Impulsiveness mediates the association between GABRA2 SNPs and lifetime alcohol problems

Genetic variants in GABRA2 have previously been shown to be associated with alcohol measures, EEG β waves, and impulsiveness-related traits. Impulsiveness is a behavioral risk factor for alcohol and other substance abuse. Here, we tested association between 11 variants in GABRA2 with NEO- impulsiveness and problem drinking.

Our sample of 295 unrelated adult subjects was from a community of families with at least one male with DSM-IV Alcohol use diagnosis, and from a socioeconomically comparable control group.

Ten GABRA2 SNPs were associated with the NEO-impulsiveness (p < 0.03). The alleles associated with higher impulsiveness correspond to the minor alleles identified in previous alcohol dependence studies. All ten SNPs are in LD with each other and represent one effect on impulsiveness. Four SNPs and the corresponding haplotype from intron 3 to intron 4 were also associated with Lifetime Alcohol Problems Score (LAPS, p < 0.03) (not corrected for multiple testing). Impulsiveness partially mediates (22.6% average) this relation between GABRA2 and LAPS.

Our results suggest that GABRA2 variation in the region between introns 3 and 4 is associated with impulsiveness and this effect partially influences the development of alcohol problems, but a direct effect of GABRA2 on problem drinking remains.
A potential functional SNP rs279827, located next to a splice site, is located in the most significant region for both impulsiveness and LAPS. The high degree of LD among nine of these SNPs and the conditional analyses we have performed suggest that all variants represent one signal.


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Request Rerprint E-Mail:   svillafu@umich.edu

Fighting alcohol harm: The EU's strategy under review

 

Europeans have the highest per-capita consumption of alcohol, and drinking causes nearly 1-in-10 cases of ill health and premature death. The European Commission’s informal alcohol strategy, launched in 2006, is set for a detailed evaluation in 2013, with the policy objective of reducing the health and social harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption.  > > > >  Read More

αCaMKII Autophosphorylation Controls the Establishment of Alcohol Drinking Behavior

The α-Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII) is a crucial enzyme controlling plasticity in the brain. The autophosphorylation of αCaMKII works as a ‘molecular memory’ for a transient calcium activation, thereby accelerating learning.

We investigated the role of αCaMKII autophosphorylation in the establishment of alcohol drinking as an addiction-related behavior in mice. We found that alcohol drinking was initially diminished in αCaMKII autophosphorylation-deficient αCaMKII^T286A mice, but could be established at wild-type level after repeated withdrawals. The locomotor activating effects of a low-dose alcohol (2 g/kg) were absent in αCaMKII^T286A mice, whereas the sedating effects of high-dose (3.5 g/kg) were preserved after acute and subchronic administration.

The in vivo microdialysis revealed that αCaMKII^T286A mice showed no dopamine (DA) response in the nucleus accumbens to acute or subchronic alcohol administration, but enhanced serotonin (5-HT) responses in the prefrontal cortex. The attenuated DA response in αCaMKII^T286A mice was in line with altered c-Fos activation in the ventral tegmental area after acute and subchronic alcohol administration.

In order to compare findings in mice with the human condition, we tested 23 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CAMK2A gene for their association with alcohol dependence in a population of 1333 male patients with severe alcohol dependence and 939 controls.

We found seven significant associations between CAMK2A SNPs and alcohol dependence, one of which in an autophosphorylation-related area of the gene. Together, our data suggest αCaMKII autophosphorylation as a facilitating mechanism in the establishment of alcohol drinking behavior with changing the DA–5-HT balance as a putative mechanism.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   alanna.c.easton@kcl.ac.uk

2009 Discharges from Substance Abuse Treatment Services

Presents 2009 data on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics of discharges from alcohol or drug treatment facilities. Data are presented for eight service types, including outpatient, residential, hospital, and medication-assisted treatment.

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2000-2010 National Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment Services

Reports trends in substance abuse treatment admissions over a 10-year period, 2000 to 2010. Presents data on major substances of abuse, adolescent substance abuse, polydrug abuse, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and more.


