The industry funded alcohol education charity Drinkaware has released an independent review of its activities, with mixed findings over its effectiveness to date. Download the report here [pdf] or appendices. > > > > Read More
Friday, May 3, 2013
Drinkaware independent review raises questions for industry funded alcohol charity
The industry funded alcohol education charity Drinkaware has released an independent review of its activities, with mixed findings over its effectiveness to date. Download the report here [pdf] or appendices. > > > > Read More
Predicting stubborn alcohol addiction: mood, motive may hold keys
It doesn't take stacks of research to demonstrate that medicating painful feelings with alcohol or drugs is a dangerous and ultimately futile strategy (although those studies do exist). But the relationship between emotional difficulties and alcohol addiction has always been a complex one, in a chicken-and-egg way: does alcohol -- a depressive agent -- make people who use it become depressed? Or are depressed people more likely to drink heavily to self-medicate, and then to become dependent on alcohol?
Two new studies explore the links between mood and alcoholism in an effort to predict who becomes alcohol-dependent and which alcoholics are most likely to relapse.
One of those studies -- published online this week by the journal JAMA Psychiatry -- uses brain scanners to help tease out a possible "biomarker" for the most stubborn forms of alcoholism, and finds one that implicates mood as a key factor.
The other, published in JAMA Psychiatry, is much more low-tech: In face-to-face interviews, researchers asked people who were at higher than usual risk of alcoholism whether they drank to improve their mood or to calm down, and then went back two to four years later and looked at who had become, or stayed, alcohol-dependent. > > > > Read More
One of those studies -- published online this week by the journal JAMA Psychiatry -- uses brain scanners to help tease out a possible "biomarker" for the most stubborn forms of alcoholism, and finds one that implicates mood as a key factor.
The other, published in JAMA Psychiatry, is much more low-tech: In face-to-face interviews, researchers asked people who were at higher than usual risk of alcoholism whether they drank to improve their mood or to calm down, and then went back two to four years later and looked at who had become, or stayed, alcohol-dependent. > > > > Read More
Editorial - Brain Imaging Biomarkers to Predict Relapse in Alcohol Addiction
Nearly 15 million Americans 12 years of age and older were dependent on or abused alcohol in 2010.1 The high prevalence of problem alcohol use worldwide has been estimated to cause 2.5 million deaths each year,2 not to mention the exorbitant costs associated with excess morbidity3 and loss of productivity.4 The chronic and relapsing nature of alcoholism, just like that of every other substance use disorder, is one of the major obstacles to its successful treatment. This is why the search for predictive biomarkers to help clinicians select and monitor a therapeutic course of action and to help researchers evaluate new therapeutic interventions is so urgent.
It is well established that the risk for alcohol relapse is tied to static (eg, severity index, marital status, psychiatric symptoms, and genetics) and dynamic (eg, craving and stress) factors. The latter offer particularly useful metrics whose magnitudes correlate quite closely with different disease trajectories5 and can consistently predict alcohol relapse risk.6- 7 Thus, a better understanding of a patient's response to stress and/or alcohol cues is bound to contribute to the design of more personalized and, therefore, effective treatment strategies. The findings reported by Seo et al8 in the current issue of JAMA Psychiatry represent an important step forward for they manage to map the relationship between relapse risk and specific neural substrates, advancing the feasibility of a brain biomarker for predicting relapse into alcohol drinking. > > > > Read More
Disrupted Ventromedial Prefrontal Function, Alcohol Craving, and Subsequent Relapse Risk
Alcohol dependence is a chronic relapsing illness; stress, alcohol-related cues, and neutral-relaxing states significantly influence craving and relapse risk. However, neural mechanisms underlying the association between these states and alcohol craving and relapse risk remain unclear.
To identify neural correlates associated with alcohol craving and relapse outcomes in 45 treatment-engaged, 4- to 8-week abstinent alcohol-dependent (AD) patients, and to compare brain responses of 30 demographically matched AD patients and 30 healthy control subjects during stress, alcohol, and neutral-relaxing cues.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging study while participants were engaging in brief individualized script-driven imagery trials of stress, alcohol cues, and neutral-relaxing scenarios, and a prospective clinical outcome design to assess alcohol relapse 90 days postdischarge from inpatient treatment in the AD group.
Inpatient treatment setting in a community mental health center and hospital-based research unit.
Forty-five recovering AD patients in inpatient treatment for examining relapse, and 30 healthy control subjects demographically matched to 30 AD patients (subgroup of the relapse sample) for group comparisons.
