Are Some Drinkers Resistant to Hangover? A Literature Review
Current Drug Abuse Reviews, Volume 1, 2008, Pp. 42-46



To assess the incidence of hangover we: (1) reviewed the experimental and survey literature; (2) performed secondary analyses on two large population surveys; and (3) calculated the incidence of hangover among young adults participating in several randomized trials we conducted on the aftereffects of heavy drinking.

Survey data included adults admitted for alcohol detoxification, community adults who ever got “tipsy” or “high”, adolescents in high school who ever drank heavily, adults who drank heavily in the past 12 months, and university students. Most of the experimental trials brought participants to intoxication.

The consistency of findings across study designs, populations, and referenced time period suggests that around 23% of the population may be resistant to hangover.

Since propensity for hangover may affect drinking patterns, further research on the consequences and predictors of hangover insensitivity is warranted.

[Full Text Article]
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The Impact of Excessive Alcohol Use on Prospective Memory: A Brief Review
Current Drug Abuse Reviews, Volume 1, 2008, Pp. 36-41


Research into the cognitive consequences of chronic excessive alcohol use continues to grow. Despite this, little research has investigated what impact excessive alcohol use might have upon everyday remembering.

An important aspect of everyday remembering is prospective memory (PM), which refers to the cognitive ability of remembering to carry out an intended action at some future point in time.

The majority of the studies which have focused on what impact excessive alcohol use has upon PM in teenagers and young adults have consistently found that the excessive drinkers reported more lapses in their short term (e.g., forgetting to lock one’s door upon leaving home) and long term (e.g., forgetting to post a letter on time) aspects of everyday PM, when compared to low-dose alcohol users or non-users.

It is concluded from this review that PM deficits should be added to the growing list of neuropsychological sequelae associated with excessive alcohol use. The magnitude of the effects of alcohol on PM depends upon the amount of alcohol consumed and how long one has been drinking.

Major limitations of these studies include their reliance upon the use of self-report measures of PM, the issue of polydrug use complicating the picture, the need to control for the co-morbidity of other conditions - such as depression, and better drug-screening methods.

Therefore, further studies need to employ objective measures alongside self-report measures of PM, incorporate better controls for the use of other drugs and mood states, as well as extending the focus of the research to study what effect different patterns of alcohol use might have upon PM, e.g., what impact binge drinking has upon everyday PM.

These findings have educational and applied relevance within the alcohol field.

[Full Text Article]
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Incorporating Coping into an Expectancy Framework for Explaining Drinking Behaviour
Current Drug Abuse Reviews, Volume 1, 2008, Pp. 20-35



Expectancy Theory has offered much in the way of understanding alcohol use and abuse, and has contributed greatly to prevention and treatment initiatives.

However although many cognitive-behavioural treatment approaches are based on expectancy constructs, such as outcome expectancies and self-efficacy, high relapse rates imply that expectancy theory may be too narrow in scope, and that additional variables need to be examined if a comprehensive understanding of drinking behaviour, and better treatment outcomes, are to be achieved.

We suggest that the coping strategies an individual employs present one such set of variables that have largely been neglected from an expectancy framework. Although coping skills training is routinely used in prevention and treatment of alcohol problems, coping research has suffered from a poor theoretical framework.

In this paper we review the existing research relating expectancies, self-efficacy and coping to drinking behaviour and propose a model which explains both social and dependent drinking, by incorporating coping into an expectancy theory framework.

We also outline research and clinical implications of the proposed model.

[Full Text Article]
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Putative Role of Brain Acetaldehyde in Ethanol Addiction
Current Drug Abuse Reviews, Volume 1, 2008, Pp. 3-8


The putative contribution of brain acetaldehyde (AcH) to ethanol (EtOH) tolerance and dependence (addiction) is reviewed.

Although the role of AcH in EtOH addiction has been controversial, there are data showing a relationship. AcH can be formed in the brain tissues through the peroxidatic activity of catalase and by oxidation via other oxidizing enzymes such as cytochrome P-4502E1.

Significant formation of AcH occurs in vitro in brain tissue at concentrations of EtOH that can be achieved by voluntary consumption of EtOH by rodents. AcH itself possesses reinforcing properties, which suggests that some of the behavioral pharmacological effects attributed to EtOH may be a result of the formation of AcH, and supports the involvement of AcH in EtOH addiction.

Modulation of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and brain catalase activity can change EtOH-related addictive behaviors presumably by changing AcH levels. Moreover, some condensation reaction products of AcH may promote some actions of EtOH and its consumption.

On the basis of the findings, it can be concluded that AcH may mediate some of the CNS actions of EtOH including tolerance and dependence, although further exploration the involvement of AcH in EtOH addiction is warranted.

