Consultation on the Alcohol Strategy - Changing Scotland's Relationship With Alcohol

Proposals for tackling alcohol misuse in Scotland were launched in June 2008. This is an open discussion and will give people the opportunity to shape future policy on alcohol in Scotland.

The discussion document 'Changing Scotland's Relationship with Alcohol' sets out the Scottish Government's strategic approach to dealing with alcohol misuse, illustrating the scale of alcohol-related harm and how addressing this can help to deliver a Wealthier and Fairer, Safer and Stronger, Healthier and Smarter Scotland.

It outlines key actions already underway which will contribute to tackling both the underlying causes of, and the negative effects resulting from, Scotland's complex relationship with alcohol.

The framework for action also sets out new proposals to reduce alcohol-related harm in Scotland, on which views are invited.

Informed by the comments generated by the discussion paper, the next stage is to work to develop more specific actions.

The section on having your say outlines how to submit comments and join the discussion.
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Time to Scotch alcohol misuse say distillers

17 June 2008


Scottish Government plans to tackle alcohol misuse are a starting point for future debate on how to change the drinking culture in Scotland, said The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) today.

“We agree with Government that attitudes to alcohol in Scotland must change” said the SWA, noting support for a number of industry measures in the Government plan. However, the SWA also raised concerns that certain proposals “risk undermining Scotch Whisky in its home market.”
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Minimum alcohol price to curb binge drinkers

By Alex Barker, Andrew Bolger and Jenny Wiggins

June 19 2008

A minimum price could be set for a unit of alcohol in England and Wales under plans being examined by government to curb binge drinking.

The price floor is one of the more likely outcomes from the long-running cross-Whitehall policy review on how to change behaviour through price mechanisms or restrictions on promotions and advertising.

Ministers have yet to decide on a course of action and are waiting for an independent report into the impact of pricing and promotion, which is due to be published in coming weeks.
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International Symposium

Welcome to the 11th International Symposium on Substance Abuse Treatment, that will be held in Växjö, Sweden, 6-8 October 2008.

The aim is to gather both researchers and practitioners within the field of substance abuse treatment in Europe. At this symposium we are going to explore the obstacles and possibilities of knowledge development within this field.

This symposium is a collaboration between EWODOR (European Working group on Drug Oriented Research), EFTC (European Federation of Therapeutic Communities) and IKM at Växjö University (The Institute for Development of Knowledge about Treatment of Substance Misuse).
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Inequalities in young people’s health
HBSC international report from the 2005/2006 survey

This international report is the fourth from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, a WHO collaborative cross-national study, and the most comprehensive. It presents the key findings on patterns of health among young people aged 11, 13 and 15 years in 41 countries and regions across the WHO European Region and North America in 2005/2006. Its theme is health inequalities: quantifying the gender, age, geographic and socioeconomic dimensions of health differentials. Its aim is to highlight where these inequalities exist, to inform and influence policy and practice and to help improve health for all young people.

The report clearly shows that, while the health and well-being of many young people give cause for celebration, sizeable minorities are experiencing real and worrying problems related to overweight and obesity, self-esteem, life satisfaction, substance misuse and bullying. The report provides reliable data that health systems in Member States can use to support and encourage sectors such as education, social inclusion and housing, to achieve their primary goals and, in so doing, benefit young people’s health. Policy-makers and professionals in the participating countries should listen closely to the voices of their young people and ensure that these drive their efforts to put in place the circumstances – social, economic, health and educational – within which young people can thrive and prosper.

SUMMARY FINDINGS (ALCOHOL)

There are large cross-national differences in the prevalence
of weekly alcohol consumption among all three age
groups of young people.

11-year-olds: from 1% (Norway) to 22% (Ukraine)
• Girls: 0% (Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland)
to 20% (Ukraine)
• Boys: 1% (Norway) to 24% (Ukraine)

13-year-olds: from 2% (Norway) to 32% (Ukraine)
• Girls: 1% (Norway) to 25% (Ukraine)
• Boys: 2% (Norway, Greenland) to 38% (Ukraine)

15-year-olds: from 10% (Finland) to 53% (Ukraine)
• Girls: 7% (Poland) to 47% (Ukraine)
• Boys: 11% (Norway, Greenland) to 59% (Ukraine)

There are large variations in alcohol consumption across
countries. In most cases, weekly alcohol consumption is
more common among boys. It increases substantially
between ages 13 and 15. Family affluence does not appear
to be an important predictor of weekly alcohol consumption.

