September Is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

For 18 years, Recovery Month has promoted the social benefits of alcohol and drug treatment, applauded the contributions of treatment providers, and increased awareness that recovery from these disorders is possible!

SAMHSA urges you to join the voices for recovery by supporting this year’s theme—Saving Lives, Saving Dollars. Alcohol and drug addiction exact an enormous financial and human toll on our society. That’s why it’s so important that we continue to invest in treatment! It benefits you, your family, and your community.

How can you support Recovery Month? It’s easy! You can:

• Plan events that will help raise awareness about the cost of substance use disorders.
  
• Publicize your event before Recovery Month even starts! You can tailor the media outreach templates in the Recovery Month toolkit and distribute them to local media outlets. You can even promote your event on the Recovery Month Web site!
  
• Provide information at your event by distributing the fact sheets in the toolkit. You also can use them throughout the year!
  
• Share your success with others! Tell others about the lessons you learned from your campaign and your accomplishments at the Recovery Month Web site!

Be Sure To Check Out These Materials

The following items are available to download or order to help you promote Recovery Month in your community.

• Recovery Month Toolkit
• Recovery Month Flyer (AVD237)
• Recovery Month Brochure (AVD238)
• Recovery Month Poster (PDF) (RMPOS-07)

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Party's over? Curbs planned on cheap drink to beat binge culture

Ministers ready to outlaw cut-price promotions to make young sober up

Alan Travis, home affairs editor
Thursday August 16, 2007
The Guardian

Ministers are close to a decision to crack down on the promotional sale of cheap alcohol and happy-hour discounts as part of a drive to tackle Britain's binge-drinking culture.

They are also to launch a public education campaign with new guidance to parents and young people to challenge the idea that "drinking to get drunk" in public places is in any way socially acceptable.

An urgent review is under way by the Home Office and the Department of Health into how, and in what circumstances, the price of alcohol, including discounting, advertising and other forms of promotion, drives the overall consumption of alcohol and problem drinking in particular.
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Read Full Article

Contributor: Tom Colhurst
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Alcohol ban is no answer; proper policing is


By David Green

6/08/2007

The alleged murder of Garry Newlove, after he challenged a gang of vandals, prompted Cheshire's Chief Constable, Peter Fahy, to call for stronger controls on alcohol.

The price should be increased, the legal age for drinking raised from 18 to 21, and drinking in the street banned. He went on: "We are doing everything we can, within our resources and powers."

First of all, the police are not doing everything they can. We have all seen the neighbours of Mr Newlove telling television cameras that there had been a problem with gangs for some time. What would a well-run police force do when told about a persistent problem with unruly youths?
. . . . . .
Read Full Article

Contributor: Tom Colhurst
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Indications of Public Health in the English Regions| 8: Alcohol





2007 Report by the North West Public Health Observatory on the impact of alcohol consumption on public health in England. Keywords: public health, England, alcohol misuse, binge drinking, consumption, alcohol policy.

Download Report (PDF)

Contributor: Rowdy Yates
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Half of under-age drinkers who admit to being drunk are given alcohol by parents

By JAMES SLACK - 15th August 2007

Drunk teens are getting alcohol from their parents

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More detailed results »

Half of all under-age drinkers are supplied with the alcohol by their parents, Home Office research reveals.

And tens of thousands of feckless mothers and fathers are turning a blind eye while children as young as ten get "very drunk".

The findings from the authoritative Offending Crime and Justice Survey show that 56 per cent of the 5.4million ten-to-17-year-olds in England and Wales admitted drinking in the past year.
. . . . . .

Read Full Article

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Media Release - New Study: Hispanics’ Drug Use Rises with Acculturation

08-13-07

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Substance abuse increases among recent Hispanic immigrants as they replace their traditional cultural beliefs with those of white Americans, according to new research that was presented Aug. 12 by Oregon State University assistant professor Scott Akins at the American Sociological Association’s Annual Meeting in New York.

The study surveyed 6,713 adults in Washington – of which 1,690 persons identified themselves as “Hispanic.” It is the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Previous research on the effect of acculturation on drug use has been conducted in states with larger Hispanic enclaves such as California, Florida and the Southwest. In these states Hispanics are more likely to live in heavily concentrated ethnic communities, which may slow their acculturation or assimilation.

