Assembly Bill 1657 (Runner)

CURRENT BILL STATUS April 27, 2007



MEASURE :  A.B. No. 1657
AUTHOR(S) :  Sharon Runner and Torrico.
TOPIC :  Alcoholic beverages: underage drinking.
HOUSE LOCATION :  ASM

TYPE OF BILL :
            Active
            Non-Urgency
            Non-Appropriations
            Majority Vote Required
            State-Mandated Local Program
            Fiscal
            Non-Tax Levy

LAST HIST. ACT. DATE:  04/18/2007
LAST HIST. ACTION   :  From committee:  Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on  APPR.
Re-referred.  (Ayes  6. Noes  0.) (April  17).
COMM. LOCATION :  ASM APPROPRIATIONS

TITLE :  An act to amend Section 25658 of the Business and
Professions Code, relating to alcoholic beverages.

______________________________________________________________________________

Bill Analysis

 Date of Hearing:   April 17, 2007
     Counsel:                Kimberly A. Horiuchi


                    ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
                            Jose Solorio, Chair

            AB 1657 (Runner) - As Introduced:  February 23, 2007


      SUMMARY  :   Creates an alternate misdemeanor-felony, as
     specified, for any person to furnish alcohol to a minor who
     thereafter causes death or great bodily injury (GBI), as
     specified.  Specifically,  this bill  :

     1)States any person who purchases, furnishes or gives any
       alcoholic beverage to a person the provider knew or reasonably
       should have known was under 21, where thereby the person under
       21 proximately causes death or great bodily injury to him or
       herself or others and the provider knew or reasonably should
       have known of the danger, shall be punished by up to one year
       in county jail or a term of 16, 2 or 3 years in state prison.

     2)States retail employees shall not be subject to a felony
       prosecution, as specified, for the sale of alcoholic beverages
       to a person under the age of 21 unless the retail employee
       knew the person was under the age of 21.

. . . . .

 COMMENTS  :

      1)Author's Statement  :  According to the author, "In 2005, I
       introduced 'Jeffrey's Law' in the memory of a 17-year-old boy
       taken from his mother.  A 41-year-old woman provided Jeffrey
       and his underage friends with alcohol, allowing 11 of them to
       drive away in an SUV.  This action took the lives of two
       children and seriously injured the others.

     "Unfortunately, my legislation failed, and adults in California
       continued providing alcohol to minors.  Last year in my
       district, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer Gregory John
       Bailey - a husband and father of four children - was struck
       and killed by an intoxicated underage driver while performing
       a traffic stop.  The minor had dropped off the adult friend,
       who provided him with his alcohol, moments before the crash.

     "Whose life will be taken this year?  This problem is not unique
       to my district.  The following statistics, provided by the
       Office of the Attorney General, demonstrate its prevalence
       throughout California:  on 2000, 2,177 youths who had been
       drinking were involved in fatal and injury collisions in
       California (CHP Fact Sheet 2000); in 1999, there were 1,741
       driving-under-the-influence (DUI) arrests of youths under 18
       and 13,875 DUIs of underage drivers age 18 to 20 in California
       (Annual Report of California DUI Management Information
       System, 2001).  More than 33% of vehicle-related teen deaths
       involve alcohol (California Office of Traffic Safety).

      2)Defining the Elements of Business and Professions Code Section
       25658(c)  :  Alcohol regulation has long devolved to the power
       of the states under the Twenty-First Amendment.  Business and
       Professions Code Section 25658(c) does not explicitly require
       that the offender have knowledge, intent, or some other mental
       state when purchasing or furnishing the alcoholic beverage.
       [  In re Michael Lee Jennings  (2004) 34 Cal. 4th 254, 262.]   In
       re Michael Lee Jennings  deals squarely with the issue imagined
       by the author.  In that case, the defendant had a party where
       underaged attendants consumed alcohol and then got into an
       accident resulting in GBI.  The court stated, "The generalized
       action of the typical social party host, providing libations
       for his or her guests, do not run afoul of the more specific
       Business and Professions Section 25658(c), because as a
       general matter, such hosts cannot be said to have purchased
       alcoholic beverages for any particular guest.  To violate
       Business and Professions Section 25658, one must not only
       furnish alcohol to an underage person, one must purchase the
       alcohol for that person (emphasis added).  In light of the
       plain meaning of the statutory language, we conclude that
       Business and Professions Section 25658 applies to any
       situation in which an individual purchases alcoholic beverages
       for an underage person."  ( Id  ., at 266.)  The most common
       manifestation of this scenario is 'shoulder tapping', meaning
       an underage person approaching an adult to buy liquor for
       them."

      3)Arguments in Support  :  According to the  Office of the Mayor,
       City of West Covina  , "AB 1657 provides that any person who
       purchases any alcoholic beverage for, or furnishing, giving,
       or giving away any alcoholic beverage to, a person who the
       provider knew or reasonably should have known to be under the
       age of 21 years, and the person under the age of 21 years
       thereafter consumes the alcohol and thereby proximately causes
       great bodily injury or death or himself, herself, or any other
       person, and the provider knew or reasonably should have know
       of the danger, is guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony."

     4)Arguments in Opposition  :  None submitted.