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Wales has most young drunks in Europe and USA

18/6/2008

A new survey by the World Health Organisation puts Wales at the top of a list that found that more young Welsh people have been drunk at least twice by the age of 13 than anywhere else in Europe and North America.

More than 25% of those surveyed in Wales said they had been drunk at least twice by the age of 13 - a greater proportion than any other country in the survey. Scotland was second, while England was fourth.

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AMERSA’s 32nd National Conference - November 6-8, 2008 We invite you to celebrate our 32nd anniversary at the Hilton Washington Embassy Row in Washington, DC on November 6-8, 2007. The conference is notable for its in-depth focus on substance abuse education and the high quality of its workshops and presentations. The objectives of the AMERSA National Conference are to bring together researchers and health professional educators to learn about scientific advances and exemplary teaching approaches. AMERSA’s membership consists of a multidisciplinary audience, comprised of physicians, nurses, social workers, dentists, psychologists, public health practitioners, substance abuse specialists, physician assistants, and allied health professionals. 2008 AMERSA Conference-at-a-Glance _______________________________________________

Occupational Noise, Smoking, and a High Body Mass Index are Risk Factors for Age-related Hearing Impairment and Moderate Alcohol Consumption is Protective: A European Population-based Multicenter Study
Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology Online First 2008


A multicenter study was set up to elucidate the environmental and medical risk factors contributing to age-related hearing impairment (ARHI).

Nine subsamples, collected by nine audiological centers across Europe, added up to a total of 4,083 subjects between 53 and 67 years. Audiometric data (pure-tone average [PTA]) were collected and the participants filled out a questionnaire on environmental risk factors and medical history. People with a history of disease that could affect hearing were excluded. PTAs were adjusted for age and sex and tested for association with exposure to risk factors.

Noise exposure was associated with a significant loss of hearing at high sound frequencies (>1 kHz). Smoking significantly increased high-frequency hearing loss, and the effect was dose-dependent. The effect of smoking remained significant when accounting for cardiovascular disease events. Taller people had better hearing on average with a more pronounced effect at low sound frequencies (<2 kHz). A high body mass index (BMI) correlated with hearing loss across the frequency range tested.

Moderate alcohol consumption was inversely correlated with hearing loss. Significant associations were found in the high as well as in the low frequencies.

The results suggest that a healthy lifestyle can protect against age-related hearing impairment.

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A.A. for Newcomers

This Web Site is created and maintained by The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain) Ltd., through The General Service Office of Great Britain. The General Service Office is the national office serving A.A. in the United Kingdom and English speaking meetings in continental Europe.

This website provides information for those seeking help with a drink problem

View Website Video
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Discussion paper setting out our strategic approach to tacking alcohol misuse.
June 17, 2008

This discussion paper sets out our strategic approach to tackling alcohol misuse. It illustrates the scale of alcohol-related harm in Scotland and how addressing this can help to deliver a Wealthier and Fairer, Safer and Stronger, Healthier and Smarter Scotland. Increasing trends in alcohol consumption mean that many Scots are now drinking above sensible guidelines. Over recent years, increased consumption has been influenced by factors such as a decline in the relative cost of alcohol; increased availability; and changing cultural attitudes. Excessive alcohol consumption is closely linked to harm: the more we drink, the greater the risks. It is clear that alcohol misuse is no longer a marginal problem. Nor is it one that affects only binge drinkers or those who are dependent on alcohol.

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Kernel-Based Association Test
Genetics, Vol. 179, 1057-1068, June 2008,


Association mapping (i.e., linkage disequilibrium mapping) is a powerful tool for positional cloning of disease genes.

We propose a kernel-based association test (KBAT), which is a composite function of "P-values of single-locus association tests" and "kernel weights related to intermarker distances and/or linkage disequilibria." The KBAT is a general form of some current test statistics.

This method can be applied to the study of candidate genes and can scan each chromosome using a moving average procedure.

We evaluated the performance of the KBAT through simulation studies that considered evolutionary parameters, disease models, sample sizes, kernel functions, test statistics, window attributes, empirical P-value estimations, and genetic/physical maps. The results showed that the KBAT had a well-controlled false positive rate and high power compared to existing methods.

In addition, the KBAT was also applied to analyze a genomewide data set from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Important genes associated with alcoholism dependence were identified.

In summary, the merits of the KBAT are multifold: the KBAT is robust against the inclusion of nuisance markers, is invariant to the map scale, and accommodates different types of genomic data, study designs, and study purposes.