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Hyposensitivity to Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid in the Ventral Tegmental Area During Alcohol Withdrawal: Reversal by Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors

Putative dopaminergic (pDAergic) ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons have an important role in alcohol addiction. Acute ethanol increases the activity of pDAergic neurons, and withdrawal from repeated ethanol administration produces a decreased sensitivity of pDAergic VTA neurons to GABA. Recent studies show that behavioral changes induced by chronic alcohol are reversed by inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs). Whether HDAC-induced histone modifications regulate changes in GABA sensitivity of VTA pDAergic neurons during withdrawal is unknown.

Here, we investigated modulation of withdrawal-induced changes in GABA sensitivity of pDAergic VTA neurons by HDAC inhibitors (HDACi), and also measured the levels of HDAC2, histone (H3-K9) acetylation, and GABA-Aα1 receptor (GABA (A-α1) R) subunit in VTA during ethanol withdrawal. Mice were injected intraperitoneally (ip) with either ethanol (3.5 g/kg) or saline twice daily for 3 weeks.

In recordings from pDAergic VTA neurons in brain slices from ethanol-withdrawn mice, sensitivity to GABA (50–500 μM) was reduced. In brain slices from ethanol-withdrawn mice incubated with the HDACi SAHA (vorinostat) or trichostatin A (TSA) for 2 h, the hyposensitivity of pDAergic VTA neurons to GABA was significantly attenuated. There was no effect of TSA or SAHA on GABA sensitivity of pDAergic VTA neurons from saline-treated mice.

In addition, ethanol withdrawal was associated with an increase in levels of HDAC2 and a decrease in histone (H3-K9) acetylation and levels of GABA (A-α1) R subunits in the VTA.

Therefore, blockade of upregulation of HDAC2 by HDACi normalizes GABA hyposensitivity of pDAergic neurons developed during withdrawal after chronic ethanol treatment, which suggests the possibility that inhibition of HDACs can reverse ethanol-induced neuroadaptational changes in reward circuitry.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:    arora052@uic.edu

Combined role of childhood maltreatment, family history, and gender in the risk for alcohol dependence

Background Studies of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and alcohol dependence have not controlled comprehensively for potential confounding by co-occurring maltreatments and other childhood trauma, or determined whether parental history of alcohol disorders operates synergistically with gender and maltreatment to produce alcohol dependence. We addressed these issues using national data.
Face-to-face surveys of 27 712 adult participants in a national survey.

Childhood physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and physical neglect were associated with alcohol dependence  controlling for demographics, co-occurring maltreatments and other childhood trauma. Attributable proportions (APs) due to interaction between each maltreatment and parental history revealed significant synergistic relationships for physical abuse in the entire sample, and for sexual abuse and emotional neglect in women, indicating that the odds of alcohol dependence given both parental history and these maltreatments were significantly higher than the additive effect of each alone .

Childhood maltreatments independently increased the risk of alcohol dependence. Importantly, results suggest a synergistic role of parental alcoholism: the effect of physical abuse on alcohol dependence may depend on parental history, while the effects of sexual abuse and emotional neglect may depend on parental history among women.

Findings underscore the importance of early identification and prevention, particularly among those with a family history, and could guide genetic research and intervention development, e.g. programs to reduce the burden of childhood maltreatment may benefit from addressing the negative long-term effects of maltreatments, including potential alcohol problems, across a broad range of childhood environments.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   dsh2@columbia.edu

Understanding variability in ethanol teratogenicity

Ethanol is the most widely used psychoactive drug and, when used inappropriately, can have deleterious effects. The developing fetus is particularly sensitive to the deleterious effects of ethanol. Fetal alcohol exposure causes Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), which have an estimated prevalence reaching 1% in North America (1). FASD are associated with defects to numerous organs, including the central nervous system (2). Defects to the central nervous system are especially diffuse and can include disruptions to the corpus callosum (3, 4). This variability is problematic for identifying and providing treatments for FASD, making a more complete understanding of FASD variation essential.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   harris@austin.utexas.edu

Patterns of excess alcohol consumption among school children in two English comprehensive schools

 

The patterns of excess alcohol consumption among children aged 11–15 years are not routinely assessed in England and neither are the alcohol consumption patterns of adolescents aged 16–18 years. The aim of the present research was to examine patterns of excess alcohol consumption among English school children aged 11–18 years.