[Full Text Article]
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National Binge Drinking Strategy; Alcohol Advertising - Joint Press Conference with,Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health and Ageing Prime Ministers Courtyard, Parliament House, Canberra
10 March 2008

The families, parents, local communities and police at the local level have been dealing with the problem of binge drinking for a long, long time. Families, parents, local communities know that binge drinking is a problem right across the country. What we find is that families and local police and communities have been trying to do their bit to turn this problem around, and today the Australian Government is putting up its hand to partner with them to try, to try to turn this problem around.

If you look at some of the figures, we have a big challenge on our hands. There is a 2005 survey by the Australian Secondary Students, of Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug Survey. And it found that in a given week, approximately one in ten, that is 168,000 young people aged 12 to 17, reported binge drinking or drinking at risky levels. For 16 and 17 year olds, one in five drank at risky levels. In an earlier survey, 13 per cent of 18 to 20 year olds drank 13 or more standard drinks each time they visited a club, 83 per cent left the club as the driver of a vehicle and 70 per cent of males and 30 per cent of females believed that drinking was an important tradition at their club.

Ultimately, this, of course, is a question of personal responsibility. But what we propose to do is to, as the Australian Government, to do what we can to partner with parents and local communities and with families and with local police and sporting organisations to try and turn this problem around.

Therefore, we’re announcing today a $53 million program, which has three parts to it.

A $14.4 million investment in community level initiatives to confront the culture of binge drinking, particularly in sporting organisations. This funding, in particular, would be dedicated to sporting clubs to assist them in developing local codes of conduct in relation to binge drinking. The Government will also take sporting organisations actions on this question into account in the possible future consideration of grants to such sporting organisations.

Secondly, the question of personal responsibility. $19.1 million to support innovative early intervention and diversion programs for young people under the age of 18. That is where young people are found binge drinking, to provide funding and support to assist to turn those young people around.

The possible initiatives there range anything from requiring young people to participate in educational and/or diversionary activities. Or even to allow the authorities to confiscate alcohol and to provide formal warnings. Our objective under this program is to have a major pilot project up and running in each state capital of Australia during the course of 2008. We need to learn how this can work effectively at a community level.

The third part of this new national binge drinking strategy is this: $20 million over two years in a hard hitting television, radio and internet campaign that confronts young people with the costs and consequences of binge drinking.
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Spreading or Concentrating Drinking Occasions - Who Is Most at Risk?
Eur Addict Res 2008;14:71-81


To compare acute negative consequences for people who drink a given amount of alcohol on few occasions (concentrators) per week in comparison with the consequences for people who drink the same amount on more days in a week (spreaders).

To investigate whether these associations are cross-culturally stable.

Analysis is based on general population surveys of adults conducted in 7 European countries.

It appeared that more drinking occasions in many countries lead to more consequences independent of the volume consumed.

Risky single-occasion drinking was to be associated with higher risks for immediate health consequences and legal problems, accidents and fights. Among older respondents the same frequency pattern appeared, with the exception of immediate health consequences among women.

Hence, more regular drinking seemed to have more beneficial effects on older individuals compared to younger ones, which may be related to the different drinking situation: younger people mostly drinking outside the home. Amongst the younger people, frequent drinking seemed to be associated with more acute consequences.

Cultural and methodological variations must be taken into account. Even so, it is concluded that the credibility of these findings is strengthened by differences in the methods of the surveys.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: skuntsche@sfa-ispa.ch
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Genetic polymorphisms in cytochrome P4502E1, alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Gansu Chinese males
World J Gastroenterol 2008 March 7; 14(9): 1444-1449

To evaluate the association between genetic polymorphisms in CYP2E1, ALDH2 and ADH1B and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a high risk area of Gansu Province, in Chinese males.

Compared with controls, cases had a greater prevalence of heavier alcohol consumption (53.8% vs 16.2%) and a higher proportion of alcohol drinkers with > 30 drink-years (28.8% vs 13.5%). Heavier alcohol consumption and alcohol drinking with > 30 drink-years increased the risk of ESCC, with ORs (95% CI) of 3.20 (1.32-9.65) and 1.68 (0.96-3.21). CYP2E1 (*c1/*c1), ALDH2 (*1/*2) and ADH1B (*1/*1) genotype frequencies were higher among patients with squamous cell carcinomas, at a level close to statistical significance (P = 0.014; P = 0.094; P = 0.0001 respectively).

There were synergistic interactions among alcohol drinking and ALDH2, ADH1B and CYP2E1 genotypes. The risk of the ESCC in moderate-to-heavy drinkers with an inactive ALDH2 encoded by ALDH2*1/*2 as well as ADH1B encoded by ADH1B *1/*1 and CYP2E1 encoded by CYP2E1 *c1/*c1 was higher than that in the never/rare-to-light drinkers with an active ALDH2 (*1/*1 genotype) as well as ADH1B (*1/*2 + *2/*2) and CYP2E1 (*c1/*c2 + *c2/*c2) genotypes, with a statistically significant difference; ORs (95% CI) of 8.58 (3.28-22.68), 27.12 (8.52-70.19) and 7.64 (2.82-11.31) respectively.

