www.alkoholpolitik.ch

The integration of alcohol screening, treatment and referral into primary care and other medical settings is not routinely done. Nor are there any studies evaluating the effectiveness of integrating care for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) into routine treatment for tuberculosis (TB), despite the high co-occurrence and mortality associated with these two diseases. Accordingly, researchers have designed a trial study to determine the effectiveness of integrating pharmacotherapy and behavioral treatments for AUDs into routine care for TB. (Source: Medical News Today, 11/21/09)

„‚We’re on the cusp of some major advances in how we conceptualize alcoholism,‘ says Dr. Mark Willenbring, director of treatment and recovery research at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The institute is the nation’s leading authority on alcoholism and the major provider of funds for alcohol research. ‚The focus now is on the large group of people who are not yet dependent. But they are at risk for developing dependence.‘ Many of these people need not give up alcohol altogether. The concept of so-called controlled drinking — that people with alcohol-use disorders could simply curb, or control, their drinking — has existed for many years. Evidence now exists that such an approach is possible for some people, although abstinence is still considered necessary for those with the most severe disease. The overall reassessment has been fueled by the groundbreaking National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, the largest and most comprehensive look at alcohol use in America…This survey alone has been enough to convince even national addiction experts that they’ve been too narrow in their approach to alcohol disorders. But the findings are being further bolstered by research in genetics and psychology.“ (Source: Harvard World Health News, 11/19/09) Los Angeles Times, 11/16/09

A study of fruit flies finds that heavy drinking may initiate a genetic process that increases alcohol tolerance but also switches the body from metabolizing alcohol to forming fat in the liver — the underpinning of the deadly disease cirrhosis.
North Carolina State University researchers said the findings could have implications for human drinkers: the genes that help fruit flies adapt to alcohol consumption have a corollary in the human ME1 gene, which is known to be related to alcohol use. (Source: Join Together, 11/9/09)

Millions of people across the UK could be putting themselves at risk of alcohol related violence, casual sex or blackouts, according to an ICM poll carried out on behalf of the Priory Group. 61% of people questioned had been adversely affected following a night’s heavy drinking. The most common occurrence was not being able to remember what had happened the night before. The research shows that alcohol can negatively affect behaviour in a number of ways… (Source: Medical News Today, 11/12/09)

„Drug addiction clinics say they are becoming increasingly concerned by the health risks associated with the chemical — the only known example of the body forming a third drug following the ingestion of two others. For not only is cocaethylene toxic in the liver, it is also blamed for heart attacks in the under-40s and a surge in social problems. But because so little is known about the drug, few experts can agree on the nature of the threat to users, and indeed society as a whole. Many who consider themselves social users — for whom a line or two of cocaine coupled with a few drinks in a bar or a club is a weekly or monthly event — do not consider the health implications of their drug taking.“ (Source: Harvard World Health News, 11/12/09) The Observer, London, 11/8/09

Alcohol consumption is a significant contributor to the burden of disease in India and is a major public health concern. Extreme policies of prohibition and the current permissive strategies are both counter-productive. A nuanced approach involving the regulation of alcohol availability and a rigorous enforcement of public health perspectives and legislation is needed. (Source: Google Alkohol Alert, 11/5/09) morungexpress.com

About 70 percent of the alcohol consumed by a group of problem drinkers in Scotland had been bought at a discount, according to a study that concluded that heavy drinkers actively seek out cheap alcohol and that setting minimum alcohol prices could cut overconsumption. (Source: Join Together, 11/3/09) Comment: This means that higher alcohol taxes reduce the consumption of alcoholics too. Minimum prices should be combined with alcohol taxes in order to pay for treatment and prevention.

Proposals to raise beer and liquor taxes in Wisconsin — partly to pay for alcohol treatment and anti-drunk-driving programs — drew big crowds to the state capital, but the response from lawmakers was less than enthusiastic. (Source: Join Together, 10/23/09)

The Incidence Of Children Living With Substance-Misusing Parents In The UK Is Considerably Underestimated
Current figures underestimate the number of children who may be at risk of harm from parental substance use. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health have generated new estimates using five national surveys which include measures of binge, hazardous and dependent drinking, illicit drug use and mental health. (Source: Medical News Today, 10/9/09)

The costs of drinking and driving are all too apparent, with alcohol involved in 41 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2006. In addition to the mortality and morbidity associated with drinking and driving, the economic impact of alcohol impaired driving is considerable, estimated at $51 billion, with medical costs accounting for 15 percent of that figure. Now a new study from the Injury Prevention Center at Rhode Island Hospital has found that even minimally injured alcohol-impaired drivers account for higher emergency department (ED) costs than other drivers. (Source: Medical News Today, 10/7/09)