1230 children and adolescents, aged 11–18 years were surveyed about their alcohol consumption, and specifically their hazardous drinking, binge drinking and problem drinking.

Sixteen per cent of 11 year olds and 71% of 18 year olds reported having drunk any alcohol in the previous seven days. Thirty-two per cent (n = 199) of girls and 24% (n = 142) of boys gave an affirmative answer to at least one of the CAGE questions, indicating possible problem drinking. Hazardous drinking was associated with norms and age; binge drinking and problem drinking were associated with norms, age and gender.

The study provides further evidence to support the case that excessive alcohol consumption among girls now exceeds that of boys. It would be valuable to collect data on patterns of excess alcohol consumption routinely to enable policy makers to target information and resources appropriately.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:     chris.armitage@manchester.ac.uk

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, efficacy study of nalmefene, as-needed use, in patients with alcohol dependence

This study evaluated the efficacy of as-needed use of the opioid system modulator nalmefene in reducing alcohol consumption in patients with alcohol dependence.

Seven hundred and eighteen patients (placebo=360; nalmefene=358), ≥18 years of age, with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence, ≥6 heavy drinking days and an average alcohol consumption ≥WHO medium drinking risk level in the 4 weeks preceding screening, were randomised (1:1) to 24 weeks of as-needed placebo or nalmefene 18 mg/day.

 

The co-primary efficacy analyses showed a significantly superior effect of nalmefene compared to placebo in the change from baseline to month 6 in heavy drinking days (group difference: −1.7 days/month [95% CI −3.1; −0.4]; p=0.012) and a better but not significant effect in reducing total alcohol consumption (group difference: −5.0 g/day last month [95% CI −10.6; 0.7]; p=0.088).

A subgroup analysis showed that patients who did not reduce their drinking prior to randomisation benefitted more from nalmefene. Improvements in Clinical Global Impression and reductions in liver enzymes were greater in the nalmefene group than in the placebo group. Adverse events were more common with nalmefene; the incidence of adverse events leading to dropout was similar in both groups.

This study provides evidence for the efficacy of nalmefene, which constitutes a new pharmacological treatment paradigm in terms of treatment goal (reduced drinking) and dosing regimen (as-needed), in alcohol dependent patients unable to reduce alcohol consumption on their own.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:  tgual@clinic.ub.es   

Chronic tolerance to ethanol-induced sedation: Implication for age-related differences in locomotor sensitization

 

The adolescent brain has been suggested to be particularly sensitive to ethanol-induced neuroadaptations, which in turn could increase the risk of youths for alcohol abuse and dependence. Sensitization to the locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol has often been used as an animal model of ethanol-induced neuroadaptations.

Previously, we showed that young mice were more sensitive than adults to the locomotor sensitization induced by high ethanol doses. However, this effect could be due to age-related differences in chronic tolerance to the sedative effects of ethanol.
The aim of the present study is to assess chronic tolerance to the sedative effects of ethanol in weaning 21-day-old (P21), adolescent 35-day-old (P35) and adult 63-day-old (P63) female Swiss mice. After a daily injection of saline or 4 g/kg ethanol during 6 consecutive days, all P21, P35 and P63 mice were injected with 4 g/kg ethanol and submitted to the loss of righting reflex procedure.

Our results confirm that the sensitivity to the acute sedative effects of ethanol gradually increases with age. Although this schedule of ethanol injections induces significant age-related differences in ethanol sensitization, it did not reveal significant differences between P21, P35 and P63 mice in the development of a chronic ethanol tolerance to its sedative effects.
The present results show that age-related differences in the development of ethanol sensitization cannot be explained by differences in chronic ethanol tolerance to its sedative effects. More broadly, they do not support the idea that ethanol-induced sensitization is a by-product of chronic ethanol tolerance.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:  equertemont@ulg.ac.be

Alcohol News - 14/2013

 

 

 

EurActiv (EU) - Fighting alcohol harm: The EU's strategy under review

Europeans have the highest per-capita consumption of alcohol, and drinking causes nearly 1-in-10 cases of ill health and premature death. The European Commission’s informal alcohol strategy, launched in 2006, is set for a detailed evaluation in 2013, with the policy objective of reducing the health and social harm caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

Read more

Finland Times (Finland) - Google stops alcohol ads

Search engine operator and online marketing company Google has decided to stop advertisements of alcohol and alcoholic beverages in Finland from Tuesday.

