Effects of Legal BAC Limits on Fatal Crash Involvement: Analyses of 28 States from 1976 through 2002
Journal of Safety Research Volume 38, Issue 5, 2007, Pages 493-499

Hundreds of laws have been implemented in the United States over the past few decades designed to reduce alcohol-impaired driving and the crashes that often result. One approach has been to lower the legally allowable alcohol concentration for drivers. We examined the effects of changes in legal BAC limit in 28 U.S. states from January, 1976 to December, 2002.

Considerable state by state variability in estimated effects was observed, but results from the pooled analyses were clear and consistent. Changes in legal BAC limits significantly affected alcohol-related fatal crash involvement for both the SVN and BAC test result measures, and the laws affected drivers at all drinking levels.

An estimated 360 deaths are prevented each year in the United States as a result of the move from a 0.10 to 0.08 legal limit in recent years, and an additional 538 lives could be saved each year if the United States reduced the limit to 0.05, consistent with limits in most countries worldwide.

Given the significant effects of lower legal BAC limits on fatal crash involvement, businesses should support implementation of laws that further reduce the legal BAC limit for all drivers. Furthermore, all companies should set higher standards for employees, such as a zero allowable BAC limit for driving during work time.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: wagenaar@ufl.edu
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Alcohol use and congestive heart failure: incidence, importance, and approaches to improved history taking
Heart Failure Reviews Online First 22 November 2007

Alcohol use, abuse, and dependence have the potential to result in alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM). This distinct form of congestive heart failure (CHF) is responsible for 21–36% of all cases of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy in Western society.

Without complete abstinence, the 4-year mortality for ACM approaches 50%. Therefore, accurate and detailed assessment of alcohol use in congestive heart failure is essential.

The prevalence of problematic alcohol use is unrecognized by many clinicians. Clinical assessment of alcohol intake is often reduced to a simple question such as, “Do you drink?” Denial and minimization are hallmarks of alcohol abuse, with many individuals underreporting their use of alcohol.

Clinicians can overcome these hurdles by implementing practical history taking measures to improve the accuracy of self-reported alcohol use. The data regarding the dangers of ongoing alcohol use in individuals with ACM make attempts to engage individuals in treatment to support abstinence essential.

Suggestions for detailed and accurate assessment are discussed.

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The relationship between teenage 'binge' drinking, age of first alcohol consumption and intoxication
Journal of Substance Use published online 22 November 2007


This paper is an investigation into the relationships between 'binge' drinking in adolescence, and ages of first drinking alcohol (beer, wine, spirits) and of first intoxication.

It has been suggested that the early onset of alcohol consumption is predictive of heavy drinking and/or alcohol-related problems in later life. This possibility is examined by estimating within-gender effects of earlier age of first drinking alcohol (beer, wine, spirits)/first intoxication on the likelihood of (more frequent) recent 'binge' drinking (i.e. 'binge' drinking in the last 30 days).

Another line of enquiry is examination of between-gender effects of first drinking alcohol (beer, wine, spirits)/first intoxication at a particular age on the likelihood of (more frequent) recent 'binge' drinking.

Proportional odds logistic regression has been used to investigate relationships of interest. There was no evidence to suggest statistical associations between 'binge' drinking and the ages of first drinking beer or of first intoxication.

Even so, 'binge' drinking was found to be associated with the age of first drinking wine and the age of first drinking spirits. Furthermore, these associations were significantly different for girls and boys.

Nearly two-thirds of the within-gender effects of earlier age of first drinking wine or spirits on 'binge' drinking examined were statistically non-significant. Those results that were significant revealed that, with one exception, boys/girls who first drank wine or spirits earlier in life were more likely to 'binge' drink than individuals of the same gender who first drank wine or spirits later in life or who have never consumed wine or spirits. The exception was boys who first drank wine at 15-16 years of age; they were less likely to drink in 'binges' than boys who have never drunk wine.