The results were striking. Acculturated Hispanics were nearly 13 times as likely to report using illegal drugs as non-acculturated Hispanics. Acculturation involves the adoption of new cultural information and social skills by an immigrant group, which often replaces traditional cultural beliefs, practices and social patterns.

“In general, recent Hispanic immigrants are more family-oriented and have less tolerant views of drug and alcohol use,” Akins said. “Although acculturation and assimilation will provide some migrants with benefits such as wealth and job stability, immigration and acculturation can be a difficult process which has negative consequences as well.”
. . . . . .

Read Full Press Release

Researcher E-Mail: sakins@oregonstate.edu

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Press Release -

New test reveals risk-level consumption of alcohol and early abuse

It will soon be easy to determine whether a person has an alcohol problem. With a tiny prick of the finger a new method (developed in Lund in Sweden) can detect any abuse from the last two weeks. It can also reveal injurious and risky consumption, such as repeated weekend binges. The method is quicker, cheaper, and more accurate than present variants, which makes it interesting to primary care clinics, workplaces, and other venues where it is important to carry out health checks.

"People with incipient alcohol abuse often try to obscure their problems, both from themselves and from others. This makes it important to uncover problems in time. And for pilots, chauffeurs, and other vocational groups alcohol abuse can directly jeopardize their ability to perform their jobs," says Arthur Varga, the researcher in applied biochemistry at Lund University Faculty of Engineering, LTH, where the method was developed. . . . . . . . Read Full Press Release ______________________________________________________________

Thirty-month follow-up of drinking moderation training for women: A randomized clinical trial

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2007 Jun Vol 75(3) 501-507

This study examined the durability of a group-based drinking moderation training for heavily drinking women reporting low physical dependence on alcohol.

A 30-month follow-up of participants was conducted based on a previous study of 144 women randomly assigned to treatment conditions.

Thirty-month follow-up results indicated that women who at baseline were relatively heavier drinkers had significantly greater benefit from the drinking moderation training when exposed to intervention enhancements entailing life skills training and booster sessions. Further, the initial improvements in drinking, relative to baseline levels, did not statistically deteriorate over the 30-month follow-up.

The findings support the application of treatment enhancements among women in this population who at baseline are relatively heavier drinkers.

Read Full Abstract

Reprint Request E-Mail: walitzer@ria.buffalo.edu


Contributor: Don Phillips
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Officials OK tax hike for sugary alcohol drinks

The decision, which affects "alcopops" such as Mike's Hard Lemonade, is a victory for a group of California teens.

By Nancy Vogel, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 14, 2007

SACRAMENTO -- A group of California teenagers working to curb underage drinking scored a victory today when state officials voted to impose steep new taxes on sugary alcohol drinks such as Smirnoff Ice and Mike's Hard Lemonade.

The Board of Equalization decided to treat flavored malt beverages as distilled spirits rather than as beer, which will boost taxes on a six-pack of the drinks by nearly $2.

"The ruling will send a signal to youth that these drinks are hard liquor because they have costs similar to hard liquor," said board member Judy Chu of Monterey Park, one of the three Democrats to vote for the change.

The "alcopop" drinks mimic lemonade, cola, fruit punch and other flavors. They don't fit neatly into California's alcohol classifications of beer, wine and distilled spirits.

Before the tax change can take effect, the state must study the content of all flavored malt beverages sold in California, board staff members said. That could take a year.

The 3-2 vote came eight months after a group of teenagers from around the state petitioned the board for the higher taxes.
. . . . . .

Read Full Article
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Ban drinking in street, says police chief

By Martin Beckford

15/08/2007

A senior police officer yesterday issued a devastating critique of the way towns were being blighted by violent, drunken youths who had made people afraid to walk the streets.

Speaking after the death of a father allegedly at the hands of teenage yobs, Peter Fahy, the Chief Constable of Cheshire, blamed parents for abdicating responsibility for their children and shops that sold cheap alcohol.
. . . . . .

