Start Talking Before They Start Drinking Campaign






The Family Guide site supports the Start Talking Before They Start Drinking Campaign in their efforts to combat underage drinking and to educate parents, youth, and others on the issue of alcohol abuse. Underage drinking can have serious consequences. You can protect your children from the risks associated with drinking by maintaining open communication and expressing a clear, consistent message about alcohol. Building a close relationship with your kids will make it easier for them to come to you for help in making decisions that impact their health and well-being.

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News Release - New Study in the Journal SLEEP Finds that Extended Wakefulness, Combined with Alcohol, Severely Impairs Driving Performance

American Academy of Sleep Medicine
10/01/2007

WESTCHESTER, Ill.– The combination of extended wakefulness and low-dose alcohol has significant adverse effects on a person’s ability to drive, and elevates the risk of getting into a vehicular accident, according to a study published in the October 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

The study, authored by Mark E. Howard, PhD, of the Institute for Breathing and Sleep in Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia, focused on 19 volunteer professional drivers, who participated in a driving simulation and the Psychomotor Vigilance Task. The subjects were measured in a rested state (12-15 hours awake) and after extended wakefulness (18-21 hours awake) during two sessions. Alcohol was administered during one session, with performance measured at blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.00 percent, 0.03 percent and 0.05 percent in a non-sleep deprived state, and at 0.03 percent after extended wakefulness (at 1 a.m.and at 3 a.m.). During the second session, tests were performed at the same times without alcohol.

According to the results, extended wakefulness, combined with low-dose alcohol (0.03 percent BAC), resulted in more lapses and greater variation in lane position and speed than did a BACof 0.05 percent in a rested state.
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News Release - Leaders in addiction treatment announce national 'ACTION' campaign

October 1, 2007

MADISON - A cadre of private and public entities in the addiction treatment field announced the launch of the National Adopting Changes to Improve Outcomes Now (ACTION) Campaign for the improvement of addiction treatment services. The ACTION Campaign goals are to increase access to addiction treatment for individuals in need and to keep clients engaged in treatment.

The campaign, launched during National Recovery Month in September, has a goal of improving the lives of 55,000 people through improved treatment.

The ACTION Campaign is an unprecedented, cross-sector partnership among non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foundations, and government agencies. Those include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS), the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) and the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD).
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Prospective Effects of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Sex on Adolescent Substance Use and Abuse
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64:1145-1152.




Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), an early manifestation of externalizing behavior, may identify children at high risk for later substance abuse. However, the ADHD–substance abuse relationship often disappears when co-occurring conduct disorder (CD) is considered.

To determine whether there is a prospective relationship between ADHD and the initiation of substance use and disorders, and whether this relationship depends on the ADHD subtype (hyperactive/impulsive or inattentive), CD, or sex.

Hyperactivity/impulsivity predicts later substance problems, even after growth in later-emerging CD is considered, whereas inattention alone poses less risk. Even a single symptom of ADHD or CD is associated with increased risk.

Failure in previous research to consistently observe relationships between ADHD and substance use and abuse outcomes could be due to reliance on less-sensitive categorical diagnoses.


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Reprint request E-Mail: ielkins@tfs.psych.umn.edu
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New Standards Announced for Treating Substance Use Conditions

Endorsement by 350 Healthcare Organizations Promises to Transform Practice, Improve Health

September 20, 2007

More than 350 American healthcare organizations have endorsed a set of voluntary standards for the treatment of substance use conditions, the National Quality Forum (NQF) recently announced. Adoption of these standards by healthcare providers will dramatically improve the diagnosis and treatment of substance use conditions in the United States.
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Relationships among self-report assessments of craving in binge-drinking university students
Addictive Behaviors Volume 32, Issue 12, December 2007, Pages 2811-2818



Similarly to investigations using clinical samples, regression analyses revealed that recent drinking by binge-drinking students was associated with certain measures of self-reported craving.


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Reprint Request E-Mail: hrosenb@bgnet.bgsu.edu
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Early and adverse experiences with sex and alcohol are associated with adolescent drinking before and during pregnancy
Addictive Behaviors Volume 32, Issue 12, December 2007, Pages 2799-2810

The goal of this study was to examine the effects of early and adverse experiences with sex and alcohol on adolescent drinking the year before and during pregnancy.