The risk of the ESCC in moderate-to-heavy drinkers with ALDH2 (*1/*2) combined the ADH1B (*1/*1) genotype or ALDH2 (*1/*2) combined the CYP2E1 (*c1/*c1) genotype leads to synergistic interactions, higher than drinkers with ALDH2 (*1/*1) + ADH1B (*1/*2 + *2/*2), ALDH2 (*1/*1) + CYP2E1 (*c1/*c2 + *c2/*c2) respectively , ORs (95% CI) of 7.46 (3.28-18.32) and 6.82 (1.44-9.76) respectively. Individuals with the ADH1B combined the CYP2E1 genotype showed no synergistic interaction.

In our study, we found that alcohol consumption and polymorphisms in the CYP2E1, ADH1B and ALDH2 genes are important risk factors for ESCC, and that there was a synergistic interaction among polymorphisms in the CYP2E1, ALDH2 and ADH1B genes and heavy alcohol drinking, in Chinese males living in Gansu Province, China.

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Neurotoxic Consequences of Chronic Alcohol Withdrawal: Expression Profiling Reveals Importance of Gender Over Withdrawal Severity
Neuropsychopharmacology (2008) 33, 1084–1096;



While women are more vulnerable than men to many of the medical consequences of alcohol abuse, the role of sex in the response to ethanol is controversial. Neuroadaptive responses that result in the hyperexcitability associated with withdrawal from chronic ethanol likely reflect gene expression changes.

We have examined both genders for the effects of withdrawal on brain gene expression using mice with divergent withdrawal severity that have been selectively bred from a genetically heterogeneous population.

A total of 295 genes were identified as ethanol regulated from each gender of each selected line by microarray analyses. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the arrays revealed that the transcriptional response correlated with sex rather than with the selected withdrawal phenotype. Consistent with this, gene ontology category over-representation analysis identified cell death and DNA/RNA binding as targeted classes of genes in females, while in males, protein degradation, and calcium ion binding pathways were more altered by alcohol.

Examination of ethanol-regulated genes and these distinct signaling pathways suggested enhanced neurotoxicity in females. Histopathological analysis of brain damage following ethanol withdrawal confirmed elevated cell death in female but not male mice. The sexually dimorphic response was observed irrespective of withdrawal phenotype.

Combined, these results indicate a fundamentally distinct neuroadaptive response in females compared to males during chronic ethanol withdrawal and are consistent with observations that female alcoholics may be more vulnerable than males to ethanol-induced brain damage associated with alcohol abuse.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: wirenk@ohsu.edu
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Aniracetam Reversed Learning and Memory Deficits Following Prenatal Ethanol Exposure by Modulating Functions of Synaptic AMPA Receptors
Neuropsychopharmacology (2008) 33, 1071–1083




Specific pharmacological treatments are currently not available to address problems resulting from fetal ethanol exposure, described as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

The present study evaluated the therapeutic effects of aniracetam against cognitive deficits in a well-characterized and sensitive FASD Sprague–Dawley rat model. Ethanol, administered orally at a moderate dose (4 g/kg/24 h; 38% v/v) during the entire course of pregnancy, caused severe cognitive deficits in offspring. Furthermore, both progeny genders were affected by a spectrum of behavioral abnormalities, such as a delay in the development of the righting reflex, poor novelty seeking behavior, and high anxiety levels in female rats.

Cognitive disabilities, monitored in adult rats by a two-way active avoidance task, correlated well with a significant reduction of AMPA (-amino-3 hydro-5 methyl-isoxazole propionic acid) receptor-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic responses (mEPSCs) in the hippocampus.

Administration of aniracetam for 10 days (post-natal days (PND) 18–27), at a dose of 50 mg/kg reversed cognitive deficits in both rat genders, indicated by a significant increase in the number of avoidances and the number of 'good learners'.

After the termination of the nootropic treatment, a significant increase in both amplitude and frequency of AMPA receptor-mediated mEPSCs in hippocampal CA-1 pyramidal cells was observed. Significant anxiolytic effects on PND 40 also preceded acquisition improvements in the avoidance task.

This study provides evidence for the therapeutic potential of aniracetam in reversing cognitive deficits associated with FASD through positive post-natal modulation of AMPA receptors.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: vagleju@auburn.edu
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Quantifying the risk for alcohol-use and alcohol-attributable health disorders: Present findings and future research needs
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 23 (s1) , S2–S8

The aim of the present review was to: (i) highlight epidemiological and other studies that have generated important data on the harmful patterns of drinking that increase the risk for chronic diseases, including alcohol dependence, and on the mechanisms by which alcohol produces and, in some instances, may protect against damage; and (ii) discuss a conceptual basis for quantifying risk criteria for alcohol-induced chronic disease based on the quantity, frequency, and pattern of drinking.