      5)Prior Legislation  :

        a)   AB 454 (Runner), of the 2005-06 Legislative Session, was
          identical to this bill and failed passage in the Senate
          Committee on Public Safety.

        b)   AB 2967 (Runner), of the 2005-06 Legislative Session,
          was identical to this bill and failed passage in the Senate
          Committee on Public Safety.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

      Support

     City of Adelanto
     Crime Victims United
     Office of the Mayor, City of West Covina
     57 private citizens

      Opposition

          Drug Policy Alliance Network

READ FULL BILL ANALYSIS   
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Press Release: Runner Package To Combat Underage Drinking Passes Committees
Bills receive unanimous support
4/19/2007
For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Sharon Runner
Colleen Ripchick
(916) 319-2036



Sacramento – This week, two Assembly policy committees voted to support the bills in Assemblywoman Sharon Runner’s (R-Lancaster) underage drinking package. On Tuesday, the Assembly Committee on Public Safety unanimously passed AB 1657, and on Wednesday the Assembly Committee on Governmental Organization unanimously passed AB 1658.

“I am encouraged that these issues have such broad support among members of both parties of the Legislature,” said Assemblywoman Runner. “We cannot let these issues of public safety go unaddressed any longer; I look forward to seeing this package realized.”

AB 1657, commonly known as “Jeffrey’s Law” was first introduced in 2005 in memory of a 17 year-old boy taken from his mother. A 41 year-old woman provided Jeffrey and his underage friends with alcohol, allowing 11 of them to drive away in an SUV. This action took the lives of two children and seriously injured the others. The woman was sentenced to a mere 180 days in county jail.

“Jeffrey’s Law” seeks to deter adults who knowingly provide alcohol to minors by allowing for a felony for the most egregious instances of death and injury.

According to a study by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, the cost of underage drinking is nearly $600 per American household each year, yet many of the current fines for underage drinking are under $500.

AB 1658 standardizes state law to more accurately reflect the dangers of underage drinking and its costs to society. This bill would fine minors, guilty of underage drinking, up to $500 for the first offense and $1000 for the second offense. Additionally, the bill fines adults $2500 for providing alcohol or false identification to minors.

“These measures could save lives,” said Assemblywoman Runner. “As members of government we should be pursuing all means within our power to protect the safety of the public, especially the safety of our children and this package would go a long way in doing just that.”

AB 1657 has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations and AB 1658 has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Public Safety.

###

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Assembly Bill 1658 (Runner)

CURRENT BILL STATUS April 27, 2007


MEASURE :  A.B. No. 1658
AUTHOR(S) :  Sharon Runner.
TOPIC :  Alcoholic beverages: underage drinking.
HOUSE LOCATION :  ASM
+LAST AMENDED DATE  :  04/10/2007


TYPE OF BILL :
 Active
 Non-Urgency
 Non-Appropriations
 Majority Vote Required
 State-Mandated Local Program
 Fiscal
 Non-Tax Levy

LAST HIST. ACT. DATE:  04/26/2007
LAST HIST. ACTION   :  Read second time and amended.
COMM. LOCATION :  ASM PUBLIC SAFETY
COMM. ACTION DATE   :  04/24/2007
COMM. ACTION :  Do pass as amended, and re-refer to Committee on
Appropriations with recommendation:  To Consent Calendar.
COMM. VOTE SUMMARY  :  Ayes:   07 Noes: 00 PASS

TITLE :  An act to amend Sections 25658, 25658.5, 25660.5, 25661,
and 25662 of the Business and Professions Code, and to
amend Sections 13004.1 and 14610.1 of the Vehicle Code,
relating to alcoholic beverages.

______________________________________________________________
Bill Analysis

 Date of Hearing:   April 24, 2007
Counsel:                Kimberly A. Horiuchi


       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY
               Jose Solorio, Chair

  AB 1658 (Runner) - As Amended:  April 10, 2007
     As Proposed to be Amended in Committee

 SUMMARY  :  Increases various fines in existing law for persons
convicted of furnishing, selling or giving an alcoholic beverage
to a person under the age of 21.  Specifically,  this bill  :

1)Increases the fine levied against any person under the age of
21 who sells, furnishes or gives away an alcoholic beverage to
a person under 21 years of age from $250 to $500 and from $500
to $1,000 for a second or subsequent offense.

2)Increases the penalty for any person under the age of 21 who
furnishes or causes the alcoholic beverage to be furnished
from a fine and community service to up to one year in the
county jail and increases the fine from $1,000 to $2,500.

3)States the imposition of penalties shall not be precluded
under any other provision of law.

4)Elevates the fine for any person under the age of 21 who
attempts to purchase any alcoholic beverage from $100 to $500
and from $250 to $1,000 for a second or subsequent offense.

5)States any person, who gives, sells or furnishes a false or
fraudulent written, printed or photostatic evidence of age of
majority to a person under 21 years of age shall be fined
$2,500 which may not be suspended and the person shall be
required to perform not less than 24 hours of community
service during hours when the person is not employed and is
not attending school.

6)States any person who furnishes alcohol to a minor whereby the
minor proximately causes death or great bodily injury shall be
fined $2,500, no part of which shall be suspended.

7)Increases the fine for every person under the age of 21 who
presents a false or fraudulent written, printed or photostatic
evidence of age of majority for the purposes of procuring
alcohol from $250 to $500 and from $500 to $1,000 for a second
or subsequent offense.

