing Countries Sensitive to Price? – 13. Juni 2011
Evidence from China.
Economic literature in developed countries suggests that demand for alcoholic beverages is sensitive to price, with an estimated price elasticity ranging from −0.38 for beer and −0.7 for liquor. However, few studies have been conducted in developing countries. …
The central implication of this study is, while alcohol tax increases can raise government revenue, it alone is not an effective policy to reduce alcohol related problems in China. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/11/11)

Low Levels of Awareness, Knowledge and Use in the Swedish Population – 13. Juni 2011
Hazardous Drinking Concepts, Limits and Methods.
To investigate the awareness and knowledge of hazardous drinking limits among the general population in Sweden and the extent to which people estimate their alcohol consumption in standard drinks to assess their level of drinking.
A population-based study involving 6000 individuals selected from the total Swedish population was performed. Data were collected by means of a postal questionnaire. The mail survey response rate was 54.3% (n = 3200) of the net sample of 5891 persons. …
The results can be seen as a major challenge for the health-care system and public health authorities because they imply that a large proportion of the Swedish population does not know when alcohol consumption becomes a threat to their health. The current strategy to disseminate knowledge about sensible drinking limits to the population through the health-care system seems to have failed and new means of informing the population are warranted. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/11/11)

On the Margins. Nordic Alcohol and Drug Treatment 1885-2007 – 13. Juni 2011
During the last ten years a number of doctoral dissertations and other thorough studies of alcohol and drug treatment organisations, ideas and innovations have been published in the Nordic countries. They have been produced within historical or social science frameworks, covering various periods of the last 120 years and both alcohol and drug treatment. Most of them are written in the Scandinavian languages or Finnish and as a consequence are not accessible to an international audience. This fact was the first reason behind this book: there was a body of new Nordic research on the history of treatment that has produced new knowledge about the system and that could merit an international audience. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/11/11)

Report: Contributions of Alcohol Use to Teenage Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection Rates – 10. Juni 2011
However the report also finds some variations, suggesting further research and monitoring. Findings and recommendations include:
* The relationship between alcohol misuse and poor sexual health outcomes means there is an urgent need for the integration of health services for young people. It should be routine for professionals to address sexual health and alcohol issues simultaneously.
* Campaigns/services that aim to address teenage conception should include alcohol consumption in young men as well as young women, since alcohol misuse in both sexes independently predicts teenage pregnancy and sexual infections
* Attention needs to be paid to local factors that may play a role in enhancing risk of conception among groups of young people. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 06/09/11)

Alcohol Use Among Top Causes of Disability in Young People Worldwide – 9. Juni 2011
Alcohol use, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder together account for 45 percent of disabilities among young people ages 10 to 24 worldwide, about four times as much as that caused by unintentional injuries, according to a study of data from the World Health Organization.
The study researchers added up years of healthy living that were lost due to a disability and death. The Los Angeles Times reports that the study found alcohol accounted for 7 percent of lost healthy years. The article notes that the study is the first of its kind to give a comprehensive picture of young people’s global health. (Source: Join Together, 06/08/11)

To drink or not to drink: Motives and expectancies for use and nonuse in adolescence – 5. Juni 2011
Drinking motives have a prominent role in cognitive models of adolescent and adult alcohol decision-making … The complementary construct of motivation not to drink has received less attention. … We examined how abstinence motives interacted with drinking motives and alcohol expectancies to predict alcohol consumption in samples of US high school students (N > 2,500). … This work not only supports the utility of this construct in developing models of youth alcohol-related decision-making but also has implications for prevention programming. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/04/11)

Reducing the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for driving in developing countries – 3. Juni 2011
…a time for change? Results and implications derived from a time series analysis (2001-2010) conducted in Brazil.
Aims: In Brazil, a new law introduced in 2008 has lowered the blood alcohol concentration limit for drivers from 0.06 to 0.02, but the effectiveness in reducing traffic accidents remains uncertain. This study evaluated the effects of this enactment on road traffic fatalities and injuries…
Conclusions: Lowering the blood alcohol concentration limit in Brazil had a greater impact on traffic fatalities than injuries, with a higher effect in the capital where presumably the police enforcement was enhanced. Comment: Effectiveness uncertain? But “responsible for significant reductions in traffic injuries and fatalities rates in both localities”?

UK: Teenage drinking and interethnic friendships – 2. Juni 2011
Findings: Informing change. Although concerns are growing about young people’s drinking habits in the UK, recent studies suggest that having peers from minority ethnic backgrounds is related to lower drinking rates. However, little is known about how young people in multicultural societies experience interethnic contact within friendship groups or the potential effect of this on drinking attitudes and behaviours. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/01/11) jrf.org.uk, May 2011

Alcohol Harms The Brain Immediately – 1. Juni 2011
A nice drink cannot do any harm? Brain says no. A new study by a Chinese research group shows that even low doses of alcohol can harm the brain immediately though not permanently. “We were investigating the acute effects of low and high doses of alcohol by diffusion tensor imaging, wondering whether the consequences of alcohol administration can be observed by the measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA)”, said Dr. Lingmei Kong (Shantou University Medical College, China) at the 21st Annual Meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) in Lisbon. They could. The participants of the study did not only show reactions in their behaviour. The research group could also show that frontal lobes and thalamus are more vulnerable to the effects of acute alcohol consumption. And: DTI is capable to detect changes in the brain after acute alcohol consumption not visible on conventional MRI. … (Source: Medical News Today, 5/31/11)

The influence of behavioural and health problems on alcohol and drug use in late adolescence – 1. Juni 2011
- a follow up study of 2 399 young Norwegians.
Both early alcohol debut, behavioural and health problems are reported to enhance adolescence substance use. This prospective study investigate the influence of behavioural and health problems on adolescents’ alcohol and drug use. …
Conduct problems in high-school more than doubles the risk for both frequent alcohol use and initiation of drug use later in adolescence. The combination of health problems and alcohol intoxication in early adolescence was closely associated with more frequent drinking later in adolescence among girls. Overall, early alcohol intoxication was closely associated with both frequent alcohol use and drug use at follow up in both genders. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/30/11)