This exploration suggests that early first drinking experience with any type of alcoholic beverage is not necessarily a risk factor for 'binge' drinking amongst UK teenagers.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: Moira.Plant@uwe.ac.uk
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Announcement & Call for Presentations

64th Alcohol Problems Research Symposium - April 2nd and 3rd 2008

65th Alcohol Problems Research Symposium - November 5th and 6th 2008

Stonecross Manor Hotel, Milnthorpe Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 5HP, United Kingdom.

The next two meetings in this long-running series of regular friendly, informal events will take place on the above dates. Papers (short abstracts) or other presentation suggestions are now invited. Anybody wishing to talk about their work or ideas in Kendal should get in touch with me. The 24-hour cost of attendance at the April 2008 meeting will be £105 (single room) and £90 per person (double room). This covers lunch, tea/coffee, dinner and overnight accommodation on the Wednesday and breakfast, morning coffee/tea on the Thursday. Those wishing to have lunch at the hotel on either Thursday are welcome to do so for an extra charge of £13. Payment should, as usual, not be sent to me. Rates include use of the hotel’s leisure centre (heated pool and hot tub). Participants are requested to pay their own hotel bills before they leave Kendal, but they should all book in through me. The Stonecross Manor Hotel is a comfortable, attractive, stone building situated about a mile (20 minutes’ walk) from the centre of Kendal. It is on the A6 main road. It was opened as an orphanage in 1857. The hotel is wheelchair-friendly and has good parking facilities. Taxis to the hotel cost approximately £4-60p from nearby Oxenholme Railway Station (on the main West Coast line, accessible from Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London and Manchester airports) and roughly £5 Kendal Railway Station. Kendal is on the edge of the beautiful English Lake District, just West of the Yorkshire Dales, another attractive area.

I hope that you and any of your colleagues who are engaged in alcohol research will be able to attend at least one of these meetings. If you do plan to do so, please write, fax or e-mail me indicating your exact accommodation and dietary requirements not later than Monday, March 3^rd, 2008 for the April meeting and Monday, October 6^th 2008 for the November meeting. Please let me know if you are aware of any alcohol researchers who should be added to the mailing list for these events. I shall be delighted to advise about travel arrangements or to provide any other details that you may wish to have about these meetings.

Martin Plant

Alcohol & Health Research Unit

University of the West of England

Blackberry Hill,

Bristol BS16 1DD, UK.

Telephone: UK 117 328 8852

Fax: UK 117 328 8900

E-Mail: martin.plant@uwe.ac.uk

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♫

Children of five to be taught alcohol dangers


By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor and Graeme Paton, Education Editor

24/11/2007

Children as young as five are to get lessons on the dangers of alcohol in an attempt to tackle Britain's growing binge-drinking epidemic.

From primary school onwards, youngsters nationwide will be taught about the harmful effects of alcohol, the influence of advertising and safe drinking levels.

Parents are also to receive training in talking to their children about alcohol and how to set limits for them, under guidance from the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (Nice).
. . . . . .

Read Full Article

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November 2007

vol. 8 issue 11

A Family History of Alcoholism is Linked to Greater Sweet Preferences among Women African American & Hispanic Alcohol Abusers Need More Residential Alcohol Treatment GABRA2 Genotype may Moderate Alcohol-Psychotherapy Outcomes Impulsive Behavior may Especially Vex Alcoholics with Antisocial & Borderline Personality Disorders

BJA Grant: Developing & Enhancing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs NIH Grant: Integrative Prevention Research for Alcohol Users At-Risk for HIV/AIDS

The NSDUH Report: A Day in the Life of American Adolescents - Substance Use Facts

Motivacion Para El Cambio-Fotonovela

2007 Indian Health Service Heritage Site Voices for Recovery - Treatment Stories at Recovery Month In-service Training for Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 42: Substance Abuse Treatment for Persons With Co-Occurring Disorders

November 15th is the Great American Smokeout NAATP's 32nd Annual SECAD Conference - November 28th-30th