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Mmegi Online (Botswana) - Botswana drinking rate fell before alcohol levy

A World Health Organisation (WHO) report indicates that the rate of drinking in Botswana was already declining before the alcohol levy was introduced in 2008. The report says that Botswana's alcohol consumption went down in a five-year period from 2000-2005.

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Egypt Independent (Egypt) - Bad spirits: Brotherhood govt targets Egypt's alcohol industry

A few streets down from a crowded local mosque in the affluent satellite suburb of 6th of October City, Abu Ramez proudly stacks Egyptian beer and wine onto the shelves of his supermarket, Bazaar al-Gamaa.

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AllAfrica.com (Nigeria) - Nigeria: Minister Cautions Nigerians On Excessive Salt, Alcohol Intake

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Muhammad Pate, on Sunday cautioned on excessive consumption of salt and alcohol as the world marks the Health Day.

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New Vision (Uganda) - Drivers should not take any alcohol – Police

AS long as you have tasted alcohol, do not get behind the wheel, otherwise you risk being arrested and charged, says Dr. Steven Kasiima, the traffic Police senior commissioner.

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Telegraph.co.uk (Russia) - Government campaign targets alcohol abuse

A legendary capacity for hard drinking is finally being challenged – by a changing work ethic and a government crackdown.

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BU Today - A Drink a Day Raises Cancer Risk, Study Says

How many of us enjoy a glass or two of wine at dinner? How many of us have read that moderate drinking of red wine is good for the heart? How many of us know that even moderate drinking might increase our cancer risk?

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The Independent (UK) - Street disorder drops after Ipswich bans super-strength alcohol

An East Anglian town has seen a dramatic fall in street disorder since most of its shopkeepers banned the sale of super-strength alcohol.

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Daily Mail (UK) - Children as young as SEVEN are being admitted to hospital with alcohol addiction

Children as young as seven are being admitted to hospital with alcohol problems, an investigation has found.

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Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Underage drink fears as supermarket beats ban

THE campaign against underage drinking and anti-social behaviour in Scotland has been dealt a heavy blow after the country's largest local authority lost a landmark ruling at the Court of Session.

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NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Close legal loophole and boot out booze ads, VicHealth urges

A LEGAL loophole allowing alcohol advertising during the day should be closed immediately, the state's peak health group has urged.

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Pro Bono Australia (Australia) - Cost of Alcohol Misuse Double Govt Revenue

The cost to society from alcohol harm and misuse in Australia is double that raised in tax and excise revenue by the Federal Government, according to a new study by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC).

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RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty - Low Life Expectancy Continues To Plague Former Soviet Countries

More than two decades after the fall of communism, most former Soviet countries still have mortality rates significantly higher than those in Western Europe.

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B92 (Serbia) - Serbia "fourth in alcohol consumption"

An adult citizen of Serbia consumes an average of about 11 liters of alcohol each year, ranking Serbia the fourth country in Europe.

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CTV News (Canada) - Ontario's doctors say province needs to address its 'drinking problem'

Ontario has a drinking problem and the government must do something about it, the organization representing the province's doctors said Tuesday.

Read more

 

 

 

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Alcohol Consumption Before and After Breast Cancer Diagnosis: Associations With Survival From Breast Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, and Other Causes

Alcohol intake is associated with increased risk of breast
cancer. In contrast, the relation between alcohol consumption cand breast cancer survival is less clear. 
                  

We assessed pre- and postdiagnostic alcohol intake in a cohort of 22,890 women with incident invasive breast cancer who were residents of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire and diagnosed from 1985 to 2006 at ages 20 to 79 years. All women reported on prediagnostic intake; a subsample of 4,881 reported on postdiagnostic intake. 

