www.alkoholpolitik.ch

New research indicates that ingesting moderate amounts of alcohol may increase an individual’s risk of amphetamine abuse.
* Amphetamines are part of a large group of drugs known as stimulants, which are commonly misused in the United States
* A new study shows that the amount of alcohol consumed may increase the likelihood of developing drug abuse
* These results indicate that there is a possible link between drinking and other drug abuse, which can be used in helping define treatment challenges. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/17/10) Comment: And one reason more to undertake effective alcohol prevention according to the WHO Alcohol-Strategy.

Not a happy holiday thought, but an important one: The number of babies who die of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, surges by 33 percent on New Year’s Day. The suspected reason? Alcohol consumption by caretakers the night before.
Led by sociologist David Phillips of the University of California, San Diego, the study documenting the dramatic rise in SIDS deaths on New Year’s is published in the journal Addiction. The spike, write Phillips and his coauthors, is beyond the normal winter increase in SIDS.
The study examined 129,090 SIDS cases from 1973 to 2006 using three multiyear nationwide datasets: computerized death certificates, the linked birth and infant death dataset, and the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The authors say it is the first, large-scale U.S. study to explore possible connections between alcohol and SIDS. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/17/10)

VANCOUVER – Alcohol is the cheapest drug in B.C., says a report released Thursday by the Centre for Addictions Research, which recommends a hike in liquor prices to reduce illness and injuries.
At the same time, researchers at centre at the University of Victoria recommend setting up a type of safe-drinking program offering free alcohol to homeless alcoholics to reduce their use of hazardous sources such as rubbing alcohol or mouthwash.
It can cost as little as 58 cents for a single-serving drink in B.C. liquor stores, meaning it costs as little as $2.32 for an average woman to exceed national guidelines for daily consumption and as little as $2.80 for an average man, said the report. The report authors looked at the price of every one of the 5,506 products on liquor store shelves in the province and the price of a standard drink ranged from 58 cents to $994.
„There’s quite a lot of very cheap drinks out there,“ said lead researcher Tim Stockwell. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 12/17/10) winnipegfreepress.com, 12/16/10

A Meta-Analysis.
Current abstainers from alcohol have been identified as an inadequate reference group in epidemiologic studies of the effects of alcohol, because inclusion of former drinkers might lead to overestimation of the protective effects and underestimation of the detrimental effects of drinking alcohol.
The authors’ objective in the current study was to quantify this association for ischemic heart disease (IHD).
Electronic databases were systematically searched for relevant case-control or cohort studies published from 1980 to 2010. Thirty-eight articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, contributing a total of 5,613 IHD events and 12,097 controls among case-control studies and 1,387 events with combined endpoints and 7,183 events stratified by endpoint among 232,621 persons at risk among cohort studies.
Pooled estimates for the subset stratified by sex and endpoint showed a significantly increased risk among former drinkers compared with long-term abstainers for IHD mortality ( among men; relative risk = 1.25, 95% confidence interval: 1.15, 1.36; among women relative risk = 1.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 2.03).
For IHD morbidity, the estimates for both sexes were close to unity and not statistically significant. Results were robust in several sensitivity analyses.
In future studies, researchers should separate former drinkers from the reference category to obtain unbiased effect estimates. Implications for the overall beneficial and detrimental effects of alcohol consumption on IHD are discussed below. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/17/10) Alcohol Reports 01/21/11 full report Comment: Here is the proof for what we wrote always when not specified „Abstainers“ were used to proof health benefits of alcohol consumption. This is one of the reasons those studies are not correct. This meta-analysis compared with long-term abstainers, not event with lifelong abstainers. The alcohol industry and its lobbies did it very clever that even the WHO admitted some positive effects. It should come back to it.