8)Increases the fine for every person under the age of 21 who
has any alcoholic beverage in his or her possession on any
street or highway or in any alcoholic beverage in his or her
possession from $250 to $500 and $500 to $1,000 for any second
or subsequent offense.

9)States any person who manufactures or sells an identification
document of a size and form substantially similar to the
identification cards issued by the Department of Motor
Vehicles (DMV) shall be punished by a fine of $2,500, no part
of which shall be suspended and the person shall be required
to perform not les than 24 hours of community service during
the hours when the person is not employed and is not attended
school.

 EXISTING LAW  :

1)States that every person who sells, furnishes, gives, or
causes to be sold, furnished, or given away, any alcoholic
beverage to any person under the age of 21 years is guilty of
a misdemeanor.  [Business and Professions Code Section
25658(a).]

2)States that any person who violates existing law by purchasing
any alcoholic beverage for, or furnishing, giving, or giving
away any alcoholic beverage to, a person under the age of 21
years, and the person under the age of 21 years thereafter
consumes the alcohol and thereby proximately causes great
bodily injury or death to himself, herself, or any other
person is guilty of a misdemeanor.  [Business and Professions
Code Section 25658(c).]

3)Provides that any on-sale licensee who knowingly permits a
person under the age of 21 years to consume any alcoholic
beverage in the on-sale premises, whether or not the licensee
has knowledge that the person is under the age of 21 years, is
guilty of a misdemeanor.  [Business and Professions Code
Section 25658(d).]

4)Provides that except as provided by law, any person who
violates existing law by furnishing an alcoholic beverage, or
causing an alcoholic beverage to be furnished, to a minor
shall be punished by a fine of $1,000, no part of which shall
be suspended, and the person shall be required to perform not
less than 24 hours of community service during hours when the
person is not employed and is not attending school.  [Business
and Professions Code Section 25658(e)(2).]

. . . . .

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

 Support

Diageo North America
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
The Century Council

 Opposition

None


READ FULL BILL ANALYSIS
_________________________________________________________________________________

Press Release: Help comes in the mail for drinkers

Public release date: 27-Apr-2007

Mailing a simple information pamphlet to interested drinkers in the general population reduced binge drinking by 10 per cent, and is a promising public health approach to reduce the health and social problems associated with heavy drinking, shows a new study led by the University of Alberta.

Brief interventions to help people change their alcohol use have long been recognized as a potentially useful strategy, but past research in this area has focused on college students, problem drinkers screened in clinics and hospitals or people seeking specialized counselling and alcohol rehabilitation treatment.

“While these are important target groups, university students only represent a small fraction of drinkers in the general population who engage in heavy alcohol consumption and get into problems,” said Dr. Cameron Wild, lead author of the paper and a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. “As for screening for alcohol problems in health care, busy health care professionals often don’t enquire about alcohol problems. Our study was designed to fill this gap. We showed that simply mailing brief self-help materials to interested adults in the general public can be an effective way to expand the reach and impact of brief alcohol interventions.”

. . . . . Read Full Press Release

___________________________________________________________

Fruity cocktails count as health food, study finds

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, U.S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday.

Adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits -- boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found.

Any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

. . . . . READ FULL ARTICLE

___________________________________________________________________

Natural volatile treatments increase free-radical scavenging capacity of strawberries and blackberries
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Early View Published Online: 19 Apr 2007

Free-radical scavenging capacities of strawberries and blackberries treated with methyl jasmonate (MJ), allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea-tree oil or TTO), and ethanol (EtOH) were investigated.

These results indicated that all of the natural volatile compounds tested in this study, except AITC, promoted the antioxidant capacity and scavenging capacity of most major free radicals and, thus, helped to improve the physiology of berry fruits and enhanced their resistance to decay.

While AITC was also very effective in reducing decay, its effect on free-radical scavenging capacity was inconsistent, suggesting that additional mechanisms may be involved in its inhibition of fungal growth.


READ FULL ABSTRACT



REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: wangc@ba.ars.usda.gov
___________________________________________________________________

Thinking Drinking II wrap up

Three hundred delegates attended Thinking Drinking II: From Problems to Solutions which took place in Melbourne, Australia from the 26 - 28 February 2007.

Thinking Drinking II sought to identify and advance solutions rather than continue to describe the problems.

A major theme throughout the conference was the need for public health advocates to establish a limited set of demands, argue for them consistently and support their demands with a rational case based on sound evidence. Advocates need to show strong community support for the policies they espouse, because politicians respond only to causes supported by voters.

. . . . . Read more about the conference

Presentations from Thinking Drinking II, where available, are listed in alphabetical order by surname.

WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR (SOLDIER OR AIRMAN)? ACHIEVING CULTURAL CHANGE WITHOUT THE LASH (PPT) [PDF, 171 KB]
WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR? (MEDIA FILE) [MP3, 1.5 MB]
Air Vice-Marshal Tony Austin, Head Defence Health Services, Australian Defence Force

MAKING SENSE OF INTOXICATION [PDF, 35 KB]
Robert Barby, Community Safety Consultant

GETTING POLICY OVER THE LINE: ENCOURAGING WHOLE-OF-LOCAL-GOVERNMENT ACTION ON ALCOHOL HARMS [PDF, 33 KB]
Mark Boyd, Senior Project Officer, Health Inequalities, VicHealth

IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME: DELIVERING A WORKPLACE AOD PROGRAM [PDF, 30 KB]
Donna Bull, Chief Executive Officer, Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia

ALCOHOL TAXATION AND THE LOW STRENGTH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE MARKET: UPDATING THE CASE FOR REFORM [PDF, 36 KB]
Donna Bull, Chief Executive Officer, Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of Australia

IMPACT OF SCHOOL ETHOS AND RELATIONSHIPS IN SCHOOLS [PDF, 219 KB]
Helen Butler, Manager, Professional Learning, Adolescent Health and Social Environments Program, Centre for Adolescent Health

TAKING THE ALCOHOL INDUSTRY TO COURT. IS IT WORTH IT? [PDF, 94 KB]
Bruce Clark, Director, Leigh Clark Foundation

LEARNING FROM THE LONG TERM TOBACCO CAMPAIGN [PDF, 70 KB]
Professor Mike Daube, John Curtin Institute of Public Policy, Curtin University of Technology

POTENTIAL FOR LITIGATION AGAINST ALCOHOL MANUFACTURERS [PDF, 55 KB]
Peter Gordon, Senior Partner, Slater and Gordon

DIRECTIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT [PDF, 86 KB]
Inspector John Green, Manager, Alcohol Crime Project, State Crime Command, NSW Police

PSEUDO UNDERAGE LIQUOR SALES [PDF, 443 KB]
Sarah Jaggard, Manager, Alcohol Projects, Injury Control Council of Western Australia

LIQUOR LICENSING ACTION AS A CULTURAL CHANGE STRATEGY [PDF, 1.58 MB]
Gary Kirby, Director, Prevention and Practice Development, Drug and Alcohol Office and Naomi Henrickson, Manager, Alcohol Program, Drug and Alcohol Office

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: CHALLENGING AND CHANGING WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S DRINKING CULTURE [PDF, 1.45 MB]
Gary Kirby, Director, Prevention and Practice Development, Drug and Alcohol Office and Naomi Henrickson, Manager, Alcohol Program, Drug and Alcohol Office

CULTURE AND ALCOHOL: THE WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW AND HOW MUCH (PPT) [PDF, 158 KB]
CULTURE AND ALCOHOL: THE WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW AND HOW MUCH (WORD) [PDF, 101 KB]
Sandra Kirby, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand

IT’S HOW WE’RE DRINKING: HOW’S IT GOING? [PDF, 76 KB]
Sandra Kirby, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand

ALCOHOL USE AND HARM AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE: THE DATA ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS [PDF, 95 KB]
Dr Anne-Marie Laslett, Research Fellow, Epidemiology and Surveillance Program, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre

MANAGING ALCOHOL USE IN MELBOURNE’S LATE NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PRECINCTS [PDF, 1.22 MB]
Colleen Lazenby, Manager, Safety and Wellbeing, City of Melbourne

ALCOHOL OUTLET DENSITY AND HARM: REVIEWING THE EVIDENCE [PDF, 60 KB]
Michael Livingston, Research Fellow, AER Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre

PRACTICE AND CHANGE: WHAT LICENSED VENUES CAN DO TO ADDRESS ALCOHOL-RELATED ISSUES [PDF, 51 KB]
Dr Jane Mallick, Director, Centre for Youth Drug Studies, Australian Drug Foundation and Kimberley Banfield, Research Officer, Centre for Youth Drug Studies, Australian Drug Foundation

PROMOTING ALCOHOL TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN AOTEAROA: MARKETING INTOXICATION? [PDF, 232 KB]
Dr Tim McCreanor, Senior Researcher, Whariki Research Group, Massey University

IMPACT OF FORMAL ALCOHOL EDUCATION [PDF, 46 KB]
Associate Professor Richard Midford, Project Leader, National Drug Research Institute

MIND MAPPING [PDF, 808 KB]
Minds at Work

SUPERMARKETS, LOSS LEADING AND THE RELATIVE PRICE OF ALCOHOL [PDF, 107 KB]
Wendy Moore, Manager, Policy, Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand

COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DRY AREA INTERVENTION TO REDUCE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITIES [PDF, 124 KB]
Michael Otim, Research Fellow, Health and Social Development, Deakin University

TAXING BEVERAGES THAT DRIVE IRRESPONSIBLY? [PDF, 51 KB]
Dennis Petrie, PhD Student, School of Population Health, University of Queensland

THE POTENTIAL OF THE WORKPLACE FOR ACHIEVING CULTURAL CHANGE: A CASE STUDY OF THE AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY [PDF, 1.32 MB]
Dr Ken Pidd, Deputy Director, National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction

DEVELOPING ADVOCACY AT A LOCAL LEVEL: HOW SERVICES CAN BE ADVOCATES [PDF, 34 KB]
Larry Pierce, Executive Director, Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies and Vanessa Long, Manager, Network of Alcohol and Other Drugs Agencies

TRANSLATING GOOD SPORTS INTO A NATIONAL PROGRAM [PDF, 360 KB]
John Rogerson, Director, Good Sports, Australian Drug Foundation

