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The Amethyst Initiative, signed by more than 100 college presidents and other higher education officials calls for a reexamination of the minimum legal drinking age in the United States.
A central argument of the initiative is that the U.S. minimum legal drinking age policy results in more dangerous drinking than would occur if the legal drinking age were lower….
Does the age-21 drinking limit in the United States reduce alcohol consumption by young adults and its harms, or as the signatories of the Amethyst Initiative contend, is it „not working“?
In this paper, we summarize a large and compelling body of empirical evidence which shows that one of the central claims of the signatories of the Amethyst Initiative is incorrect: setting the minimum legal drinking age at 21 clearly reduces alcohol consumption and its major harms. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/06/11)

Welcome to Global Actions, your briefing on our efforts around the world as part of Global Actions on Harmful Drinking. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/07/11) Comment: Active social marketing by the alcohol industry.

The government is forging ahead with legislation that will crack down on alcohol advertising despite warnings of massive revenue and job losses.
According to a preliminary study by Chris Moerdyk, an independent marketing analyst, a total ban on the advertising of alcoholic beverages could cost media companies revenue of as much as R1.8-billion a year. …
About R800-million would be lost to sports sponsorships and development grants, and forfeited marketing expenditure.
Though the government does not plan to ban alcohol advertising outright, several state departments are determined to win the war on alcohol and drug abuse and have spearheaded a campaign that will enforce stringent restrictions on alcohol advertising. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 07/07/11) timeslive.co.za, 07/5/11

Burger King, Sonic and Starbucks are among the fast food chains experimenting with selling alcohol, according to USA Today.
Two Sonic restaurants in South Florida will soon be selling beer and wine along with burgers, the newspaper reports. Burger King “Whopper Bars” that sell beer have opened in Miami, Kansas City and Los Angeles. Several Seattle Starbucks are now selling local wine and beer. These chains are adding alcohol to the menu in an attempt to boost sales during evening hours, the article notes. … (Source: Join Together, 07/5/11)

The Church of England could threaten to pull its investments from British-listed supermarkets that fail to meet its minimum ethical standards on the sale of alcohol, in an attempt to stem the sale of cheap alcohol and reduce binge drinking.
The Ethical Investment Advisory Group, the investment body that makes recommendations to the Church’s three national investing bodies, said it wants to tighten its policy because of concerns about ‚corporate complicity in the misuse of alcohol, including through inappropriate pricing and promotions.‘ (Source: Alcohol Reports, 07/04/11) lse.co.uk, 06/29/11

Online with many important articles:
* Alcohol and Cancer in the spotlight
* Alcohol and cancer – the forgotten link
* New WHO report: deaths from noncommunicable diseases on the rise, with developing world hit hardest
* Countries endorse a resolution on noncommunicable diseases at the World Health Assembly
* Is the cardio-protective action of alcohol a myth?
* Teaching responsible drinking ‘doesn’t work’ ….

If medical journals and public health advocates are concerned with corporate conflicts of interest, inappropriate marketing
to children, impotent self-regulation, and general flouting of the rules, why are we ignoring the alcohol industry? The crisis of confidence that surrounds the behavior and practices of Big Tobacco and Big Pharma [1,2]—bias in funded research, unsupported claims of benefit, and inappropriate promotion and marketing, among others—should be enough to provoke in us all a high degree of skepticism with any industry involvement in health research and policy. But the evidence and critical voices highlighting the practices of the alcohol industry—a massive and growing US$150 billion global business—have not yet received adequate prominence in medical journals. Indeed, attention to and scientific research on the alcohol industry have not kept pace with the industry’s ability to grow and evolve its markets and influence in the health arena. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/30/11)
The PLoS Medicine Editors

Over the years, use of alcohol, excessive and prolonged, has been associated with various health hazards.
With increasing clinical experience and research in the area, the association has become stronger and progressively more alarming. The evidence from different treatment settings viz. the outpatient department, inpatient setup, emergency department, and the consultation liaison services has linked the use of alcohol with a wide array of hazards to the physical and the psychological health of the users. The impact on psychological health extends beyond the users of alcohol to involve caregivers and other family members of users.
Alcohol consumption is the leading risk factor for disease burden in low-mortality developing countries and the third largest risk factor in developed countries. … (Source: Alcohol Reports, 06/30/11)

Gasolina-CapriSun Following in the footsteps of brands like Four Loko and Blast who use colorful, youth-oriented packaging and pop-culture icons to market their products to an underage, urban demographic, newcomer Gasolina Urban Blends has upped the ante with its “Party in a Pouch“ line: Brightly colored, 200-ml aluminum pouches complete with little straws inside to suck up the vodka, tequila, and rum, plus some fruit juice.
These pouches look remarkably similar to Capri Sun. Yes, the same packaging you see at youth soccer games across the country has now been repurposed for easy-access, take-anywhere alcohol. … (Source: Marin Institute, 06/29/11)

NATIONAL STUDY REVEALS:
ORIGINS OF AN EPIDEMIC, TEEN SUBSTANCE USE AMERICA’S #1 PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM.
90 PERCENT OF AMERICANS SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION STARTED SMOKING, DRINKING, OR USING OTHER DRUGS BEFORE AGE 18.
ALMOST HALF OF ALL AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SMOKE, DRINK, OR USE OTHER DRUGS.
Nine out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18, according to a national study released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.
Adolescent Substance Use: America’s #1 Public Health Problem reveals that adolescence is the critical period for the initiation of substance use and its consequences. The CASA report finds 1 in 4 Americans who began using any addictive substance before age 18 are addicted, compared to 1 in 25 Americans who started using at age 21 or older.
Adolescent Substance Use at Epidemic Levels:
The CASA report underscores the fact that addiction is a disease with adolescent origins. The underdeveloped teen brain makes it likelier that teens will take risks, including using addictive substances that interfere with brain development, impair judgment and heighten their risk of addiction. (Source: CASA press release, 06/29/11)