San Diego – Ist ein Alkoholrausch der Eltern ein übersehener Risikofaktor für den plötzlichen Säuglingstod (SIDS)? Ein US-Soziologe fand in einer Studie in Addiction (2010; 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03199.x) gleich mehrere Hinweise, darunter war ein dramatischer Anstieg der Todesfälle in der Neujahrsnacht.
David Phillips von der Universität in San Diego hat alle 129.000 SIDS-Fälle aus dem Zeitraum von 1973 bis 2006 kalendarisch mit den Unfallstatistiken abgeglichen, die ein zuverlässiger Indikator für den Alkoholkonsum sind.
Vermehrte Unfälle unter Alkoholeinfluss gibt es in den USA vor allem am Neujahrstag, aber auch am 4. Juli, dem Nationalfeiertag, und dem 20. April. Das ist für US-Jugendliche der “Pot Day”, an dem neben Marihuana auch vermehrt Alkohol getrunken wird. Auch an Wochenenden steigt die Zahl der Unfälle unter Alkoholeinfluss.
An all diesen Tagen kommt es auch zu einem Anstieg der SIDSs. Besonders deutlich ist dies Neujahr, wenn die Zahl der SIDS um 33 Prozent ansteigt. Gegen einen Zufall und für einen Zusammenhang mit dem Alkoholkonsum spricht für Phillips auch, dass das SIDS-Risiko bei alkoholkranken Müttern doppelt so hoch ist wie bei anderen Müttern. Unklar ist für ihn, wie der Alkohol das SIDS-Risiko erhöht. …(Quelle: aerzteblatt.de, 16.12.10)

Village officials say sales of liquor at stores like Costco and Binny’s will offset any sales tax revenue lost by an alcohol tax decrease. (Michelle Manchir/Tribune)
Bolingbrook shoppers will pay a little less in taxes for alcohol they buy at retail stores beginning next year.
Village trustees approved with a 5-0 vote to cut the tax from 6 percent to 3 percent on packaged wine, beer and liquor.
Mayor Roger Claar said the recent opening of Binny’s at the Promenade and of Costco, with their large volume of sales and regional attraction, will offset any revenue lost from the sales tax. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 12/16/10) triblocal.com, 12/15/10 Comment: That means more sales and more harm from alcohol. Shouldn’t trustees be trusted?

With News from the EU-Commission, -Parliament, European Countries, from the WHO, the World, Research and Publication, the Alcohol Industry, etc.
http://eurocare.sydesy.com/press/newsletter/winter_edition_2010

The Norwegian Health Directorate has launched a campaign ”Alkoholfritt svangerskap” (Alcohol-free pregnancy) to raise awareness among the population about the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
“You give your child the best start if you abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. Research shows that alcohol may interfere with the development of the child’s brain and other organs. Think about drinking habits already when planning children”
The animation-movie “Soon to be mother” is at the moment running on Norwegian TV and cinemas and is available on YouTube and on their website:

http://www.helsedirektoratet.no/gravid/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr__u6bRBK0
(Source: Eurocare Newsletter Winter 2010)

The Boys and Girls Project, which is supported by the EU’s Health programme (2002-2013), will put together a series of websites that will explore the world of relationships, healthy lifestyles, body image and addiction.
The group chose a web series believing they would have a greater impact on a young and technologically advanced teenage network. To reach such a broad audience the, “communication must be on their terms and in a language they understand and relate to.”
The web series will try to be relatable while at the same time enjoyable to sensitize Europe’s youth about some of the most pressing public health concerns today.
The aim target group is teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18, although the project hopes to attract viewers of any age.
The goal is to change the tide of recently developed unhealthy health habits in European teenagers, such as binge drinking, and hopefully influence the younger generation to lead happier, healthier lifestyles. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter Winter 2010) Eurocare, 12/15/10

Presentation of VINTAGE preliminary results by Peter Anderson at the Mini-Seminar on Alcohol and Elderly held on occasion of the 7th Meeting of EU Committee on National Alcohol Policy and Action (CNAPA). (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/13.10) Read Full Presentation (PDF)