The relevance of societal factors in the association between social roles and alcohol use among mothers in 16 industrialised countries – 1. Juni 2011
Housewife or working mum – each to her own?
Aims: To investigate whether differences in gender-income equity at country level explain national differences in the links between alcohol use, and the combination of motherhood and paid labour.
Conclusion: In countries which facilitate working mothers, daily alcohol use decreases as female social roles increase; in contrast, in countries where there are fewer incentives for mothers to remain in work, the protective effect of being a working mother (with partner) on alcohol use is weaker. These data suggest that a country’s investment in measures to improve the compatibility of motherhood and paid labour may reduce women’s alcohol use. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 05/30/11) onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 2011

International News on alcohol politics, 07/04/11

Important informations on alcohol politics. Issued June 19, 2011 Content:
News From Eurocare Members – News From the EU – News From the WHO – News from across Europe – News From Around the World – Upcoming events – Questions from MEPs

After 21 years of valuable service to Eurocare, Dr. Michel Craplet from ANPAA resigned from his post as Chairman of the organization. The former vice Chairman of Eurocare, Ms. Tiziana Codenotti was elected to be the new president. The General Assembly elected as well a new Board. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter May – June 2011)

Number 1 / 2011 (Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)
Alcohol policy is becoming a truly global issue (PDF)
The rise of the total abstinence model. Recommendations regarding alcohol use during pregnancy in Finland and Denmark (PDF)
The effects of missing data when surveying alcohol habits (PDF)
Alcohol-related mishaps on weekends in Reykjavík (PDF)
A window to alcohol problems and politics in Africa. Kettil Bruun Society Meeting in Uganda (PDF)

Number 2 / 2011 (Alcohol Reports, 06/13/11)
In control and out of control. The discourse on intoxication among young Finnish women in the 1980s and 2000s (PDF)
Risky drinking of alcohol in Sweden: A randomized population survey comparing web- and paper-based self-reports (PDF)
The Drinking Habit Survey revival (PDF)

www.alkoholpolitik.ch Newsletter April 2011  (issued 04/30/11)

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.

4240 articles in 143 categories and with 10’668 main expressions (tags) since 1/1/2009. Online since August 2001.

Kind regards
Yours Hermann T. Meyer
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Text with mailed Newsletter April 2011

This month brought a dramatic change in the scientific judgement of health aspects regarding alcohol consumption. A big EU-study showed that even small amounts of alcoholic beverages may cause cancer:

That means that with men 43% and with women 19% of the cases are connected to a small amount of daily alcohol consumption which is so far regarded as not dangerous and is even propagated by the alcohol industry as health positive.

The WHO report on non-communicable diseases—including diabetes, cancer and respiratory and heart diseases—says that a large percentage of these conditions could be prevented by reducing tobacco and alcohol use, eating a healthier diet and exercising more.

Maybe these two publications have changed the alcohol policy of the biggest Swiss newspaper, the Tages-Anzeiger which reported for the first time since a long time on a big alcohol theme. It didn’t even mention the WHO-Resolution in May 2010. The second big paper the Neue Zürcher Zeitung is still “abstaining”. At least it printed my last letter to the editor on an alcohol-debate in the Council of the Canton of Zurich. That’s how they misuse their power in favor of the alcohol industry. Maybe my ongoing protest has helped a little.

Looking forward
After ten full years of active work with my website I intend to finish it in this intensive way at the end of August 2011. It will be not easy for me, but there are several activities and duties, which I have been neglecting those years, that I want to do more. And I should like to enjoy holidays and trips without searching for a cheap internet connection.

It doesn’t mean that I shall leave this matter completely, e.g. I could imagine that

- a public health person would like to overtake my website and i should cooperate sometimes,

- an interested party would offer finances to start a half-time job with my supervision,

- I should let the website active in the web and should use it for occasional projects. It could serve as archive.

- I should continue working on the website, but only treating the most important news and mailing a newsletter with them on a non regular basis.

I’ll be glad to receive and discuss proposals till August.

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TOP NEWS

Unexpected Consequences Of Adult-Supervised Drinking In Young Teens – 29. April 2011
Allowing adolescents to drink alcohol under adult supervision does not appear to teach responsible drinking as teens get older. In fact, such a “harm-minimization” approach may actually lead to more drinking and alcohol-related consequences, according to a new study in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
“Kids need parents to be parents and not drinking buddies,” according to the study’s lead researcher, Barbara J. McMorris, Ph.D., of the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota. Allowing adolescents to drink with adults present but not when unsupervised may send mixed signals. “Adults need to be clear about what messages they are sending.” … (Source: Medical News Today, 04/28/11) Comment: The second study in this article shows the same result. Probably prevention in schools by offering alcohol to the students will have the same effect.

WHO Report: Smoking and Drinking Cause Millions of Deaths Worldwide – 28. April 2011
Almost six million people die from tobacco use and 2.5 million from harmful use of alcohol each year worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports.
The WHO report on non-communicable diseases—including diabetes, cancer and respiratory and heart diseases—says that a large percentage of these conditions could be prevented by reducing tobacco and alcohol use, eating a healthier diet and exercising more. …
Alcohol-related deaths account for 3.8 percent of all deaths worldwide, according to the report. More than half of these deaths occur from non-communicable diseases including cancer, heart disease and liver cirrhosis. …
To reduce harmful alcohol use, WHO recommends a number of measures including increasing excise taxes on alcoholic beverages, regulating availability of alcoholic beverages (including minimum legal purchase age), restricting exposure to marketing of alcoholic beverages through marketing regulations or comprehensive advertising bans, and treatment of alcohol use disorders and brief interventions for hazardous and harmful drinking. (Source: Join Together, 04/27/11)

WHO – Consultation on action plan for non communicable diseases – 18. April 2011
The WHO has launched a consultation aiming to bring together national focal points from European Member States and other stakeholders to develop a five-year operational plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of non-communicable diseases.
The consultation has three main objectives:
• To review the responses to non-communicable diseases (NCD) across the European Region;
• To agree on a practical set of actions that can be taken by Member States, by WHO and by partners to address the NCD epidemic in the five years to 2016;
• To contribute to the development of a European position in advance of the First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and NCD Control (Moscow, Russian Federation, 27 April 2011). (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

