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Researchers who studied 22,000 men over more than two decades have concluded that drinking alcohol is not associated with either the odds of having a stroke or the severity of stroke symptoms, Reuters reported Jan. 5.
Previous, smaller studies have suggested that moderate drinking may protect against stroke, but researcher Tobias Kurth and colleagues found that the association is weak and grows even weaker over time. The study found that very light drinkers — those who consumed just one alcoholic drink weekly — were slightly less likely to suffer strokes, but moderate drinking had no impact. (Source: Join Together, 1/08/10) Comment: Let’s hope again, that the international press picks it up.

FACE’s Fresh Story blog highlights a new report from the New Mexico Department of Public Health that quantifies the human and ecomonic costs of alcohol abuse in the state. The report also prompted an insightful newspaper commentary observing that 85 percent of all alcohol deaths in the state are caused by something other than impaired driving. (Source: Join Together, 1/6/10) freshstory.org, 12/29/09

A massive rise in the numbers of people drinking heavily and the cost of treating them is creating an unsustainable burden on NHS hospitals but more could be done to ease existing pressures, says an NHS Confederation report published recently. Too Much of the hard stuff: What alcohol costs the NHS, from the NHS Confederation and the Royal College of Physicians shows that the cost to the NHS of excess drinking has doubled in just five years, with most of the cost being spent on hospital and ambulance services. (Source: Medical News Today, 1/6/10)

„Well, ladies, as you reach for that holiday drink of choice — mulled wine, Christmas punch, or spiced eggnog, perhaps? — you might want to think twice. A new study in Europe shows that highly educated, professional women drink more often and more heavily than almost any other female group. …“ (Source: Google Alkohol Alert, 12/22/09) politicsdaily.com, 12/21/09

The Royal College of Nursing today (17th December) welcomed the launch of new guidance for parents, children and young people on alcohol consumption, published by the Chief Medical Officer. Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the RCN, said: „Both in A&E departments and in classrooms nurses see the devastating effects alcohol is having on young people everyday – it is damaging not just their health but also their education, development and general wellbeing. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/17/09) // guardian.co.uk, 12/17/09

Alcohol, tobacco and other drug use are serious problems in the U.S., but American teens are far from world leaders when it comes to smoking and drinking. A new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that 20 percent of U.S. 15-year-olds reported having been drunk at least twice in their lives, one of the lowest rates in the developed world. By contrast, the rate was 56 percent for girls in Denmark and 59 percent for Danish boys. In the U.K., which has struggled to contain an explosion in youth drinking in recent years, the rates were higher for 15-year-old girls (50 percent) than boys of the same age (44 percent). (Source: Join Together, 12/10/09)

Almost 1,300 fewer Americans died in alcohol-related crashes last year than in 2007, and fatality rates dropped by 20 percent or more in Vermont, Wisconsin, Maine, Nebraska, Minnesota, Connecticut, South Dakota, Arizona and the District of Columbia, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
However, the rate of alcohol-related fatalities rose in New Hampshire, Kansas, Wyoming, Rhode Island, Idaho, Oklahoma and Colorado, DOT reported (PDF). (Source: Join Together, 12/10/09)

5th Plenary meeting, BRUSSELS, 12 November 2009
SUMMARY REPORT, 12/9/09

Caffeine Doesn’t Reverse The Negative Cognitive Impact Of Alcohol, Study Shows. People who drink may want to know that coffee won’t sober them up, according to new laboratory research. Instead, a cup of coffee may make it harder for people to realize they’re drunk. What’s more, popular caffeinated „alcohol-energy“ drinks don’t neutralize alcohol intoxication, suggest the findings from a mouse study reported in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience, which is published by the American Psychological Association. „The myth about coffee’s sobering powers is particularly important to debunk because the co-use of caffeine and alcohol could actually lead to poor decisions with disastrous outcomes,“ said co-author Thomas Gould, PhD, of Temple University, in extending the research to what it means for humans. (Source: Medical News Today, 12/8/09)

The document consists of three parts: The report by the secretariat, including a draft resolution for consideration by the WHO Executive Board; Annex 1 – the draft strategy itself; and Annex 2 – a two page summary of the evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions. In addition there is also a Bibliography on evidence on harmful use of alcohol published as a separate document on the WHO-web page: Follow the process for implementing the WHA 61.4 resolution and preparing a draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol Comment: One of the most important papers on alcohol politics.