Online/Correspondence Course: Women & Chemical Dependency Online/Correspondence Course: 18 Credit Academic Minor Specializing in Substance Abuse Prevention

Faces & Voices of Recovery - October 15, 2007 NIATx eNews Update - October 2007 Northwest Frontier ATTC Addiction Messenger - Motivational Incentives Part 3: Frequently Asked Questions - Vol. 10, Issue 9 (PDF) SAMHSA News - Reducing Wait Time Improves Treatment Access, Retention - Vol. 15, No. 5

National Daily News from Join Together

ACTION: Adopting Changes to Improve Outcomes Now ATTC National Office: What are the Best Web Sites in the Field? ____________________________________________________________________

News Release - President's comment on PM alcohol seminar
21 November 2007

Professor Ian Gilmore was pleased to represent both the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) as its President and the Alcohol Health Alliance UK as its Chairman at a meeting arranged by the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street this morning to tackle alcohol misuse, particularly in the young.

Although the drinks producers and retailers suggested measures relating to stronger enforcement of current regulations, this would not be enough to stem the rising tide of binge drinking in the UK, and Prof Gilmore was able to point out the strong evidence supporting action on raising price, as this particularly hits underage and problem drinkers.

While a whole range of measures are needed to reverse our all-pervasive alcohol culture in this country, he drew attention to other effective measures aimed at availability, irresponsible discounting and special offers, and advertising to young people. The RCP and the Alcohol Health Alliance UK look forward to working with Government to address this vital public health issue.

Read Full News Release

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Effect of alcohol and tobacco smoke on mtDNA damage and atherogenesis
Free Radical Biology and Medicine Volume 43, Issue 9, 1 November 2007, Pages 1279-1288

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and alcohol (EtOH) consumption often occur together, yet their combined effects on cardiovascular disease development are currently unclear.

A shared feature between ETS and EtOH exposure is that both increase oxidative stress and dysfunction within mitochondria.

The hypothesis of this study was that simultaneous EtOH and ETS exposure will significantly increase atherogenesis and mitochondrial damage compared to the individual effects of either factor (ETS or EtOH).

To test this hypothesis, apoE^−/− mice were exposed to EtOH and/or ETS singly or in combination for 4 weeks and compared to filtered air, nonalcohol controls. Atherosclerotic lesion formation (oil red O staining of whole aortas), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage, and oxidant stress were assessed in vascular tissues.

Combined exposure to ETS and EtOH had the greatest impact on atherogenesis, mtDNA damage, and oxidant stress compared to filtered air controls, alcohol, or ETS-exposed animals alone.

Because moderate EtOH consumption is commonly thought to be cardioprotective, these studies suggest that the potential influence of common cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as tobacco smoke exposure or hypercholesterolemia, on the cardiovascular effects of alcohol should be considered.

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Request reprint E-Mail: sballing@path.uab.edu

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Association of Lifetime Alcohol Drinking Trajectories with Cardiometabolic Risk
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Published online 20 November 2007

Alcohol intakes may vary considerably over a drinker's lifetime. This study was designed to examine whether lifetime drinking trajectories are associated with cardiovascular risk factors which are used to define the metabolic syndrome.

Trajectory analyses were based on estimates of total kilograms of ethanol for each age decade between 10 to 59 years. Two groups of drinkers with distinct lifetime drinking trajectories were obtained, an early peak and a stable trajectory group. Compared to stable trajectory drinkers, early peak drinkers were 10 years younger on average, had earlier onset of regular drinking, drank heavily in late adolescence and early adulthood tapering off in middle age, averaged more drinks per drinking day in lifetime, and were more likely to abstain when interviewed.

After controlling for age, sex and other potential confounders, early peak trajectories were modestly associated with high odds of the metabolic syndrome overall, low HDL-C , abdominal obesity and overweight .

Early initiation of alcohol drinking and heavy drinking in adolescence and early adulthood may be associated with an adverse cardiometabolic profile.