Early age at first alcoholic drink predicted problem alcohol use before pregnancy and drinking during pregnancy. Coercive first coitus was not associated with alcohol use, but drinking during first coitus predicted problem alcohol use before pregnancy as well as drinking during the first trimester of pregnancy.

In sum, early use of alcohol and use of alcohol during first coitus may be risk factors for problematic alcohol use before pregnancy and during pregnancy among childbearing teenagers.

Implications for the health of adolescent mothers and their offspring are discussed.


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Reprint Request E-Mail: degennan@pitt.edu
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Evaluating personal alcohol feedback as a selective prevention for college students with depressed mood
Addictive Behaviors Volume 32, Issue 12, December 2007, Pages 2776-2787

This research evaluated a brief mailed intervention for alcohol use as an adjunct to a brief treatment for college students with depression symptoms. The intervention aimed to correct normative misperceptions and reduce students' drinking and related consequences.

Results indicated no main effects of the intervention on drinking or related problems but students receiving feedback showed significant reductions in their perception of drinking norms compared to the control group. Furthermore, students whose normative perceptions reduced showed significant reductions in total drinks per week and total alcohol related problems compared to those whose norms did not reduce.

Results support the importance of correcting normative perceptions and provide direction for selective prevention of alcohol use and related problems among college students with depressed mood.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: geisner@u.washington.edu

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Delinquency as a mediator of the relation between negative affectivity and adolescent alcohol use disorder
Addictive Behaviors Volume 32, Issue 12, December 2007, Pages 2747-2765



This investigation examined mediators of the longitudinal relation between negative affectivity and the development of problematic drinking behavior in adolescent boys and girls.

Compared with personal delinquency, both attitudes toward delinquency and peer delinquency were superior predictors of affect-related drinking. Our results also demonstrated that positive attitudes toward delinquency mediated the relation between negative affectivity and later development of an alcohol use disorder.

These findings suggest that a proneness to unpleasant affect impacts adolescent drinking by heightening risk for general rejection of normative behavior, rather than by increasing drinking as a means of managing affect. The importance and implications of testing delinquency variables together in the same model are discussed.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: peter@uky.edu
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Drinking on the Premises in Norway: Young Adults' use of Public Drinking Places
Addictive Behaviors Volume 32, Issue 12, December 2007, Pages 2737-2746




In this paper various aspects of young adults' use of premises licensed to sell alcoholic beverages are discussed.

Results from a log-linear regression analysis showed that although some demographic groups tended to be intoxicated more often (men, younger people, single people and people without higher education), frequency of drinking in licensed premises had a strong positive effect on frequency of intoxication.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: il@sirus.no
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News Release - SAMHSA Awards $24 Million to Expand Substance Abuse Treatment in Targeted Areas

September 28, 2007

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration today announced the award of 16 grants totaling about $24 million over three years to enhance or expand substance abuse treatment capacity in targeted areas of need.

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The 16 awards are funded up to $500,000 per year in total costs. Continuation of these awards is subject to the availability of funds as well as the progress achieved by the grantees. Total funding for year one is almost $8 million. The grantees are:

Native American/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander Populations
Cook Inlet Tribal Council Inc., Anchorage, Alaska--$500,000 per year for three years to expand and enhance outpatient substance abuse treatment capacity targeting Alaska Native/American Indian adults in Anchorage.

Dena’ Nena’ Henash, Fairbanks, Alaska--$499,379 per year for three years to expand its residential service unit, Old Minto Family Recovery Camp, while adapting the current program to better meet the needs of its patients.

Native Images Inc., Tucson, Ariz.--$498,884 per year for three years to deliver the evidence-based Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model within a traditional Talking Circle framework targeting Native American and bicultural Native American/Hispanic female trauma and violence survivors and to provide culturally competent outreach and pretreatment substance abuse and HIV/AIDS intervention targeting Native American and other youth at risk.

Santa Clara Pueblo, Espanola, N.M.--$500,000 per year for three years to expand and enhance the capacity to provide evidence-based family treatment to adolescents and families experiencing issues related to alcohol and substance abuse.