WHO WANTS TO GET DRUNK? INTOXICATION AS A PLEASURE AND A PURPOSE [PDF, 151 KB]
Professor Robin Room, Director, AER Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre

DOES AGE MATTER? HOW AND WHEN TO INTRODUCE CHILDREN TO ALCOHOL? [PDF, 28 KB]
Associate Professor John Toumbourou, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Adolescent Health

AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL ALCOHOL STRATEGY: REFLECTIONS ON THE POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS [PDF, 127 KB]
Brian Vandenberg, Senior Policy Analyst, Premier’s Drug Prevention Council, Department of Human Services

IMPROVING LIQUOR LICENSING PRACTISE [PDF, 333 KB]
Gino Vumbaca, Executive Officer, Australian National Council on Drugs

A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH LOCAL PROBLEMS [PDF, 35 KB]
Ros Winkler, Drugs and Safety Planner, City of Boroondara

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Press Release: Among women, light drinkers have fewer heart attacks than abstainers

27 April 2007

New research reveals that women who drink in moderation have a lower chance of heart attack than those who never drink alcohol. But the picture is starkly different for women who get drunk at least once a month, thereby substantially raising their risk of heart attack. The study, published in this month’s issue of Addiction, is of interest because most research on this issue relates to men, but women differ from men in terms of their drinking habits, alcohol metabolism, and overall risk of coronary heart disease. Researchers set out to find how much women drink, how often, and what their patterns of drinking are, and how these factors impact on their susceptibility to heart attack.

. . . . . READ FULL PRESS RELEASE

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Alcohol drinking pattern and non-fatal myocardial infarction in women
Addiction 102 (5), 730–739.

Evidence continues to emerge indicating the pattern of alcohol consumption has important implications for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, although the majority of studies have focused on men. The aim of the study is to examine the association between alcohol volume and various drinking patterns and non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) in women aged 35–69 years.

In this population of light to moderate drinkers, alcohol consumption in general was associated with decreased MI risk in women; however, episodic intoxication was related to a substantial increase in risk.

READ FULL ABSTRACT

REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: jdorn@buffalo.edu

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The Factor Structure of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
Volume 68, 2007 > Issue 3: May 2007

Past research assessing the factor structure of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) with various exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques has identified one-, two-, and three-factor solutions.

Because different factor analytic procedures may result in dissimilar findings, we examined the factor structure of the AUDIT using the same factor analytic technique on two new large clinical samples and on archival data from six samples studied in previous reports.

Across samples, analyses supported a correlated, two-factor solution representing alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences. The three-factor solution fit the data equally well, but two factors (alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use) were highly correlated. The one-factor solution did not provide a good fit to the data.

These findings support a two-factor solution for the AUDIT (alcohol consumption and alcohol-related consequences). The results contradict the original three-factor design of the AUDIT and the prevalent use of the AUDIT as a one-factor screening instrument with a single cutoff score.

READ FULL ABSTRACT

REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: srdoyle@u.washington.edu
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---

The validity of the laboratory marker combinations DOVER and QUVER to detect physician’s diagnosis of at-risk drinking
Addiction Biology 12 (1), 85–92.

Especially in situations where it might be favorable for the patient to dissimulate the existing alcohol problem, ‘objective’ laboratory tests can be helpful.

In this study we report validation of the two combinations DOVER (DOctor VERified) and QUVER (QUestionnarie VERified) of the biological markers percent carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (%CDT) and gamma-glutamyl-transferase (γ-GT) to detect patients that have been identified by their physicians with at-risk drinking behavior.

Our analysis demonstrated that the combination of the markers γ-GT and %CDT with the physician’s judgement of the condition as reference was superior to the use of single markers.

READ FULL ABSTRACT

REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: michael.berner@uniklinik-freiburg.de
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Press Release: Alcohol Industry Watchdog Challenges Diageo: Don't Pass the Buck; Add Criminal Charges for CEOs Who Entice Youth to Drink Alcopops

Contact: Michael Scippa, 415-548-0492 cell; Pete Ratajczak, 415-257-2488; both for the Marin Institute

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., April 24 /Standard Newswire/

-- Diageo, maker of Smirnoff Ice, the top-selling "alcopop," has been publicly goading Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, to endorse California's AB 1658. The bill, introduced by Assembly member Sharon Runner, would increase penalties for adults who provide alcohol to a minor from community service to imprisonment. The bill also increases penalties for youth caught in possession or attempting to purchase alcoholic beverages. Marin Institute calls on Diageo to demonstrate its avowed commitment to the prevention of underage drinking by asking the bill's author to add criminal penalties for corporations and CEOs that contribute to underage drinking by marketing alcohol products that blur the distinctions between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

We also call on Diageo to support AB 346, introduced by Lori Saldana and Jim Beall, which will be heard by Assembly Government Operations Committee on Wednesday, April 25, 2007. AB 346 is a legislative response to the flood of new alcohol products that simultaneously confuse consumers and promote underage drinking. Packaged to look like everything from Juice Squeezes to energy drinks to Jello cups, the packaging for these products misleads both adults and youth who often think "alcopops" are either non-alcoholic or significantly lighter in alcohol content than beer. Law enforcement, health professionals, parents, youth leaders, and their adult mentors have been raising a red flag about these sweet, bubbly, often fruit-flavored and caffeine-laced drinks for some time. AB 346 would address this problem by requiring additional labeling, making it clear these products contain alcohol. Consistent with its zero tolerance for underage drinking, Diageo, maker of the top-selling alcopop, Smirnoff Ice, should endorse AB 346.