European Parliament discusses the EU budget – worrying developments for health – Montag 18. April 2011
The European Parliament rapporteur on the EU Budget recently released his draft report on the future EU Budget. Health and civil society are not mentioned in the report. This is worrying as this report will be the European Parliament position on what the priorities of the EU should be for the coming 5 to 7 years.
The health community can find below a summary of the report as well as the list of key MEPs to contact in order to advocate for public health to be taken into account by the European Parliament.
The rapporteur Salvador GARRIGA POLLEDO MEP (EPP Spain), states that the structure of the future EU Budget (‘Multi Annual Financial Perspectives MAFF’) should reflect the EU priorities, particularly the Europe 2020. …
(Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011/EPHA)

USA: Md. House gives preliminary OK to alcohol tax increase – 11. April 2011
The House of Delegates gave preliminary approval to a 50 percent increase to the sales tax on alcohol starting July 1.
The bill and companion legislation would raise $87 million for the state, to be split among mental health initiatives and education. Under the plan crafted by the House Ways and Means Committee earlier Saturday, the Developmental Disabilities Administration would receive $15 million from the boon. More than $47.5 million would be used for school construction and another $21 million was previously earmarked in the state budget for schools.
If approved by the Senate, the legislation would represent a major victory by health and education advocates, who have seen their efforts to raise alcohol taxes rebuffed for decades by the powerful state liquor lobby. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 04/10/11) thedailyrecord.com, 04/09/11

Alcohol Causes A Significant Burden Of Cancer In Eight Countries In Western Europe – 9. April 2011
Almost one in ten (9.6%) cancers in men and three in ten (3%) cancers in women in Western Europe is caused by former and current alcohol consumption, finds a paper published on bmj.com today.
The study focuses on France, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Greece, Germany and Denmark. Source: Medical News Today, 04/07/11) our Online-Comment: The figure regarding women is not correct. Most probably it’s (as from an other source) one in 33 women, that’s 3%. But also in the BMJ-Text the total figures are questionable in the Abstract.
10% of cancers in men are due to alcohol consumption. Of those 57% are avoidable if men stick to the recommended amounts of daily consumption. 3% of cancers in women are alcohol related and 81% avoidable. That means that with men 43% and with women 19% of the cases are connected to a small amount of daily alcohol consumption which is regarded as not dangerous and is even propagated by the alcohol industry as health positive.

GLOBAL

EU: Summary report of the 7th Meeting of the Science Group of the Alcohol and Health Forum – 29. April 2011
Please click here to access the summary report of the7th Meeting of the Science Group of the European Alcohol and Health Forum that took place in Brussels on 25 October 2010. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/28/11)

Royal Wedding: UK Citizens Want Extra Hours To Drink, Party – 29. April 2011
So Friday is the big day. In a highly anticipated wedding, not only in the United Kingdom but the world, there is some controversy if pubs and drinking establishments will be allowed to stay open longer and be a bit lax on the rules in the UK. Some will and some won’t as the nation prepares for a four day Bank Holiday where drinking is expected to go up a notch.
Early responses from the 44 licensing boards north of the Border show some are refusing to get in line with plans in England and Wales to award additional drinking time to pubs on Friday, April 29 and the following weekend. … (Source: Medical News Today, 04/28/11) Comment by Active: The Boozification of the Royal wedding. About Grownups who don’t know how to party: …
“The world doesn’t need more booze, Europe doesn’t need more booze and Britain surely doesn’t need more booze”, says Andrea Lavesson, who is the President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace, and continues: “Every time there is a big event, we hear these calls for a suspension of existing rules, so that grownups could use more alcohol. But more alcohol means more violence, more road accidents, more suffering and deaths. And all that certainly doesn’t belong to festive occasions like today.” …

People Dependent On Drug And Alcohol Need Appropriate Support To Get Back To Work, UK – 27. April 2011
DrugScope, the national membership organisation representing the drug sector, has today responded to the release of figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which show that 79,360 people who claim Incapacity Benefit (IB) have either a drug or alcohol dependency.
The DWP figures show that of the total number of IB claimants (2,082,570, figures from August 2010), 1.8 per cent (37,000) have a drug dependency and 2 per cent (42,360) an alcohol dependency. … (Source: Medical News Today, 04/26/11)

SA: Alcohol advertising ban: media between a rock and a hard place – 26. April 2011
South African media’s indecision to support alcohol advertising ban could be linked to the fact that media companies stand to lose huge revenues if the legislation were to come into effect, one media analyst charged this week. Shepherd Mpofu, of Wits University’s Department of Media Studies, said there is no logical reason why the media have to support a move that will have a negative consequence on them. …It was reported last week that the media have agreed to support the proposed ban, but that statement has since been denied and corrected by the South African National Editor’s Forum (SANEF), which confirmed that it will instead throw its weight behind the campaign against alcohol abuse, as it does not have a position on the proposed alcohol advertising ban. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/25/11) bizcommunity.com, 04/19/11

NZ: Adults need to ‘let go of their love for alcohol’ – expert – 26. April 2011
There is growing pressure for the government to tighten up New Zealand’s alcohol laws following a report into the death of a teenager from binge drinking.
Sixteen-year-old James Webster died from acute alcohol poisoning after attending a party in Auckland’s Grey Lynn in May last year.
Coroner Gordon Matenga recommended in the report that parents and schools develop alcohol awareness programmes to improve education around the issue.
However principals and health promotion experts have said this morning that it will take more than education to tackle the problem. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/25/11) tvnz.co.nz, 04/21/11 Comment: This is what has to be said to most governments in the western world.