                   

During a median follow-up of 11.3 years from diagnosis, 7,780 deaths occurred, including 3,484 resulting from breast cancer. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs were estimated. Based on a quadratic analysis, moderate alcohol consumption before diagnosis was modestly associated with disease-specific survival (compared with nondrinkers, HR = 0.93 [95% CI, 0.85 to 1.02], 0.85 [95% CI, 0.75 to 0.95], 0.88 [95% CI, 0.75 to 1.02], and 0.89 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.04] for two or more, three to six, seven to nine, and ≥ 10 drinks/wk, respectively). Alcohol consumption after diagnosis was not associated with disease-specific survival (compared with nondrinkers, HR = 0.88 [95% CI, 0.61 to 1.27], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.49 to 1.32], 1.01 [95% CI, 0.55 to 1.87], and 0.83 [95% CI, 0.45 to 1.54] for two or more, three to six, seven to nine, and ≥ 10 drinks/wk, respectively). Results did not vary by beverage type. Women consuming moderate levels of alcohol, either before or after diagnosis, experienced better cardiovascular and overall survival than nondrinkers. 

                   

Overall alcohol consumption before diagnosis was not associated with disease-specific survival, but we found a suggestion favoring moderate consumption. There was no evidence for an association with postdiagnosis alcohol intake and breast cancer survival. This study, however, does provide support for a benefit of limited alcohol intake for cardiovascular and overall survival in women with breast cancer.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:  pnewcomb@fhcrc.org 

Premature to conclude that there is a causal relationship

Media regularly quote reports on possible linkages between moderate alcohol consumption and improved health. Dr. Hans Olav Fekjær has reviewed the evidence in a new article in Addiction. – It would be premature to conclude that there is a causal relationship.  > > > >  Read More

Conference on the prevention of FASD

The first international conference on prevention of FASD will take
place in Edmonton, Canada, 23-25 September 2013. The conference will discuss promising approaches for preventing harm to the fetus caused by mother’s use of alcohol during pregnancy. >  > > >  Read More

CHARACTERISTICS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS MEMBERSHIP: 1992

In the US more people report going to an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting than reported going to any other support or therapy group for an alcohol problem. [1] Despite the importance of accurate incidence and prevalence information on AA membership the research data has been sparse.  

Data on membership in AA has been reported in the Triennial Surveys conducted by Alcoholics Anonymous World Service every three years from 1968 to 2007 . However these studies did not cover incidence and characteristics of new AA members or prevalence and characteristics of discontinued AA members. Also, the AA Triennial Surveys have other significant limitations [2] i.e., there are limitations in survey coverage, it has been estimated that about 20% of the AA groups are not registered with Intergroup Offices and therefore are not a part of the survey sample. In addition, while AA World Services in 1983 adopted a stratified sampling process, the findings of the AA surveys have never been validated in an independent representative sample of the US population.

This paper is a descriptive study of social, demographic, and behavioral characteristics associated with 1) never attending AA, 2) dropping out of AA, and 3) continuing membership in AA .

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Chronic Alcoholism-Mediated Impairment in the Medulla Oblongata: A Mechanism of Alcohol-Related Mortality in Traumatic Brain Injury?

Alcohol-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common condition in medical and forensic practice, and results in high prehospital mortality. We investigated the mechanism of chronic alcoholism-related mortality by examining the effects of alcohol on the synapses of the medulla oblongata in a rat model of TBI.
Seventy adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either ethanol (EtOH) group, EtOH-TBI group, or control groups (water group, water-TBI group). To establish chronic alcoholism model, rats in the EtOH group were given EtOH twice daily (4 g/kg for 2 weeks and 6 g/kg for another 2 weeks). The rats also received a minor strike on the occipital tuberosity with an iron pendulum. Histopathologic and ultrastructure changes and the numerical density of the synapses in the medulla oblongata were examined. Expression of postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) in the medulla oblongata was measured by ELISA.