The proposed methods are packaged in the user-friendly software, KBAT, available at http://www.stat.sinica.edu.tw/hsinchou/genetics/association/KBAT.htm.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: hsinchou@stat.sinica.edu.tw
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The Effects of Neuropeptide S on Ethanol Drinking and Other Related Behaviors in Alcohol-Preferring and -Nonpreferring Rats
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research OnlineEarly Articles 17 June 2008

Neuropeptide S (NPS) is a 20-amino-acid peptide, identified in the brain and periphery, that is reported to regulate arousal, anxiety, and feeding behavior. Studies were conducted to determine whether this peptide would alter ethanol intake, sucrose intake, anxiety, and general motor activity in alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) rats.

NPS reduced ethanol intake in P, but not in NP rats. It did not influence sucrose solution intake in P rats. However, an increase in food intake was seen in both rat lines following lower doses of the peptide. NPS did neither alter anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze test nor was there an effect on general motor activity; however, there was an increase in the amount of time spent in the center of the activity monitors following infusions of 0.6 nmol of NPS in P, but not in NP rats, indicating anxioltyic actions of the peptide.

These data suggest a role for NPS in the modulation of ethanol drinking and possibly anxiety-like behavior in rats selectively bred for high alcohol drinking.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: nbadiael@iupui.edu

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Correspondence Between Secular Changes in Alcohol Dependence and Age of Drinking Onset Among Women in the United States
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research OnlineEarly Articles 17 June 2008

Several lines of evidence suggest that the lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence among women has increased in recent decades, but has not risen significantly for men. Early age at onset of drinking (AOD) is strongly correlated with risk for alcohol dependence and there is evidence that mean AOD has also decreased, particularly for women.

The present report sought to confirm the trends in AOD and to determine the extent to which they might account for secular trends in alcohol dependence.

Both men and women born between 1944 and 1963 had earlier ages of onset for drinking than did the earliest birth cohort analyzed (1934–43). However, the net decrease in AOD was twice as large for women (3.2 years) than that for men (1.6 years). After adjusting for AOD, differences in lifetime prevalence between different birth cohorts of women were rendered nonsignificant, indicating that AOD accounts for a substantial portion of change in the lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence.

These results suggest that a decrease in AOD accounts for much of the increase in lifetime alcohol dependence among women. AOD is likely to be an indicator of dynamic, and therefore modifiable risk behaviors impacting risk for alcohol dependence.

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

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Density of Familial Alcoholism and Its Effects on Alcohol Use and Problems in College Students
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research OnlineEarly Articles 17 June 2008

Previous studies of family history of alcoholism (FHA) in college students have typically relied on dichotomous indices of paternal drinking.

This study examined the prevalence of FHA and its effects on alcohol use and problems using a density measure in a sample (n = 408) of college students.

Using a density measure of FHA, we observed an overall prevalence rate of 65.9% and a rate of 29.1% for FHA in both first and second-degree relatives. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to investigate relations among FHA, alcohol use/problems and previously identified etiological risk factors for alcohol use disorders (AUD). Results indicated a significant positive association between FHA and alcohol-related problems and this relationship was mediated by age of onset of drinking, behavioral undercontrol and current cigarette use. Behavioral undercontrol also mediated the relationship between gender and alcohol problems. Additionally, FHA was associated with an earlier age of onset of drinking and this was related to greater alcohol use.

Assessing density of FHA in future trajectory research may capture a greater number of students at risk for acute alcohol-related problems and/or future development of AUDs. Future preventive interventions with this population, which should begin well before the college years, may benefit from considering personality factors and incorporating smoking cessation to help identify at-risk students and assist those who wish to cut down on their alcohol use but find that smoking acts as a trigger for increased drinking.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: Christy_Capone@brown.edu

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Protein kinase C epsilon mediation of CRF- and ethanol-induced GABA release in central amygdala
PNAS | June 17, 2008 | vol. 105 | no. 24 | 8410-8415


In the central amygdala (CeA), ethanol acts via corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) type 1 receptors to enhance GABA release. Amygdala CRF mediates anxiety associated with stress and drug dependence, and it regulates ethanol intake.

Because mutant mice that lack PKC exhibit reduced anxiety-like behavior and alcohol consumption, we investigated whether PKC lies downstream of CRF₁ receptors in the CeA.

