Re-framing ‘binge drinking’ as calculated hedonism—Empirical evidence from the UK
International Journal of Drug Policy
Article in Press, Corrected Proof 5 November 2007

Recent debates on ‘binge drinking’ in the UK have represented the activities of young drinkers in urban areas as a particular source of concern, as constituting a threat to law and order, a drain on public health and welfare services and as a source of risk to their own future health and well being. The discourse of moral panic around young people's ‘binge drinking’ has pervaded popular media, public policy and academic research, often differentiating the excesses of ‘binge drinking’ from ‘normal’ patterns of alcohol consumption, although in practice definitions of ‘binge drinking’ vary considerably. However, recent research in this area has drawn on the notion of ‘calculated hedonism’ to refer to a way of ‘managing’ alcohol consumption that might be viewed as excessive.

The paper presents a critical analysis of contemporary discourses around ‘binge drinking’ in the British context, highlighting contradictory messages about responsibility and self control in relation to the recent liberalisation of licensing laws and the extensive marketing of alcohol to young people. The paper analyses marketing communications which present drinking as a crucial element in ‘having fun’, and as an important aspect of young people's social lives. The empirical study involves analysis of focus group discussions and individual interviews with young people aged 18–25 in three areas of Britain: a major city in the West Midlands, a seaside town in the South-West of England and a small market town also in the South-West.

The initial findings present the varied forms and meanings that socialising and drinking took in these young people's social lives. In particular the results illustrate the ways in which drinking is constituted and managed as a potential source of pleasure.

The paper concludes that the term ‘calculated hedonism’ better describes the behaviour of the young people in this study and in particular the way they manage their pleasure around alcohol, than the emotive term ‘binge drinking’.

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ESRC RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES ON Identities and Consumption

3^rd –4^th September 2007, University of Bath

‘Disorders of consumption’: Health, identities and

social policies on consumption

Speakers

Sally Casswell, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

‘From a public health perspective: Alcohol harms, players and policies.’

Robert Hollands, University of Newcastle

‘Putting binge drinking into context: Alcohol consumption, corporatisation and the night-time economy.’

Christine Griffin, Willm Mistral and Andrew Bengry-Howell, University of Bath; Isabelle Szmigin, Universityof Birmingham; Chris Hackley, Royal HollowayCollege, London

Presentation on ESRC ‘Young people and alcohol’ study
‘Re-framing ‘Binge drinking’ as a culture of intoxication.’

Giuseppina Cersosimo, University of Salerno, Southern Italy

‘L’equilibrio desiderata: Women and alcohol in Southern Italy.’

Mandi Hodges, De Montfort University

‘Talking in ‘addiction-speak’ in calls to an alcohol helpline.’

Fiona Measham and Karenza Moore, University of Lancaster

‘Policing pleasure: Official and user constructions of ‘pleasure’ in illicit alcohol and
drug use.’

Martin Holt, University of New South Wales, Australia

‘Defined by disorder: Drug treatment clients and the search for normal consumption.’

Sarah Riley, Christine Griffin and Yvette Morey, University of Bath

Presentation on ESRC ‘Reverberating rhythms’ study: Social Identity and Political Participation in Clubland.

Fin Cullen, Goldsmith’s College, London

“Where are we gonna go?”: Cotching, respectability and teenage girls’ drinking
identities.

Peter Thomas, University of Newcastle

”I don’t care how I feel tomorrow because it’s worth it. Everybody’s just in a party
mood and having a good time with each other, and I don’t see how you could do that sober”: The place of alcohol in producing social spaces at Glastonbury Music
Festival.

Shane Blackman, Christ’s College, Canterbury

‘Abstinence on the offensive?’ critical reflections on drug normalisation, youth
subcultural identities and the new forms of drug prevention, desistance, normative education and the ‘Blueprint.’