Compared with rats in the control group, rats in the chronic alcoholism group showed: (1) minor axonal degeneration; (2) a significant decrease in the numerical density of synapses (p < 0.01); and (3) compensatory increase in PSD-95 expression (p < 0.01). Rats in the EtOH-TBI group showed: (1) high mortality (50 %, p < 0.01); (2) inhibited respiration before death; (3) severe axonal injury; and (4) decrease in PSD-95 expression (p < 0.05).

Chronic alcoholism induces significant synapse loss and axonal impairment in the medulla oblongata and renders the brain more susceptible to TBI. The combined effects of chronic alcoholism and TBI induce significant synapse and axon impairment and result in high mortality.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: cnxjyu.yahoo.com.cn

Relationships between the Level of Alcohol Consumption and Abnormality in Biomarkers According to Facial Flushing in Korean Male Drinkers.

 

This research investigated the association between facial flushing after drinking and alcohol-induced biomarker abnormalities.

This retrospective study included 374 male drinkers who visited the department of Family Medicine of Chungnam National University Hospital between January and December of 2010. The participants were classified into two groups: the flushing group (n = 107) and the non-flushing group (n = 267). The biomarkers assessed were % carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma glutamyl transferase (rGTP). The upper limits of %CDT and rGTP were set as 2.47 and 50, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to obtain the cut-off value for the amount of drinking that caused abnormal %CDT and rGTP levels in the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of the cut-off drinking amount for %CDT and rGTP abnormalities were analyzed in each group.

In the flushing group, the cut-off value for alcohol-induced %CDT abnormality was 3.38 drinks (1 drink: 14 g of alcohol) per week, with sensitivity of 77.8% and specificity of 70.4%. In the non-flushing group, the cut-off value was 11.25 drinks per week, with sensitivity of 62.2% and specificity of 69.6%. The cut-off value for the amount of alcohol that induced rGTP abnormality was 3.38 drinks per week in the flushing group, with sensitivity of 68.0% and specificity of 76.8%, whereas it was 8.75 drinks in the non-flushing group, with sensitivity of 71.1% and specificity of 66.7%. The area under the ROC of the drinking level was 0.726 in the flushing group and 0.684 in the non-flushing group for %CDT. For rGTP, the value was 0.738 in the flushing group and 0.718 in the non-flushing group.

The weekly drinking amount required to induce biomarker abnormalities was lower in the flushers than in the non-flushers.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: josephkim@cnu.ac.kr

Evaluating Alcoholics Anonymous's Effect on Drinking in Project MATCH Using Cross-Lagged Regression Panel Analysis

 


The objective of the study is to determine whether Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) participation leads to reduced drinking and problems related to drinking within Project MATCH (Matching Alcoholism Treatments to Client Heterogeneity), an existing national alcoholism treatment data set.

The method used is structural equation modeling of panel data with cross-lagged partial regression coefficients. The main advantage of this technique for the analysis of AA outcomes is that potential reciprocal causation between AA participation and drinking behavior can be explicitly modeled through the specification of finite causal lags.

For the outpatient subsample (n = 952), the results strongly support the hypothesis that AA attendance leads to increases in alcohol abstinence and reduces drinking/ problems, whereas a causal effect in the reverse direction is unsupported. For the aftercare subsample (n = 774), the results are not as clear but also suggest that AA attendance leads to better outcomes.

Although randomized controlled trials are the surest means of establishing causal relations between interventions and outcomes, such trials are rare in AA research for practical reasons. The current study successfully exploited the multiple data waves in Project MATCH to examine evidence of causality between AA participation and drinking outcomes. The study obtained unique statistical results supporting the effectiveness of AA primarily in the context of primary outpatient treatment for alcoholism .