. . . . . READ FULL PRESS RELEASE

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PRESS RELEASE: Diageo Supports California Legislation to Combat Underage Drinking

19 April 2007

North America

Proposed Law Would Enforce Stricter Penalties on Adults Who Furnish Alcohol To Minors

Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company, announced its support of California legislation aimed at combating underage drinking. The bill, AB 1658, increases penalties for adults who provide alcohol to those under the legal drinking age. Following a hearing yesterday, in which Diageo testified, it passed out of the Assembly’s Committee on Governmental Organization.

AB 1658 increases the legal consequences associated with providing alcohol to a minor, moving the punishment from community service to imprisonment. Diageo calls publicly for all alcohol policy organizations, especially The Marin Institute and the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, to join them in supporting this important piece of legislation that directly addresses an important social objective. The bill also increases the existing fines these individuals incur.

. . . . READ FULL PRESS RELEASE

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Proposed Legislation on Alcopops

AB 346 - An Act to Restrict Youth Access to Youth-friendly Alcohol Drinks

Legislation introduced by California Assembly Member Jim Beall will reduce underage drinking by limiting access to alcohol products with particular youth appeal. Alcohol-spiked “energy drinks” and pre-packaged “jello-shots”, as well as ‘alcopops’ are defined by the bill has having special youth appeal.

Products identified as having youth appeal will be required to display a label, "Warning: Contains Alcohol" and will be subject to marketing restrictions restricting youth access. Bill Text (html) (pdf)

AB 345 - The Underage Drinking Prevention Act of 2007

Assembly Member Lori Saldana has introduced a bill aimed at reducing harm caused by alcopops. Highlights:

• Allocates the estimated $50 million in tax revenue resulting from the proper taxation of alcopops as distilled spirits to a fund dedicated to the prevention of underage drinking.
  
• Revenue from a new license fee for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of alcopops will also go into the fund.
  
• The fund will be divided among the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (20% for enforcement of underage drinking laws), the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (30% for market research, a media campaign, and assessment of youth recovery programs), and county health departments (50% for emergency/trauma services, youth recovery and prevention programs). Bill Text (html) (pdf)

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Busch introduces fruit-infused beer

By Jim Salter, AP Business Writer | April 26, 2007

ST. LOUIS --Anheuser-Busch on Thursday rolled out fruit-flavored versions of its Michelob Ultra brand as the nation's largest brewer continues to branch out from its line of traditional beers.

The fruit-infused beers are available only through Labor Day and come in three flavors -- Pomegranate Raspberry, Lime Cactus and Tuscan Orange Grapefruit.

Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. in recent years has branched out to different brews aimed at attracting drinkers in their 20s -- drinks that include so-called "malternatives" such as the Bacardi Silver line of flavored malt beverages. . . . .

Some critics contend the flavored beverages attract underage drinkers. Earlier this month, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse chairman Joseph Califano Jr. criticized an Anheuser-Busch product called Spykes, a flavored malt beverage sold in 2-ounce bottles meant to be mixed with beer or other drinks, or consumed as a shot.

Califano is also critical of the fruit-flavored beer.

"Coming on the heels of Spykes, to me it smells of a policy directed at making beer more attractive for underage drinkers," Califano said. "What 25-, 30-year-old guy or even gal drinking beer is going to flavor it? I don't think so."

. . . . . READ FULL ARTICLE

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Town is first to spike sales of new drink

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff | April 26, 2007

It comes in flavors that sound like lip gloss, in bottles that look like nail polish, and it tastes a bit like candy. And now the new mini-bottle malt beverage Spykes -- controversial on grounds it is marketed to teens -- is banned in West Bridgewater.

The community may be the first in the nation to prohibit sales of the sweet alcoholic drink. Anheuser-Busch, the manufacturer of Spykes, said this week it knows of no other community that has imposed a ban.

West Bridgewater selectmen voted this month to ban Spykes in bars, restaurants, and liquor stores. They are also urging area towns to enact similar bans, and they have contacted the state attorney general's office in hopes of banning the drink statewide.

. . . . .READ FULL ARTICLE

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Between- and Within-Family Association Test of the Dopamine Receptor D2 TaqIA Polymorphism and Alcohol Abuse and Dependence in a General Population Sample of Adults

Volume 68, 2007 > Issue 3: May 2007

Dopaminergic dysfunction has been hypothesized to play an important role in the etiology of alcohol-use disorders.

A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in the 3 untranslated region (3UTR) of the DRD2 gene affects gene expression and has been implicated as a risk factor for alcohol dependence.

This polymorphism (TaqIA) has been reported as positively associated with alcohol-use disorders in case-control samples, but these results have not been replicated in family-based association studies.

This study supports other family-based association tests that have reported no association between the DRD2 TaqIA polymorphism and alcohol abuse and dependence.

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REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: brett.haberstick@colorado.edu
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Alcohol-Caused Mortality in Australia and Canada:
Scenario Analyses Using Different Assumptions About Cardiac Benefit
Volume 68, 2007 > Issue 3: May 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine how definitions of abstainers in prospective studies of alcohol and mortality influence estimates of the extent of coronary heart disease (CHD) protection due to low-risk alcohol consumption.

