www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Not a happy holiday thought, but an important one: The number of babies who die of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, surges by 33 percent on New Year’s Day. The suspected reason? Alcohol consumption by caretakers the night before.
Led by sociologist David Phillips of the University of California, San Diego, the study documenting the dramatic rise in SIDS deaths on New Year’s is published in the journal Addiction. The spike, write Phillips and his coauthors, is beyond the normal winter increase in SIDS.
The study examined 129,090 SIDS cases from 1973 to 2006 using three multiyear nationwide datasets: computerized death certificates, the linked birth and infant death dataset, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The authors say it is the first, large-scale U.S. study to explore possible connections between alcohol and SIDS. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/17/10)

VANCOUVER – Alcohol is the cheapest drug in B.C., says a report released Thursday by the Centre for Addictions Research, which recommends a hike in liquor prices to reduce illness and injuries.
At the same time, researchers at centre at the University of Victoria recommend setting up a type of safe-drinking program offering free alcohol to homeless alcoholics to reduce their use of hazardous sources such as rubbing alcohol or mouthwash.
It can cost as little as 58 cents for a single-serving drink in B.C. liquor stores, meaning it costs as little as $2.32 for an average woman to exceed national guidelines for daily consumption and as little as $2.80 for an average man, said the report. The report authors looked at the price of every one of the 5,506 products on liquor store shelves in the province and the price of a standard drink ranged from 58 cents to $994.
„There’s quite a lot of very cheap drinks out there,“ said lead researcher Tim Stockwell. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 12/17/10) winnipegfreepress.com, 12/16/10

The Boys and Girls Project, which is supported by the EU’s Health programme (2002-2013), will put together a series of websites that will explore the world of relationships, healthy lifestyles, body image and addiction.
The group chose a web series believing they would have a greater impact on a young and technologically advanced teenage network. To reach such a broad audience the, “communication must be on their terms and in a language they understand and relate to.”
The web series will try to be relatable while at the same time enjoyable to sensitize Europe’s youth about some of the most pressing public health concerns today.
The aim target group is teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18, although the project hopes to attract viewers of any age.
The goal is to change the tide of recently developed unhealthy health habits in European teenagers, such as binge drinking, and hopefully influence the younger generation to lead happier, healthier lifestyles. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter Winter 2010) Eurocare, 12/15/10

Regular consumption, weekly pattern and binge drinking.
This study aimed to describe alcohol consumption in Mozambique, discriminating binge drinking behaviour and the weekday variation in drinking patterns, and to quantify the association between socio-demographic characteristics and alcohol intake.
A representative sample of 3265 Mozambicans aged 25–64 years was evaluated in 2005 following the World Health Organization Stepwise approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS). The consumption of any type of alcoholic beverage, during life and in the previous year, was recorded. Current drinkers were also asked about the number of standard drinks consumed in each day of the previous week. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/12/10)

The price of a drink: levels of consumption and price paid per unit of alcohol by Edinburgh’s ill drinkers with a comparison to wider alcohol sales in Scotland.
To compare alcohol purchasing and consumption by ill drinkers in Edinburgh with wider alcohol sales in Scotland.
Patients consumed mean 197.7 UK units/week. The mean price paid per unit was £0.43 (lowest £0.09/unit) (£1 = 1.6 US$ or 1.2€), which is below the mean unit price, £0.71 paid in Scotland in 2008. Of units consumed, 70.3% were sold at or below £0.40/unit (mid-range of price models proposed for minimum pricing legislation by the Scottish Government), and 83% at or below £0.50/unit proposed by the Chief Medical Officer of England. The lower the price paid per unit, the more units a patient consumed. A continuous increase in unit price from lower to higher social status, ranked according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (based on postcode), was not seen; patients residing in postcodes in the mid-quintile paid the highest price per unit. Cheapness was quoted commonly as a reason for beverage choice; ciders, especially ‘white’ cider, and vodka were, at off-sales, cheapest per unit. Stealing alcohol or drinking alcohol substitutes was only very rarely reported. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/11/10) onlinelibrary.wiley.com Comment: It shows that the price is relevant for heavy drinkers. The solution are alcohol taxes combined with minimal price. Perhaps separated between pubs and retailer shops.

For the first time in the European Parliament, the MEPs Against Cancer (MAC) interest group hosted a meeting to evaluate the cancer hazards of alcoholic beverages, and the potential impact of this knowledge on alcohol-related policy in order to address concerns over a lack of public awareness about the carcinogenicity of alcohol.
MEPs, scientists, representatives from cancer leagues in Europe, DG SANCO and NGOs all voiced their support for immediate action to raise awareness about the health risks of alcohol consumption, especially amongst young people, in relation to cancers of the pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, breast and colorectum.
Despite research dating back to 1987 that conclusively indicates the carcinogenicity of all alcoholic beverages, the connection between alcohol and cancer is often not made in consumer’s minds. On the contrary, a Eurobarometer report in 2010 found that 1 in 10 European citizens do not know that there is even a connection between alcohol and cancer. The same study also indicated that 1 in 5 citizens do not believe that there is a connection between cancer and the drinks that millions of us enjoy every week. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/10/10) europeancancerleagues.eu, 12/07/10

The 2010 drugs strategy Reducing demand, restricting supply, building recovery: supporting people to live a drug-free life has been released by the Home Office. It outlines that „severe alcohol dependence raises similar issues [to drug dependence] and that treatment providers are often one and the same. Therefore, where appropriate, this strategy will also consider severe alcohol dependency.“
An alcohol chapter on page 7 states:
‚Alcohol plays an important part in the cultural life of this country, with large numbers employed in production, retail and the hospitality industry. Pubs, bars and clubs contribute to community and family life and also generate valuable revenue to the economy. However, alcohol is a regulated product. Some individuals misuse it, contributing to crime and anti-social behaviour, preventable illness and early death. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/10/10) alcoholpolicy.net, 12/08/10

Early responses to the new 2010 Drugs Strategy have been released by Drugscope, Addaction and the NTA. Reports from the BBC, Guardian and a Telegraph comment. Follow DS Daily for more.
Following the release of the public health White Paper, a summary of alcohol references have been highlighted on the ALC. An article in the Independent asks whether Lansley’s policies are ‚Nudge or Fudge‘, the Telegraph reporting ’no more nanny state‘. The Guardian published a supportive GP comment and a radical critique on responding alcohol misuse. The Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston expressed support for minimum pricing in an outspoken interview on public health policy. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/10/10) alcoholpolicy.net, 12/10/10

President Obama declared December National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) blog, Of Substance, reported Dec. 2.
According to Obama’s proclamation, thousands of Americans lose their lives to „drunk, drugged or distracted driving“ every year. Obama described drugged driving as a „growing problem“ and specifically pointed to the danger of driving under the influence of prescription drugs as well as illicit drugs. He referred to distracted driving — texting or using electronics while driving — as „life-threatening,“ and recommended the Distraction.gov website as a prevention tool.
Obama said the federal government had taken several steps to prevent impaired driving. The government has banned its employees from texting while driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working with law enforcement nationally to increase identification of drunk drivers during the holidays, and the ONDCP will be educating the public about the increased incidence of drugged driving. (Source: Join Together, 12/09/10)

On average, over a third (38%) of soap air time features alcohol, but the negative consequences of drinking to excess are rarely shown, according to new research launched today (8th December) by alcohol awareness charity Drinkaware.1 Despite 162 instances of characters drinking to excess2 over a six week monitoring period, only 1.5% of alcohol scenes portrayed hangovers and less than 1% combined showed alcohol-related sickness, crime, regret or anti-social behaviour. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/08/10)