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PM meets with alcohol industry over binge-drinking culture

21 November 2007

The Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and the Culture Secretary today hosted a seminar to tackle the problems of under-age drinking and binge-drinking.

Mr Brown met drinks manufacturers, doctors and academics in Downing Street this morning as the Government unveiled plans to crack down on excessive consumption of alcohol. The PM challenged alcohol producers and retailers to take part in the effort to deal with unacceptable drinking or face tougher action in the future.

The PM said that the "coordinated" approach will "build upon the efforts to deal with some of the problems, particularly related to our target groups - that is young people and binge-drinkers."

A Home Office campaign launched today will target pubs, clubs and off licences in areas with high levels of alcohol-related crime and disorder. Efforts over the Christmas period will be focused on up to 1,500 premises in 90 areas selling alcohol to under-age drinkers or people who are already drunk. Retailers risk heavy fines or losing their licences for repeat offences.

. . . . . . .

Read Full Press Announcement

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A Haplotype Analysis of CYP2E1 Polymorphisms in Relation to Alcoholic Phenotypes in Mexican Americans
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (12), 1991–2000


Studies regarding the association between the 4 polymorphisms of CYP2E1 (CYP2E1*1D, *5B, *6, and *1B) and alcoholism are inconsistent and inconclusive.

The purpose of the present study was to clarify previously discordant studies by haplotype analysis in the Mexican American population.

The 4 polymorphisms of CYP2E1 were studied in 334 alcoholics and 365 controls. Genotype, allele, and haplotype frequency comparisons between alcoholics and controls were assessed. Patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) at CYP2E1 were determined. Reconstructed haplotypes were tested for associations with clinical phenotypes (age onset of drinking, Maxdrinks, and smoking status).

No significant associations between the 4 polymorphisms of CYP2E1 and alcoholism were revealed by single allele tests. High LD was found between the CYP2E1 c2 and C alleles in Mexican Americans. Eleven haplotypes were present in the 699 participants. The 6 main haplotypes with frequencies higher than 1% made up 97% of the total halpotypes. The frequency of subjects carrying H6 (1C-c2-C-A2) was significantly higher in alcoholics than in controls (p = 0.0001). In contrast, the frequencies of H7 (1C-c2-C-A1) and H10 (1C-c2-D-A1) were significantly lower in alcoholics than in controls (p = 0.0072 for H7 and p = 0.0407 for H10). The frequency of H6 was significantly higher in alcoholics who had late onset of drinking than in nonalcoholic controls. Furthermore, the frequencies of H6 haplotype were also consistently higher in groups who had high number of maximum drinks (9 to 32 drinks) than in controls. When smokers are excluded, the frequencies of H6, H7, and H9 (1C-c2-D-A2) showed statistically significant differences between alcoholics and controls (p < 0.05). Moreover, the association between H6 and alcoholism become more robust when smokers are excluded. Furthermore, the frequency of H1 (1C-c1-D-A2) in alcoholic-smokers was much higher than in alcoholic-nonsmokers (p = 0.0028). In contrast, alcoholic-smokers carried less H2 (1C-c1-D-A1) in comparison with alcoholic-nonsmokers (p = 0.0417). The H3 (1D-c2-C-A2) frequency in alcoholic-smokers was much lower than in alcoholic-nonsmokers (p = 0.0042) and control-smokers (p = 0.0363).

Our data demonstrate that carrying haplotype H6 might enhance susceptibility to developing alcoholism, but possessing the H7 or H10 haplotype appears to decrease this susceptibility. The H6, H7, and H9 haplotypes may play certain roles in different clinical phenotypes in Mexican American alcoholics. In addition, our data suggest that the H1, H2, and H3 haplotypes are associated with alcohol drinking and smoking.