The relationship between heavy drinking and risk for adverse health conditions such as alcoholic liver disease (ALD), dementia, and alcohol dependence is well known. However, not everyone who drinks chronically develops ALD or dementia, and the major risk factors for disease development and the mechanisms by which this occurs have remained unclear.

Large-scale, general population-based studies have provided the evidence by which quantifying the frequency of a pattern of high-risk drinking can be related directly to risk and the severity of alcohol dependence. Cellular and molecular biology studies have identified the major pathways of alcohol metabolism and how genetics and the environment can interact in some individuals to further increase the risk of organ damage.

Extant databases should allow scientists and clinicians jointly to develop the framework for quantifying the drinking patterns that increase the risk of alcohol-induced organ pathologies, to develop clinical practice guidelines, such as those used to diagnose other common complex diseases (e.g. diabetes and hypertension), and to propose future studies for refining such guidelines.

Attention must be paid to comorbid conditions such as hepatitis B and C infections, HIV, obesity, and environmental exposures other than alcohol.

Developing trait and state biomarkers is critical to the process of discovery and to fulfilling the promise of personalized medicine.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: tkli@mail.nih.gov

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Abstinence, occasional drinking and binge drinking in middle-aged women. The Women's Health in Lund Area (WHILA) Study
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry 12 Mar 2008




Although drinking patterns in women have received increased attention, few studies have focused on middle-aged women.

Drinking patterns were investigated in a population sample of 513 Swedish women aged 50-59, and analysed in relation to social situation, and mental and physical health.

Abstainers and occasional drinkers had lower levels of education and more often regular medical control compared with weekly drinkers. Furthermore, abstainers more often had disability pension. Among women drinking alcohol, 56.6% affirmed binge drinking within the last year and 39.4% within the last month. Binge drinkers did not differ in terms of social situation, mental or physical health, compared with other drinkers.

Drinking to relieve tension was affirmed by 7.2%. These women had more mental symptoms and less contact with friends compared with other drinkers; furthermore, they were more often binge drinkers.

Binge drinking was common and health and social consequences of this drinking pattern in middle-aged women need to be further explored.

Women drinking to relieve tension may need intervention for both drinking habits and mental health.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: jenny.rundberg@psykiatr.lu.se
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Booze hike 'won't stop bingeing'

By Nick Triggle
Health reporter, BBC News

Public health chiefs have welcomed the tax rises on alcohol, but said there is still a way to go before it starts influencing drinking habits.

Chancellor Alistair Darling announced excise duty on beer, wine and spirits would rise by 6% above inflation - the biggest monetary rise since the 1970s.

It comes after the levy has struggled to keep pace with inflation since Labour came to power.

But experts said it was still not enough to make a "real difference".
. . . . . .

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Special March 20 Web Conference for All Reclaiming Futures Applicants

Reclaiming Futures® changed the way juvenile courts in 10 pilot sites help teens with drug and alcohol problems. A new national dissemination program supported by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is spreading the Reclaiming Futures approach to up to six new communities this year through a learning collaborative that shares resources, improves data collection and utilization and promotes new standards of practice. No grant funds will be awarded, but successful applicants will receive a technical assistance package valued at $180,000.

Want to become a Reclaiming Futures site in 2008? Join us for a live one-hour web conference at 1:30pm EDT, on Thursday, March 20.

This session offers an excellent opportunity to talk to the staff of the Reclaiming Futures National Program Office about the current call for proposals and learn more about the selection process. See below for instructions on how to joining the web conference. The proposal deadline is April 1, 2008.

Frequently asked questions and answers about the Reclaiming Futures application process are posted on our website. Don't see an answer to your question? Please contact Jim Carlton at 503-725-8954 or by email at jcarlton@pdx.edu.

Resources:
The complete call for proposals is available at www.rwjf.org/cfp/reclaimingfutures. Learn more about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at www.rwjf.org and Reclaiming Futures at www.reclaimingfutures.org.

Instructions for March 20

To take part in the free web conference, visit rwjf.webex.com a few minutes before the meeting start time. The meeting number is 577 407 494. The password is reclaiming.

Once you're logged-in, you'll get a "Join Teleconference" pop-up form. The first field asks you to "select a phone." Please ignore that box and go the next (and last) box which simply asks for your "Number." Type in your telephone number, including area code, and click "submit." You will receive a phone call immediately thereafter connecting you to the audio portion.

Note: If you do not have a direct line (if you have an extension in your number) this call back feature will not work. In this case close the "Join Teleconference" window and manually dial 866-469-3239. You will then be asked for a meeting number. The meeting number is: 577 407 494

If you encounter difficulty getting into the meeting, please call Tech Support: 1-866-863-3904. After you're connected choose option #4. Then choose option #1.