Twelve-step recovery–based addiction treatment for the patient group.
Brain response, alcohol craving, and relapse outcome measures (time to relapse and relapse severity).
Increased ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activation during neutral-relaxing trials was correlated with high alcohol cue–induced and stress-induced craving in early recovering AD patients (x = 6, y = 43, z = −6; P < .01, whole-brain corrected). This vmPFC/ACC hyperactivity significantly predicted subsequent alcohol relapse, with a hazards ratio greater than 8 for increased relapse risk. Additionally, vmPFC/ACC hyperactivation during neutral trials and reduced activity during stress trials were each predictive of greater days of alcohol used after relapse (P < .01, whole-brain corrected). In contrast, matched control subjects showed the reverse pattern of vmPFC/ACC responses to stress, alcohol cues, and relaxed trials (F = 6.42; P < .01, whole-brain corrected).
Findings indicate that disrupted vmPFC/ACC function plays a role in jeopardizing recovery from alcoholism and may serve as a neural marker to identify those at risk for alcohol relapse.
Read Full Article (PDF)
A Prospective Assessment of Reports of Drinking to Self-medicate Mood Symptoms With the Incidence and Persistence of Alcohol Dependence
Mood disorders and alcohol dependence frequently co-occur. Etiologic theories concerning the comorbidity often focus on drinking to self-medicate or cope with affective symptoms. However, there have been few, if any, prospective studies in population-based samples of alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms with the occurrence of alcohol dependence. Furthermore, it is not known whether these associations are affected by treatment or symptom severity.
To evaluate the hypothesis that alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms increases the probability of subsequent onset and the persistence or chronicity of alcohol dependence.
Prospective study using face-to-face interviews—the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.
Nationally representative survey of the US population.
Drinkers at risk for alcohol dependence among the 43 093 adults surveyed in 2001 and 2002 (wave 1); 34 653 of whom were reinterviewed in 2004 and 2005 (wave 2).
Association of alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms with incident and persistent DSM-IV alcohol dependence using logistic regression and the propensity score method of inverse probability of treatment weighting.
The report of alcohol self-medication of mood symptoms was associated with an increased odds of incident alcohol dependence at follow-up (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.10; 95% CI, 1.55-6.19; P = .002) and persistence of dependence (AOR, 3.45; 95% CI, 2.35-5.08; P < .001). The population-attributable fraction was 11.9% (95% CI, 6.7%-16.9%) for incident dependence and 30.6% (95% CI, 24.8%-36.0%) for persistent dependence. Stratified analyses were conducted by age, sex, race/ethnicity, mood symptom severity, and treatment history for mood symptoms.
Drinking to alleviate mood symptoms is associated with the development of alcohol dependence and its persistence once dependence develops. These associations occur among individuals with subthreshold mood symptoms, with DSM-IV affective disorders, and for those who have received treatment. Drinking to self-medicate mood symptoms may be a potential target for prevention and early intervention efforts aimed at reducing the occurrence of alcohol dependence.
Read Full Abstract
Request Reprint E-Mail: rcrum@jhsph.edu
Evidence of psychosocial and behavioral effects related to the intention to quit alcohol in South Korea.
This study examined psychosocial and behavioral characteristics and factors that influenced certain subjects within a population-based sample of Korean drinkers to quit alcohol consumption (N = 8910).
Explored were various factors of psychosocial behaviors such as socioeconomic reasons, health behavior, cues to action, and self-control related to the intentions of alcohol abstinence. Using path analysis, it was found that, for men, self-control (B = 0.51), health behavior (B = 0.78), and health literacy (B = 0.58) were positively associated with cues to action which in turn positively induced them to quit drinking. This pattern of results appeared to apply only to men and not to women.
In conclusion, this study reveals that men who do not smoke, regularly exercise, have high self-control, and look for health information are likely to be active in acquiring cues for behavioral changes and making themselves motivated. However, conventions of alcohol consumption in the female population are more dependent on social factors in comparison to those of men.
Read Full Abstract
Request Reprint E-Mail: minsoo_jung@dfci.harvard.edu
Role of a genetic polymorphism in the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 gene in alcohol drinking and seeking behaviors of Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats
Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring (msP) rats exhibit innate preference for alcohol, are highly sensitive to stress and stress-induced alcohol seeking. Genetic analysis showed that over-expression of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) system of msP rats is correlated with the presence of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) occurring in the promoter region (position −1836 and −2097) of the CRF1 receptor (CRF1-R) gene.
