www.alkoholpolitik.ch

In 2008, there were a number of posts on this blog about a rape at the University of Iowa that was terribly mishandled by the school. In the aftermath of publicity about the school’s “poor judgment,” a number of changes were made. The university president publicly apologized, two administrators involved in the case were fired, and the sexual assault policy was revised. A new article (in a Texas newspaper, the Victoria Advocate, oddly enough) following-up on the case also shows that in 2009 the school hired a sexual misconduct response coordinator who was trained to assist victims and make sure they “get treated with care.” So, despite the inexcusably abysmal immediate response for the survivor, the school seems to have taken a number of admirable actions to make sure that such a disaster never happens again. (As an aside, the outcome for the two perpetrators was that one plead guilty to misdemeanor assault and the other was found guilty of misdemeanor assault). … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/26/11) by Sarah M in: Campus news,General commentary safercampus.org, 01/25/11 our Online Comment: Talking about alcohol in the context of rape makes sense. Most of sexual violence has to do with alcohol. To reduce harm is one way to tackle the problem. Having lessons on sexual violence is an other way which is necessary too. But to start with the most effective measure is good. The other question is if the University finds the right way to reduce alcohol consumption on the campus. Most of the Universities haven’t found yet a good solution, because there is a lot of money involved. E.g. advertising. There’s a new study this month.

Don’t Shoot the Messenger – We had a feeling that Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell wasn’t too interested in science when we highlighted his attempt last fall to privatize the control system of alcohol sales in his state. Numerous members of the state legislature as well as the media questioned his outlandish revenue predictions and how he was ignoring the facts.
Now it seems his obsession with privatization and inability to accept reality has spread to his staff. Source: Marin Institute, 01/25/11)

Marin Institute is now offering states model legislation to expand last year’s federal ban on seven dangerous caffeinated alcoholic beverages by the Food and Drug Administration. The model bill also restricts the size and alcohol content of the new reformulated products and other youth-friendly alcopops. “Our model bill offers states an important tool to help mitigate this public health problem while ensuring that stimulant-laced products do not return to the market,” said Michele Simon, Marin Institute’s research and policy director. For more information, see the press release and download the entire bill here.

Alcohol Action Ireland has has demanded restrictions on the sale of alcohol and for the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol.
Alcohol Action Ireland is the national charity for alcohol-related issues. It called for all political parties to commit, in the run-up to the election, to doing something about the detrimental impact of alcohol on children…. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/25/11) newswhip.ie, 01/25/11

News from different countries, worldwide, 01/25/11

Unfit for human consumption, banned cans of high-octane Four Loko are being recycled into ethanol — and used in gasoline, Scott Hensely reported Jan. 7 in NPR’s Health Blog.
You know the story: after numerous reports of hospitalizations and other related harms, national regulators sent warning letters to four companies that produced caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs) warning them caffeine was an unsafe and unapproved additive. (While some states are struggling to actually get the drink off the shelves, some of the companies‘ reformulated products, including Four Loko, have reappeared on store shelves with just as much alcohol and sugary sweet, but without the caffeine.) … (Source: Join Together, 01/21/11)

Teachers and middle- and high-school students: here’s your chance to „Get in the Game“ by participating in this informal national survey that will help measure the impact of alcohol advertising from the Super Bowl.
The Drug-Free Action Alliance of Ohio is calling for young people from across the country to participate in the „Big Bowl Vote 2011“ on Feb. 7, the day after the Super Bowl. The survey is intended to gauge which commercials the students remember and prefer — and to help students more-thoughtfully evaluate alcohol advertising. (Source: Join Together, 01/24/11)

In national news: The Federal Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is proposing a bill that would require all producers of beer, wine, and spirits to include bottle labels that lists the nutritional content and ingredients of their products. Larger producers of alcohol look on this favorably, which isn’t surprising. Such a bill is likely to eliminate much of the competition they have been experiencing lately with the craft beer and small-wine movement, as smaller producers will be less able to afford the additional costs of determining nutritional contents of each variety of wine, beer, or spirits, and the cost of the labels. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/24/11) openmarket.org, 01/24/11

This weekend, a Stanford undergraduate was brought to the emergency room at Stanford Hospital with a blood-alcohol level (BAC) of .40. There is evidence that “approximately 50 percent of all people with a BAC of .40 or higher will die.” Happily, because the coin flip landed the right way, the student survived.
While the Stanford community did not have to bury this student, this “coin flip” death should lead to the burial of three extremely destructive beliefs about alcohol. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/24/11) standforddaily.com, 01/24/11

Not consuming any alcohol is recommended for reducing the risk of atrial fibrillation
Alcohol consumption increases the risk of atrial fibrillation, according to a meta-analysis published in the Jan. 25 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Satoru Kodama, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine in Ibaraki, Japan, and colleagues carried out electronic literature searches of MedLine and Embase to identify studies measuring the effect of habitual alcohol intake on AF. Studies from 1966 to 2009 were considered eligible if they included data on effect measures for AF associated with alcohol intake or if the effect measure could be calculated. Analyses were conducted to quantify the relationship between alcohol intake and the risk of AF. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 01/22/11) doctorslounge.com, 01/21/11