Ciaran O’Hagan, Hackney Drug Action Team, London

‘A model of contemporary drug use at dance events’

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Welcome to the latest
'What's new on the Alcohol Information Scotland website'

New on the site
Latest publications include:
Evaluation of Test Purchasing Pilot for Sales of Alcohol to Under-18's - Final Report		Scottish Government
	A Practical Guide to Test Purchasing in Scotland		Scottish Government
	Highlights from latest media comment
	Date	Publication	Publisher
	30th October	Documentary series on substance misuse	Channel 4
	26th October	Doctor speaks out over pregnancy drink ban	BBC News
	23rd October	'Scare tactics' fails to prevent binge drinking warns expert	The Scotsman
	22nd October	Tackling Scotland's drinking culture	The Sunday Herald
	22nd October	Glasgow's City Centre Alcohol Action Group	The Sunday Herald
	22nd October	Alcohol Awareness Week	Scottish Government
	19th October	Hospital clinic offers anti-alcohol abuse medicine to clients.	Evening News
	19th October	Doctors back call for compulsory labelling of alcoholic drinks	BBC News
	17th October	More than one million Scots thought to drink at harmful levels	Various Sources
	Forthcoming Events
	A list of forthcoming workshops, training courses, seminars and conferences
	Parliamentary Questions - See the latest questions

Report on Activities in 2006

Dear colleagues, friends and supporters, the second year of the existence of the Centre for Addictology at the Psychiatric Clinic of the 1st Faculty of Medicine and General Teaching Hospital, Charles University in Prague has passed and common everyday work has replaced the first wave of enthusiasm.

Only its results will prove the viability of the Centre, both from the point of view of the institution and from the point of view of the configuration and effectiveness of the working team. Nevertheless, the balance of the second year is very rich and I think that the results we have achieved already show that the good start was not accidental and that the high level of motivation and commitment of the team have helped us manage a number of troubles which are associated with every start.....


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Substance use and the adolescent brain: A toxic combination?
Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 21, No. 8, 792-794 (2007)

Early onset substance use has consistently been associated with increased risk for a range of adverse outcomes in late adolescence and early adulthood. However, the mechanisms that underlie this relationship are not fully understood.

Recent advances in developmental neuro-science, together with emerging literature on early onset substance use, suggest that the adolescent brain may be more vulnerable to the effects of addictive substances because of the extensive neuromaturational processes that are occurring during this period.

Such findings are suggestive of disrupted developmental trajectories in early onset users, although there is growing evidence that high-risk youths have premorbid neurobiological vulnerabilities.

Prospective studies investigating neurobiological correlates and sequelae of early adolescent drug use are urgently required to inform appropriate public health responses.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: dan.lubman@mh.org.au

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News Release - Study Shows Energy Drink “Cocktails” Lead to Increased Injury Risk
November 5, 2007

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – College students who drink alcohol mixed with so-called “energy” drinks are at dramatically higher risk for injury and other alcohol-related consequences, compared to students who drink alcohol without energy drinks, according to new research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The findings were reported today at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C.

The researchers found that students who consumed alcohol mixed with energy drinks were twice as likely to be hurt or injured, twice as likely to require medical attention, and twice as likely to ride with an intoxicated driver, as were students who did not consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks. Students who drank alcohol mixed with energy drinks were more than twice as likely to take advantage of someone else sexually, and almost twice as likely to be taken advantage of sexually.
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Specificity of Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors for Symptoms of Cannabis, Cocaine, Alcohol, Caffeine, and Nicotine Dependence
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64(11):1313-1320.

Although genetic risk factors have been found to contribute to dependence on both licit and illicit psychoactive substances, we know little of how these risk factors interrelate.

To clarify the structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for symptoms of dependence on cannabis, cocaine, alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine in males and females.

Controlling for greater symptom prevalence in males, genetic and environmental parameters could be equated across sexes. Two models explained the data well. The best-fit exploratory model contained 2 genetic factors and 1 individual environmental factor contributing to all substances. The first genetic factor loaded strongly on cocaine and cannabis dependence; the second, on alcohol and nicotine dependence. Nicotine and caffeine had high substance-specific genetic effects. A confirmatory model, which also fit well, contained 1 illicit drug genetic factor—loading only on cannabis and cocaine—and 1 licit drug genetic factor loading on alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine. However, these factors were highly intercorrelated (r = + 0.82). Large substance-specific genetic effects remained for nicotine and caffeine.

The pattern of genetic and environmental risk factors for psychoactive substance dependence was similar in males and females. Genetic risk factors for dependence on common psychoactive substances cannot be explained by a single factor. Rather, 2 genetic factors—one predisposing largely to illicit drug dependence, the other primarily to licit drug dependence—are needed. Furthermore, a large proportion of the genetic influences on nicotine and particularly caffeine dependence appear to be specific to those substances.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: kendler@vcu.edu

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Causal Inferences Regarding Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Childhood Externalizing Problems
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64(11):1296-1304.