E-therapy
Arapahoe House Inc., Thornton, Colo.--$499,998 per year for three years to enhance and expand its continuum of services by establishing E-TREAT, which will address treatment capacity problems caused by long wait periods and client “no shows” through Internet and wireless communication technologies.

Gateway Community Services Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.--$500,000 per year for three years for Gateway Connect to provide e-therapy, telephone therapy and integrated therapy by Internet, telephone, and face-to-face.

Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio--$499,588 per year for three years to provide group and individual counseling and support, and case management via electronic means, primarily though video conferencing and video phone technology, to deaf persons referred to substance use disorder treatment in Ohio.

Mid-Columbia Center for Living, The Dalles, Ore.--$500,000 per year for three years for the Strengthening Teens, Empowering Parents On-line project, serving youth 12-18 and their parents.

Grassroots Partnerships
Samuel’s House Inc., Key West, Fla.--$500,000 per year for three years for the Women in Transition Project, a coordinated continuum of care service delivery system for homeless women with substance abuse and co-occurring disorders.

Nicasa, North Chicago, Ill.--$500,000 per year for three years to establish a grassroots partnership between Mano a Mano Family Resource Center, a grassroots organization in Round Lake Park, Ill., and Nicasa’s Women & Services Program.

Rays of Sonshine, Monroe, La.--$492,650 per year for three years to expand the Rays of Sonshine substance abuse treatment program for women with children and to enhance prevention outreach and peer-to-peer services.

Ananias Inc., Shreveport, La.--$499,200 per year for three years for the Louisiana PATHS project to provide outreach, detox, outpatient, and residential substance abuse treatment and referrals; HIV/AIDS service; and accurate evaluations of data.

Other Populations or Emerging Substance Abuse Issues
Colorado State Judicial Branch, Denver--$498,095 per year for three years to expand and enhance methamphetamine treatment options for justice-involved pregnant and parenting women with co-occurring mental health issues and their families.

Center for Community Alternatives, Syracuse, N.Y.--$500,000 per year for three years to expand and enhance treatment and recovery support services for people who have had criminal justice system involvement.

Centerstone Community Mental Health Centers Inc., Nashville, Tenn.--$500,000 per year for three years for Project SELF-Nashville, which is a culturally sensitive, community-based treatment program that services adolescents with substance abuse and/or co-occurring mental disorders and their families in Davidson County.

Central Virginia Community Services, Lynchburg-- $500,000 per year for three years to expand care for adolescents by implementing the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (ACRA) and the Assertive Continuing Care (ACC) intensive outpatient treatment protocol that includes adolescents and their families.

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Alcohol linked to more murders in Scotland
1 October 2007

Alcohol was a factor in twice as many murders in Scotland as was previously thought after a mistake was made in official figures, it was revealed today.

It has emerged that 57 people (41%) accused of murder in 2005/2006 were reported to have been drunk at the time - not the 19% previously stated.

But only 13 people (9%), not the 41% previously stated, were reported to be under the influence of drugs at the time.
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New Exam To Raise Drink Awareness

Sunday September 30, 2007

Schoolchildren will be examined on alcohol and its dangers with the launch of a new qualification this week.

The alcohol awareness certificate, developed by innkeeping institute BII, is aimed at 13 to 16-year-olds.
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Letters to the Telegraph

30 September 2007

Gordon's the drunkards' best friend

When Gordon Brown launches his crackdown on teenage binge drinking (News, September 23), I trust that he will reflect on his own contribution to the problem. As Chancellor, he set the levels of excise duty that have fuelled alcohol consumption while presiding over a fall in alcohol prices to historically low levels in relation to income. Today, per capita consumption levels in Britain outstrip those of both the French and the Germans.

Despite this, his tax policy looks set to continue. Treasury projections for excise duties on alcohol, tobacco and fuel show that they will continue to drop while other taxes continue to rise in relative terms.

The Prime Minister would only demonstrate a genuine commitment to stemming young people's drinking if he was to reverse these trends.

Kathy Gyngell, Centre for Policy Studies, London SW1
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Perspectives and Future Directions
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (s3), 87s–90s.

Mechanisms of behavior change (MOBC) in treating drinking problems is a topic of growing importance.