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Alcohol tax hiked to tackle binge drinking

• Simon Bowers
• guardian.co.uk,
• Wednesday March 12 2008

Excise duty on alcohol is to rise by 6% above inflation from midnight on Sunday in an effort to curb Britain's steadily creeping boozing habit, the chancellor has revealed.

Duty on beer will rise by 4p a pint, cider by 3p a pint, wine by 14p a bottle and spirits by 55p a bottle. After that, duties will continue to rise by 2% above inflation for each of the next four years.

The rise is a huge blow for Britain's pub industry which is suffering its worst trading period in working memory. Already suffering in the wake of smoking ban laws, pub trade has been steadily losing ground to supermarkets offering deeply discounted promotions on multi-packs of beer.

Rob Hayward, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said: "The government is punishing all beer drinkers rather than punishing the minority of drunken hooligans.

"Its policy is fuelling Britain's binge drinking problem by driving people away from beer, out of the pub into the arms of the deep discounting supermarkets."

But the British Medical Association gave the chancellor's move a warm welcome. Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science and ethics, said: "These tax increases may be unpopular with some members of the public but we hope that they will look at the wider issue and recognise that the UK has a real problem on its hands regarding alcohol misuse. Tough action is needed."
. . . . . .

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Budget 2008: press notices
12 March 2008

Stability and opportunity: Building a strong sustainable future

Alcohol Duty Rates

As incomes have risen, alcohol has become increasingly more affordable. A 6 per cent increase in all alcohol duty rates will come into effect on 17 March 2008. This will add 4 pence to the price of a pint of beer, 55 pence to the price of a bottle of spirits and 14 pence to the price of a bottle of wine. In order to ensure that alcohol duties keep pace with rising incomes alcohol duty rates will increase by 2 per cent above the rate of inflation in future years.

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Protective effect against alcohol dependence of the thermolabile variant of MTHFR
Drug and Alcohol Dependence . Article in Press, Corrected Proof, 7 Mar 2008

Hyperhomocysteinemia is frequently observed in alcohol-dependent subjects, in particularly in those with marked withdrawal symptoms. The common C677T transition on the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene influences homocysteinemia.

Our objective was to study the prevalence of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism in alcohol-dependent subjects and the influence of this polymorphism on symptoms associated with alcoholism.

MTHFR C677T polymorphism was determined in 93 control subjects and 242 alcohol-dependent subjects. Serum homocysteine, folate and vitamin B₁₂ levels together with hepatic biological parameters were determined in the control and alcohol-dependent subjects.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is frequently observed in alcohol-dependent subjects, particularly in those with marked withdrawal symptoms. Alcohol-dependent subjects showed a significant decrease in MTHFR 677TT prevalence (9%, 21/242) compared to controls (18%, 17/93) (p <>p <>

MTHFR 677TT genotype could play a protective role against alcohol dependence. Moreover, when subjects with MTHFR 677TT genotype become dependent to alcohol, they seem to constitute a subgroup of alcoholic patients with a decreased risk for developing neurotoxic withdrawal symptoms and hepatic toxicity.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: raphael.saffroy@pbr.ap-hop-paris.fr

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Sober thoughts of Sir Walter Raleigh

11/03/2008

Those filled with despair at the prevalence of binge drinking in 21st-century Britain cannot say they were not warned - Sir Walter Raleigh cautioned over the dangers of alcohol more than 400 years ago.

The one-time favourite of Queen Elizabeth I even wrote a little-known treatise on the matter, warning future generations - and his son, also called Walter, in particular - that excessive alcohol consumption "transformeth a Man into a Beast" and was "a bewitching and infectious Vice" which destroyed health and led to premature ageing.
. . . . . .

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Secular Trends in the Lifetime Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence in the United States: A Re-evaluation
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, OnlineEarly Articles
11 Mar 2008

U.S. epidemiologic surveys have consistently found higher lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence among younger subjects than among older groups. Because lifetime prevalence is cumulative, such patterns are suggestive of strong secular trends; i.e., more-recently born subjects have developed more disease in a shorter period of time than their elders. However, it remains unclear whether such patterns truly reflect secular trends or are confounded by age-dependent factors such as differential recall, differential mortality, and other effects.

Using data from 2 large, national epidemiological surveys, a repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted to compare lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence across temporally adjacent birth cohorts surveyed at the same age, thus enabling estimates of cross-cohort differences while controlling for age-related factors.

In contrast with results from single cross-sectional analyses, there were few significant cross-cohort differences among groups of men compared at similar ages. On the other hand, women born between 1954 and 1963 were at 1.2-fold higher odds for lifetime drinking, and those who drank were at 1.5-fold higher odds for lifetime alcohol dependence, compared with the immediately preceding birth cohort (1944 to 1953). The 1944 to 1953 cohort was also at elevated odds for lifetime drinking compared with their predecessors (1934 to 1943). These results were largely due to changes among White and Hispanic women.