These results support that haplotype analysis is much more informative than single allele analysis. Our findings clearly indicate the importance of H6 haplotype in alcohol drinking in Mexican Americans.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: ywan@kumc.edu

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Moderators of Naltrexone’s Effects on Drinking, Urge, and Alcohol Effects in Non-Treatment-Seeking Heavy Drinkers in the Natural Environment
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (OnlineEarly Articles)
20 November 2007

Naltrexone (NTX) has proven to be effective with alcoholics in treatment, with most controlled clinical trials showing beneficial effects on heavy drinking rates. However, little is known about the behavioral mechanisms underlying the effects of NTX on drinking, or about patient characteristics that may moderate NTX’s effects on drinking.

In this study, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) techniques were used to investigate some of the putative mechanisms of naltrexone’s effects on drinking in heavy drinkers who were not seeking treatment for alcohol problems. Polymorphisms in the D4 dopamine receptor (DRD4) gene and the μ-opiate receptor (OPRM1) gene, family history of alcohol problems, age of onset of alcoholism and gender were explored as potential moderators of NTX’s effects.

Naltrexone reduced percentage drinking days in all participants and reduced percent heavy drinking days in DRD4-L individuals; NTX decreased urge levels in participants with younger age of alcoholism onset; NTX increased time between drinks in participants who had more relatives with alcohol problems; and NTX reduced the stimulating effects of alcohol in women. OPRM1 status did not moderate any of NTX’s effects.

These results confirm earlier findings of NTX’s effects on drinking and related subjective effects, and extend them by describing individual difference variables that moderate these effects in the natural environment, using data collected in real time.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: jennifer_tidey@brown.edu

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Rates and Correlates of Relapse Among Individuals in Remission From DSM-IV Alcohol Dependence: A 3-Year Follow-Up
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (12), 2036–2045.

There is little information on the stability of abstinent and nonabstinent remission from alcohol dependence in the general U.S. population. The aim of this study was to examine longitudinal changes in recovery status among individuals in remission from DSM-IV alcohol dependence, including rates and correlates of relapse, over a 3-year period.

This analysis is based on data from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 18 years and older originally interviewed in 2001 to 2002 and reinterviewed in 2004 to 2005.

The Wave 1 NESARC identified 2,109 individuals who met the DSM-IV criteria for full remission from alcohol dependence. Of these, 1,772 were reinterviewed at Wave 2, comprising the analytic sample for this study.

Recovery status at Wave 2 was examined as a function of type of remission at Wave 1, with a focus on rates of relapse, alternately defined as recurrence of any alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms and recurrence of DSM-IV alcohol dependence.

Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of relapse among asymptomatic risk drinkers and low-risk drinkers relative to abstainers, adjusted for a wide range of potential confounders.

By Wave 2, 51.0% of the Wave 1 asymptomatic risk drinkers had experienced the recurrence of AUD symptoms, compared with 27.2% of low-risk drinkers and 7.3% of abstainers. Across all ages combined, the adjusted odds of recurrence of AUD symptoms relative to abstainers were 14.6 times as great for asymptomatic risk drinkers and 5.8 times as great for low-risk drinkers.

The proportions of individuals who had experienced the recurrence of dependence were 10.2, 4.0, and 2.9%, respectively, and the adjusted odds ratios relative to abstainers were 7.0 for asymptomatic risk drinkers and 3.0 for low-risk drinkers.

Age significantly modified the association between type of remission and relapse. Differences by type of remission were not significant for younger alcoholics, who had the highest rates of relapse.

Abstinence represents the most stable form of remission for most recovering alcoholics. Study findings highlight the need for better approaches to maintaining recovery among young adults in remission from alcohol dependence, who are at particularly high risk of relapse.

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

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Alcohol consumption, cardiovascular health, and endothelial function markers
Alcohol Volume 41, Issue 7, November 2007, Pages 479-488




Cardiovascular diseases are among the worldwide leading causes of shorter life expectancy and loss of quality of life. Thus, any influence of diet or life habits on the cardiovascular system may have important implications for public health. Most world populations consume alcoholic beverages.

Since alcohol may have both protective and harmful effects on cardiovascular health, the identification of biochemical mechanisms that could explain such paradoxical effects is warranted.