Here we examined whether these point mutations were associated to the innate alcohol preference, stress-induced drinking, and seeking. We have recently re-derived the msP rats to obtain two distinct lines carrying the wild type (GG) and the point mutations (AA), respectively. The phenotypic characteristics of these two lines were compared with those of unselected Wistar rats.
Both AA and GG rats showed similar patterns of voluntary alcohol intake and preference. Similarly, the pharmacological stressor yohimbine (0.0, 0.625, 1.25, and 2.5 mg/kg) elicited increased operant alcohol self-administration under fixed and progressive ratio reinforcement schedules in all three lines. Following extinction, yohimbine (0.0, 0.625, 1.25, and 2.5 mg/kg) significantly reinstated alcohol seeking in the three groups. However, at the highest dose this effect was no longer evident in AA rats. Treatment with the CRF1-R antagonist antalarmin (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) significantly reduced alcohol-reinforced lever pressing in the AA line (10 and 20 mg/kg) while a weaker or no effect was observed in the Wistar and the GG group, respectively. Finally, antalarmin significantly reduced yohimbine-induced increase in alcohol drinking in all three groups.
In conclusion, these specific SNPs in the CRF1-R gene do not seem to play a primary role in the expression of the msP excessive drinking phenotype or stress-induced drinking but may be associated with a decreased threshold for stress-induced alcohol seeking and an increased sensitivity to the effects of pharmacological blockade of CRF1-R on alcohol drinking.
Read Full Article (PDF)
Short term alcohol consumption may have detrimental effect on fibrinolysis and endothelial function - a preliminary report of prospective randomized study.
The study was designed to clarify the impact of short-term consumption of different types of alcoholic beverages on haemostatic factors, C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and endothelin-1 (E-1) plasma levels.
The study group consisted of 57 healthy male volunteers, aged 20-29 years. Subjects were randomized to consume 300 ml of either: red wine, white wine, 12% ethanol, blackcurrant juice or water for five days. Blood samples were collected for C-reactive protein, tissue type plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA:Ag), plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen (PAI-1:Ag) and endothelin-1 at baseline, on day 2, and on day 6.
Significant increase in PAI-1:Ag concentration was observed in red wine drinking group (day 1 - 44.98; day 2 - 56.86; day 6 - 47.44 ng/ml; p 0.05). Similar increase of endothelin level was found in 12% ethanol group (day 1 - 0,53 day 2 - 1,65 day 6 - 1,11 fmol/ml; p 0.01). Dividing the whole study group according to ethanol content of consumed beverages revealed significant changes in tPA:Ag, PAI-1:Ag and endothelin levels. In the alcohol drinking group significant increase of PAI-1:Ag (day 1 - 44.75; day 2 - 54.07; day 6 - 44.80 ng/ml; p.
Read Full Abstract
Request Reprint E-Mail: joannna@op.pl.
The association of alcohol drinking pattern and self-inflicted intentional injury in Korea: a cross-sectional WHO collaborative emergency room study
Self-inflicted intentional injuries are increasing at an alarming rate in the Republic of Korea, yet few reports describe their relationship with alcohol consumption. The aim of this study was to characterise the association of alcohol drinking patterns and self-inflicted intentional injury in Korean emergency departments (EDs) using WHO collaborative study protocol.
Read Full Article (PDF)
Alcohol Expectancy Responses from Teenagers: The Early Forewarning Signals
The Indian population is overwhelmed by the rapid developmental activities in the new millennium. This has brought in urbanization and several banes of the faster life. Alcoholism is one among the menaces which have to be tackled at an early stage.
To assess the subjective expectancies from alcohol intake in young college students.
We carried out a survey on the expectancy from youth of the alcohol effects, which in fact is known as the principal motivator of alcohol intake. We chose the pre-university students (n= 200; 100 males and 100 females) of one of the oldest and prestigious colleges of Mangalore (south India). The survey used the Comprehensive Effect of Alcohol (CEOA) where the students had to respond to two sets of 38 questions, in which they would mention whether they agreed or disagreed to the statement regarding the effects of alcohol intake.
From the results, we found that these young students were in agreement of the view that alcohol could cause a positive reinforcement. They also strongly agreed that alcohol consumption could cause negative effects. This was significantly more pronounced among the girls. Strikingly, only 25% of the boys and 14.5% of girls had consumed alcohol before, who indicated a stronger positive reinforce response as compared to those who had not tasted alcohol.