Existing research on the neurobehavioral consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has not adequately accounted for genetic and environmental confounds.

To examine the association between PAE and offspring externalizing problems in a large representative sample of families in the United States using measured covariates and a quasi-experimental design to account for unmeasured genetic and environmental confounds.

There was an association between PAE and offspring CPs that was independent of confounded genetic and fixed environmental effects and the measured covariates. The CPs in children of mothers who drank daily during pregnancy were 0.35 SD greater than those in children whose mothers never drank during pregnancy. Although AIPs were associated with PAE when comparing unrelated offspring, children whose mothers drank more frequently during pregnancy did not have more AIPs than siblings who were less exposed to alcohol in utero. Additional subsample analyses suggested that maternal polysubstance use during pregnancy may account for the associations between PAE and AIPs.

These results are consistent with PAE exerting an environmentally mediated causal effect on childhood CPs, but the relation between PAE and AIPs is more likely to be caused by other factors correlated with maternal drinking during pregnancy.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: bmdonofr@indiana.edu
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NCHS Announces Data Users Conference
August 11-13, 2008

There is no fee to attend this biennial conference but you must register. If you are currently using or have a need to use NCHS data, this forum is for you.

Information on all NCHS surveys and data collections will be presented. Hands-on workshops will help you use and analyze data. Check this site in early 2008 for registration information.

Although the 2008 Data User Program is being developed, the 2006 Program is available for viewing

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Editorial - Better late
Stabroek News Guyana
4 November 2007

It is welcome news that the Ministry of Health recognizes the disease that is alcoholism as a national public health issue and is planning strategies to address it. It is unsatisfactory that it has taken so long and that so many lives had to be lost before there was public acknowledgement of this. It must also be sorely disappointing to women's rights and anti-violence activists, who have said repeatedly that alcoholism contributes to domestic abuse and other forms of violence and murder, that Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy ignored, or chose not to address, this aspect of it in his interview with this newspaper, published earlier this week.
. . . . . .

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Lifestyle- and diet-related factors in late-life depression - a 5-year follow-up of elderly European men: the FINE study
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, Early View, 2 November 2007

Late-life depression is one of the main health problems among elderly populations and a key element of healthy ageing. Causal relationships of lifestyle- and diet-related factors in late-life depression are unclear. This study investigates prospective associations of lifestyle- and diet-related factors with development of categorically defined late-life depression in a well-documented population of elderly European men. Eleven percent (n = 59) of the men developed depression during follow-up. An independent association with development of depression was found for baseline depressive status , a decline in serum total cholesterol level between study years , physical activity and moderate alcohol intake but not for dietary factors. This study of a well-documented population of elderly European men confirms that physical activity and moderate alcohol consumption may protect against depression in the old-old. Our results are the first to suggest that a decline in serum cholesterol level may predict development of late-life depression. As the effects of age, medication and incipient cognitive decline could not be entirely ruled out; this finding must be interpreted with care. Read Full Abstract Request Reprint E-Mail: Sinikka.Bots@ktl.fi __________________________________________________________________

'Hazardous' alcohol abuse in Armed Forces
By Richard Gray
03/11/2007

A culture of “hazardous” binge drinking is plaguing Britain’s Armed Forces with three times more men and nine times more women drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol than in the civilian population. A report to be published next month lays bare the extent of alcohol abuse among the country’s military personnel, claiming that “ritualised drinking”, operational stress and the macho culture fuels excessive drinking. Doctors behind the study, the largest of its kind in the British services, have criticised the military’s “ambivalent” view on alcohol abuse. . . . . . . . Read Full Article _______________________________________________________________

Patterns of drinking in the UK Armed Forces
Addiction 102 (11), 1749–1759.

To examine patterns of drinking in the UK Armed Forces, how they vary according to gender and other demographics, and to make comparisons with the general population.

Sixty-seven per cent of men and 49% of women in the UK Armed Forces had an AUDIT score of 8+ (defined as hazardous drinking), compared to 38% of men and 16% of women in the general population. In both sexes, for all ages, the military have a higher prevalence of hazardous drinking. Binge drinking was associated with being younger, being in the Army, being single, being a smoker and being white. Among military men, heavy drinking (AUDIT score 16+) was associated with holding a lower rank, being younger, being single, being in the Naval Service or Army, being deployed to Iraq, not having children, being a smoker, having a combat role and having a parent with a drink or drug problem.

