Super Heroes Battle Underage Drinking!

Hard Choices, a special comic book developed by SAMHSA in collaboration with Marvel Entertainment and the Elks USA, features Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four successfully battling underage drinking and urging kids to become real-life heroes by making healthy choices.

Order your free copy now!

NCADI

Hard Choices contributes to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking.

A free teacher’s guide with interactive activities for educators, parents, and youth leaders is automatically included with every order of 25 copies or more.

Get Involved!

• Encourage parents, teachers, and youth organizations to request free copies and distribute the comic book to kids.
• Spread the word about this new and exciting resource for
  Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31, 2007).
• Highlight the Hard Choices comic book with a web banner on your site, a description on your listserv, or a feature in your newsletter. Email ncadi-web@samhsa.hhs.gov for assistance.

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Press Release - New CASA* Report: Teen Cigarette Smoking Linked to Brain Damage, Alcohol and Illegal Drug Abuse, Mental Illness

Teen Cigarette Smokers Likelier to Meet Medical Criteria for Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Dependence

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - October 23, 2007) - The nicotine in tobacco products poses a significant danger of structural and chemical changes in developing brains that can make teens more vulnerable to alcohol and other drug addiction and to mental illness, according to Tobacco: The Smoking Gun, a new white paper released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University and commissioned by The Citizens' Commission to Protect the Truth, a group of all former U.S. Secretaries of Health, Education, and Welfare and of Health and Human Services, all former U.S. Surgeons General, and all former Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Smoking and Alcohol and Illegal Drug Use

Compared to 12- to 17-year-olds who don't smoke, those who do are more than five times likelier to drink and 13 times likelier to use marijuana than nonsmokers.

Compared to those who never smoked, those who began smoking at age 12 or younger are:

--  More than three times likelier to binge drink;
--  Nearly 15 times likelier to smoke marijuana; and
--  Nearly seven times likelier to use other illegal drugs such as heroin
   and cocaine.

Read Full Press Release
  

Download White Paper Tobacco,The Smoking Gun  (PDF)
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BBPA slams calls for alcohol tax hike

23 October, 2007

By Katie Coyne

Health groups to push for 10 per cent tax increase on alcohol

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has hit out at health groups’ calls for a 10 per cent tax hike on alcohol to tackle drink-related problems.

The Alcohol Health Alliance coalition, made up of 21 health and temperance groups and headed by the Royal College of Physicians, wants alcohol taxation increased as well as more government regulation of the drinks industry.

The alliance, expected to officially launch next month, also wants to see health warnings placed on alcohol adverts and promotions to help curb binge-drinking.

But Mark Hastings, director of communications at the BBPA, said tax increases had already been proven not to work.

. . . . . . .

Read Full Article
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Evaluation of Alcohol Test Purchasing - Andy MacGregor Report

23 October 2007

In February 2005, following consideration of an independent evaluation of tobacco test purchasing pilots, the Lord Advocate revised prosecution policy to allow test purchasing of age restricted goods by children and young people under the age of 18, in circumstances where the purchaser is not committing a separate offence. This allowed test purchasing of fireworks, tobacco and other age restricted products, but not alcohol. While satisfied, in principle, that alcohol test purchasing would be an effective enforcement tool, the Lord Advocate remained concerned about the safety and welfare of the young people taking part in test purchasing exercises. It was agreed, therefore, that before the relevant provisions of the new Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 are generally commenced (probably 2009), a pilot exercise was to be undertaken. The aim of this pilot, conducted in Fife, was to assess test purchasing arrangements to enable common procedures and operating protocols to be developed to ensure that alcohol test purchasing can be carried out safely, fairly and effectively in a Scottish context.


Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION

2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
2.1 Aim of the Evaluation
2.2 Evaluation Objectives

3. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
3.1 Summary of Research Design
3.2 Data on Test Purchases
3.3 Young Volunteers
3.4 Key Stakeholder Views
3.4.1 Stakeholder Views - Baseline
3.4.2 Stakeholder Views - Impact
3.4.3 Stakeholder Views - Outcome
3.4.4 Stakeholder Views - Summary
3.5 Analysis

4. RESULTS
4.1 Licensee Interviews
4.1.1 Licensee Sample
4.1.2 Knowledge, Awareness and Views of Test Purchasing
4.1.3 Likelihood of Being Targeted During Pilot
4.1.4 Proof of Age Card Schemes
4.1.5 Training of Staff and Licensee Practice
4.1.6 Measures Aimed at Stopping Alcohol Sales to Underage Young People
4.1.7 Views of the Test Purchase Visit

4.2 Volunteer Interviews
4.2.1 Background Information
4.2.2 Involvement in the Test Purchase Pilot
4.2.3 Training and Briefing for the Pilot
4.2.4 Parental Reaction to Involvement in the Pilot
4.2.5 Perceptions of the Test Purchase Visits
4.2.6 Future Test Purchase Exercises

4.3 Interviews with Parents
4.3.1 Background Information
4.3.2 Awareness of the Progress of the Test Purchase Pilot
4.3.3 Perceptions of the Training and Briefing Programme
4.3.4 Views of Volunteer Participation in Test Purchasing Visits
4.3.5 Future Test Purchase Exercises

4.4 Interviews with Police Staff
4.4.1 Background Information
4.4.2 Test Purchase Test Failures
4.4.3 Feedback from Licensees
4.4.4 Views of Volunteer Participation in Test Purchase Pilot
4.4.5 Perceptions of Success of the Test Purchase Pilot
4.4.6 Measures Aimed at Stopping Alcohol Sales to Underage Young People
4.4.7 Ways Forward for the Test Purchasing Pilot

4.5 Interview with Procurator Fiscal
4.5.1 Background Information
4.5.2 Status of the Pilot in Fife
4.5.3 Impact on the Workload of Procurators Fiscal and the Courts
4.5.4 Links Between Procurators Fiscal, the Police and Licensing Boards
4.5.5 Perceptions of Success of the Pilot
4.5.6 Future of Alcohol Test Purchasing in Scotland

4.6 Views of Key Local Groups
4.6.1 Background Information
4.6.2 Impact on the Work of the Key Local Groups
4.6.3 Links between the Different Groups, Procurators Fiscal and the Police
4.6.4 Impact of the Pilot
4.6.5 Perceptions of Success of the Pilot
4.6.6 Future of Alcohol Test Purchasing in Scotland

4.7 Test Purchase Data Sheets
4.7.1 Background Information
4.7.2 Test Purchase Visits
4.7.3 Outcome of Test Purchase Visits
4.7.4 Aftermath of Test Purchase Visits

5. SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION
5.1 Views of Licensees
5.2 Views of Volunteers and Parents
5.3 Views of Police Respondents
5.4 Views of Procurator Fiscal
5.5 Views of Key Local Groups
5.6 Test Purchase Visits
5.7 Implications of the Alcohol Test Purchase Pilot

6. CONCLUSIONS

Download Full Report (PDF)
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Alcohol Harm Reduction- International Harm Reduction Association

IHRA Launch Alcohol Website and Network

The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) is pleased to announce the launch of a new website dedicated to the topic of alcohol harm reduction. The website aims to be a central source for information on this developing topic – including key events, publications, resources, contacts, and details of IHRA’s work in this field. The website will also be the home for IHRA’s new 'Global Alcohol Harm Reduction Network’ (GAHR-Net). IHRA’s Alcohol Harm Reduction home-page __________________________________________________________________-

Problem-free drinking over 16 years among individuals with alcohol use disorders
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Article in Press Published Online 23 August 2007

Limited data exist on the rates and long-term stability of non-problem drinking in individuals who sought help for an alcohol use disorder.

A sample of initially untreated individuals with alcohol use disorders (n = 420) was surveyed at baseline and 1 year and was re-assessed at 8 and 16 years.

In the 6 months prior to the 1-year assessment, 36% (n = 152) of participants reported abstinence from alcohol, 48% (n = 200) reported drinking with problems, and 16% (n = 68) reported non-problem drinking.