These results suggest that there have been substantial secular increases in drinking and alcohol dependence among women, but not men. Analyses of single cross-sectional studies may tend to over-estimate secular trends by failing to account for age-dependent effects. Nonetheless, secular increases in drinking and alcohol dependence among women are evident after taking age-related factors into account.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: Rick@tci.wustl.edu

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Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Rate of Progression to Alcohol Dependence in Young Women
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental ResearchOnlineEarly Articles 6 Mar 2008

The development of alcohol dependence (AD) involves transitions through multiple stages of drinking behaviors and is shaped by both heritable and environmental influences.

We attempted to capture this dynamic process by characterizing genetic and environmental contributions to the rate at which women progressed through 3 significant transitions along the pathway to AD: nonuse to initiation, initiation to onset of first alcohol-related problem, and first problem to onset of AD.

Heritable influences were found for rate of progression across all 3 transitions, accounting for 30 to 47% of the variance in transition times. Shared environmental contributions were evident only in rate of progression from nonuse to initiation (i.e., age at first drink). Heritable contributions to the rate of movement through successive drinking milestones were attributable to a common factor, whereas environmental influences were transition-specific.

The current study is unique in its use of a genetically informative design to document the rate of movement between drinking milestones in a female sample and to examine genetic contributions to multiple transition times over the course of AD development.

Results indicate that an earlier report of heritability for males in rate of progression from regular drinking to AD generalizes to women and to other alcohol stage transitions. Findings also suggest the need to consider stage-specific environmental contributions to alcohol outcomes in developing interventions.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: sartorc@psychiatry.wustl.edu

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Association of ADH and ALDH Genes With Alcohol Dependence in the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence (IASPSAD) Sample
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research OnlineEarly Articles 6 March 2008

The genes coding for ethanol metabolism enzymes [alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)] have been widely studied for their influence on the risk to develop alcohol dependence (AD). However, the relation between polymorphisms of these metabolism genes and AD in Caucasian subjects has not been clearly established.

The present study examined evidence for the association of alcohol metabolism genes with AD in the Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of alcohol dependence.

We conducted a case–control association study with 575 independent subjects who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, AD diagnosis and 530 controls. A total of 77 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the seven ADH (ADH1-7) and two ALDH genes (ALDH1A1 and ALDH2) were genotyped using the Illumina GoldenGate protocols. Several statistical procedures were implemented to control for false discoveries.

All markers with minor allele frequency greater than 0.01 were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Numerous SNPs in ADH genes showed association with AD, including one marker in the coding region of ADH1C (rs1693482 in exon6, Ile271Gln). Haplotypic association was observed in the ADH5 and ADH1C genes, and in a long haplotype block formed by the ADH1A and ADH1B loci. We detected two significant interactions between pairs of markers in intron 6 of ADH6 and intron 12 of ALDH2 (p = 5 × 10⁻⁵), and 5' of both ADH4 and ADH1A (p = 2 × 10⁻⁴).

We found evidence for the association of several ADH genes with AD in a sample of Western European origin. The significant interaction effects between markers in ADH and ALDH genes suggest possible epistatic roles between alcohol metabolic enzymes in the risk for AD.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: pkuo@mail.ncku.edu.tw

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Novel 3-aroylpyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]
benzotriazine 5-oxides 8-substituted, ligands at GABA_A/benzodiazepine receptor complex: Synthesis, pharmacological and molecular modeling studies
Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Article in Press, Corrected Proof 5 March 2008


The synthesis and binding studies of a series of 3-acylpyrazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]benzotriazine 5-oxides 8-substituted are reported.

High-affinity ligands at benzodiazepine site on GABA_A receptor complex (GABA_A/BzR complex) were obtained when the 3-aroyl substituent is represented by a five-member heteroaroyl ring (furoyl-, thenoyl-, and pyrroyl-). Moreover the type of heteroaroyl ring at position 3 influences the feature of the substituent at position 8 to obtain high-affinity ligands: a ‘hydrogen-bond acceptor ring’ at position 3 is synergic with an electron donor substituent at position 8, while a ‘hydrogen-bond donor ring’ is synergic with a withdrawing substituent.

Compounds 8a, 9b, and 11 were deeply studied in vivo for their pharmacological effects considering six potential benzodiazepine actions: motor coordination, anticonvulsant action, spontaneous motor activity and explorative activity, anxiolytic-like effects, mouse learning and memory modulation, and ethanol-potentiating action.

To rationalize and qualitatively interpret the GABA_A/Bz binding affinities of compounds 8a and 11, a dynamic molecular modeling study has been performed, with the aim of assessing the preferred geometry of protein–ligand complex.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: gabriella.guerrini@unifi.it
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Adopting Moderate Alcohol Consumption in Middle Age: Subsequent Cardiovascular Events
The American Journal of Medicine , Volume 121, Issue 3, March 2008, Pages 201-206

Moderate alcohol use is part of a healthy lifestyle, yet current guidelines caution nondrinkers against starting to drink alcohol in middle age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether adopting moderate alcohol consumption in middle age would result in subsequent lower cardiovascular risk.