This article identifies salient themes presented in talks during the first Annual RSA Satellite on Mechanisms of Behavior Change in Alcoholism Treatment.

Themes focused on the need to move beyond a passive approach to identifying MOBC in alcoholism treatment and a number of conceptual and methodological advances were proposed.

While a consensus has emerged that more attention should be paid to MOBC in alcoholism treatment research, a subgroup of experts are calling for MOBC to be the primary focus in future efforts.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: jm977@columbia.edu

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Co-occurrence patterns of anxiety, depression and alcohol use disorders
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Online 28 Sepember 2007



Co-occurrence of anxiety and depressive symptoms with alcohol consumption/abuse was analyzed in a sample of 2,302 adults in Bahia, Brazil.

Twelve-month prevalence was 15% for anxiety, 12% for depressive disorders and 7% for alcohol abuse/dependence. Symptom co-occurrence was more frequent for depression (94% of cases co-occurring with other diagnoses), followed by anxiety disorders (82%), and alcoholism (only 20%). There was a 74% proportion of anxiety symptoms among depressed, and a 61% proportion of depressed among anxiety sufferers.

The combination of depression plus anxiety was the most prevalent in both gender groups, ranging from 17% for women to 5% for men. Comorbid combinations of alcoholism yielded low prevalences, the smallest (around 1%) being the triple combo alcoholism+anxiety+depression. Gender ratios increased substantially in the absence of comorbidity, reaching peaks in depression (F:M ratio = 13.8) and alcoholism (M:F ratio = 11.8).

Set component analyses indicate strong overlapping of anxiety and depression and complementarity between depression and alcoholism, modulated by gender (women depressed, men alcoholic).

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Reprint Request E-Mail: naomarf@ufba.br
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Author: Letting kids drink early reduces binging
September 28, 2007

In the age of "just say no," some people believe it is time for Americans to reconsider how they teach kids about alcohol. One psychologist says allowing supervised drinking at younger ages could reduce alcohol abuse.

• Story Highlights
• Author: Forbidding kids from drinking creates temptation
  
• Instead, he says, parents should teach kids how to drink responsibly
  
• "Preparing your child to drink at home lessens the likelihood" of binging, he says
  
• Critic says giving kids permission to do potentially harmful things is "ridiculous"

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A hyperbolic decay of subjective probability of obtaining delayed rewards

Hyperbolic discounting of delayed and probabilistic outcomes has drawn attention in psychopharmacology and neuroeconomics. Sozou's evolutionary theory proposed that hyperbolic delay discounting may be totally attributable to aversion to a decrease in subjective probability of obtaining delayed rewards (SP) which follows a hyperbolic decay function.

We examined the fitness of hyperbolic and exponential functions to the assessed SP, and relations between the SP, and delay/probability discounting, and subjective-probability discounting for delayed rewards.

The results demonstrated (a) SP decayed hyperbolically as delay increases, (b) a decay of SP was associated with delay discounting, and (c) subjective-probability discounting did not significantly correlate with delay discounting.

Our results demonstrated (i) hyperbolic decay of SP is related to delay discounting, and (ii) delay discounting is, however, not attributable to precautious foresight in intertemporal choice. Further, a novel parameter of pure time preference is proposed

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Call for proposals: Research on the transmission of drinking cultures

Project summary: proposals are sought for research on how drinking cultures are transmitted from one group to another.

Deadline:	2pm on Tuesday 6 November 2007
JRF Committee:	Alcohol Research Committee
Timescale:	18 months
Budget:	£200,000
Key contacts:	Charlie Lloyd (Principal Research Manager), charlie.lloyd@jrf.org.uk Christine Appleton, christine.appleton@jrf.org.uk, 01904 615911

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Social and economic control of alcohol in the USA today (book)

Carole L. Jurkiewicz, ed., Social and economic control of alcohol: the 21st amendment in the 21st century (Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis, forthcoming 2008).

Alcohol and Drugs History Society

Read Chapters and Authors

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Help at hand for youngsters affected by alcohol

• Published Date: 25 September 2007
• Location: Isle of Man

HELP is at hand for youngsters concerned about their own or a parent's drinking with the launch of a new service.