Meta-analyses were conducted on 35 prospective studies categorized according to the presence of up to two postulated errors for men and women regarding the classification of abstainers.

Significant CHD protection was found for both men (odds ratio [OR] .79) and women (OR .89) only in studies committing both errors; it was found for women only in studies with occasional drinker error (OR .75) and for neither gender in the few available error-free studies.

Estimates of net alcohol-caused deaths in 2002 varied accordingly, from -1,405 to 2,479 for Australia and from 4,321 to 7,319 for Canada.

There is a need for CHD mortality studies that use lifelong abstinence as the reference point for estimating CHD protection. There may be gender differences in CHD protection. Separate estimates for the effects of low- and elevated-risk alcohol consumption on mortality should be made and communicated.

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REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: timstock@uvic.ca

Neurology May Better Addiction Therapy

Team examines role of brain’s self-control and pleasure centers in drug abuse

Published On Thursday, April 26, 2007 4:05 AM

Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, last night outlined a series of scientific findings which may revolutionize treatment for drug addiction.

In a lecture entitled “Drug Addiction: the Neurobiology of Disrupted Free Will” at Harvard Medical School, she emphasized the genetic component of a person’s sensitivity to drugs, as well as the link between drug use and memory.

Volkow’s team at the Brookhaven National Laboratory has made scientific breakthroughs indicating that traditional treatment for drug addiction may not be the only way—or even the best way—to reduce drug abusers’ cravings.

Her findings reveal the role in addiction played by the section of the brain responsible for self control, as well as the part associated with pleasure.

. . . . READ FULL ARTICLE

Contributor: Don Philips

Opioid Receptor Gene (OPRM1, OPRK1, and OPRD1) Variants and Response to Naltrexone Treatment for Alcohol Dependence: Results From the VA Cooperative Study

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (4), 555–563.


Pharmacotherapy of alcohol dependence (AD) is at an early stage of development; currently available medications have limited efficacy. It would be clinically valuable to identify, before initiation of a course of treatment, those patients who, based on genetic markers, are most likely to respond to a specific pharmacotherapy.

A previous report suggested that a functional variant at the genetic locus encoding the μ opioid receptor (Asn40Asp) is such a marker, in short-term (3-month) treatment with the opioid-blocking drug naltrexone (NTX).

Although NTX had no significant effect on relapse to heavy drinking in the overall sample in CSP 425, it significantly reduced relapse in the subgroup that provided DNA for analysis (i.e., the present study sample). There were no significant interactions between any individual single nucleotide polymorphisms studied and NTX treatment response.

These results do not support association of the OPRM1 Asn40Asp polymorphism with NTX treatment response for AD.

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REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: joel.gelernter@yale.edu

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CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
FLAVORED MALT BEVERAGES


Per your request to receive electronic information of the California
State Board of Equalization - Flavored Malt Beverages - Rule Making
Process:

The Flavored Malt Beverage Second Meeting of Interested Parties that was
scheduled to be held on May 17, 2007 in Sacramento, has been moved to
June 6, 2007. We want to let Interested Parties know that they will
have the same amount of time to submit public comment following the
meeting, as the "Last Day for Interested Parties to Respond" was moved
back to June 21, 2007. The date this matter will be discussed by the
Board's Business Taxes Committee was not changed and remains August 14,
2007.
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Enforce warning labels on alcohol: NDP

CBC News

Six years after Parliament passed a motion requiring labels on alcohol warning of the dangers of drinking while pregnant, Judy Wasylycia-Leis says she is frustrated by government inaction.

"Parliament passed my motion by an overwhelming 217-11 vote," the New Democrat member of Parliament from Winnipeg and former health critic said on Monday.

"Yet I am still regularly presenting petitions in the House from Canadians pleading for government action. This defies the will of Parliament and the wishes of Canadians — certainly the children and families who continue to be devastated by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder."

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Contributor: Peggy Seo Oba

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Please don't do what I did, pleads mother who drank

April 22, 2007

ELIZABETH Russell lives with the guilt that she ruined her sons' lives after drinking during her pregnancies. But now she is trying to prevent other women from unknowingly doing the same.

Ms Russell is a recovering alcoholic who in 2001 found that her addiction had physically harmed her two sons.

Her elder son, 26, was diagnosed with "alcohol-exposed neurodevelopmental disorder" and the younger son, 22, has full foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

. . . . .READ FULL ARTICLE

Contributor: Peggy Seo Oba

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23 April 2007


Feature Article

• More trouble with advertising complaints

• Rugby sponsorship by bundy rum

A round up of alcohol news

• Women: Two drinks enough
• Time to reassess the role of alcohol in our lives
• Sporting beer ad ban plan
• Beware the perils bomb-making, experts warn
• Rugby code looking to be Good Sports when it comes to drinking
• Teen booze ban in pipeline
• MP seeks tougher drink law for teens at parties
• More alcohol, more often is hardly the solution to a growing problem

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News Release: Women’s Early Drinking Problems More Likely to Escape Diagnosis

By M. C. Tapera, Contributing Writer
Health Behavior News Service

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Men are more likely than women to experience many of the problems commonly associated with nondependent drinking, according to a new study. But the authors suggest women are prone to different alcohol-related problems that are less likely to be diagnosed.

