www.alkoholpolitik.ch

It has been known for many years that drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause serious and irreversible damage to the fetus. However, new research exploring memory deficits in children diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) or fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) may be able to aid in the creation of new therapies and treatments. (Source: Medical News Today, 10/21/10)

A new UK study that tracked children up to the age of 5, found no evidence that light drinking during pregnancy, that is when their mothers drank no more than one or two units of alcohol a week, harmed their behavioural or intellectual development.
However, government advice that women should avoid alcohol altogether in pregnancy remains in place. (Source: Medical News Today, 10/7/10) our Online-Comment: It is really remarkable how often researchers and institutes „find“ money to create studies in order to proof that moderate alcohol consumption is healthier than no alcohol at all. They just want to get a positive title in magazines and newspapers. At the end of the text they write of critical, not so positive aspects, but who wants to read this? Everybody is happy to be confirmed in his drinking behavior. But in the case of pregnancy it is criminal, because the child cannot defend himself. (see also comments on: Join Together, 10/14/10)

Science can be a powerful tool for parents and educators seeking to persuade middle-school students not to drink alcohol, says a new book from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
„Delaying That First Drink: A Parents‘ Guide“ was produced by the AAAS Science Inside Alcohol Project, which is funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. It discusses research on the impact of alcohol on the growing body and offers tips on how to talk to kids about drinking. (Source: Medical News Today, 9/29/10)

…Urges The American Academy Of Pediatrics
The monumental task of persuading children and adolescents to say „No“ to drugs, alcohol and tobacco is being constantly undermined by the $25 billions‘ worth of advertising and marketing each year, which has precisely the opposite effect, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
A new AAP policy statement – „Children, Adolescents, Substance Abuse and the Media“ – appears in the latest issue of the peer reviewed medical journal Pediatrics. The policy statement calls for a total ban on all tobacco advertising, restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic drinks, and a ban on erectile dysfunction drug ads before 10pm. (Source: Medical News Today, 9/27/10)

2010 FAMILY DINNERS REPORT FINDS:
MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF TEENS THINK THAT EATING FREQUENT FAMILY DINNERS IS IMPORTANT
NEW YORK, NY, September 22, 2010 – Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five to seven per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are more than twice as likely to say that they expect to try drugs in the future, according to The Importance of Family Dinners VI, a new report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA*) at Columbia University.
The CASA family dinners report reveals that nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of teens think that eating dinner frequently with their parents is very or fairly important. Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners, those who have infrequent family dinners are:
* Twice as likely to have used tobacco;
* Almost twice as likely to have used alcohol; and
* One and half times likelier to have used marijuana. (Source: The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 9/22/10)

Teaching even young children to think critically about alcohol and tobacco advertising may reduce their risk for using either substance in the future, ScienceDaily reported Aug. 24.
In a study conducted by Innovation Research Training, Inc., of North Carolina, about 700 third to fifth graders were randomly assigned to participate in „Media Detective,“ a two-week course designed to boost critical thinking skills with regard to advertising, or to a waiting list. (Source: Join Together, 9/17/10)

Philadelphia’s Treatment Research Institute (TRI) is launching a new center designed to help parents address alcohol and drug use by their children, TRI announced in a Sept. 14 press release.
The Parents Translational Research Center, funded with a five-year grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), will conduct research to aid parents and caregivers, and disseminate its findings by collaborating with the Partnership at DrugFree.org (formerly the Partnership for a Drug-Free America). (Source: Join Together, 9/16/10)

Supporters of a Utah campaign to cut underage drinking say surveys show it is working, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Sept. 9.
Surveys performed in 2007 and 2009 found 5,500 fewer school children reported using alcohol during the past 30 days, and 2,600 fewer reported binge drinking over the same time period.
Gov. Gary Herbert said that data show that the state’s media and education campaign, ParentsEmpowered.org, is successful.
Another survey found that the campaign has reached over 125,000 parents, said Art Brown, president of Mother’s Against Drunk Driving Utah. (Source: Join Together, 9/14/10)

A cross-sectional survey of compliance with national guidance for alcohol consumption by children: measuring risk factors, protective factors and social norms for excessive and unsupervised drinking
The Chief Medical Officer for England has developed the first guidance in England and some of the first internationally on alcohol consumption by children. Using the most recent iteration of a large biennial survey of schoolchildren we measure the extent to which young people’s drinking fell within the guidelines just prior to their introduction and the characteristics of individuals whose drinking does not; how alcohol related harms relate to compliance; and risk factors associated with behaving outside of the guidance.
Conclusions:
Successful implementation of guidance on alcohol consumption for children could result in substantial reductions in existing levels of alcohol related harms to young people. However, prolonged social marketing, educational and parental interventions will be required to challenge established social norms in heavy and unsupervised child drinking across all social strata. Policy measures to establish a minimum price for alcohol and provide children with entertaining alternatives to alcohol should also increase compliance with guidance. (Source: BMC Public Health 2010, 9/10/10) Comment: Implementation of guidance on alcohol consumption for children will result in the same reductions in existing levels as for adults if the necessary control measures are also not implemented. That’s just common sense.

Several World Health Organisation reports over recent years have highlighted the high incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer. Contributory factors include unhealthy diets, alcohol and tobacco use and sedentary lifestyles. This paper reports the findings of a review of reviews of behavioural change interventions to reduce unhealthy behaviours or promote healthy behaviours. We included six different health-related behaviours in the review: healthy eating, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse, sexual risk taking (in young people) and illicit drug use. We excluded reviews which focussed on pharmacological treatments or those which required intensive treatments (e.g. for drug or alcohol dependency). (Source: BMC Public Health, 9/08/10)