Excessive alcohol consumption is more common in the UK Armed Forces than in the general population. There are certain socio-demographic characteristics associated with heavy drinking within the military; for example, young age, being single and being a smoker, which may allow the targeting of preventive interventions.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: nicola.fear@iop.kcl.ac.uk

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Press release - Substance abuse practitioners ask 'what is recovery?'



More than just abstinence, according to proposed definition

Philadelphia, PA, November 1, 2007 – Abstinence from alcohol and drugs is just the starting point in defining "recovery" for people with substance abuse disorders, according to a paper in the October issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (JSAT).

According to an initial definition developed by a panel of experts from the Betty Ford Institute, recovery is "a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship." The panel's report appears as part of a special section of JSAT devoted to Defining and Measuring Recovery.

Although "recovery" is widely recognized as the goal of treatment for substance abuse disorders, there has been no widely accepted definition of what the term actually means. "Recovery may be the best word to summarize all the positive benefits to physical, mental, and social health that can happen when alcohol- and other drug-dependent individuals get the help they need," the expert panel writes.

The panel's report outlines some of the thinking behind key components of the definition. Sobriety—meaning complete abstinence from alcohol and all other nonprescribed drugs—is regarded as necessary, but not in itself sufficient for recovery. The panel suggests a classification to define the duration of sobriety: "early" sobriety between one month and one year; "sustained" sobriety, between one and five years; and "stable" sobriety, five years or longer. People in "stable" recovery are thought to be at lower risk of relapse.

Personal health is included as a component of recovery that may be of special importance to substance abusers and their families, as well as to society. In this context, personal health refers not only to physical and mental health, but also to social health—ie, participation in social roles and supports. Citizenship refers to "giving back" to community and society. While acknowledging the need refine this part of the definition, the panel felt is was important to recognize the traditional place of citizenship as a key element of recovery.
. . . . . .

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“Recovery” means many things to many people.
Findings Betty Ford Institute Summer 2007

So many things to so many people, that the meaning of this word/concept/lifestyle has taken on a mysterious or even “fringe” quality that has prevented popular understanding and acceptance.

The challenge of the inaugural Betty Ford Institute Consensus Conference was to try to develop a definition of “recovery” that would have utility for clinicians and researchers alike.

In the Fall of 2006, a blue-ribbon panel of researchers, policy makers, clinicians and members of the recovering community, met in Rancho Mirage, California to discuss – and try to define – “recovery.” Erica Goode, a science editor at The New York Times, served as moderator.

The definition that emerged is this: Recovery from substance dependence is a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health and citizenship.

Recovery from substance dependence is a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health and citizenship:

1. Sobriety – abstinence from alcohol and all other non-prescribed drugs

This criterion is considered primary, and necessary for a recovery lifestyle. Evidence indicates that for formerly dependent individuals, sobriety is most reliably achieved through the practice of abstinance from alcohol and all other drugs of abuse.

Early sobriety = 1-11 months.
Sustained sobriety = 1-5 years.
Stable sobriety = 5 years or more

2. Personal Health – improved quality of personal life as defined and measured by validated instruments such as the physical health, psychological health independence and
spirituality scales of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHO-QOL, 1998).

3. Citizenship – living with regard and respect for those around you as defined and measured by validated instruments such as the social function and environment scales of the WHO-QOL instrument. (WHO-QOL, 1998).

Criteria two and three extend sobriety into the broader concept of recovery. Personal healthand citezenship are often achieved and sustained through peer support groups such as AA and practices consistent with the 12 steps and 12 traditions.

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Download WHO-QOL, 1998 Manual (PDF)
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Traditions and alcohol use: A mixed-methods analysis.
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. 2007 Oct Vol 13(4) 269-284




An integrative mixed-methods analysis examined traditional beliefs as associated with beliefs about self-care during pregnancy and with alcohol abstinence among young adult women from two rural U.S.-Mexico border communities.

Quantitative (measured scale) variables and qualitative thematic variables generated from open-ended responses served as within-time predictors of these health-related outcomes.

A weaker belief that life is better in big cities was associated with stronger self-care beliefs during pregnancy. Also, a weaker belief that small towns offer tranquil environments was associated with total abstinence from alcohol.