'Alcohol issues affect everyone from the young to the old,' Alcohol Advisory Service director Thea Ozenturk told those gathered at the launch of AAS 12-21.
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Neuroadaptations in Human Chronic Alcoholics:
Dysregulation of the NF-κB System
PLoS ONE 2(9): e930.


Here we investigated whether transcription factors of Nuclear Factor-kappaB (NF-κB) family, controlling neuronal plasticity and neurodegeneration, are involved in these adaptations in human chronic alcoholics.

We suggest that cycles of alcohol intoxication/withdrawal, which may initially activate NF-κB, when repeated over years downregulate RELA expression and NF-κB and p50 homodimer DNA-binding. Downregulation of the dominant p50 homodimer, a potent inhibitor of gene transcription apparently resulted in derepression of κB regulated genes.

Alterations in expression of p50 homodimer/NF-κB regulated genes may contribute to neuroplastic adaptation underlying alcoholism.

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Hazardous Drinking Among Adults With Diabetes and Related Eye Disease or Visual Problems: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Survey
Ophthalmic Epidemiology, Volume 14, Issue 1 January 2007 , pages 45 - 49





To estimate the prevalence of problem drinking and related risk behaviors among adults with diabetes and eye disease in the United States.

Binge drinking occurs in 4%-5% of adults with diabetes and eye disease. Driving after drinking and unlocked gun ownership, while uncommon, also occur among such individuals, who are apt to be at extraordinarily high risk for injury and other alcohol-related complications.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: kmukamal@bidmc.harvard.edu
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Press release - Wine, women and … spirits, beer and breast cancer risk

27 Sep 2007

Barcelona, Spain: One of the largest individual studies of the effects of alcohol on the risk of breast cancer has concluded that it makes no difference whether a woman drinks wine, beer or spirits (liquor) – it is the alcohol itself (ethyl alcohol) and the quantity consumed that is likely to trigger the onset of cancer. The increased breast cancer risk from drinking three or more alcoholic drinks a day is similar to the increased breast cancer risk from smoking a packet of cigarettes or more a day. . . . . . . . Read Full Press Release __________________________________________________________________

GABAergic modulation of binge-like ethanol intake in C57BL/6J mice
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior Volume 88, Issue 1, November 2007, Pages 105-113



GABA receptor systems have long been implicated in alcoholism, and GABAergic drugs have demonstrated efficacy in altering alcohol intake in some rodent models.

The present study was designed to assess the effects of baclofen, muscimol, and gaboxadol (THIP) in a variation on a new mouse model of binge-like ethanol intake.

Baclofen dose-dependently increased binge-like ethanol intake, while both muscimol and THIP reduced ethanol intake. Subsequent studies testing the effect of baclofen, muscimol and THIP on water intake using the same procedure revealed that whereas baclofen had no significant effect, muscimol and THIP both reduced the measure.

These results add to the growing literature suggesting a role for GABA receptor systems in the modulation of ethanol intake. However, whereas the role of GABA_B receptor systems seems selective in the modulation of binge-like ethanol intake, the role for GABA_A receptor systems appears to also extend to general fluid intake.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: sboehm@binghamton.edu
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Paradoxical Facilitatory Effect of Low-Dose Alcohol Consumption on Memory Mediated by NMDA Receptors
The Journal of Neuroscience, September 26, 2007, 27(39):10456-10467;





We hypothesized that chronic moderate alcohol intake leads to improved memory via adaptive responses in the expression of NMDA receptors and downstream signaling.

We found that moderate ethanol intake improved memory, increased NR1 expression, and changed some aspects of neurotrophin signaling. NR1 knock-down prevented ethanol's facilitatory effects, whereas hippocampal NR1 overexpression mimicked the effect of chronic low-dose ethanol intake on memory.

In contrast, high-dose ethanol reduced neurogenesis, inhibited NR2B expression, and impaired visual memory.

In conclusion, adaptive changes in hippocampal NMDA receptor expression may contribute to the positive effects of ethanol on cognition


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Request Reprint E-Mail: during.1@osu.edu
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Intra-median raphe nucleus (MRN) infusions of muscimol, a GABA-A receptor agonist, reinstate alcohol seeking in rats: role of impulsivity and reward
Psychopharmacology Online First 22 September 2007


We previously found that the inhibition of median raphe nucleus (MRN) 5-HT transmission by local injections of a 5-HT1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT or corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) mimic the effect of foot shock stress to reinstate alcohol seeking.