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Request Reprint E-Mail:    Stephen.Magura@wmich.edu

The societal costs of alcohol misuse in Australia

 

It is well documented that alcohol-related problems compromise individual and social health, and wellbeing (Homel, McIlwain & Carvolth 2004). However, much of the burden of such problems is initially born by first response and public emergency services including police, ambulance and hospital emergency departments (Collins & Lapsley 2002). The individual harms are numerous, including premature death, loss of enjoyment and loss of social utility through fear of crime and victimisation (ADCA 2000). Further, alcohol misuse is a problem for business that suffers due to lost worker productivity and absenteeism (Collins & Lapsley 2002). The misuse of alcohol, particularly among those most at risk in our community, presents a major challenge for all levels of government. How to effectively and efficiently moderate the high costs associated with risky drinking behaviour (eg binge drinking or drinking in high-risk areas such as entertainment districts) by young people has been a recent focus of policymakers. Not all alcohol use represents misuse; rather, misuse comprises use that is above the recommended limits in particular contexts (such as driving or use of equipment), use at levels that leads to health-related problems and use that has reached the level where dependency exists (NHS UK 2013).Results from a national-level study on the societal costs of alcohol-related problems in Australia are presented. These costs are based on 2010 data supplied from various agencies (eg Australian policing services, Australian Bureau of Statistics) and empirical evidence from peer-reviewed published papers. Incident data, together with estimates of rate of occurrence (eg percentage of all incidents attended by police that were found to be alcohol related) from empirical studies and cost estimates from past literature are used to generate a total cost estimate. All costs are adjusted where necessary to reflect present value in 2010 Australian dollars. The results include costs to the criminal justice system, costs to the health system, costs resulting from lost productivity and costs related to alcohol-related road accidents. They do not include self-reported assessments of costs (cf Laslett et al. 2010) but rather verifiable costs from objective sources. As such, the costs reported here can be regarded as conservative.


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NIAAA Spectrum

　

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURES

1 Minority Health Research Gains Momentum at NIAAA
2 NIAAA Inspires Diversity in the Next Generation of Researchers


BY THE NUMBERS

4 Every Picture Tells (Part of) a Story


NEWS FROM THE FIELD

2 Alcohol and Pregnancy: The Long-Term Consequences

5 Women’s Stress-Related Drinking Linked toEarly Abuse

7 Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Affect Risk for Alcohol Problems

7 How Chronic Heavy Drinking Damages the Brain


A CLOSER LOOK

6 The Genetic Basis of Alcohol Flushing in Asian Populations
 

5 QUESTIONS WITH...

6 Judith Arroyo, Ph.D.



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Synergy between Seeking Safety and Twelve-Step Affiliation on substance use outcomes for women

 

The Recovery Management paradigm provides a conceptual framework for the examination of joint impact of a focal treatment and post-treatment service utilization on substance abuse treatment outcomes. We test this framework by examining the interactive effects of a treatment for comorbid PTSD and substance use, Seeking Safety, and post-treatment Twelve-Step Affiliation (TSA) on alcohol and cocaine use.

Data from 353 women in a six-site, randomized controlled effectiveness trial within the NIDA Clinical Trials Network were analyzed under latent class pattern mixture modeling. LCPMM was used to model variation in Seeking Safety by TSA interaction effects on alcohol and cocaine use.

Significant reductions in alcohol use among women in Seeking Safety (compared to health education) were observed; women in the Seeking Safety condition who followed up with TSA had the greatest reductions over time in alcohol use. Reductions in cocaine use over time were also observed but did not differ between treatment conditions nor were there interactions with post-treatment TSA.

Findings advance understanding of the complexities for treatment and continuing recovery processes for women with PTSD and SUDs, and further support the chronic disease model of addiction.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:   amorganlopez@rti.org

Participation of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor in ethanol-mediated locomotor activation and ethanol intake in preweanling rats

Activation of nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOP) receptors seems to attenuate ethanol-induced reinforcement in adult rodents. Since early ethanol exposure results in later increased responsiveness to ethanol, it is important to analyze NOP receptor modulation of ethanol-related behaviors during early ontogeny.

By measuring NOP involvement in ethanol intake and ethanol-induced locomotor activation, we analyzed the specific participation of NOP receptors on these ethanol-related behaviors in two-week-old rats. In each experiment animals were pre-treated with the endogenous ligand for this receptor (nociceptin/orphanin FQ at 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 μg) or a selective NOP antagonist (J-113397 at 0.0, 0.5, 2.0 or 5.0 mg/kg).

