www.alkoholpolitik.ch

It may seem like binge drinking is just a fact of college life, but a number of institutions of higher-education are proving otherwise. Survey data show notable drops in student binge drinking at several colleges and universities, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Feb. 16. For example:
* Alcohol-related violations dropped 3.7 percent at North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D. over two years.
* Between 2007 and 2009, „problem drinking“ fell 12 percent at the University of Pittsburgh.
* The number of Purdue students who engaged in binge drinking sank from 48 percent in 2006 to 37.3 percent in 2009.
* Frostburg State University in Maryland saw binge drinking plummet 27% over the past decade. … (Source: Join Together, 03/07/11) with our Online-Comment: It is always better to invest in prevention instead of paying for negative results. If the alcohol free offers are a success, other students will try too.

A study conducted by researchers at Columbia University found that mandatory alcohol testing of motor carrier drivers has resulted in a significant decrease in fatal crashes involving truck, bus and other commercial drivers and alcohol use. The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 03/08/11) pr-usa.net, 03/08/11

Alcohol’s role in everything from injury and relationship breakdown to trouble with the police, emerges in a poll of 2,221 people commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG).
According to the survey, some 11% of people polled have seen a friend or relative’s relationship end as a direct result of heavy drinking. One in five (21%) know someone who has driven while over the legal alcohol limit. And 51% know someone who has been a victim of alcohol-related violence, or has been attacked themselves.
The survey also found that 14% of children are being brought up in a family where at least one adult has a drink problem.
The YouGov poll paints a graphic picture of alcohol’s many negative consequences. The survey found that:… (Source: Eurocare Newsletter January-February 2011)

The Home Office has released guidance to help pubs and doorstaff spot and deal with ID that’s used fraudulently to buy alcohol.
The 44-page guidance, accessible on-line, includes detailed advice on how to identify legitimate passports, driving licences and PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) cards. It outlines some commonly-used counterfeit ID such as the „international driving permit“ and „provisional motorcycle licence“. The guidance warns operators to be wary of the growing trend for youngsters to use genuine ID belonging to older siblings. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 03/01/11) morningadvertiser.co.uk, 02/24/11

A report by economic experts Oxford Economics shows that 980,000 jobs in the UK depend on the beer and pub trade. The report was commissioned by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), who in a press release said the figures will fuel concerns over plans for huge beer tax hikes in the Budget this month. BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds said: „These figures show how vital the beer and pub trade is to the UK economy, with huge numbers of jobs dependent on the sector.“ Highlighting expected duty rises in the forthcoming budget, Simmonds called for a freeze in beer duty. Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 03/02/11) beerandpub.com, 02/16/11

The debate surrounding the effects of caffeinated alcoholic beverages on the human body still continues, although it has been three months since the Food and Drug Administration ordered the drinks—including the well-known Four Loko—pulled from the shelves.
In a lecture yesterday at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston University Professor of Community Health Sciences Jonathan Howland questioned caffeine’s supposed ability to counteract the sedating effects of alcohol.
“Ultimately caffeine does not reduce the impairment effect of alcohol,” Howland said. … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 02/26/11) uwire.com, 02/25/11

… has been released by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE). See press release here.
NICE ‚Alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use‘ clinical guidelines.
The clinical guidance (CG 115) offers evidence-based advice on the diagnosis, assessment and management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence in adults and in young people:
Alcohol use disorders: diagnosis, assessment and management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence pdf] NCIE See here for the full 654 page document.
A 24 page quick reference guide is also available summarising the recommendations made. (Source: Alcohol Policy UK, 02/24/11)

Six DeKalb County firefighters have been disciplined in an alcohol investigation. Four of the firefighters have been demoted, including an assistant chief.
Channel 2’s Jodie Fleischer attended a Tuesday news conference where acting Fire Chief Eddie O’Brien made the announcement.
„They didn’t just let me down. They let everybody down,“ O’Brien said. „They know they did wrong.“
As Channel 2 Action was first to report, several firefighters were accused of showing up to Fire Station 24 drunk during the Jan. 11 snowstorm. The group included fire apparatus operator …. The group went drinking at Twains Billiards and Tap in Decatur, according to the Fire Department’s investigation. That night, they chose to sleep at the station on Redan Road instead of driving on icy roads for their shift the next day. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 02/16/11) wsbtv.com, 02/16/11

The State Workforce System.
The growing financial cost of drug and alcohol abuse puts tremendous pressure on every social sector.
The present report, part of a larger Family Funding Study project, is the fifth and last in the series that examines the cost of drug and alcohol abuse to West Virginia’s criminal justice, healthcare, education, welfare, and workforce systems. A comprehensive report, incorporating estimates from all these sectors, will be produced at the end of this project. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 02/15/11)

REDDING, Calif. — Working under the supervision of Police Officers, an underage person attempted to buy alcohol at locations throughout Redding. The minor was able to purchase at: … (Source: Google Alcohol News, 02/05/11) krcrtv.com, 02/04/11