In this study, we further explored the role of the MRN by examining the effect of inhibition of MRN neurons, by injecting the GABA-A receptor agonist muscimol, on the reinstatement of alcohol seeking.

MRN muscimol injections strongly reinstated alcohol seeking and this effect was not reversed by the depletion of 5-HT with 5,7-DHT. MRN muscimol injections did not induce a CPP, but did significantly impair multiple aspects of performance on the 5-CSRTT, including a marked increase in premature, or impulsive, responding.

Together with our previous findings, these results suggest that the inhibition of MRN projection neurons provokes alcohol seeking. Results from the 5-CSRTT suggest that increased impulsivity may contribute to these effects.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: Anh_Le@camh.net
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The neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor subtype is necessary for the
anxiolytic-like effects of neuropeptide Y, but not the antidepressant-like effects of fluoxetine, in mice
Psychopharmacology Online Early 22 September 2007

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is implicated in the pathophysiology of affective illness. Multiple receptor subtypes (Y1R, Y2R, and Y5R) have been suggested to contribute to NPY’s effects on rodent anxiety and depression-related behaviors.

These data demonstrate that Y1R is necessary for the anxiolytic-like effects of icv NPY, but not for the antidepressant-like or neurogenesis-inducing effects of fluoxetine. The present study supports targeting Y1R as a novel therapeutic target for anxiety disorders.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: karlssonr@mail.nih.gov
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Managing drug and alcohol misuse at work

Alcohol Policy UK reports that a new survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) exposes employers for failing to support employees with substance dependency problems. Just 38 per cent pay enough attention to the problem by co-ordinating rehabilitation support to help individuals with drug or alcohol problems return to work. The findings also show that four out of ten employers believe alcohol misuse is a significant cause of employee absence and lost productivity. One third says that drug misuse has a similarly negative effect in the workplace.

Reports the findings from CIPD survey, with data on:

• policies and procedures
• testing
• managing and supporting employees with drug and/or alcohol problems
• recruitment of individuals with previous drug and/or alcohol problems
• disciplinary action and drug and alcohol misuse at work
• rehabilitation of employees with drug or alcohol problems.

Download Full Survey (PDF)

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Analysis of behavior using genetical genomics in mice as a model: from alcohol preferences to gene expression differences
Genome 50(10): 877–897 (2007)





Most familial behavioral phenotypes result from the complex interaction of multiple genes. Studies of such phenotypes involving human subjects are often inconclusive owing to complexity of causation and experimental limitations.

Studies of animal models argue for the use of established genetic strains as a powerful tool for genetic dissection of behavioral disorders and have led to the identification of rare genes and genetic mechanisms implicated in such phenotypes.

Our results demonstrate that different strains show expression differences for a number of genes in the brain, and that closely related strains have similar patterns of gene expression as compared with distantly related strains. In addition, among the 24 000 genes and ESTs on the microarray, 77 showed at least a 1.5-fold increase in the brains of C57BL/6J mice as compared with those of DBA/2J mice. These genes fall into such functional categories as gene regulation, metabolism, cell signaling, neurotransmitter transport, and DNA/RNA binding.

The importance of these findings as a novel genetic resource and their use and application in the genetic analysis of complex behavioral phenotypes, susceptibilities, and responses to drugs and chemicals are discussed.

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Alcohol drinking cessation and its effect on esophageal and head and neck cancers: A pooled analysis

International Journal of Cancer Volume 121, Issue 5 , Pages 1132 - 1137

The objective of this study was to conduct a pooled analysis to evaluate the strength of the evidence available in the epidemiological literature on the association between alcohol drinking cessation and reduction in esophageal and head and neck cancer risks. The risk of esophageal cancer significantly increased within the first 2 yr following cessation then decreased rapidly and significantly after longer periods of abstention . An elevated risk, although not strong as for esophageal cancer, was observed for head and neck cancer up to 10 yr of quitting drinking. Such risk only reduced after 10 yr of cessation . After more than 20 yr of alcohol cessation, the risks for both cancers were no longer significantly different from the risk of never drinkers. Our findings demonstrate an important role of alcohol cessation on esophageal and head and neck carcinogenesis. Read Full Abstract Reprint Request E-Mail: jtrehm@aol.com ___________________________________________________________________

A Role for Spiritual Change in the Benefits of 12-Step Involvement
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (s3), 76s–79s.





