www.alkoholpolitik.ch

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)

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

This statistical report acts as a reference point for health issues relating to alcohol use and misuse, providing information obtained from a number of sources in a user-friendly format. It covers topics such as drinking habits and behaviours among adults (aged 16 and over) and school children (aged 11 to 15), drinking-related ill health and mortality, affordability of alcohol and alcohol-related costs. The report contains previously published information and also includes additional new analyses. The new analyses are mainly obtained from The NHS Information Centre’s Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) system and Prescribing data. The report also include up to date information on the latest alcohol related government policies and targets and contains links to further sources of useful information. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 5/27/11) NHS Information Center, 2011

Hispanics are the largest and most rapidly growing ethnic group in the United States, making up about 16 percent of the population, or more than 50 million people. Research shows that drinking patterns among Hispanics are different from those of non-Hispanic Whites and other ethnic or racial groups. Understanding these differences can help prevention, intervention, and treatment programs better serve the Hispanic community. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 5/23/11) pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/, 5/23/11

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

In an attempt to find yet another way to target the young female demographic, spirits producers have sprung new lines of premixed drinks designed and marketed to associate drinking their products with weight loss. This new trend toward spirits marketed as “low-cal” even has its own industry label: The “Thin-dustry.” This move by the spirits industry marks an obvious attempt to follow in the footsteps of the Big Beer duopoly, where for the past several years MillerCoors and Anheuser Busch InBev have seen success through marketing low-cal and low-carb beer lines targeted to both men and women. (Source: Marin Institute, 5/4/11)

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

-and why its roots must be cut in other ways
BBC London has published a statistics showing that the number of London teenagers going to hospital with alcohol-related injuries has risen by 40% in the time of 2002 to 2007.
Doubtless a number that forces the British government to act, in order to combat teenage drinking. Their modest proposal lies in raising the legal drinking age to 21. Will older teenagers really behave in a more mature way than the kids of today?
Perhaps you should realize the root of all evil before you can come to a conclusion that definitely helps these pitiful teenagers.
Of course, there are many young people enjoying the taste of alcohol on a party, sometimes more boisterous, sometimes less.
All in all, alcohol is just an addition and not necessarily a forerunner of getting hammered. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 5/1/11) hausaufgaben-forum.net, 4/29/11 our Online-Comment: I find it positive that somebody takes up this question as one of several possibible measures in order to reduce alcohol problems in London or anywhere.
The question of the age limit is being discussed too in the USA, they have 21 and in News Zealand where it was changed from 21 to 18.
They main medical reason to have 21 as limit is the fact that the brain is not fully developed until 25. The risk of damaging the brain is high and there are many studies which proof it.
Whenever a government or a parliament decides a law it only makes sense when it is possible to push it through. That means it needs a big acceptance. This age limit would need a big acceptance by the adults who want the law but also by the teenagers who are concerned. And that is the main problem. As long as the society is not willing to take responsibility and show an other behavior in drinking and reduce the total amount of alcohol consumption, the young people will not see the necessity of changing their behavior either.
What the government could do in order to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol related harm is very clear since the World Health Organization has accepted the Resolution on a global alcohol strategy in May 2010, signed by the British Government as well. Instead it cooperates with the alcohol industry and makes the problem even worse.
It is not necessary to drink to become an adult person. I know hundreds of personalities with good characters who never drank alcohol, I should say it makes you stronger if you can say no thanks and you will see who is worth to be your friend.

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.