Regarding the Hispanic Paradox, these results suggest that a critical appreciation of cultural traditions can be protective, as this avoids stereotypical or idyllic views of urban or rural lifeways, and promotes self-protective beliefs and behaviors.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: Felipe.Castro@asu.edu
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Neurophysiological Endophenotypes, CNS Disinhibition, and Risk for Alcohol Dependence and Related Disorders
The Scientific World, Vol 7, S2, pp.131-141, 2007


Biological endophenotypes are more proximal to gene function than psychiatric diagnosis, providing a powerful strategy in searching for genes in psychiatric disorders. These intermediate phenotypes identify both affected and unaffected members of an affected family, including offspring at risk, providing a more direct connection with underlying biological vulnerability.

The Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) has employed heritable neurophysiological features (i.e., brain oscillations) as endophenotypes, making it possible to identify susceptibility genes that may be difficult to detect with diagnosis alone. We found significant linkage and association between brain oscillations and genes involved with inhibitory neural networks (e.g., GABRA2, CHRM2), including frontal networks that are deficient in individuals with alcohol dependence, impulsivity, and related disinhibitory disorders.

We reported significant linkage and linkage disequilibrium for the beta frequency of the EEG and GABRA2, a GABAA receptor gene on chromosome 4, which we found is also associated with diagnosis of alcohol dependence and related disorders. More recently, we found significant linkage and association with GABRA2 and interhemispheric theta coherence. We also reported significant linkage and linkage disequilibrium between the theta and delta event-related oscillations underlying P3 to target stimuli and CHRM2, a cholinergic muscarinic receptor gene on chromosome 7, which we found is also associated with diagnosis of alcohol dependence and related disorders.

Thus, the identification of genes important for the expression of the endophenotypes (brain oscillations) helps when identifying genes that increase the susceptibility for risk of alcohol dependence and related disorders.

These findings underscore the utility of quantitative neurophysiological endophenotypes in the study of the genetics of complex disorders. We will present our recent genetic findings related to brain oscillations and Central Nervous System (CNS) disinhibition.


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The Costs of Alcohol, Illegal Drugs, and Tobacco in Canada, 2002
J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 68: 886-895, 2007






The aim of this study was to estimate costs attributable to substance use and misuse in Canada in 2002.

Costs of substance use and misuse totaled almost Can. $40 billion in 2002. The total cost per capita for substance use and misuse was about Can. $1,267: Can. $463 for alcohol, Can. $262 for illegal drugs, and Can. $541 for tobacco.

Legal substances accounted for the vast majority of these costs (tobacco: almost 43% of total costs; alcohol: 37%).

Indirect costs or productivity losses were the largest cost category (61%), followed by health care (22%) and law enforcement costs (14%). More than 40,000 people died in Canada in 2002 because of substance use and misuse: 37,209 deaths were attributable to tobacco, 4,258 were attributable to alcohol, and 1,695 were attributable to illegal drugs. A total of about 3.8 million hospital days were attributable to substance use and misuse, again mainly to tobacco.

Substance use and misuse imposes a considerable economic toll on Canadian society and requires more preventive efforts.

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Postpartum and Alcohol-Related Factors Associated With the Relapse of Risky Drinking
J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 68: 879-885, 2007)





The purposes of this investigation were (1) to describe postpartum drinking patterns among women who were frequent drinkers before pregnancy and (2) to identify factors correlated with postpartum risky drinking among women who were frequent drinkers before pregnancy.

Overall, 37.8% (n = 144) of women reported postpartum risky drinking. Eighteen percent reported heavy episodic drinking only, 5% reported frequent drinking only, and 15% reported both behaviors.

Postpartum risky drinkers were more likely than other women to have had a partner who engaged in risky drinking , to have been unemployed , to have smoked following pregnancy , and to have consumed alcohol after the recognition of pregnancy . Women who breast-fed their child were less likely to report risky drinking .

In the postpartum period, health care providers may want to focus alcohol screening efforts on former frequent drinkers who are smokers, are unemployed, have a partner who is a risky drinker, or are not breast-feeding.