The present study provides further evidence that spiritual change contributes to recovery, at least within the context of 12-step involvement. The study also deepens our understanding of how 12-step involvement works.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: szemore@arg.org
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Ethanol alters acetylcholinesterase activity and gene expression in zebrafish brain
Toxicology Letters Article in Press, 19 August 2007



Here we investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects promoted by ethanol and its metabolites on zebrafish brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE).

There was a significant increase of AChE (33%) activity after acute 1% ethanol exposure. However, ethanol in vitro did not alter AChE activity.

Acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of alcohol metabolism, promoted a dose-dependent decrease (15%, 27.5% and 46.5%) at 0.25%, 0.5% and 1%, respectively. Acetate, a product of acetaldehyde degradation, did not change AChE activity.

Furthermore, the acute ethanol exposure was able to inhibit AChE transcripts at 0.5% and 1%.

These findings suggest that the alterations on zebrafish AChE could reveal molecular mechanisms related to cholinergic signaling in alcoholism.




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Reprint Request E-Mail: mbogo@pucrs.br
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Relationship of abdominal obesity with alcohol consumption at population scale
European Journal of Nutrition, Online First, 21 September 2007




Alcohol consumption in elevated amounts was associated with risk of abdominal obesity in men, independent of energy underreporting.


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Reprint Request E-Mail: hschroeder@imim.es
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Adapting a Cognitive Behavioral Program in Treating Alcohol Dependence in South Korea
Perspectives In Psychiatric Care 43 (4), 183–192.

This paper aims to evaluate the effects of the traditional Korean moral behavioral-cognitive approach treatment for promoting insight in patients with alcohol dependence.

There was statistically significant promotion of insight, especially in control/dependence insight, after treatment.

The therapeutic intervention, considering the sociocultural factors, could be more effective in promoting insight in clients with alcohol dependence.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: imsb550901@hanmail.net, with a copy to the Editor: mary@artwindows.com

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Disaggregating the Distal, Proximal, and Time-Varying Effects of Parent Alcoholism on Children’s Internalizing Symptoms
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Online First 24 September 2007


Using a mixed modeling approach, we tested whether children showed elevated mother- and child-reported internalizing symptoms (a) at the same time that parents showed alcohol-related consequences (time-varying effects), (b) if parents showed greater alcohol-related consequences during the study period (proximal effects), and (c) if parents had a lifetime diagnosis of alcoholism that predated the study period (distal effects).

No support for time-varying effects was found; proximal effects of mothers’ alcohol-related consequences on child-reported internalizing symptoms were found and distal effects of mother and father alcoholism predicted greater internalizing symptoms among children of alcoholic parents.

Implications for the time-embedded relations between parent alcoholism and children’s internalizing symptoms are discussed

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Reprint Request E-Mail: Hussong@unc.edu
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CGP7930: A Positive Allosteric Modulator of the GABA_B Receptor
CNS Drug Reviews 13 (3), 308–316. Fall 2007






CGP7930 (3-(3',5'-Di-tert-butyl-4'-hydroxy)phenyl-2,2-dimethylpropanol) is a positive allosteric modulator of the metabotropic GABA_B receptor. CGP7930 has been found to modulate the GABA_B receptor in the open, or high affinity, state increasing agonist affinity for the receptor and signal transduction efficacy following agonist stimulation.

The GABA_B heteromeric subunit B2, involved in signal transduction but not ligand binding, seems to be the site of action of CGP7930 and similar allosteric modulators. When administered alone in naïve animals, CGP7930 acts as an anxiolytic in rodents without other overt behavioral effects and has also been demonstrated to reduce self-administration of nicotine, cocaine, or alcohol in rodents, suggesting that "fine tuning" of the GABA_B receptor by positive allosteric modulators may be able to regulate abuse of these drugs.