UK: Government “missing opportunity” to halt heavy drinking – 26. April 2011
A NORTH-EAST academic with a worldwide reputation in her field has criticised the Government for failing to back a cheap and effective method of curbing heavy drinking.
The UK is facing a deepening crisis over the availability of cheap booze but according to Professor Eileen Kaner of Newcastle University, the Government is missing a golden opportunity to start turning the tide.
It has been estimated that damage caused by drinking costs the country about £25bn every year in terms of costs to the NHS, the criminal justice system and the economy. …(Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/25/11) thenorthernecho.co.uk, 04/24/11

Sweden launches new strategy to combat narcotic, alcohol problems – 26. April 2011
The Swedish government Tuesday launched a new comprehensive strategy to deal with alcohol, drugs, doping and tobacco problems together, Xinhua informs.
“The overall objective is to make Swedish society free from illicit drugs and doping with fewer medical and social damage caused by alcohol and tobacco,” Maria Larsson, Swedish Minister for Children and Elderly, said in a statement. …
The strategy is proposed for 2011-2015 and was passed in the parliament at the end of March this year. The government will invest 260 million kronor (about 40 million U.S. dollars) per year to support effort such as parents whose children take drugs or children who are abused at home. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/25/11) focus-fen.net, 04/20/11

France riot police face beer and wine meal ban – 26. April 2011
French riot police are outraged over plans to end a long-cherished tradition of drinking alcohol with their meals.
Under the terms of an interior ministry decree, riot police will no longer be allowed to wash down their lunch with a glass or two of beer or wine.
Officials were angered in 2010 when photos emerged of riot police drinking beer while policing a demonstration. One police union has called for alcohol to be allowed if meals are taken out of the view of the public. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/25/11) bbc.co.uk, 04/22/11

UK: From crisis to renewal: hopes for the history of the pub – 26. April 2011
The politics of drinking.
Two and a half years ago I sat down to write a history of the pub industry since the 1989 Beer Orders. Trouble is, the bloody thing keeps moving. I can’t hold it down. I can see why historians write about things that happened in the distant past now, things that have ossified into something stable you can get a grip on.
Pub industry history has taken another lurch in the last few days with the conclusion of Punch Taverns’ strategic review. It’s just one company, but it’s a big deal. The end of an era in some ways. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/26/11) philmellows.com, 03/25/11

USA: 17 Attorneys General Call on Pabst to Stop Marketing Blast to Young Drinkers – 23. April 2011
Calling the new fruity alcoholic drink Blast by Colt 45 “binge-in-a-can,” 17 attorneys general are asking the drink’s maker, Pabst Brewing Co., to stop marketing the beverage to underage drinkers and to significantly reduce the number of servings of alcohol in each can.
The drink, being promoted by rapper Snoop Dogg, comes in a colorful can containing 23.5 ounces, with an alcohol content of 12 percent—more than most cans of beer, CNN reports. (Source: Join Togerther, 04/22/11)

USA: Privatizing Alcohol Increases Consumption – 22. April 2011
In a recent review, the CDC Task Force on Community Preventive Services concluded that privatizing alcohol sales is harmful to public health. The Task Force “recommends against the further privatization of alcohol sales in settings with current government control of retail sales, based on strong evidence that privatization results in increased per capita alcohol consumption, a well-established proxy for excessive consumption.” (Source: Marin Institute, 04/20/11)

Texas Senate Passes Bill Giving Immunity to Underage Drinkers – 22. April 2011
The Texas Senate this week passed a bill that would give immunity to underage drinkers who are seeking medical help in an emergency. The bill’s sponsor said it is aimed at minors who are afraid to seek help because they do not want to be charged with underage drinking.
The Houston Chronicle reports that the bill would give immunity from minor-in-possession and consumption of alcohol charges. The measure would require the minor to be the first person seeking medical assistance and to stay with the incapacitated person until help arrives. … (Source: Join Together, 04/21/11)

Phusion Projects and United Brands Skip Out on New York Alcopop Hearing – 21. April 2011
It may have been the most important public hearing on alcopops to date, and yet two major producers of these dangerous products couldn’t be bothered to show up.
The New York Senate Standing Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse held a public hearing on April 12 to discuss the need to restrict youth access to alcopops: sweet, fruit-flavored alcohol drinks, often with alcohol levels as high as 12%. Alcopops producers directly market them to underage drinkers, and cost hundreds of lives and billions of dollars of alcohol-related harm annually. (Source: Marin Institute, 04/20/11)

Teaching Children To Say ‘No’ To Their Peers – 21. April 2011
Their numbers are rising, but their age is dropping: children and young adults who drink so much that they have to go to the hospital. Binge-drinking is sadly fashionable amongst the under 20-year-olds. But how can adolescents be effectively protected from alcohol and substance abuse?
“Information alone is not good enough”, Dr Karina Weichold of the Jena University (Germany) knows. Because even children know that alcohol consumption and smoking can cause health damage. “Therefore prevention needs to start somewhere else.” This is what the developmental scientists, together with colleagues from the Institute of Psychology and the Center for Applied Developmental Science of the Jena University, are trying to achieve with their specially developed prevention programme IPSY. … (Source: Medical News Today, 04/21/11) our Online-Comment: The main problem will be to find teachers who are willing to reserve so many hours for the programme.

Cardiff: Tobacco and Alcohol: Learning From Each Other – 20. April 2011
International Conference: 12th and 13th October 2011, Parc Thistle Hotel, Cardiff, Wales
Cigarette smoking is highly prevalent among people with alcohol use disorders. People who are dependent on alcohol are three times more likely than those in the general population to be smokers, and people who are dependent on tobacco are four times more likely than the general population to be dependent on alcohol. Alcohol use problems are associated with higher levels of nicotine dependence and a lower likelihood -of smoking cessation. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/19/11)

THE GLOBE 1 – 2011 – 19. April 2011
Headline: Alcohol and Non-Communicable Diseases
Also in this issue:
Action needed to reduce health impact of harmful alcohol use – UK Government proposes deal with drinks industry to tackle alcohol harm – EU Focus on Alcohol and Cancer – Liver experts’ consensus: European citizens are drinking themselves to death – Medical Evidence ‘Shows Drinking Age Should Be 21’ … (Source: ias.org.uk)

Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011 – 18. April 2011
With: News from Eurocare, News From the EU, News From the WHO, New Research and Publications, Alcohol Industry News,
Upcoming Events and Questions from MEPs. (Source: Eurocare, 04/17/11)

EU: 13th Drink Driving Monitor 18. April 2011
The European Transport Safety Council has published its 13th Drink Driving Monitor. The document brings news from across the EU on steps to further improve drink driving legislation and enforcement.
Updates on Cross-Border Enforcement Directive and the decision of the UK to delay its opt-in are presented, together with the Draft Report on Road Safety proposed by MEP Koch and the latest on TISPOL alcohol and drug campaign. An interview with Desiree Schaap, Ministry of Transport in the Netherlands, on the Dutch Alcolock Programme and the ETSC alcolock legislation barometer are also featured. To read more, please click here. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

