www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Alcoholism suppresses the immune system, resulting in a high risk of serious, and even life-threatening infections. A new study shows that this effect stems largely from alcohol’s toxicity to immune system cells called dendritic cells. These cells play a critical role in immune function, responding to danger signals by searching for unfamiliar antigens within the body that would be coming from invading microbes, and presenting such antigens to T cells, thus activating them to seek and destroy cells containing these antigens. The research is published in the July 2011 issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. … (Source: Alcohol Reports – News, 08/22/11) infectioncontroltoday.com, 08/9/11

In 1956, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism a „disease.“ More than half a century later, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has proclaimed addiction, including alcoholism and „process“ addictions like gambling, to be the same.
According to the ASAM’s definition, published on the group’s website on Monday, addiction is a „primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.“ This clarification, which was based on consultations with more than 80 experts, is aimed in part at de-stigmatizing addictive disorders.
That’s an admirable goal. The scientific evidence shows that addiction is rooted in distinct brain changes, just like other mental illnesses such as depression (though in both instances, the same changes are not found in all people with the conditions). The research does clearly show that evidence-based treatment is far more effective at resolving drug abuse problems than law enforcement efforts like incarceration. There’s no justification for treating people with addiction any differently than other patients. (Source: Join Together, 08/18/11) healthland.time.com, 08/16/11

The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review of cost-benefit studies on pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy treatments of alcohol dependence (AD).
A literature search was performed in multiple electronic bibliographic databases. The search identified seven psychotherapy studies from the USA and two pharmacotherapy studies from Europe. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/16/11)

by Fiona Ryan, Director of Alcohol Action Ireland, the national charity for alcohol-related issues.
WE LOVE TO talk about Ireland’s alcohol culture – it allows us to speculate about how we drink and why we drink, without ever actually doing anything about it.
We can engage in romantic notions of the dark Celtic soul, or question if as a nation we just have an addictive personality. In the meantime, one person dies every seven hours from an alcohol-related cause. Alcohol is the biggest killer of young people in Ireland and 100,000 kids – enough to fill Croke Park and then some – are impacted by their parents’ drinking. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11) businessinsider.com, 08/10/11

Koforidua, Aug 9, GNA – Dr Eugene Dordoye, a psychiatrist with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has suggested that alcohol should be declared a public health hazard. He said alcohol intake was resulting in many diseases claiming lives but because alcohol was not a national health issue its related diseases were not being measured. Dr Dordoye, who spoke to the GNA after addressing a five- day Youth Alive Camp in Koforidua, said alcohol effects were measured by the psychiatric hospitals because of its known effects on mental health. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/15/11) ghananewsagency.org, 08/10/11

Based on a Danish birth cohort (n=9182), a high risk group of sons of alcoholic fathers (HR, n=223) and a low risk group of sons without parental alcoholism (LR, n=106) has been followed prospectively from pregnancy to age 40.
The HR sons are characterized by a high prevalence of alcohol dependence (31%) and a high rate of remission (55%).
Most powerful predictors for alcohol dependence in adulthood are: low birth weight, ADHD, conduct disorder, low cognitive efficiency and high behavioural dyscontrol in childhood.
A 50 year follow-up examination of the sample, including DNA-testing, is planned in the nearest future. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/11/11)

Drugs, alcohol and gambling are all vices that have ruined the lives of athletes. Even the greatest and most talented players in the world have succumbed to these vices, which inhibit their ability to play and drain them financially.
The vices may be different, but the outcome is generally the same: Athletes that get caught up in these worlds ruin their careers and never live up to their potential.
Here are the athletes that had their playing and coaching days cut short and ruined perfectly good careers. … (Source: Join Together, 08/12/11) bleacherreport.com, 08/8/11

To determine the effect of age, sex, and cohort on the prevalence and genetic architecture of adolescent alcohol use (AAU). Design Survey study in participants registered with the Netherlands Twin Register. Setting Twins from the general population.
Two cohorts (data collected in 1993 and 2005-8) of twins aged 13-15, 16-17 and 18-21. In 1993 and 2005-8 a total of respectively 3269 and 8207 twins took part.
Survey data on initiation and frequency of alcohol use and quantity of alcohol consumed. …
In the Netherlands, the prevalence of alcohol initiation, frequency and quantity has increased in adolescents over a 15 year period, but there are no changes in the genetic architecture of adolescent alcohol use. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/11/11)

According to a study published online by BJS (British Journal of Surgery), the risk of an acute pancreatitis attack can be increased by drinking just one 4cl measure of spirits, however, wine or beer do not appear to have the same effect.
The Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducted a study, in which researchers followed 84,601 people aged between 46 to 84 years from the general population in Vastmanland and Uppsala for an average of ten years, during which time 513 developed acute pancreatitis. … Source: Medical News Today, 08/6/11)

-time for a serious international public health effort.
Together with smoking, diet and physical inactivity, consumption of alcohol is among the four most important risk factors for non-communicable disease (NCD). Alcohol consumption, especially heavy consumption, impacts on cancer, liver cirrhosis and stroke. To reduce the burden of NCD, effective alcohol
policies should be implemented locally, nationally and internationally. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 08/8/11)onlinelibrary.wiley.com, Addiction, 106, 1547–1548