www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Monitoring the Future survey shows mixed results Daily use of marijuana has increased among eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade youth, while alcohol use — at its lowest level since the survey began — and binge drinking have continued long-term declines, according to 2010 Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) results released today.
MTF, an annual survey funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), has measured self-reported drug use behavior and attitudes among high-school seniors since 1975 and among eighth and tenth graders since 1991.
Researchers, led by Lloyd Johnston at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research, surveyed 46,482 eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade students in 396 public and independent schools across the country. (Source: Join Together, 12/14/10)

Regular consumption, weekly pattern and binge drinking.
This study aimed to describe alcohol consumption in Mozambique, discriminating binge drinking behaviour and the weekday variation in drinking patterns, and to quantify the association between socio-demographic characteristics and alcohol intake.
A representative sample of 3265 Mozambicans aged 25–64 years was evaluated in 2005 following the World Health Organization Stepwise approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS). The consumption of any type of alcoholic beverage, during life and in the previous year, was recorded. Current drinkers were also asked about the number of standard drinks consumed in each day of the previous week. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/12/10)

– Thailand will never give trade benefits higher priority than public health, declared Thai Prime Minister Abhisit at this year’s National Alcohol Conference in Bangkok.
More than 800 national and international representatives from civil society, academics, health professionals, government representatives and many other groups, representing millions of people, is a strong force. But is it strong enough to keep alcohol out of the Free Trade Agreements negotiations and strengthen the protection of public health?
This was one of the issues raised during the 6th National Alcohol Conference, NAC, in Thailand, held the 22 – 23 November in Bangkok. This year’s conference was jointly hosted by Center for Alcohol Studies, CAS and Integrated Management of Alcohol Intervention Program, IMAP and the theme for conference was “Alcohol in the Globalized World”. (Source: ADD, 12/13/10)

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants states to make drivers caught with high blood alcohol concentrations or repeat drunk driving offenses a high priority, USA Today reported Dec. 8.  NTSB said that 70 percent of the drunk-driving accidents last year were caused by so-called „hard-core“ drunk drivers. According to a new Michigan law, „hard-core“ drunk drivers are individuals who have a second DUI offense within 10 years of their first, or who are found to have at least 0.15 percent alcohol content in their blood. (Source: Join Together, 12/13/10)

Alcohol Dose and Aggression: Another Reason Why Drinking More Is a Bad Idea.
Objective: Numerous studies have examined the impact of alcohol on violence; however, only a small number have addressed differences elicited by different doses of alcohol. … Results: Analyses revealed a highly significant positive linear trend between alcohol dose and aggression for both genders. Conclusions: Our data aid in clarifying a body of literature that has been afflicted with numerous limitations and will help guide the selection of alcohol doses for researchers conducting future laboratory-based aggression studies. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/11/10) jsad.com (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72, 34-43, 2011)

The price of a drink: levels of consumption and price paid per unit of alcohol by Edinburgh’s ill drinkers with a comparison to wider alcohol sales in Scotland.
To compare alcohol purchasing and consumption by ill drinkers in Edinburgh with wider alcohol sales in Scotland.
Patients consumed mean 197.7 UK units/week. The mean price paid per unit was £0.43 (lowest £0.09/unit) (£1 = 1.6 US$ or 1.2€), which is below the mean unit price, £0.71 paid in Scotland in 2008. Of units consumed, 70.3% were sold at or below £0.40/unit (mid-range of price models proposed for minimum pricing legislation by the Scottish Government), and 83% at or below £0.50/unit proposed by the Chief Medical Officer of England. The lower the price paid per unit, the more units a patient consumed. A continuous increase in unit price from lower to higher social status, ranked according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (based on postcode), was not seen; patients residing in postcodes in the mid-quintile paid the highest price per unit. Cheapness was quoted commonly as a reason for beverage choice; ciders, especially ‘white’ cider, and vodka were, at off-sales, cheapest per unit. Stealing alcohol or drinking alcohol substitutes was only very rarely reported. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/11/10) onlinelibrary.wiley.com Comment: It shows that the price is relevant for heavy drinkers. The solution are alcohol taxes combined with minimal price. Perhaps separated between pubs and retailer shops.

Summary report available, Released 13 December 2010

There have been more suspensions on campus this semester than all of last year. In addition, almost all alcohol-related incidents had the alcoholic energy drink Four Loko involved.
Associate Dean of Students Michael Ginsburg said the University has had more interim suspensions this fall with a total of 14 students suspended than all of last year where only 12 students were suspended. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 12/13/10) bgnews.com, 12/12/10

This article extends the compartmental model previously developed by Scribner et al. in the context of college drinking to a mathematical model of the consequences of lowering the legal drinking age.
Using data available from 32 U.S. campuses, the analyses separate underage and legal age drinking groups into an eight-compartment model with different alcohol availability (wetness) for the underage and legal age groups. …
Results suggest that an unrealistically extreme combination of high wetness and low enforcement would be needed for the policies related to lowering the drinking age to be effective. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 12/11/10) jsad.com 1/1/11

Youth Rights in alcohol culture – all right? Active proudly presents ALL RIGHTS booklet
Today is Human Rights Day and on this day the European community looks to the situation in China and Liu Xiaobo. While this is important, not least for the children and young people there, it is essential to assure at the same time not to loose sight of the European situation.
“In Europe we’ve developed the bad habit to always think of development countries and dictatorships when we talk about Human Rights violations. While that’s convenient, the truth is that there happen Human Rights, even Children’s Rights violations on our continent. They happen in open street. They happen in children’s rooms. Every day. We cannot afford to waste time to combat them”, says Andrea Lavesson, President of Active – sobriety, friendship and peace.
To live up to the needs and demands of millions of young Europeans, Active today launches its most recent publication: a booklet zooming in on the rights violations caused by alcohol harm and alcohol culture in Europe.
Find the booklet for download: http://www.activeeurope.org/attachedFiles/documents/allrigths_booklet.pdf.
An Active working group, consisting of 12 young Europeans, analyzed every article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Not less than 15 breaches of the UDHR attributable to alcohol harm and the European alcohol culture were found. The severity of breaches is even magnified by decision-makers on all levels who ignore to primarily consider the Best Interest of children whenever deciding on policies.
Studies show that alcohol harm inflicted upon others can be found everywhere and affects children and young people disproportionately. For example, alcohol is a causal factor in 16% of child abuse and neglect. In Germany, between 2000 and 2008 the number of alcohol intoxicated youth ending up in emergency rooms increased by 170%. Alcohol is responsible for 7, 4% of disability and premature death in the EU. (Source: Press Release Active, 12/10/10)