Results indicated that activation of the nociceptin receptor system had no effect on ethanol or water intake, while blockade of the NOP receptor has an unspecific effect on consummatory behavior: J-113397 increased ethanol (at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg) and water intake (at 0.5 and 5.0 mg/kg). Ethanol-mediated locomotor stimulation was attenuated by activation of the NOP system (nociceptin at 1.0 and 2.0 μg). Nociceptin had no effect on basal locomotor activity. Blockade of NOP receptors did not modify ethanol-induced locomotor activation. Contrary to what has been reported for adult rodents, nociceptin failed to suppress intake of ethanol in infants.

Attenuation of ethanol-induced stimulation by activation of NOP receptor system suggests an early role of this receptor in this ethanol-related behavior.


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Request Reprint E-Mail:   rmiranda@binghamton.edu

Alcohol tax, consumption and mortality in tsarist Russia: is a public health perspective applicable?

The public health perspective on alcohol comprises two main tenets: (i) population drinking impacts on alcohol-related harm and (ii) population drinking is affected by the physical and economic availability of alcohol, where alcohol taxes are the most efficient measure for regulating consumption. This perspective has received considerable empirical support from analyses of contemporary data mainly from Europe and North America. However, as yet, it has been little examined in a historical context. The aims of the present article are to use data from tsarist Russia to explore (i) the relation between changes in the tax on alcohol and per capita alcohol consumption and (ii) the relation between per capita alcohol consumption and alcohol mortality.                    

The material comprised annual data on alcohol taxes, alcohol consumption and alcohol mortality. The tax and alcohol consumption series spanned the period 1864–1907 and the mortality data covered the period 1870–94. The data were analysed by estimating autoregressive integrated moving average models on differenced data.

Changes in alcohol taxes were significantly associated with alcohol consumption in the expected direction. Increases in alcohol consumption, in turn, were significantly related to increases in alcohol mortality.

7This study provides support for the utility of the public health perspective on alcohol in explaining changes in consumption and alcohol-related harm in a historical context. We discuss our findings from tsarist Russia in the light of experiences from more recent alcohol policy changes in Russia.


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Alcohol consumption and social inequality at the individual and country levels—results from an international study

International comparisons of social inequalities in alcohol use have not been extensively investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of country-level characteristics and individual socio-economic status (SES) on individual alcohol consumption in 33 countries.

Data on 101 525 men and women collected by cross-sectional surveys in 33 countries of the GENACIS study were used. Individual SES was measured by highest attained educational level. Alcohol use measures included drinking status and monthly risky single occasion drinking (RSOD). The relationship between individuals’ education and drinking indicators was examined by meta-analysis. In a second step the individual level data and country data were combined and tested in multilevel models. As country level indicators we used the Purchasing Power Parity of the gross national income, the Gini coefficient and the Gender Gap Index. 

For both genders and all countries higher individual SES was positively associated with drinking status. Also higher country level SES was associated with higher proportions of drinkers. Lower SES was associated with RSOD among men. Women of higher SES in low income countries were more often RSO drinkers than women of lower SES. The opposite was true in higher income countries.                    

For the most part, findings regarding SES and drinking in higher income countries were as expected. However, women of higher SES in low and middle income countries appear at higher risk of engaging in RSOD. This finding should be kept in mind when developing new policy and prevention initiatives.


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Spring 2013 Meeting of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (ICCFASD)

 

Date:

April 4, 2013 - 8:30am to 3:30pm

 

Details:

Registration is not required. The meeting is sponsored by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., ICCFASD Work Group Meetings (closed to the public)

Thursday, April 4, 2013, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., General ICCFASD Meeting (open to the public)

Agenda: Draft agenda for April 4 program

Thursday, April 4, 2013 program will consist of:

1. Updates of FASD-relevant activities of ICCFASD Member Organizations
2. Reports of recent and upcoming activities of the ICCFASD Work Group on Diagnostic Issues and the ICCFASD Work Group on Justice Issues
3. A Panel Discussion on Diagnosing Young Children

 

Location:

5635 Fishers Lane
Terrace Level Conference Center
Rockville, Maryland 20852
 

Directions:

There is a parking garage behind 5635 Fishers Lane. For additional information, contact sanders1@mail.nih.gov.