The results reveal that the first exposure to alcohol consumption is the key factor which leads to alcoholism. If the experience of alcohol intake and the effects of alcohol are liked with the subjects, that becomes a motivating factor for future attempts. This needs a closer look by the clinicians, counselors and the parents, who need to actively interfere in educating the youth and in guiding them in the right direction during their formative ages.
Read Full Article (PDF)
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Online Conference on Digital Alcohol Marketing
Developments in digital alcohol marketing have gone rapidly as alcohol marketers adapt to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. Consequently, there is a need for up-to-date evidence based policy measures.
To ring the alarm bell, close the gap in the literature and publicize much needed policy recommendations, EUCAM is dedicating its first online conference on the subject of digital alcohol marketing. The conference will result in the publication of the EUCAM Manifesto on Digital Alcohol Marketing. NGOs, policy officials and scientists are welcome to participate. > > > > Read More
Impacts of alcohol duty reductions on cardiovascular mortality among elderly Chinese: a 10-year time series analysis
In March 2007, the Hong Kong Government halved its heavy excise taxes on beer and wine, and 1 year later, it eliminated all duties on these beverages. This study examines the impact of such duty reductions on cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related mortality among the elderly in Hong Kong.
Read Full Abstract
Request Reprint E-Mail: linweit@cuhk.edu.hk
ALCOHOL REPORTS · Stats › Posts
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ALCOHOL REPORTS - STATISTICS
Apr 2, 2013 – May 1, 2013
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United States
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United Kingdom
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Russia
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Germany
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China
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Cost of Substance Abuse in Wyoming
The study was funded by the Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division to provide the evidence needed to make informed decisions concerning the allocation of limited funding. COI studies are useful for measuring the economic burden of abused substances on society. Government agencies routinely use them to justify and prioritize prevention, intervention, and research programs. Whereas COI studies are common for one substance, this study is unusual in that WYSAC researchers estimated the economic burden for three substances in the same year using the same methodology and assumptions providing a conservative, unbiased assessment of the costs of substance abuse in Wyoming.
Read Full Report (PDF)
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Minimum pricing will bring “substantial health and social benefits” says new IAS report
A new report, ‘Is alcohol too cheap in the UK? Setting the case for a Minimum Unit Price [MUP] for alcohol’ is published today by the Institute of Alcohol Studies. The paper, written by Dr Tim Stockwell and Dr Gerald Thomas, reviews the most recent evidence on MUP, whilst addressing common criticisms of the policy. The authors conclude that policymakers can be confident that substantial health and social benefits will follow if the measure is introduced in the UK.
Main findings of the report include:
- In the UK, alcohol is 45% more affordable than in 1980, and both men and women can currently exceed the recommended low risk daily drinking guidelines for £1
- Data from Canadian provinces suggest that a 10% increase in average minimum price would result in the region of an 8% reduction in consumption, a 9% reduction in hospital admissions and a 32% reduction in wholly alcohol caused deaths
- Evidence shows minimum pricing targets the heaviest drinkers, whilst having minimal impact on the amount spent by moderate drinkers
- Individuals and families on low incomes would be among the least affected by minimum pricing
- Criticism of the research on minimum pricing from Canada and the University of Sheffield, much of it from commercial vested interest groups, has been inaccurate and misleading
SEMINAR: Alcohol marketing monitoring in NordAN region: from monitoring to control
Dear NordAN members,
Alcohol marketing is one of the main factors contributing to the amount of alcohol consumed - which is the main indicator of alcohol related harm.
NordAN and Lithuanian National Coalition for tobacco and alcohol control (NTAKK) is happy to invite you to 2 day event in Vilnius dedicated to exploring possibilities for marketing monitoring based action in NordAN region. We are very pleased that Wim van Dalen (EUCAM) will join us for the program.
We are hoping to attract 2-3 representatives of NordAN organizations from each country, who would like to be further involved and actively work on marketing monitoring and building up a dedicated network within organization.
The seminar costs are covered by NordAN, and that includes the programme, 1 hotel night and food for the duration of the programme. Travel expenses will be the responsiblity of the participants.
Please join us for the international seminar "Alcohol marketing monitoring in NordAN region: from monitoring to control" 18-19th of May, 2013 in Vilnius. Preliminary program is provided below. > > > > Read More
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