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Request reprint E-Mail: tjagodzinski@wisc.edu
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Organizational-Level Predictors of Adoption Across Time: Naltrexone in Private Substance-Use Disorders Treatment Centers
J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 68: 852-861, 2007





Prominent on the nation's research agenda on substance-use disorders treatment is the dissemination of effective pharmacotherapies. Thus, the purpose of this article is to use a diffusion of innovations theoretical framework to examine the organizational-level predictors of the adoption of a pharmacotherapy, naltrexone (Revia), in private substance use-disorders treatment centers (N = 165).

Data for these analyses were derived from the National Treatment Center Study, which contains four waves of data collected between 1994 and 2003. An event history model examined the impact of culture, leadership characteristics, internal structure, and external characteristics on the likelihood of adopting naltrexone between 1994 and 2003.

The results suggest that organizations embracing a 12-step model and those employing more experienced administrators were significantly less likely to adopt naltrexone. Moreover, treatment centers that used prescription drugs, possessed an employee handbook, were accredited, and operated on a for-profit basis were significantly more likely to adopt naltrexone over time.

Structural characteristics do affect the innovation adoption behaviors of private substance-use disorders treatment centers. Organizational-level research to practice implications to further the adoption of innovative evidence-based treatments are discussed.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: cboser0@uky.edu
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Alcohol Outlets and Problem Drinking Among Adults in California
J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 68: 923-933, 2007

The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between alcohol environments and problem drinking, including excessive alcohol consumption, heavy episodic drinking, driving after drinking, and riding with a drinking driver.

On-sale establishments, particularly minor-restricted establishments, were significantly associated with excessive alcohol consumption and heavy episodic drinking, after controlling for individual and neighborhood sociodemographics. The effect was limited to outlets located within proximity, roughly 1 mile from residential homes. Off-sale retails were not found to be related to problem drinking.

If the number of minor-restricted establishments increases from median to 90th percentile of their distribution, heavy episodic drinking would increase from 11.1% to 14.3% among women and from 19.6% to 22.0% among men.

Certain types of alcohol retailers in neighborhoods were associated with problem drinking. Moratorium of new licenses based on number of licenses per capita at county level is not effective because only a subgroup of licenses matters, and alcohol is more available in terms of distance, travel time, or search costs in densely populated cities.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: truong@rand.org.
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Serious Psychological Distress and Substance Use Disorder among Veterans

Highlights:

• Combined data from SAMHSA's 2004 - 2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health indicate than an annual average of 7% of veterans aged 18 or older experienced past year serious psychological distress, 7.1% met the criteria for a past year substance use disorder, and 1.5% had co-occurring serious psychological distress and substance use disorder.

• Veterans aged 18 to 25 were more likely than older veterans to have higher rates of serious psychological distress, substance use disorder, or co-occurring psychological distress and substance use disorder in the past year.

• Veterans with family incomes of less than $20,000 per year were more likely than veterans with higher family incomes to have had serious psychological distress, substance use disorder, or co-occurring psychological distress and substance use disorder in the past year.

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Alcohol consumption and suicide mortality among Japanese men: the Ohsaki Study
Alcohol Volume 41, Issue 7, November 2007, Pages 503-510



The risk of suicide is well known to be increased among heavy alcohol drinkers. However, whether the risk is increased or decreased among light drinkers is still under debate.

We investigated this association in a population-based sample of men in Japan. The Ohsaki Study was a population-based, prospective cohort study among Japanese adults aged from 40 to 79 years.

Between October and December, 1994, 22,804 men in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, completed a questionnaire on various health-related lifestyles, including alcohol drinking. During the subsequent 7 years follow-up, 73 participants committed suicide. We used the Cox proportional hazards regression model to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for suicide mortality according to the quantity of alcohol consumed daily, with adjustment for potential confounders.

There was a statistically significant positive and linear association between the amount of alcohol consumed and the risk of suicide: the multivariate HRs in reference to nondrinkers were 1.2 , 1.5 , and 2.4 in current drinkers who consumed ≤22.7 g, 22.8 g–45.5 g, and ≥45.6 g of alcohol per day, respectively.

Even after the early death cases were excluded, a significant linear association was observed between alcohol consumption and the risk of suicide, with the risk of suicide also being nonsignificantly higher among the light drinkers than among nondrinkers .

This prospective cohort study indicated a positive linear association between alcohol consumption and the risk of suicide, and the suicide risk among the light drinkers was not decreased as compared with that in nondrinkers.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: nakaya-thk@umin.ac.jp
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