www.alkoholpolitik.ch

“We offer 20 appointments each day, and for the entire semester we have been pretty much filled every day,” said Linda LaSalle, associate director for educational services at University Health Services.
The nationally recognized program, called Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), is aimed at reducing high-risk drinking.
Students who were cited for an alcohol violation or had an alcohol-related visit to the emergency room at Mount Nittany Medical Center were required to complete two one-hour sessions with a community health educator and were charged $200. Students who referred themselves were not charged. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/11/11) centredaily.com, 01/10/11

… Should Be Tackled Even Before 13 Years, According To PhD Thesis Defended At University Of The Basque Country
Bad eating habits, ingestion of alcohol, sedentary lifestyles all unhealthy life habits that are already being detected in early adolescence and that are especially predominant amongst women and young people between the ages of 19 and 26. The prevention campaigns should take very much into consideration these groups at risk and even take into account those less than 13 years. These are some of the conclusions that can be drawn from the PhD thesis presented at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) by researcher Marta Arrue, with the title, Lifestyle habits and psychological factors in adolescence and youth in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (CAV-EAE). (Source: Medical News Today, 01/04/11)

The AMA released a brochure containing practical advice to help Australians to be more knowledgeable and responsible about alcohol consumption. (Source: Medical News Today, 01/03/11) ama.com.au, 12/28/10

Introduction: The alcohol and tobacco industry sell products that can be dangerous to our health. For this reason, governments take action by, for example, raising taxes, enforcing age limits, prescribing warning labels and restricting advertising and sponsoring.
Literature shows that the “industry”—the alcohol and tobacco companies—have traditionally worked closely together, sharing information and concerns about regulation. They have used similar arguments to defend their products in order to prevent or delay restrictions being placed on them (Bond, et al. 2010).
The intention of this brochure is to inform professionals about the attempts made by the alcohol industry to influence alcohol policy globally and to subsequently arm them against the industry’s methods to prevent effective policies from being made. (Source: EUCAM, 01/02/11) „The seven key messages of the alcohol industry“ (pdf) Comment: Very often public health professionals who are not involved in alcohol control policy are not informed what’s happening in this field. And in the political debate they are helpless. This brochure could make a difference.

..a prospective cohort study with echocardiography evaluation.
Abstract: Aims With increasing socioeconomic disparity in cardiovascular risk factors, there is a need to assess the role of socioeconomic factors in chronic heart failure (CHF) and to what extent this is caused by modifiable risk factors.
Conclusion: In this cohort study, the level of education was associated with cardiac dysfunction and predicted future hospital admission for CHF. Only a minor part of the excess risk was mediated through traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Strategies to reduce this inequality should be strengthened. (Source: aerzteblatt.de, 9.12.10) eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org, 12/08/10

Marin Institute staffers recently returned from the Alcohol Policy 15 conference, where they gave several presentations on Big Alcohol industry tactics. These presentations are now available to the public.

The New Zealand e-SBINZ trials. The trial will provide information on the effectiveness of e-SBI in reducing hazardous drinking across diverse university student populations with separate effect estimates for Maori and non-Maori students. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12610000279022. (Source: BMC, biomedcentral.com, 12/22/10)

On 22 November, top international researchers, EU policy makers and consumer advocates are gathering in Brussels for the conference „Behavioural Economics: So What? Should Policy Makers Care“. A major pilot study on consumer decision-making in retail investment serviceswill be presented and will feed into the debate.
The conference looks at possible concrete applications of behavioural consumer research in testing, optimising and streamlining consumer policies.
The key questions to be tackled include: *
– What behavioural economics call tell us about consumers that economic models or surveys cannot?
– Are there relevant examples where the behavioural approach has significantly improved the effectiveness of policy
measures
– Which key factors influence consumer decisions?
The Behavioural Economics conference can be followed live via web streaming from the conference site. The site also
includes the detailed programme of the conference sessions and the press programme.

Marin Institute has launched its third annual, countrywide, anti-alcohol-advertising contest at FreeTheBowl.com. This year’s theme – “Free the Bowl from Beer Ads” – seeks original, 30-60 seconds long, “performance art” counter-beer-ads from youth and young adults ages 10-20. Deadline for entry is January 24th, and the winners will receive cash prizes up to $1000! To learn more, watch the video.

Disturbing trends in drug and alcohol use in the Berkeley Unified School District as well as low rates of violence, crime and physical and mental health issues were outlined in results from the 2010 California Healthy Kids Survey, presented Wednesday at a district Board of Education meeting.
The self-reported data – collected from students in grades five, seven, nine and 11 – showed that Berkeley students, except fifth graders, smoke marijuana on a regular basis at twice the national and state rates and have been high or drunk on school property at double or more than double the state rate. However, students binge drink and smoke cigarettes at levels less than or comparable to state and national rates. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 11/15/10) dailycal.org, 11/15/10