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A Loyola University Health System study has found another reason to not binge drink alcohol. Binge drinking, researchers found, could change the body’s immune system response to orthopaedic injury. „This tremendously complicates the trauma care of these patients,“ said bone biologist John Callaci, PhD, senior author of the study.
The study, which was based on a rodent model, is being published in the April 20, 2011 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, now available online.
An earlier study in the American Journal of Orthopedics found that 41 percent of patients with fractures and dislocations had alcohol in their blood and 30 percent were legally drunk. (Source: Medical News Today, 04/18/11)

Doctors who had a lot to drink the previous day appear to have impaired skills when performing surgery, researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland, reported in the journal Archives of Surgery after carrying out simulation tests. The authors wrote that alterations in some surgical skills were observed in virtual reality simulator tests carried out one day after excessive alcohol consumption. (Source. Medical News Today, 04/18/11) our Online-Comment: This could be the content of one of the many medical TV-Series.

Analysis of data from Ireland’s Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE) scheme has revealed a considerable increase in alcohol liver disease (ALD) morbidity and mortality between 1995 and 2007. The rate/100,000 adults (aged ≥15) increased by 190% from 28.3 in 1995 to 28.2 in 2007.
Over two-fifths (43%) of all discharges were aged 50–64 years; 6% were 15–34 years old, 35% were 35–49 years old and 16% were aged ≥65 years. There were considerable increases in age-specific rates especially among younger age groups, albeit from a low base; the rate of ALD discharges increased by 247% for 15–34 year olds and by 224% for 35–49 year olds. This is a worrying trend but is not surprising as survey data have shown that 18–29-year-old drinkers have the highest … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 04/18/11) (Full text is payable)

The European Transport Safety Council has published its 13th Drink Driving Monitor. The document brings news from across the EU on steps to further improve drink driving legislation and enforcement.
Updates on Cross-Border Enforcement Directive and the decision of the UK to delay its opt-in are presented, together with the Draft Report on Road Safety proposed by MEP Koch and the latest on TISPOL alcohol and drug campaign. An interview with Desiree Schaap, Ministry of Transport in the Netherlands, on the Dutch Alcolock Programme and the ETSC alcolock legislation barometer are also featured. To read more, please click here. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

The Swedish government proposed a new strategy to fight the use of alcohol, drugs, steroids and tobaco. The plan will result in yearly action plans and evaluations. The parliament agreed fully to the proposal but added a suggestion to ban alcohol use immediately after accidents. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

In February 2011 the Dutch Directorate for Media ruled that the STER (Stichting Ether Reklame), the organisation responsible for providing the commercials to public channels in the Netherlands, had violated the new Dutch Media Law. The STER received a fine of 35.000 euro for broadcasting TV alcohol commercials for Heineken and Bavaria beer before 9 p.m. in 2010. The complaints were filed by the Dutch Institute for Alcohol Policy (STAP).
Since the 1st of January 2010 a legal watershed ban on alcohol advertising came into force in The Netherlands. Between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. alcohol commercials are not allowed to be broadcasted on radio and television. Sponsoring of programs by alcohol advertisers is still allowed. … (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

The WHO has launched a consultation aiming to bring together national focal points from European Member States and other stakeholders to develop a five-year operational plan for implementation of the European Strategy for the Prevention and Control of non-communicable diseases.
The consultation has three main objectives:
• To review the responses to non-communicable diseases (NCD) across the European Region;
• To agree on a practical set of actions that can be taken by Member States, by WHO and by partners to address the NCD epidemic in the five years to 2016;
• To contribute to the development of a European position in advance of the First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and NCD Control (Moscow, Russian Federation, 27 April 2011). (Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011)

The European Parliament rapporteur on the EU Budget recently released his draft report on the future EU Budget. Health and civil society are not mentioned in the report. This is worrying as this report will be the European Parliament position on what the priorities of the EU should be for the coming 5 to 7 years.
The health community can find below a summary of the report as well as the list of key MEPs to contact in order to advocate for public health to be taken into account by the European Parliament.
The rapporteur Salvador GARRIGA POLLEDO MEP (EPP Spain), states that the structure of the future EU Budget (‘Multi Annual Financial Perspectives MAFF’) should reflect the EU priorities, particularly the Europe 2020. However, he also recognises that the Europe 2020 is not an all-inclusive strategy covering all Union policy fields and therefore stresses that other Treaty-based policies pursuing different objectives will also need to be duly reflected in the next MAFF.
According to EPHA and its partners, the report is problematic as it does not mention public health, funding for civil society and it only considers inclusion in its role to increase growth.
It is therefore of utmost importance that the European health community gets active to support appropriate European Funding for health in the coming years. The European Commission is likely to make a its proposal in June 2011 and actions beforehand towards the European Commission and MEPs are welcomed.
Source: Eurocare Newsletter March-April 2011/EPHA)

With: News from Eurocare, News From the EU, News From the WHO, New Research and Publications, Alcohol Industry News,
Upcoming Events and Questions from MEPs. (Source: Eurocare, 04/17/11)

The latest IAS Alcohol Alert is available from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS). The issue’s headline article attacks the Government’s alcohol policy, emphasising dissatisfaction over the Responsibility Deal, below cost ban and decision to stick with the current drink-drive limit. The Alert also reviews key alcohol policy news and developements over recent months including a slight fall in alcohol-related deaths, licensing act changes, and predicted rises in alcohol-related admissions. Full article index here.