This study examined a cohort of adults aged 45-64 years participating in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study over a 10-year period. The primary outcome was fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events.

Of 7697 participants who had no history of cardiovascular disease and were nondrinkers at baseline, within a 6-year follow-up period, 6.0% began moderate alcohol consumption (2 drinks per day or fewer for men, 1 drink per day or fewer for women) and 0.4% began heavier drinking. After 4 years of follow-up, new moderate drinkers had a 38% lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease than did their persistently nondrinking counterparts. This difference persisted after adjustment for demographic and cardiovascular risk factors (odds ratio 0.62, 95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.95). There was no difference in all-cause mortality between the new drinkers and persistent nondrinkers (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval, 0.31-1.64).

People who newly begin consuming alcohol in middle age rarely do so beyond recommended amounts. Those who begin drinking moderately experience a relatively prompt benefit of lower rates of cardiovascular disease morbidity with no change in mortality rates after 4 years.

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Reported Health and Health-Influencing Behaviors Among Urban American Indians and Alaska Natives.

This analysis of the national Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was conducte in an effort to better understand the health and health-influencing behaviors of urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. BRFSS is an annual telephone-based survey of adults carried out by states and US territories with the assistance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is the world’s largest ongoing telephone survey.

This is the first report using BRFSS that focuses on American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) living in counties served by the network of 34 Title V urban Indian health organizations. It shows a number of areas where AIAN living in these urban areas are not doing as well as the general population. Many of the reported disparities will come as no surprise to those working in urban AIAN health, and this report will serve to reinforce the importance of work already being done.

However, additional analyses comparing income groups showed a complicated picture, where the relationship between income and certain health indicators among American Indians and Alaska Natives differed from the general population. This report does not focus on the causes of thesedifferences, however it is hoped that these findings may lead to further investigation into which societal and personal factors may be most important in impacting the health of urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. Through a better understanding of the reasons for health disparities, interventions aimed at the root causes of poor health outcomes can be developed and advocated for.

This report also helps to establish a baseline for the discussion as to why culturally appropriate care is necessary in addressing health needs of urban AIAN communities. Care designed for the general population may not be as effective for this population, given that the needs and underlining causes of health outcomes may be different, as seen in this report.

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Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink?


Written by William L. White, MA
Tuesday, 04 March 2008

The essay briefly noted a period in the history of therapeutic communities when clients (mostly recovering heroin addicts) could earn “drinking privileges” during the later stages of their treatment. The number of resulting emails regarding this practice and their pointed questions and animated comments suggested the need to elaborate on this fascinating chapter in the history of treatment. The twin purposes of this article are to recount the evolving policies toward alcohol within therapeutic communities and to offer reflections on the lessons that can be extracted from this interesting footnote in the history of addiction treatment and recovery in America.

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Mortality associated with depression

A forty-year perspective from the Stirling County Study
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Online first, 8 March 2008

This report concerns long-term mortality risks associated with depression, and the potentially confounding factors of alcoholism and cigarette smoking, as experienced by a general population assessed at a baseline in 1952, followed for re-assessment of survivors in 1968, and for death by 1992.

At the baseline in 1952, depression was somewhat more common among women than men (4% compared to 6%) but was found to carry a significant mortality risk only among men (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.6–4.7). Based on re-assessments made in 1968, depression was associated with mortality risk among both men (HR 2.2, 95% CI 1.0–4.5) and women (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.8). In 1952, more than 20% of men smoked cigarettes excessively and 8% abused alcohol, but very few of these groups of men were also depressed. In the original sample and also among the survivors, depression, alcoholism, and heavy smoking were separately associated with mortality among men. Depression and alcoholism carried a more immediate mortality risk while heavy smoking a more delayed one.

At the baseline of the Stirling County Study, the mortality risk associated with depression among men was not enhanced or explained by abuse of alcohol or nicotine, mainly because comorbidity was rare at that time. The longitudinal research of the study has pointed to a number of psychiatrically-relevant time-trends such as the fact that an association between depression and cigarette smoking did not appear until the 1990s. It is hypothesized that a similar trend may emerge over time regarding the comorbidity of depression and alcoholism. A trend reported here was that, while depressed women in the original sample did not carry a significant mortality risk, the surviving women who were depressed at the time of re-assessment exhibited a mortality risk that was as significant as that for men. Such information may provide a useful back-drop for future investigations.

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Delivery of a brief motivational intervention to patients with alcohol-related facial injuries: Role for a specialist nurse



In this paper we focus on providing an alcohol screening and intervention service within maxillofacial surgery.

Two trained nurses screened patients with alcohol-related facial injuries who attended maxillofacial outpatient clinics, and gave brief motivational interventions to those who had been drinking to a hazardous level.