Baclofen, the GABA_B agonist, is currently finding use in treating addiction and various other disorders, but this can result in off-target effects and tolerance. CGP7930 when co-administered with baclofen enhances its potency, which could in theory minimize deleterious effects.

Further study of CGP7930 is required, but this compound, and others like it, holds potential in a clinical setting.

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Tackling society's drug and alcohol crisis at its roots

Tue 25 Sep 2007

ALAN SINCLAIR

IF YOU have been in a city centre late on a Friday or Saturday, you won't have failed to notice the number of legless party-goers. If you have seen or taken part in the debauch, the fact that consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs is on the increase will come as no surprise. There is a creeping acceptance that bingeing on drink and drugs is just part of being Scottish, young and/or male. How can we change this deep-seated belief?

The Futures Unit of the Scottish Parliament has a remit to think further ahead than the electoral cycle and to get beyond party political boundaries. It is committed to understanding and severing the national obsession with drink and drugs and has set a challenge: how can Scotland reduce the damage to its population through alcohol and drugs by half by 2025?
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News Release - HHS Provides $98 Million in Access to Recovery Grants

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Program Expands Client Choice in Substance Abuse Treatment Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today announced $98 million in new Access to Recovery (ATR) grants to provide people seeking drug and alcohol treatment with vouchers allowing them a greater range of choice in selecting the services most appropriate for their needs. Of the $98 million, approximately $2 million will be used to fund an independent evaluation of the program.

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Program Structure and Counselor-Client Contact in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment
Health Services Research (OnlineEarly Articles). 10 September 2007

Clients received more counseling hours in programs that were "intensive," publicly owned, accredited, and had a lower proportion of recently hired counselors.

More case management hours were offered in "intensive," private-for-profit or publicly owned (versus private-nonprofit) programs, serving a lower proportion of dual-diagnosis clients, and providing more on-site supplemental services.

Smaller caseloads were found in programs that were accredited and had a smaller average client census and a lower proportion of criminal justice referred clients.

Organizational attributes are related to counselor–client contact and may have implications for staff turnover and service quality.

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Reprint Request E-Mail: d.knight@tcu.edu

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Long-lasting tolerance to alcohol following a history of dependence
Addiction Biology (OnlineEarly Articles). 11 September 2007

Tolerance to alcohol effects is one of the defining features of clinical alcohol dependence. Here, we hypothesized that the post-dependent state may include tolerance to sedative-hypnotic alcohol actions. To address this question, we used a recently developed animal model in which repeated cycles of alcohol intoxication and withdrawal trigger long-lasting behavioral plasticity.

In conclusion, a history of alcohol dependence induces long-lasting hypnotic tolerance. This process may play an important role in maintaining the dependent state.

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Reprint Rquest E-Mail: roberto.rimondini@unibo.it

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Intake of Energy Drinks in Association With Alcoholic Beverages in a Cohort of Students of the School of Medicine of the University of Messina
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (10), 1677–1680.


Our data indicate that association of Energy Drinks + alcohol is very popular among students. This behavior can be dangerous. In fact, the combination of ED + alcoholic drinks can reduce adversive symptoms of alcohol intoxication including the depressant effects. As consequence, users of ED + alcoholic beverages might not feel the signs of alcohol intoxication, thus increasing the probability of accidents and/or favoring the possibility of development of alcohol dependence.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: gcalapai@unime.it
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Brown's speech: full text part two

Monday September 24, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

" . . . . . Binge drinking and underage drinking that disrupt neighbourhoods are unacceptable.

To punish: let me tell the shops that repeatedly sell alcohol to those who are under age - we will take your licences away.

To prevent: councils should use new powers to ban alcohol in trouble spots and I call on the industry to do more to advertise the dangers of teenage drinking."

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Mark Keller Honorary Lecture 2007


Event Details:

Mark Keller Honorary Lecture Series
NIH Campus, Lipsett Amphitheater
Clinical Center (Bldg. 10)
Bethesda, MD

10/30/2007 1:30 PM

Boris Tabakoff, Ph.D., Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, has been selected to receive the 2007 Mark Keller Honorary Award and to deliver the lecture entitled "Why Mice, Rats and Some Humans Drink Alcohol: A Neurobiologic/Genomics Perspective."

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