The vascular endothelium is the target of important mediating pathways of differential ethanol concentrations, such as oxidative stress, lipoproteins, and insulin resistance. Alcohol-induced endothelial damage or protection may be related to the synthesis or action of several markers, such as nitric oxide, cortisol, endothelin-1, adhesion molecules, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and haemostatic factors.

The expression of these markers is consistent with the J-shaped curve between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular health. However, there is genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity in alcohol response, and despite the apparent beneficial biochemical effects of low doses of ethanol, there is not enough clinical and epidemiological evidence to allow the recommendation to consume alcoholic beverages for abstemious individuals.

Considering the potential for addiction of alcoholic beverage consumption and other negative consequences of alcohol, it would be worthwhile to identify substances able to mimic the beneficial effects of low doses of ethanol without its adverse effects.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: paulobau@gmail.com
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Childbirth, abortion and subsequent substance use in young women: a population-based longitudinal study
Addiction 102 (12), 1971–1978.

To investigate the possible linkages between deliveries, abortions and subsequent nicotine dependence, alcohol problems and use of cannabis and other illegal drugs from the ages of 15–27 years.

Those who had had an abortion had elevated rates of substance use and problems. Those who gave birth to a child had reduced rates of alcohol problems and cannabis use. These associations persisted after control for confounders. However, those women who still lived with the father of the aborted fetus were not at increased risk.

Abortion in women may, under some circumstances, be associated with increased risk of nicotine dependence, alcohol problems and use of cannabis and other illegal drugs. The birth of a child may reduce the use of some substances.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: willy.pedersen@sosiologi.uio.no

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Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, frequency of attendance and substance use outcomes after residential treatment for drug dependence: a 5-year follow-up study
Addiction (OnlineEarly Articles) 20 November 2007

This study investigates the relationship between frequency of attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous (NA/AA) meetings and substance use outcomes after residential treatment of drug dependence. It was predicted that post-treatment NA/AA attendance would be related to improved substance use outcomes.

Abstinence from opiates was increased throughout the 5-year follow-up period compared to pre-treatment levels. Clients who attended NA/AA after treatment were more likely to be abstinent from opiates at follow-up. Abstinence from stimulants increased at follow-up but (except at 1-year follow-up) no additional benefit was found for NA/AA attendance.

There was no overall change in alcohol abstinence after treatment but clients who attended NA/AA were more likely to be abstinent from alcohol at all follow-up points.

More frequent NA/AA attenders were more likely to be abstinent from opiates and alcohol when compared both to non-attenders and to infrequent (less than weekly) attenders.

NA/AA can support and supplement residential addiction treatment as an aftercare resource. In view of the generally poor alcohol use outcomes achieved by drug-dependent patients after treatment, the improved alcohol outcomes of NA/AA attenders suggests that the effectiveness of existing treatment services may be improved by initiatives that lead to increased involvement and engagement with such groups.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: m.gossop@iop.kcl.ac.uk

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Changes in volume of drinking after changes in alcohol taxes and travellers' allowances: results from a panel study
Addiction (OnlineEarly Articles) 20 November 2007

The aim of this paper is to study short-term changes in alcohol consumption by subgroups of the population in Denmark, Finland and southern Sweden following large-scale decreases in alcohol taxation in Denmark and Finland and large increases in travellers' allowances in Finland and Sweden.

Consumption decreased or remained the same among women and men in all three study sites. Relative changes were similar across subgroups of age, gender and income in all countries. In absolute terms, there was a consistent differential change by age in Denmark, Finland and Southern Sweden, with the higher level of the young and lower level of the old converging. Women's and men's consumption converged in Finland and southern Sweden. The changes did not differ systematically by income. Changes were not larger among heavier drinkers.