Patients were followed up at 3 and 12 months after the intervention. 195/249 patients (78%) drank to a hazardous level. One hundred and ninety-five patients received an intervention. Duration of intervention was between 5 and 65 minutes.

Reasons for refusal to participate included lack of interest or time, and the main reason for exclusion was length of time since injury. The follow up rate was 103 (53%) at 3 months and 134 (69%) at 12 months.

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Nurse-delivered brief interventions for hazardous drinkers with alcohol-related facial trauma: A prospective randomised controlled trial
British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Volume 46, Issue 2, March 2008, Pages 96-101

To assess the impact of two methods of brief nurse-delivered brief interventions in reducing drinking variables in hazardous drinkers with alcohol-related facial injuries.

A randomised controlled trial of two brief interventions involving hazardous drinkers with facial trauma in three Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery outpatient clinics in the West of Scotland; 194 patients were recruited and randomised to have either a nurse-led brief motivational intervention (intervention group) or a leaflet about alcohol misuse (control group). Patients were followed up at 3 and 12 months after the intervention and drinking variables reassessed.

A brief motivational intervention for alcohol provided by a nurse was more effective than a leaflet in helping some patients with facial trauma to reduce their alcohol consumption 12 months after the intervention (p <>

Facial trauma in the West of Scotland is strongly associated with alcohol misuse and is a recurrent disease, particularly among those who drink heavily. A nurse-delivered brief motivational intervention is effective in helping patients with high scores in the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test to reduce their drinking, and this effect was apparent 12 months after the intervention.

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Alcohol Act meant to discourage liquor consumption - Health Minister
March 10, 2008

The Government introduced the Tobacco and Alcohol Act to discourage the use of Alcohol, considering the fact that alcohol is the major reason for domestic violence in rural and urban areas, said Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

Minister De Silva expressed these sentiments at a ceremony arranged to hand over nutrition packs, chemical mosquito nets and bank accounts to 1,000 pregnant mothers, held at the Urban Botanical Garden, Badulla, to coincide with the International Women’s Day.
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The functional limitations of clients with coexisting disabilities
Journal of Rehabilitation, Oct-Dec, 2007

As a group, people with disabilities have a higher rate of alcohol and drug use problems when compared to the general population (Heinemann, Goranson, Ginsburg, & Schnoll, 1989; Moore & Li, 1998; Stern, Byard, Tomashefski, & Doershuk, 1987). A report by the National Association on Alcohol, Drugs, and Disability (NAADD) estimated that up to six million people with disabilities also have co-existing substance abuse problems and that these disabilities may present obstacles to recovery (de Miranda, 1998). Nelipovich and Buss (1991) estimated that between 15-30% of the disabled population abuse alcohol or drugs--a rate of about two times found in the general population. The incidence of alcohol and/or drug problems appears to vary by disability type; traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury (50-75%) and mental illness (50%), tend to have the highest rates of abuse/addiction, while people with mental retardation (10%) have been found to have a rate comparable to that of the non-disabled population (Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC), 1996).

In a study regarding current alcohol use, Moore and Li (1994) reported that 71.5% of people with spinal cord injuries drank, followed by hearing impairment (60.9%) and visual impairment (57.5%). Drinking was cause for concern in this sample because 51% of the respondents were also taking prescription medication and still others had medical/health concerns that could create problems with even minimal amounts of alcohol. These complicating factors makes it more likely that even relatively low levels of alcohol or drug use may become problematic (i.e., abuse) for people with disabilities.
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Alcohol consumption among recreational boaters: Factors for intervention
Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 40, Issue 2, March 2008, Pages 496-501


Recreational boating is a popular leisure time activity in many countries. It is estimated that, in Australia, boating incidents cause more harm than rail and air crashes combined and, in terms of transport, are second only to motor vehicle crashes as a cause of serious injury. The consumption of alcohol among recreational boaters is considered an important risk factor for fatalities and injuries among both operators and passengers.

Using a database of all recreational vessels registered in Western Australia (WA), a sample of 500 adult boaters was recruited to participate in a telephone survey. The effects of demographic variables and boating characteristics upon the use of alcohol among recreational boaters on their last trip were explored using logistic regression.

The odds of not having a drink were associated, after adjusting for age, with having completed a boating education course and with carrying children less than 12 years on board. The use of alcohol was not found to be prevalent among WA recreational boat owners.

Based on these findings, it is recommended that efforts to decrease boating-related incidents, such as through education and legislation measures, be monitored over time to determine the effects of these strategies upon safety behaviours.

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Regional Self-Regulation Workshops

New meeting report from the workshop in the Latin America region (Santiago, Chile).

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INFORMING CONSUMERS ABOUT BEVERAGE ALCOHOL

This ICAP Report focuses on factual consumer information about alcohol beverages and how it is currently provided in different countries. It is intended as a companion document to the table reviewing the general information required for on-product labeling in 43 nations and the European Union.

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