Swedish parliament adopts new five-year strategy – 18. April 2011
The Swedish government proposed a new strategy to fight the use of alcohol, drugs, steroids and tobaco. The plan will result in yearly action plans and evaluations. The parliament agreed fully to the proposal but added a suggestion to ban alcohol use immediately after accidents. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

NL: Fine imposed for violating Dutch watershed ban on TV alcohol advertising – 18. April 2011
In February 2011 the Dutch Directorate for Media ruled that the STER (Stichting Ether Reklame), the organisation responsible for providing the commercials to public channels in the Netherlands, had violated the new Dutch Media Law. The STER received a fine of 35.000 euro for broadcasting TV alcohol commercials for Heineken and Bavaria beer before 9 p.m. in 2010. The complaints were filed by the Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy (STAP).
Since the 1st of January 2010 a legal watershed ban on alcohol advertising came into force in The Netherlands. Between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. alcohol commercials are not allowed to be broadcasted on radio and television. Sponsoring of programs by alcohol advertisers is still allowed. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

UK: IAS Alcohol Alert 2011 Issue 1; In Focus Scottish election special – 18. April 2011
The latest IAS Alcohol Alert is available from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS). The issue’s headline article attacks the Government’s alcohol policy, emphasising dissatisfaction over the Responsibility Deal, below cost ban and decision to stick with the current drink-drive limit. The Alert also reviews key alcohol policy news and developements over recent months including a slight fall in alcohol-related deaths, licensing act changes, and predicted rises in alcohol-related admissions. Full article index here.

Lesotho: Training session held on evidence-based alcohol policies – 16. April 2011
“Prevention of alcohol problems is a leadership issue for the whole nation. The issue must be brought to the top of our political agenda”, says Lesotho’s Honourable Minister of Tourism, M. Ramaili. Lesotho’s alcohol policy will now be revised.
In her closing address to an alcohol policy training course in Maseru Ms Ramaili made reference to the current situation of Lesotho: “Alcohol is readily available anywhere in this country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is an essential part of all celebrations; births, traditional festivals, funerals, sports event. …(Source: add-recources.org, 04/14/11)

EU_Stakeholder meeting on Alcohol Labelling – 14. April 2011
In the framework of the PROTECT project, a meeting with all stakeholders involved in alcohol labelling policy was organized by the CRIOC and Eurocare on the 17th of March 2011 in the European Parliament in Brussels. The European institutions (European Commission – EC – and Parliament – EP), the beverage industry, consumer organisations, NGOs, media, youth organizations as well as the public were invited to exchange around measurable best practices on alcohol labelling.
The seminar was hosted by Alyn Smith (The Green /EFA Alliance in the EP), who said in his introductory speech that “even though the EU does not have direct competence in health matters, all members states could greatly benefit from such meetings, in order to exchange ideas and best practices”. He was in this sense “delighted to see representatives from all stakeholders, especially from the industry” since he does not believe in “digging trenches” but rather in “open and genuine debates”. The complete program, all the presentations as well as video recordings of the different speakers can be found here.(pdf) (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/13/11) Read Full Report (PDF)

USA: Drawing Vets In—Without Alcohol – 14. April 2011
Newer veterans’ groups are addressing alcohol abuse among young soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan by holding alcohol-free meetings. NPR reports that with alcohol abuse becoming a major problem with younger veterans, groups like Dryhootch in Milwaukee are trying to attract these vets with coffee instead of beer.
Dr. David Rudd, scientific director at the National Center for Veterans Studies, Utah University, tells NPR that nearly 20 percent of current vets suffer from anxiety disorder or depression, and many self-medicate with alcohol. This fact, coupled with the waning membership in traditional veteran groups such as Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, is driving the new alcohol-free approach. … (Source: Join Together, 04/14/11)

UK: Relaxation of licensing hours for the Royal Wedding have been confirmed – 12. April 2011
An order allows licensed premises in England and Wales to stay open between 11pm on Friday 29 April and 1am on Saturday 30 April, and between 11pm on Saturday 30 April and 1am on Sunday 1 May. More here. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/12/11)

Easy for minors to buy alcohol in European Union – 9. April 2011
Copenhagen’s bars willingly sold alcohol to 15-year old Swedes.
The work of young members of UNF, The Swedish Youth Temperance Association, reveals the actual strength of actions by the alcohol industry in the European Alcohol and Health Forum. Young UNF members from Sweden’s border regions to Denmark went to Copenhagen to conduct mystery shopping and the results give a clear signal: of in total 7 tested bars and pubs, Swedish minors were without problems able to buy alcohol 11 times. 4 out of these 7 places are part of a project of City of Copenhagen and the alcohol industry. …(Source: Press release activeeurope.org, 04/08/11)

Scotland: SNP still seek minimum price – 9. April 2011
Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) have launched a new Manifesto which calls for the new Scottish Parliament to take decisive steps to reduce the harm caused by alcohol by:
Increasing the price and reducing the availability of alcohol – Specifically targeting supermarkets for increased regulation
Banning alcohol sports sponsorship – Reducing drink driving limits to 50mg – Awareness raising campaign on the harm alcohol causes to others – Improved treatment and support services for people in need.
See here for the full 8 calls to action. The Scottish National Party (SNP) recently announced they would revive their plans for a minimum price if they win the Scottish national elections on May 5th. A senior police officer has also backed the measure. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/07/11)

USA: On Tap? Debate Continues on Alcohol Sales at TCF Bank Stadium – 7. April 2011
Minnesota lawmakers are coping with their three-year hangover: Whether to allow beer and alcohol sales at the University of Minnesota’s on-campus football stadium.
The latest bill leaves the matter entirely up to the school’s Board of Regents after previous legislative efforts to fashion a compromise left the stadium dry. The Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee advanced the bill Wednesday, but it has a ways to go. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 04/07/11) kstp.com, 04/06/11

USA: Alcohol Awareness Is Not Just for Teens – 7. April 2011
Many of the efforts associated with Alcohol Awareness Month each April are targeted at preventing underage drinking, especially during the prom and graduation celebration season. But there are other groups that are also practicing harmful alcohol consumption but may not be aware of the risks.
Prevention efforts have been increased around prom night events and graduation parties since the first Alcohol Awareness Month in 1987, but prevention efforts are also targeted at the following demographic groups. … (Source: alcoholism.about.com, 04/05/11)

