www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Background:  Alcohol abuse has detrimental effects on cerebral function, metabolism, and volume. Some of these effects were found to be at least partially reversible with continued abstinence. Furthermore, it has been reported that there are different effects of alcohol on brain volumes for women compared with men, but the results concerning the interaction between alcohol dependence and gender are inconsistent. …
Results:  Global cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume was increased and WM and GM volume decreased equally in male and female patients. A gender by diagnosis interaction was found neither for global nor for regional volumes or VBM data. VBM whole brain analysis yielded a significant GM volume loss in the patient group in the cingulate gyrus and the insula in both hemispheres. Region of interest analysis for the initial and 3 months follow-up scans yielded significant gains in regional volumes, particularly the cingulate gyrus and the insula in the group of abstinent patients, whereas no volume change at all is found in the patients who had relapsed.
Conclusions:  Our study confirms widespread cerebral volume loss in recently detoxified alcoholics. The effects of alcohol dependence seem to have equally adverse effects on brain morphometry in males and females. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 5/23/11) onlinelibrary.wiley.com, 5/20/11

Mark Hunter, chief executive of Britain’s largest brewer Molson Corrs, has suggested an ‚alcohol minister‘ should be considered to lead on a more cohesive alcohol strategy, including further action on price and taxation. Writing in the Morning Advertiser, Hunter criticised elements of current alcohol policy as dis-jointed, citing curbs on the promotion of lower strength products. Current advertising codes mean that brand owners cannot promote reduced strength drinks, which Hunter argues undermines policy to promote these through reduced taxation.
Hunter said he was „baffled“ by „policy decisions, such as the 7.2% duty rise on beer, that seem entirely disconnected from the alcohol responsibility and economic growth strategies emerging from Government.“ He spoke out against a policy that will continue to see the beer and pub trade decline further, depsite its vital role in providing as much as one million jobs:…
„… the most dramatic change in UK drinking behaviour over the past 30 years has been the systematic decline of beer from a 70% share of alcohol to 40%, while higher strength drinks have prospered supported by one of the most lenient tax environments, relative to beer, in the world (spirits tax up circa 15% since 1995).“ (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 5/09/11) Alcohol Reports, 5/9/11

The consumption of alcohol makes a significant contribution to alcohol related harm globally. In emerging markets and among younger groups increased consumption is apparent. Effective policy is not implemented as widely as is needed. A concerted effort in controlling alcohol related harm is greatly needed and will involve multiple partners, including academia, civil society organizations and government bodies. Global cooperation can play a significant role in supporting and complementing worldwide national and local actions. …
The Global Alcohol Policy Conference 2011 is jointly organized by government, intergovernmental and the NGO sector. The Thai Ministry of Public Health, the World Health Organization, the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation are co hosts of the Global Alcohol Policy Conference 2011. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 5/9/11)

MOSCOW — The World Health Organization focused for decades on infectious diseases, but now it’s putting non-communicable diseases near the top of its agenda.
The fight against heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung cancer and chronic respiratory disease may not seem as heroic as the struggle against smallpox or H1N1, but chronic illnesses account for 63 percent of deaths worldwide — 70 percent in the United States and 90 percent in Russia.
“And these are preventable,” said Margaret Chan, director general of WHO, at a three-day series of meetings here this week devoted to chronic diseases. “People don’t have to suffer. People don’t have to die.”
No tobacco and less sugar, fat and especially salt are WHO’s top targets; reducing alcohol consumption and increasing exercise are right behind. Those factors alone account for 25 million of the 36 million deaths attributable to chronic diseases annually, according to WHO, and place a huge economic burden on families and nations. (Source: Harvard World Health News, 5/5/11) washingtonpost.com, 4/29/11

There is an urgent need for a comprehensive and well funded global response to the activities of transnational corporations (TNCs) which are increasing global demand for alcohol by means of sophisticated supply and marketing techniques, and to the TNCs’ front organizations which are working to impede the development of effective policy.
Alcohol-related harm is a global issue requiring a strong global response. While some brands of alcohol retain local and national imagery, the reality, particularly for spirits and beer, and increasingly for wine, is very different. These are now the output of enormous transnational corporations, which for the past two decades have engaged in a process of consolidation and expansion, with the result that the global alcohol market is now dominated by a handful of large corporations. (by Sally Casswell, Auckland, one of the leading public health specialists on alcohol.) Source: Alcohol Reports, 5/2/11) onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Bangkok, May 2 (TNA) A new ban on alcohol trade and consumption at factories during working hours will soon be imposed across Thailand to promote a healthy workforce and reduce alcohol-related problems, seen as a gift to mark the National Labour Day and the International Workers‘ Day, known as the May Day. A recent survey conducted by Somdet Chaopraya Institute of Psychiatry in Bangkok found that local factory workers–who were alcohol-addicts–appeared to be 1.7 times more suicidal than an average healthy person, particularly females. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 5/3/11) ibnlive.in.com, 5/3/11

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

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)

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. However, a drug or alcohol dependency alone would not make someone eligible to receive IB. Martin Barnes, Chief Executive of DrugScope, said:
„Most people with a drug or alcohol dependency also have physical or mental health problems which can affect their ability to work. While a drug or alcohol dependency can be extremely debilitating, it does not of itself give an entitlement or ‚passport‘ to benefit, which may be suggested by the publication of today’s figures. People with drug or alcohol problems must satisfy all the conditions for benefit entitlement, including proof of incapacity, and may be required to undergo a medical examination to determine eligibility. (Source: Medical News Today, 04/26/11)

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.
One in five people are drinking at dangerous levels and alcohol-related liver disease is claiming ever increasing numbers of young lives.
But Prof Kaner said past and present Governments had failed to back an inexpensive and successful form of counselling – called Brief Intervention – which has an impressive track record in helping people curb their drinking. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/25/11) thenorthernecho.co.uk, 04/24/11