www.alkoholpolitik.ch

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

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

…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)

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)

Informationen zu allen Suchtproblemen vor allem aus der Schweiz. Newsletter bestellen

„Suchthilfe und Suchtpolitik International – Was haben wir von Europa und Europa von uns?“
14.-16. November 2011, Hamburg
Infos: Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen (DHS), Westenwall 4, 59065 Hamm, Tel. +49 (0)2381 90150, E-Mail: kaldewei@dhs.de. Infos zur Tagung (Quelle: Infoset Newsletter August 2011, 5.8.11)

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)

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

Wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse sind selten ein Grund, um darauf anzustossen. Doch diesmal könnte der eine oder andere eine Ausnahme machen. Denn eine neue Studie besagt, dass nach einem Trinkgelage mit anschliessendem «Blackout» keine Hirnzellen absterben. Bisher hatte die Wissenschaft das Gegenteil behauptet.
Was landläufig als «Blackout» oder «Filmriss» bezeichnet wird, birgt nicht nur die Gefahr, sich an peinliche Aktionen nicht mehr erinnern zu können. Ebenso gross ist die Angst, dass der hohe Alkoholkonsum unzählige Gehirnzellen hat absterben lassen – so dachte man bislang. Forscher der Washington University in St. Louis im US-amerikanischen Bundesstaat Missouri konnten diese Annahme nun widerlegen. (Quelle: Google Alkohol News, 4.8.11) tagesschau.sf.tv, 4.8.11 Online-Kommentar: Eigenartig. Da drängen sich einige Fragen auf: Wer hat die Studie finanziert? Warum bringt das Schweizer Fernsehen jetzt eine alkoholpositive Studie, nachdem es seit über einem Jahr wichtigste, für die Alkoholindustrie negative Meldungen, verschwiegen hat?
Alkohol sei ein Zellgift, wurden wir schon lange belehrt. Sind menschliche Hirnzellen immun gegen dieses Zellgift? Ist das menschliche Gehirn nicht etwas höher entwickelt und deshalb empfindlicher gegen Gifte als das Ratten-Gehirn?

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