USA: 11 businesses busted for selling alcohol to minors – 7. April 2011
Employees at 11 Plainfield businesses face $250 fines after police say they were witnessed selling alcohol to minors.
Officers conducted a compliance check on Wednesday of 39 Plainfield businesses licensed to sell alcohol, said Sgt. Kevin McQuaid. Two 18-year-olds were used in the blitz and were asked to present their own IDs when asked for them. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 04/02/11) triblocal.com, 04/01/11

Aldi Liquor License Opposed Due to Negative Alcohol Influence – 7. April 2011
The German supermarket giant Aldi, has applied for liquor licenses for its 102 stores across the New South Wales, including 9 stores in Illawarra. The Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council and New South Wales Health have made submission against the application for licenses by Aldi. They stated the high rate in the number of alcohol related crimes, accidents and their opposition to more alcohol licenses in the communities.
Sharralyn Robinson, CEO of the Illawarra Land Council has expressed that they are very much aware of the effects of alcohol in the community and they already had more than enough alcohol outlets. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 04/06/11) topnews.us, 04/06/11

Zambia: There is need to restrict alcohol – 6. April 2011
President Rupiah Banda says there is need for the country to find ways of restricting alcohol in public places. The President said this is because most of the crimes being committed are as a result of people spending long hours in drinking places.
He was speaking to Journalists shortly after he cast his vote at Mulungushi University in Kabwe on Wednesday.
The President said he is happy that alcohol has been banned at the MMD convention, which he said has contributed to the peaceful atmosphere. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 04/06/11) lusakatimes.com, 04/06/11

USA: Alcohol Awareness Month – 5. April 2011
The Century Council Kicks Off Alcohol Awareness Month By Releasing Ask, Listen, Learn PSAs with 23 Attorneys General.
Timed with April’s designation as Alcohol Awareness Month, The Century Council teamed up with 23 Attorneys General from around the country to release a fun and innovative Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix Public Service Announcement (PSA). In the animated and radio PSAs Attorneys General encourage kids to say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking. The PSAs will begin airing around the country this month. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 04/05/11) trading-house.net, 04/04/11

Future of alcohol labels discussed in the European Parliament – 5. April 2011
What Is Not on The Bottle?
Brussels, 17 March 2011. Pick up just about any food or beverage product on store shelves and you’ll find on the package information about calories, ingredients etc. Unless that is, the product is alcohol. Alcohol is one of the leading risk factors for death and ill health in the EU, especially among young people. It increases the risk of developing several types of cancer including those of the liver, digestive tract as well as breast cancer, it is responsible for 25% of deaths among young men aged 15-29, causes depression etc…. Today politicians, public health experts and alcohol industry met at the European Parliament to discuss labelling of alcoholic beverages, what would be effective and why it should be done at the EU level. Click here to read more about the event and watch the video of the seminar. Comment: Article with details on alcohol harm in Europe.

Alcohol and sports don’t belong together – 4. April 2011
Friday night, 1st April, in St. Pauli district, Hamburg a football match of the highest German league (Bundesliga) was abandoned. The reason: the assistant referee was hit in the back of his head by a plastic cup full of beer thrown at him from the stands . The match had to be broken off and the referees had to be guided from the pitch by guards.
“Not many in Europe might have paid attention to this incident”, says Andrea Lavesson, President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace. “But we think that the dramatic incident from Friday night stands a symbol for the fact that alcohol and sport does not belong together at all.” … (Source: active presscontact, 04/04/11)

Open Letter to President of EU-Parliament on “cash-for-amendments” scandal – 4. April 2011
My name is Andrea Lavesson and I am President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace. Active is a European youth umbrella NGO with 38 member organizations in 27 countries from all over Europe.
In this letter I am sending you our thoughts and experiences as well as our wishes – in reaction to the most recent unveiling of the “cash-for-amendments” scandal that threatens the trust of young Europeans in the independence of their elected representatives. … (Source: OpenLetterActive110404) Comment: In Switzerland the Social Democrats just start with a people’s initiative which demands that all political parties have to declare the sources of their income. Most of the Swiss members of parliament are lobbyists.

Sweden: Ban on televised alcohol marketing circumvented since 2003 – 1. April 2011
Alcohol marketing on television is banned in Sweden, but since 2003 a number of TV channels have circumvented the Swedish Alcohol Act by broadcasting from the UK. It has been possible, but whether it is legal or not is not yet clear.
That is why IOGT-NTO has sent a complaint on the fourth of March, concerning 32 companies who have broadcasted or produced alcohol advertisement targeting a Swedish audience, to the Swedish Consumer Agency and the Swedish Broadcasting Authority. The list includes among others Carlsberg Sweden, TV3 and Kanal 5.
‘It is obviously a problem that a number of companies can ignore the Swedish legislation’, says Sara Heine, handling the complaint from IOGT-NTO. (Source: EUCAM, 03/04/11)

Psychiatrists Support MP’s Call To Limit Exposure Of Children To Alcohol Advertising, UK – 1. April 2011
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has praised a private member’s bill put forward in parliament today by Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes. Dr Wollaston will put forward proposals to limit the exposure of children and young people to alcohol advertising as a Ten Minute Rule Motion. (Source: Medical News Today, 03/31/11)

USA: 24 Attorneys General Ask FTC To Do More To Keep Alcohol Advertising From Teens – 30. April 2011
Attorneys general from 24 states have asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to do more to shield teenagers from alcohol advertising. A letter, written by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and signed by colleagues from 23 other states, proposes a three-step plan to regulate teens’ exposure to alcohol ads, the Deseret News reports. (Source: Join Together, 04/29/11)

RESEARCH

UK: under the influence what we know about binge-drinking – 28. April 2011
An interim report on binge drinking has been released by Demos:
Under_the_Influence By ‘binge-drinking’, the report refers not to the Government definition of drinking twice the recommended guidelines on one occasion, but as “young adults that drink to extreme excess, often in an intentionally reckless and very public way, putting themselves and others at risk of harm.” The report analyses the causes of, and possible responses to, binge-drinking among young adults aged 18-25 in the UK, including: Recommendations: …(Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/28/11) demos.co.uk, March 2011