Read Full Article

Contributor: Tom Colhurst

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Board of Equalization raises tax on flavored malt beverages

By Danielle McNamara - Bee Staff Writer

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

The state's tax policy board voted Tuesday to tax flavored malt beverages at the same rate as liquor rather than beer, in an effort to curb underage drinking.

The California Board of Equalization approved by a 3-2 vote to classify the beverages as distilled spirits, which will raise the tax rate from 20 cents per gallon -- the rate for beer -- to the hard liquor rate of $3.30 per gallon.

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Read Full Article

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Faces & Voices of Recovery


eNewsletter 14 August 2007 eNewsletter: August 14, 2007

Become a Founding Member!
Thanks to your commitment and support, Faces & Voices of Recovery and our recovery advocacy movement continue to grow and make a difference in the lives of our families, friends and neighbors.
In September 2006, we launched our founding member campaign, which runs through September 2007, Recovery Month. If you haven’t done so already, I urge you to become a founding member of Faces & Voices of Recovery Learn more…

Rally for Recovery! and Recovery Month 2007
Over 50 organizations are participating in this year’s Rally for Recovery! to speak out about the power and proof of long-term recovery and call for policies to support recovery. Advocates in New Jersey and New York are coming together on September 15th in a “hub event” to bring national attention to Rally for Recovery! Advocates in Missouri and Illinois are combining forces for Hands Across the Bridge and in the nation’s capital, the first every Recovery Weekend. Use our sample media advisory and press release to publicize your events. Learn more…

Congress recesses – Act to end insurance discrimination!
We are at a critical point in the fight to end insurance discrimination against people still struggling with addiction and mental illness. We need your help to urge Congress to act quickly on the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (HR 1424) when members of Congress return to Washington, DC on September 3rd. Learn more…

Second Chance Act Advances
Thanks to the advocacy of a broad coalition of organizations and advocates around the country, the Second Chance Act continues to gain momentum in Congress this summer. The Senate Judiciary committee has approved the bill and the next steps are votes in the full House and Senate. Learn more…

Resources
Job Opportunity: The HERO House (Higher Education Recovery Option), a recovery house for college students in early sobriety, is looking for a Program Director. Learn more…

CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION (BOE)
MAKES HISTORIC DECISION

Alcopops To Be Taxed As Distilled Spirits



SAN RAFAEL, CA (August 14, 2007) --- The California State Board of
Equalization (BOE), under the strong leadership of State Controller John
Chiang, made history today when they set in motion a rulemaking procedure
to tax alcopops as distilled spirits, instead of the current "beer"
classification. The decision was immediately applauded by alcohol activists
and youth from the California Youth and Alcopops Coalition, the group that
initiated the drive with a petition to the BOE last fall.

“Flavored Malt beverages should be taxes as distilled spirits because they
fall under the category of distilled spirits, as written in California
law,” stated Chiang. “While today’s vote is about fair taxation,” he added,
“taxing flavored malt beverages as liquor will also help reduce their
popularity with young people by simply pricing the product out of their
reach.”

“This is an enlightened step forward in controlling underage consumption of
alcohol,” said Bruce Lee Livingston, MPP, Executive Director of Marin
Institute. “For generations, Big Alcohol has evaded proper taxation on
these products. Now, the state will benefit and the health and well-being
of our youth will be improved.”

A recent Marin Institute report detailed the true costs of the consumption
of alcopops by underage youth in California. The report concluded that
alcopops cost California $1.25 billion, 60 lives, and 50,000 incidents of
harm. With the new tax in place, the lives of 21 youth will be saved, as
well as $437 million in societal costs. The tax is also expected to reduce
underage alcopop consumption in the state by 35 percent.

“Public policy trumped corporate-influenced politics today,” said Michele
Simon, Director of Research and Policy at Marin Institute. “It’s a great
victory not just for the people and state of California but for other
states that are taking a keen interest in our process because they desire
similar outcomes. If we can do it, so can they,” she added.

In addition to Controller Chiang’s “yes” vote, board members Judy Chu and
Betty Yee also voted for the change. Members Bill Leonard and Michele
Steele voted no. The proposed tax could increase the average price of
alcopops by an estimated 25% and generate over $40 million for the state
treasury. In addition, the funds could be used for alcohol prevention
programs and emergency medical center expenses.

Listen live to Board Hearing

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