www.alkoholpolitik.ch

18 November 2009 marked the start of the EU-SPR. A Meeting in Rome founded the Society. See Website

People who have drunk a moderate amount of alcohol before a traumatic event report more flashbacks than those who have had no alcohol, according to new research at UCL (University College London). The results may give new insight into why some individuals develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a traumatic event and others do not. Published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers also found that those who drank a large amount of alcohol before a traumatic event did not report an increase in the number of flashbacks. (Source: Medical News Today, 3/4/10)

Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activity May Represent A Neurobiological Risk For Alcohol Dependence
Previous research has found that activation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is associated with risk factors for alcohol use disorders – such as low alcohol effects and positive alcohol expectations – among adolescents.
Genome-Wide Study Of Alcohol Dependence Points To Chromosome 11
Alcohol dependence (AD) is a complex disease for which both genetic and environmental factors affect susceptibility. Previous research had identified several genes associated with AD through linkage analysis or candidate-gene approaches.
Increasing Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations In Alcohol May Reduce Negative Side Effects
Oxygen for ethanol oxidation is supplied through breathing, the stomach, and the skin. There is a great deal of genetic and environmental variability in the pharmacokinetics of alcohol absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.
Use Of Gene Networks Instead Of Individual Genes To Examine Alcohol Use Disorders
Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are influenced by multiple genetic, environmental and behavioral factors, which makes it difficult to find individual genetic markers to help identify those at risk of developing AUDs.
(Source: Medical News Today, 3/2/10)

Black Adults’ Alcohol Use And Binge Drinking Levels Are Below The National Average.
The current alcohol use rate for blacks aged 18 and older is significantly lower than the national adult average (44.3 percent versus 55.2 percent) according to a new study based on a national survey. The study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also reveals that black adults have a lower rate of current binge drinking than the national adult average (21.7 percent versus 24.5 percent). Young black adults (aged 18 -25) are markedly less likely to be currently engaged in binge drinking than young adults in the general population (25.3 percent versus 41.6 percent). … (Source: Medical News Today, 2/26/10)

New CASA* Report Finds: In 2006 65 percent of all U.S. inmates meet medical criteria for substance abuse addiction, only 11 percent receive any treatment.
Drugs, alcohol implicated in 78 percent of violent crimes, 83 percent of property crimes, 77 percent OF weapon, public order, other crimes.
Of the 2.3 million inmates crowding our nations prisons and jails, 1.5 million meet the DSM IV medical criteria for substance abuse or addiction, and another 458,000, while not meeting the strict DSM IV criteria, had histories of substance abuse; were under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of their crime; …
The new 144-page report also reveals that alcohol and other drugs are significant factors in all crime.
Press Release: Behind Bars II: Substance Abuse and America’s Prison Population

African-Americans are less likely to drink alcohol than other adults — and have lower rates of binge drinking — but their rate of illicit-drug use is higher, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (Source: Join Together, 2/25/10)

Background:
Many causes of death are directly attributable to the toxic effects of alcohol and deaths from these causes are increasing in the United Kingdom. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in alcohol-related mortality in relation to socioeconomic deprivation, urban-rural location and age within a national context.
Conclusions:
Large inequalities in alcohol-related mortality exist between sub-groups of the population in England and Wales. These should be considered when designing public health policies to reduce alcohol-related harm.
The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. Published by BMC Public Health, 2/25/10, 10:99doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-99

Commenting on new figures published last Thuesday which show a sharp increase in chronic liver disease (CLD) mortality rates in Scotland, Dr Brian Keighley, Chairman of the BMA in Scotland, said: “These figures highlight the true human cost of alcohol misuse in Scotland. Today’s figures show a shocking rise in the death toll caused by a drinking culture that is out of control. (Source: Medical News Today, 2/25/10)

Public service advertising campaigns that use guilt or shame to warn against alcohol abuse can actually have the reverse effect, spurring increased drinking among target audiences, according to new research from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. (Source: Medical News Today, 2/25/10)

The rate of alcohol-related fatal car crashes has risen among some populations of female drivers, a worrying trend that runs counter to the decline in such crashes among young men.
ScienceDaily reported Feb. 18 that an analysis of U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data found that the rate of fatal car crashes where drivers had alcohol in their system fell among all age groups of men studied up to age 20 (16 to 20) and remained the same among 21- to 24-year-olds. (Source: Join Together, 2/23/10)