NL: Alcohol-Specific Parenting and Adolescents’ Alcohol- Related Problems – 28. April 2011
The Interacting Role of Alcohol Availability at Home and Parental Rules
… Conclusions: The findings emphasize that parent interventions aiming at the prevention of adolescents’ alcohol use should include the advice to restrict the perceived presence of alcohol beverages at home. Moreover, to prevent alcohol problems, parents should be advised to enforce strict rules about drinking, particularly when a total absence of alcohol at home is not feasible. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72, 408–417, 2011) (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/27/11) jsad.com, May 2011

USA: The “Gray Area” of Consumption Between Moderate and Risk Drinking – 28. April 2011
The objective of this study was to see whether levels of alcohol consumption newly included as “moderate” in proposed changes to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are associated with significant levels of alcohol-related harm. … Conclusions: We recommend two alternative approaches to rewording the proposed changes to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that would avoid suggesting that there are benefits associated with the gray area of alcohol consumption. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72, 453–458, 2011) (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/27/11) jsad.com, May 2011

The Economic Impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder – 25. April 2011
The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature related to the measurement of the economic impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in different countries and to categorize the available literature. … Existing estimates of the economic impact of FASD demonstrate significant cost implications on the individual, the family and society. However, these estimates vary considerably due to the different methodologies used by different studies. Limitations and gaps in the existing methodologies of calculating the economic costs of FASD are discussed. It is evident that there is an urgent need to develop a comprehensive and sound methodology for calculating the economic impact of FASD to the society. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/22/11)

Alcohol and HIV/AIDS: Intertwining Stories – 24. April 2011
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—the pathogen responsible for the current pandemic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)—targets the body’s immune system. HIV infection puts a person at risk for a multitude of diseases that someone with a healthy immune system generally would fight off. When HIV was recognized in the 1980s, testing positive for HIV infection was, in fact, a death sentence. Now, however, the availability of anti-HIV medications has made living with the virus a reality… One of the many factors that thwarts efforts to prevent the spread of the infection and the treatment of infected patients is the use and abuse of alcohol by those who are at risk for infection or who already are infected. Scientists are gaining a better understanding of the complex relationship between alcohol consumption and HIV infection. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/23/11)

USA: The Financial Burden of Substance Abuse in West Virginia – 22. April 2011
Final Report in Series 1
The growing financial cost of drug and alcohol abuse puts tremendous pressure on every social sector. The present report, part of a larger Family Funding Study project, is final in the series that examined the cost of drug and alcohol abuse to West Virginia’s criminal justice, healthcare, education, welfare, and workforce systems. This final summative report incorporates estimates from all these sectors as well as includes data from the Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) and the Commission on Drunk Driving prevention (CDDP). … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/21/11) prevnet.org

Effects of Alcohol Cues in Movies on Young Adults’ Alcohol Drinking – 22. April 2011
Ample survey research has shown that alcohol portrayals in movies affect the development of alcohol consumption in youth. Hence, there is preliminary evidence that alcohol portrayals in movies also directly influence viewers’ drinking of alcohol while watching movies. One process that might account for these direct effects is imitation. …
The findings showed that participants were more likely to sip in accordance with the actors’ sipping than without such a cue. Further, we found that men were more likely to imitate actors’ sipping than females and that participants tended to respond to actors’ sipping at the beginning of the movie rather than at the end.
Exposure to actors sipping alcohol in a movie seems to have an immediate impact on the drinking behaviour of viewers, via the mechanism of imitation. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/21/11)

Age, Period and Cohort Analysis of Light and Binge Drinking in Finland, 1968–2008 – 22. April 2011
Aims: To analyse the effects of age, period and cohort (APC) on light and binge drinking in the general population of Finland over the past 40 years. …Conclusions: Light drinking has increased over time for each cohort, with no substantial differences between cohort profiles. Binge drinking has increased with more recent cohorts and there are distinct differences between cohort profiles, especially among women. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/21/11)

UK: White Cider and street drinkers – 21. April 2011
Recommendations to reduce harm
This research project seeks to examine the impact of white cider on dependent drinkers. It examines the history, production and taxation of white cider, and considers the implications for future taxation, health and homelessness policies. (Quelle: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/21/11)

The effect of previous-day excessive alcohol consumption on laparoscopic surgical performance. – 20. April 2011
Sixteen science students (laparoscopic novices) participated in study 1. Eight laparoscopic experts participated in study 2.
All participants were trained on the Minimally Invasive Surgical Trainer Virtual Reality (MIST-VR). The participants in study 1 were randomized to either abstain from alcohol or consume alcohol until intoxicated. All study 2 subjects freely consumed alcohol until intoxicated. Subjects were assessed the following day at 9 AM, 1 PM, and 4 PM on MIST-VR tasks.
Assessment measures included time, economy of diathermy use, and error scores. …(Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/19/11)

Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders at Greater Risk of Dying From Hospital Infections – 20. April 2011
Patients with alcohol use disorders who develop an infection while in the hospital are more likely to die from the infection, than patients without an alcohol disorder, a new study finds. These patients are also more likely to stay longer in the hospital and have higher costs.
Health care-associated infections, which patients pick up in the hospital or other health care setting, affect about 1.7 million Americans each year, according to the study, as reported in HealthDay. (Source: Join Together, 04/19/11)

Another Reason Not To Binge Drink Alcohol – 19. April 2011
A Loyola University Health System study has found another reason to not binge drink alcohol. Binge drinking, researchers found, could change the body’s immune system response to orthopaedic injury. “This tremendously complicates the trauma care of these patients,” said bone biologist John Callaci, PhD, senior author of the study. …
An earlier study in the American Journal of Orthopedics found that 41 percent of patients with fractures and dislocations had alcohol in their blood and 30 percent were legally drunk. (Source: Medical News Today, 04/18/11)

Hungover Surgeons’ Performance Today Undermined By Yesterday’s Booze – 19. April 2011
Doctors who had a lot to drink the previous day appear to have impaired skills when performing surgery, researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland, reported in the journal Archives of Surgery after carrying out simulation tests. The authors wrote that alterations in some surgical skills were observed in virtual reality simulator tests carried out one day after excessive alcohol consumption. (Source. Medical News Today, 04/18/11) our Online-Comment: This could be the content of one of the many medical TV-Series.

