www.alkoholpolitik.ch

In the fire district that I currently live in, there’s an issue that drives me up the wall. They serve Beer in the Stations, there is an open wet bar, that the Firefighters can use anytime they please. I’ve heard from a few FF’s that I met, they do it, but have rules about going on the calls. One certain rule is, they wont be able to respond, if they are „TOO DRUNK“ to drive. I have also seen them on calls, oddly enough, they were „Toasted“ in my opinion, they broke down the wrong door in a neighboring building,, let me rephrase that, 5 doors were torn apart, even after I told them the fire was over here. I was also told, the drinking will stay, it’s supported by a board of „The old guys“, they are all retired volly’s, the upper command staff take part, so who do you talk now. My question is, how many other departments allow this type of behavior. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 12/28/10) firefighternation.com, 12/28/10

The New Zealand e-SBINZ trials. The trial will provide information on the effectiveness of e-SBI in reducing hazardous drinking across diverse university student populations with separate effect estimates for Maori and non-Maori students. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12610000279022. (Source: BMC, biomedcentral.com, 12/22/10)

There have been more suspensions on campus this semester than all of last year. In addition, almost all alcohol-related incidents had the alcoholic energy drink Four Loko involved.
Associate Dean of Students Michael Ginsburg said the University has had more interim suspensions this fall with a total of 14 students suspended than all of last year where only 12 students were suspended. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 12/13/10) bgnews.com, 12/12/10

To describe the presence of alcohol, cannabis and amphetamines in work-related injury deaths in Victoria, 2001–6, an observational study of work-related deaths reported to the State Coroner’s Office, Victoria, Australia was conducted.
Case and postmortem forensic toxicology data were obtained from the National Coroner’s Information System for work-related injury deaths with positive toxicology screens.
Over 6 years there were 43 worker deaths in a total of 355 unintentional work-related injury deaths. The coroner mentioned the presence of alcohol/drugs in 22 of the 43 worker deaths with positive toxicology screens. Toxicology screens were positive for alcohol and/or drugs in 79 work-related deaths overall. (Source: Alcohol Reports, 11/02/10) injuryprevention.bmj.com, Inj Prev 2010;16:423-428 doi:10.1136/ip.2010.027052

Caffeinated alcoholic beverages such as Four Loko have come under fire from lawmakers and public health officials in recent weeks, following reports of hospitalizations and even some deaths tied to the potent drinks.
Now, a new study suggests that combining caffeine and alcohol can pose a risk to young people even when the substances aren’t mixed in the same can or cup. College students who consume nonalcoholic energy drinks such as Red Bull at least once a week are more than twice as likely as their peers to show signs of alcohol dependence, including withdrawal symptoms and an inability to cut back on drinking, according to the study. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 11/17/10) health.com, 11/16/10

Disturbing trends in drug and alcohol use in the Berkeley Unified School District as well as low rates of violence, crime and physical and mental health issues were outlined in results from the 2010 California Healthy Kids Survey, presented Wednesday at a district Board of Education meeting.
The self-reported data – collected from students in grades five, seven, nine and 11 – showed that Berkeley students, except fifth graders, smoke marijuana on a regular basis at twice the national and state rates and have been high or drunk on school property at double or more than double the state rate. However, students binge drink and smoke cigarettes at levels less than or comparable to state and national rates. (Source: Google Alcohol News, 11/15/10) dailycal.org, 11/15/10

Underage and heavy drinking on college campuses continue to be issues for college administrators. While some campuses, such as the University of Missouri, have made strides in efforts to reduce heavy drinking on campus, administrators are continually trying to educate students about the risks of excessive drinking. Now, two MU psychologists have found that students who viewed images of beer cans packaged and displayed in university colors believed that drinking beer was less dangerous than those students who saw images of regular beer cans. …(Source: Medical News Today, 11/13/10)

Heavy drinking among college students results in over 1800 deaths each year, as well as 590,000 unintentional injuries, almost 700,000 assaults and more than 97,000 victims of sexual assaults. In a new study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers report on the results of the Safer California Universities study, a successful community-wide prevention strategy targeted at off-campus settings. This is one of the first studies to focus on the total environment rather than on prevention aimed at individuals. (Source: Medical News Today, 11/12/10) see also: Joint Together, 11/23/10

The state of Washingon’s Liquor Control Board outlawed alcoholic energy drinks beginning Nov. 18, The Seattle Times reported Nov. 10.
Regulators acted at the request of Washington governor Christine Gregoire in the wake of an October incident where nine Central Washington University students were hospitalized after consuming caffeinated alcohol drinks. (Source: Join Together, 11/12/10)

Phusion Projects, LLC, which makes the alcoholic energy drink Four Loko — known to college students as „blackout in a can“ — has suddenly gotten „serious“ about alcohol abuse and underage drinking on college campuses.
On Nov. 4, company founders sent a letter to about 300 college presidents, deans, and alcohol counselors with information about its products. They offered to help subsidize alcohol education programming, and sought to work with college representatives to address alcohol abuse and underage drinking, which they described as “both a fundamental priority and an ultimate responsibility that we share with the entire alcoholic beverage industry.” … (Source: Join Together, 11/10/10)