Penny Nichol, co-author and quantitative psychologist, said the current study is distinguished by how specifically it measures alcohol problems: “We’re not comparing just any man and any woman; we’re comparing men and women with similar levels of problems.”

Balancing such comparisons allowed the University of Minnesota researchers to explore an underlying question: Are the criteria for alcohol abuse and dependence as accurate for women as for men? Nichols said it’s possible that studies “aren’t looking at the correct symptoms” for women.

. . . . .READ FULL NEWS RELEASE
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News Release:

Community action reduces violence in high-crime neighborhoods, study finds

Mobilized residents work with police, shopkeepers, bar owners to prevent alcohol-related problems in lower-income communities

When residents are actively involved in their neighborhoods, they can clean up the crime and violence. That’s according to a new study that found a significant decrease in assaults, car crashes and other alcohol-related crime with community participation. Calls to police and emergency medical services also dropped with this intervention program that addresses alcohol sales and service.

Researchers at the PIRE Prevention Research Center implemented and tested the program called the Sacramento Neighborhood Alcohol Prevention Project or SNAPP in an effort to reduce access to alcohol and the problems related in two low-income, predominantly ethnic minority neighborhoods. The intervention focused on individuals between the ages 15 and 29, an age group with high rates of alcohol-involved problems. Sacramento-based La Familia Counseling Center Inc. assisted in the project.
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Many Infants Prenatally Exposed to High Levels of Alcohol Show One Particular Anomaly of the Corpus Callosum
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (5), 868–879.


Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the brain are seen at every age. The earlier they can be quantified, the better the prognosis for the affected child.

Here we show measurable alcohol effects at birth on a structure currently used for nosology only much later in life.

An average of the images for the unexposed subjects has the geometry of textbook images of normal babies; but the average for the subgroup of high-angle subjects may serve as a template or guide to this regional damage parallel to the familiar photographic exemplars that help to assess facial signs.

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REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: lb@stat.washington.edu

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Antisocial Behavioral Syndromes and DSM-IV Alcohol Use Disorders: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (5), 814–828.

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), syndromal adult antisocial behavior (AABS) without conduct disorder (CD) before age 15, and CD without progression to ASPD ("CD only") are highly prevalent among adults with alcohol use disorders (AUDs).

This study examines prevalences and correlates of antisocial syndromes among adults with lifetime Diagnostic and Statistical Manual—Version IV (DSM-IV) AUDs, and describes associations of these syndromes with clinical characteristics of AUDs, in the general U.S. population.

Antisocial syndromes were significantly associated with phenomenology of AUDs, particularly ASPD with the most severe clinical presentations. Associations with AABS were similar to but more modest than those with ASPD; those with "CD only" were weaker and less consistent.

Patterns of associations between antisocial syndromes and clinical characteristics of AUDs were generally similar between men and women.

Antisocial syndromes, particularly ASPD, appear to identify a more pernicious clinical profile of AUDs among adults in the general U.S. population.

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REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: goldster@mail.nih.gov

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Joint Impacts of Minimum Legal Drinking Age and Beer Taxes on US Youth Traffic Fatalities, 1975 to 2001
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (5), 804–813.


There is a considerable body of prior research indicating that a number of public policies that limit alcohol availability affect youth traffic fatalities. These limitations can be economic (e.g., beverage taxation), physical (e.g., numbers or operating hours of alcohol outlets), or demographic (e.g., minimum legal drinking age).

This study tested one prediction of this model, namely that the impact from changing one availability-related cost depends on the level of other components of full cost.

The analyses showed that raising either MLDA or beer taxes in isolation led to fewer youth traffic fatalities. As expected, a given change in MLDA causes a larger proportional change in fatalities when beer taxes are low than when they are high.

These findings suggest that a community's expected benefit from a proposed limitation on alcohol availability depends on its current regulatory environment. Specifically, communities with relatively strong existing policies might expect smaller impacts than suggested by prior research, while places with weak current regulations might expect larger benefits from the same policy initiative.

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REPRINT REQUEST E-MAIL: bponicki@prev.org

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News Release: Higher beer taxes, 21 drinking age reduces traffic deaths of young people, study finds Communities with weak existing alcohol-control policies have most to gain

BERKELEY – Communities with few alcohol regulations could consider raising taxes on beer as a way to reduce drunken driving fatalities among young people. Alcohol-control policies such as the minimum legal drinking age and raising beer taxes have helped prevent youth access to alcohol and the problems of underage drinking. However, a recent study found that communities with limited alcohol regulation could expect the greatest benefits from establishing new alcohol-control policies. The effectiveness of any particular policy depends on what other policies are also in place.

“Our findings suggest that communities that have been historically reluctant to regulate alcohol availability currently have the most to gain from implementing any given alcohol policy initiative,” said William R. Ponicki, M.A., lead author of the study and a researcher at PIRE’s Prevention Research Center in Berkeley. “The study confirms earlier findings regarding the importance of alcohol policy in preventing alcohol-related problems such as traffic crashes. But it also shows that a community should look at the whole picture.”

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PRESS RELEASE:
Morphine makes lasting -- and surprising -- change in the brain