Compared with PKC^+/+ CeA neurons, PKC^–/– neurons showed increased GABAergic tone due to enhanced GABA release. CRF and ethanol stimulated GABA release in the PKC^+/+ CeA, but not in the PKC^–/– CeA. A PKC-specific inhibitor blocked both CRF- and ethanol-induced GABA release in the PKC^+/+ CeA, confirming findings in the PKC^–/– CeA.

These results identify a PKC signaling pathway in the CeA that is activated by CRF₁ receptor stimulation, mediates GABA release at nerve terminals, and regulates anxiety and alcohol consumption.

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Request Reprint E-Mail:</sup> mroberto@scripps.edu
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Association Between the Stin2 VNTR Polymorphism of the Serotonin Transporter Gene and Treatment Outcome in Alcohol-Dependent Patients
Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on June 14, 2008


The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between functional polymorphisms of dopaminergic [dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2), dopamine receptor D3 (DRD3) and dopamine transporter (SLC6A3)] and serotonergic [serotonin 2A receptor (HTR2A) and serotonin transporter (SLC6A4)] genes and treatment outcome in alcohol-dependent patients.

No association was found between DRD2, DRD3, SLC6A3 or HTR2A gene variants and treatment outcome. However, SLC6A4 STin2 12/12 carriers showed poor 6-month time point treatment outcome [32.8% in the good outcome group versus 64.0% in the poor outcome group, ² (df) = 7.20 (1), corrected P = 0.042, OR (95% CI) = 0.27 (0.10–0.72)]. Nevertheless, independent analysis of each treatment group reveals that the excess of 12/12 carriers in the poor outcome group was only found in the naltrexone-treated group [24.1% versus 64.7% ² (df) = 7.41 (1), corrected P = 0.042, OR (95% CI) = 0.17 (0.05–0.64)]. In the whole sample, the L-10 repeats haplotype (5-HTTLPR-STin2 VNTR) is associated with good outcome (LRT = 3.88, df = 1, P = 0.049).

Our findings suggest that functional polymorphism of the SLC6A4 gene may have an influence on treatment outcome in alcohol-dependent patients.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: Gerardo.florez.menendez@sergas.es
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Drugs and Society in Africa
8TH BIENNIAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Announcement & Call for Participation

The Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA), a leading non-profit organization devoted to research on psychoactive substance abuse and the prevention of substance-related health and social problems in Africa, announces its eighth biennial international conference. Researchers, health care professionals, policymakers, other experts and students interested in all issues related to alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs are invited to participate in this important conference.

Main Conference Theme:
SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
23 & 24 July 2008
Chelsea Hotel
Central Area
Abuja, NIGERIA

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Press Release - Launch Of New Multi-Million Binge Drinking Advertising Campaign

17 June 2008

A new, hard-hitting national advertising campaign to drive home the serious consequences of binge drinking to 18 to 24 year olds was unveiled today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

The £4 million campaign, which includes a range of television, radio, print and online adverts, is designed to challenge prevailing attitudes and change behaviour among young adults who binge drink. It poses the question: ‘You wouldn’t start a night like this, so why end it that way?’

The centrepiece of the campaign is two new television adverts that graphically highlight the consequences of binge drinking by reversing the sequence of a night out gone wrong. The adverts show a man and woman getting ready at home for a night out. They end with the man leaving home bloody and damaged and the woman closing her front door with smeared make-up and vomit in her hair.

The campaign is part of a wider package of measures already put in place by the Government since the Alcohol Strategy was published last year to tackle harmful drinking across the board, including:

• New laws to tackle underage drinking in public;
• National police campaigns to confiscate drink from young people and clamp down on irresponsible retailers;
• Tougher sanctions for premises that sell alcohol to young people;
• National trials of short sharp shocks for people arrested for alcohol related offences; and
• Independent research into the links to alcohol pricing and promotions and the harm they cause.

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Have a think before having that third drink

John Rogerson
June 17, 2008

New guidelines aim to encourage responsible alcohol consumption.

'BINGE drinking" is a useful term that indicates an excessive, unhealthy and dangerous level of drinking. "Binge" drinkers aim to get drunk, often as quickly as possible. It is disappointing to see the term misused in the current debate over the new National Health and Medical Research Council Guidelines (Sunday Age, 15/6).

These guidelines are not about defining what is or is not a "binge", but instead aim to inform the public about what risks they are taking when choosing to consume alcohol.
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The Guide

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health, has simplified screening for excessive alcohol use. It aims to make primary care physicians think about alcohol abuse as common, diagnosable and within their capacity to treat. The agency has written guidelines for primary care and mental health clinicians that ask these questions.
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