Can Ireland’s Increased Rates of Alcoholic Liver Disease Morbidity and Mortality be Explained by Per Capita Alcohol Consumption? – 19. April 2011
Analysis of data from Ireland’s Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) scheme has revealed a considerable increase in alcohol liver disease (ALD) morbidity and mortality between 1995 and 2007. The rate/100,000 adults (aged ≥15) increased by 190% from 28.3 in 1995 to 28.2 in 2007.
Over two-fifths (43%) of all discharges were aged 50–64 years; 6% were 15–34 years old, 35% were 35–49 years old and 16% were aged ≥65 years. There were considerable increases in age-specific rates especially among younger age groups, albeit from a low base; the rate of ALD discharges increased by 247% for 15–34 year olds and by 224% for 35–49 year olds. This is a worrying trend but is not surprising as survey data have shown that 18–29-year-old drinkers have the highest … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/18/11) (Full text is payable)

Parental Alcoholism Carries Risk For Offspring To Develop The Same – 18. April 2011
Researchers know that there is a strong link between parental alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and the risk for developing an AUD among their offspring. This study looked at the risk of AUDs in the offspring of a large population-based sample of Danish parents. Findings confirmed that parental AUDs were associated with an increased risk of AUDs among the offspring. … Results showed that parental AUDs were associated with an increased risk of AUDs among the offspring, independent of other significant predictors such as gender, parental social status, and parental psychiatric hospitalization with other diagnoses. … (Source: Medical News Today, 04/17/11)

Energy Drink Plus Alcohol Cocktail Raises Risks Linked To Drinking More Than Alcohol By Itself – 18. April 2011
Mixing energy drinks, such as Red Bull with alcohol is probably more hazardous than consuming alcohol alone, researchers from Northern Kentucky University revealed in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. The authors explain that energy-drink cocktails have become fashionable and have been anecdotally associated with risky drinking practices, resulting in injuries and accidents. They add that there is not much research about comparing energy drinks plus alcohol with alcohol alone. … (Source: Medical News Today, 04/17/11)

The Gorbachev Anti-Alcohol Campaign and Russia’s Mortality Crisis – 15. April 2011
Political and economic transition is often blamed for Russia’s 40% surge in deaths between 1990 and 1994 (the Russian Mortality Crisis”). Highlighting that increases in mortality occurred primarily among alcohol-related causes and among working-age men (the heaviest drinkers), this paper investigates a different explanation: the demise of the 1985-1988 Gorbachev Anti-Alcohol Campaign. We use archival sources to build a new oblast-year data set spanning 1970-2000 and find that: (1) The campaign was associated with substantially fewer campaign year deaths,
(2) Oblasts with larger reductions in alcohol consumption and mortality during the campaign experienced larger transition era increases, and (3) Other former Soviet states and Eastern European countries exhibit similar mortality patterns commensurate with their campaign exposure. The campaign’s end explains between 32% and 49% of the mortality crisis, suggesting that Russia’s transition to capitalism and democracy was not as lethal as commonly suggested. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 15.4.11) iis-db.stanford.edu, March 2011) Comment: Amazing how clever Gorbachev and his staff reduced total consumption. Our governments could learn a lot.

Obesity and alcohol misuse costs NHS £140m in Wales – 12. April 2011
The Swansea University study warned the true cost of both could be even higher.
Those at the sharp end dealing with the effects of alcohol and obesity say they are growing problems, and affecting people at a younger age. Chief medical officer Dr Tony Jewell said both were “preventable health issues” and people had to take responsibility for their own actions. … (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 04/11/11) bbc.co.uk, 03/31/11 Comment: Total social cost will be much higher for alcohol.

Nearly All American Adults With Untreated Alcohol Use Disorders Don’t Think They Need Treatment – 9. April 2011
A new report based on a national survey shows that only 1.2 percent of the nation’s more than 7.4 million adults aged 21 to 64 with an untreated alcohol abuse disorder perceive they could benefit from treatment. The report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in conjunction with National Alcohol Screening Day, April 7, highlights the need to raise awareness about adult problem drinking, how to identify when someone has a problem, how to confront a problem drinker and how to get help. (Source: Medical News Today, 04/07/11)

Alcohol Tax Policy in Relation to Mortality from Alcohol Attributed Causes in Taiwan – 9. April 2011
It is known that taxation on alcohol products may effectively reduce the alcohol consumption. However, whether alcohol taxation may lead to a decrease in alcohol attributed disease mortality (ADM) has been inclusively.
We conducted this time-series analysis to assess the effect of alcohol tax policy intervention in 2002 on rate of ADM in Taiwan. … This study demonstrated that alcohol taxation policy may pose favorite influences on the time trend of ADM rate in Taiwan, and such influence was most noteworthy in young and middle aged men. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/06/11) springerlink.com, 04/01/11

USA: 2010 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study – 7. April 2011
sponsored by MetLife Foundation.
The annual study shows that teen drug and alcohol use is headed in the wrong direction, with marked increases in teen use of marijuana and Ecstasy over the past three years. The study confirms a disturbing trend that has emerged among American teens since 2008 and highlights that underage drinking has become more normalized among adolescents. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/07/11) PATS KEY FINDINGS: Released April 6, 2011

Alcohol transports to the emergency room continue to rise – 4. April 2011
Hospitalizations for alcohol have been trending upward on campus this year, with spikes at fraternity houses, freshman dorms and among the sophomore class. In fall quarter alone, there were 33 cases of Stanford students being transported to the emergency room for alcohol-related incidents, according to Ralph Castro, manager of the Substance Abuse Prevention Program at Vaden Health Center.
To date, a total of 48 students have been transported to the hospital, an increase from the 42 transports in the previous academic year. In winter quarter alone, there were 15 cases—six freshmen, three sophomores, five juniors and one senior. Transports were divided fairly evenly between men and women. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 04/04/11)

UK: Alcohol Harm Reduction National Support Team: Key Findings, … – 1. April 2011
… Recommendations and Case Studies. Supporting Partnerships to Reduce Alcohol Harm:
This document records the methodology and findings of the Alcohol Harm Reduction National Support Team. It provides collated and aggregated information about what the team have recommended in visited areas, with the intention to provide readers with helpful information to draw upon in their current work. It also contains signposting, case studies and examples of good practice. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, March 31, 2011)

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Last entry: 04/30//11