The results did not confirm expectations: an increase in consumption larger than that in the control site could not be shown in any of the countries or subgroups of the population. If there has been an effect – as shown in aggregate data in Finland – it seems to have been stronger among the old than the young and, in Finland and southern Sweden, among women rather than men.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: pia.makela@stakes.fi

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Decreased Expression of Transporters Reduces Folate Uptake across Renal Absorptive Surfaces in Experimental Alcoholism
Journal of Membrane Biology
Online 15 November 2007

In this study, we examined the mechanistic insights of folate reabsorption during alcoholism, considering enhanced renal excretion as one of the major contributing factors to alcohol-induced folate deficiency.

Male Wistar rats were fed 1g/kg body weight/day ethanol (20% solution) orally for 3 months.

The results on characterization of the folate transport system in renal basolateral membrane (BLM) suggested it to be a carrier-mediated, acidic pH-dependent and saturable one. Chronic ethanol feeding decreased the uptake mainly by increasing the K _m and decreasing the V _max of the transport process at the BLM surface.

At the molecular level, reduced folate transport activity in renal tissue during chronic ethanol ingestion was attributable to decreased expression of reduced folate carrier (RFC) and folate binding protein (FBP). Antibodies against RFC protein revealed a parallel change in RFC expression in both brush border and BLM surfaces during chronic alcoholism.

Such findings highlight the role of downregulation of RFC and FBP expression and provide mechanistic insight into the observed reduced folate transport efficiency at renal absorptive surfaces in alcoholism, which may result in low blood folate levels commonly observed in alcoholics.

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Request Reprint E-mail: jyotdeep2001@yahoo.co.in
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SAMHSA News Posts Latest Issue

Reducing Wait Time Improves Treatment Access

Seeking help for a substance abuse problem can be one of the most difficult decisions people ever make. Now SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) is helping states and treatment providers get rid of overwhelming intake forms, long waits for appointments, and other barriers to efficient services.

Read the full story

Other Top Stories in This Issue

• Grant Awards Announced
• Employees and Drug Use
• Workplace Helpline

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SAMHSA News is a valuable resource for substance abuse and mental health counselors, clinicians, students in public health, consumers, individuals and families in recovery, and others. Forward this email to a friend!

SAMHSA News is the Agency’s bimonthly newsletter in print and online for feature stories about SAMHSA’s priority programs and campaigns, resources, and successful grantees.

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Sturgeon's £25m To Battle Booze

Nov 19 2007

HEALTH minister Nicola Sturgeon will today announce a multi-million pound funding boost to tackle alcohol misuse.

Funding for local alcohol and drug action teams is set to increase from £10million per year to £25million.

It will be used to tackle alcoholism and binge drinking.

There are also plans to expand rehabilitation and treatment services.
. . . . . .

Read Full Article

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eNewsletter 19 November 2007

Mark your Calendar
December 2: Attend our New Hampshire Presidential Town Hall, “A Healthier & Safer New Hampshire: Solving Our Alcohol and Drug Problem,” in Plaistow, NH. Thanks to all of the sponsoring organizations! Read NH planning committee member Susan McKeown’s story.

December 5: Deadline for applications for New England regional representative to Faces & Voices board of directors.

Recovery Advocacy Teleconference Series
January 30: Recovery Voices Count; February 27: Recovery Community Centers Part 1; March 26: Recovery Community Centers Part 2. Mark you calendar, details to follow.

Do you have 5 or more years of recovery? Participate in an online survey

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) invites individuals with 5 or more years of recovery to participate in a brief online survey...Learn more

Fall 2007 issue of Rising!

Read the latest issue of Rising! to find out about how over 30,000 recovery advocates came together at over 60 events around the country to participate in Rally for Recovery! and add an advocacy component to their Recovery Month celebrations.

Second Chance Act clears important hurdle

Thanks to the advocacy of a broad coalition of organizations and advocates around the country, the Second Chance Act, H.R. 1593, a bill to support individuals reentering communities after incarceration, passed the US House or Representatives by a vote of 347 to 62. The next step is a vote in the US Senate, where the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the bill, S. 1060. The Senate is expected to vote on it when Congress returns from its Thanksgiving recess. Learn more...

Federal funding bill for SAMHSA, NIDA, NIAA
The bill that provides fiscal year (FY) 2008 funding for programs in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism was vetoed by President Bush and there were not enough votes in the House to override the veto. Learn more...

Resources
The Lost in Woonsocket campaign offers showings of an inspiring film and sales of a Special Edition DVD as fund raisers for recovery, homeless, and faith based organizations. Learn more...

Recovery Solutions Magazine's latest issue features an interview with Dr. Westley Clark, Director of the federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and Johnny Allem, president and CEO of the Johnson Institute and a Faces & Voices board member.

The "Total Recovery" program is a new Detroit, MI-based recovery radio show featuring Rev. Timothy Thompson Sr., Emmanuel House Recovery Program; Rev. Charles Christian Adams and Rev. Dr. Charles G. Adams, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church; and Andre Johnson, President/CEO, Detroit Recovery Project. The program airs on Saturdays from 1:00-1:30 and is available online at www.wexl1340.com.

The Changemakers competition is seeking innovative advocacy and programs for helping young men ages 15 to 25 become successful adults. Learn more...

Camp Wellstone is offering a citizen activist training in Long Beach, CA on December 7-9 for people interested in citizen lobbying, issue advocacy and community organizing.

Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)
If you are a member of the military or a federal employee, please support our recovery advocacy movement by designating Faces & Voices of Recovery through the CFC. Please enter our CFC code #12486 on your pledge card during this fall's fund drive.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Abstinence - a better way to a brighter future ?
Drink and Drugs News
19 November 2007


‘Methadone is a treatment but not what the public expects. It is not about getting addicts off drugs but keeping them on our drugs and out of jail and alive,’ said Mark Gilman, the NTA’s regional coordinator for the North West, speaking at last year’s ‘Prisons and Beyond’n Conference.

Government is using drug treatment to deliver problem-solving, albeit with little success, rather than the recovery that addicts and their families hope for. Our analysis challenges conventional orthodoxy about what current treatment policy has achieved, what constitutes treatment and what it is for.
. . . . . .
Read Full Article (PDF) __________________________________________________________

News Release - STATE MEDICAID DRUG POLICIES IMPEDING ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE DRUG FOR ALCOHOL ABUSE

Efforts to curb rising health costs inadvertently inhibit use of
inexpensive therapy proven to help problem drinking

WASHINGTON DC, November 19, 2007, Many states could more effectively address the huge financial and societal burden of alcohol abuse by changing policies that may be inadvertently impeding access to an inexpensive prescription drug known to reduce problem drinking. These findings appear in a new study in today’s online version of the journal, Health Services Research.

The study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin and Georgetown University examined how state efforts to control spending on Medicaid, the program that provides health care for low-income individuals and families, may be limiting the ability of physicians to treat alcohol addiction with a widely studied generic drug called naltrexone. The research was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP).
. . . . . . .

Read Full News Release

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News - New coalition calls for tougher measures on alcohol

13 November 2007

A new coalition launched today is calling on the Government to do more to prevent the rise in alcohol-related diseases. The Alcohol Health Alliance UK is a ground-breaking coalition of 24 organisations whose mission is to reduce the damage caused to health by alcohol misuse and who will work together to:

• Highlight the rising levels of alcohol-related health harm
• Propose evidence-based solutions to reduce this harm
• Influence decision makers to take positive action to address the damage caused by alcohol misuse

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A Population-Based Study on Substance Abuse Treatment for Adults with Disabilities: Access, Utilization, and Treatment Outcomes
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Volume 33, Issue 6 November 2007 , pages 791 - 798


To examine potential disparities in access to substance abuse treatment services for Medicaid-eligible adults with disabilities, and compare utilization rates and outcomes in outpatient programs.

Access and utilization rates for adults with disabilities were about half others' rates; treatment outcomes were generally equivalent across groups.

Adults with disabilities are underutilizing substance abuse treatment, suggesting barriers to accessing treatment.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: krahng@ohsu.edu
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