At each follow up, 16–21% of the sample reported non-problem drinking. Compared to individuals in the abstinent and problem-drinking groups, individuals who were drinking in a problem-free manner at 1 year had reported, at baseline, fewer days of intoxication, drinks per drinking day, alcohol dependence symptoms, and alcohol-related problems, less depression, and more adaptive coping mechanisms.

Over time, 48% of participants who engaged in non-problem drinking at 1 year continued to report positive outcomes (either non-problem drinking or abstinence) throughout the long-term follow-up, whereas 77% of those abstaining at 1 year reported positive outcomes throughout the same time period.

Additionally, 43% of individuals with problematic alcohol consumption at 1 year reported positive outcomes over the remaining follow-up interval, a rate that was not significantly different from the rate of positive outcomes of 48% observed in those with initial problem-free drinking.

Although some individuals report non-problem drinking a year after initially seeking help, this pattern of alcohol use is relatively infrequent and is less stable over time than is abstinence. An accurate understanding of the long-term course of alcohol use and problems could help shape expectations about the realistic probability of positive outcomes for individuals considering moderate drinking as a treatment goal.

Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail: mark.ilgen@va.gov

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Evidence for a two-stage model of dependence using the NESARC and its implications for genetic association studies
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Article in Press 22 October 2007



Some twin studies suggest that substance initiation and dependence are part of a complex, two-stage process and that some genetic influences are stage-specific, acting on either the transition from abstinence to initiation, or on the transition from use to dependence. However, questions remain about the two-stage model, especially for illicit drugs.

Using a familial aggregation design, we tested the hypothesized two-stage model of dependence on illicit substances and alcohol in a large, nationally representative sample.

Family history of drug or alcohol problems is significantly associated with initiation that does not progress to dependence (i.e., conditional initiation). Furthermore, family history of drug or alcohol problems is significantly associated with dependence even after conditioning on factors influencing initiation (i.e., conditional dependence).

These results suggest that substance initiation and dependence involve at least partially distinct familial factors. The possibility that different genetic factors affect initiation and dependence has important implications for control group selection in case–control genetic association studies, and may explain some inconsistent results for drug dependence. If some genetic factors are stage-specific (i.e., not common across initiation and dependence), inclusion of abstainers in the control group may mix the genetic effects for initiation with those for transition to dependence, providing unclear results.

Depending on the specific question about the nature of the genetic effect (whether on initiation, on dependence, or both), investigators designing case–control genetic association studies should carefully consider inclusion and exclusion criteria of the control group.

Read Full Abstract


Request Reprint E-Mail: dsh2@columbia.edu
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Determinants of within-country variation in traffic accident mortality in Italy: a geographical analysis
International Journal of Health Geographics 2007, 6:49

To identify determinants of regional differences in traffic accident mortality in Italy. Data and methods Multiple linear regression models were conducted assessing the associations between regional differences in traffic mortality, case fatality and accident rates (dependent variables) with socio-demographic factors, and variables describing road behaviour, vehicles, infrastucture and medical care (independent variables)

In Italy large regional differences in traffic mortality rates can be observed, ranging from 5.5 to 20 per 100.000 person-years. There is a North-South gradient with higher mortality rates in the Northern part of Italy. Strong predictors of regional differences in both traffic mortality and accident rates are the employment rate (directly associated) and alcohol use (directly associated). This is observed in the whole of Italy, and separately in Northern and southern regions.

Our study has shown the need for regional policies to improve road behaviour to reduce traffic accident and mortality rates in identified high-risk areas.

Read Full Text (PDF)

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Mapping Substance Use in BC and Canada: A report of the BC Pilot Alcohol and Other Drug Monitoring Project

Executive Summary

The objective of the BC Pilot Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Monitoring Project (see http://www.carbc.ca/Home/Projects/tabid/232/ctl/ArticleView/mid/891/articleId/30/Default.aspx) is the building of a system to provide timely data on risky patterns of substance use and related harms as a means of supporting more effective policy-making, facilitating research on substance use and informing public debate. Significant progress has been made towards this objective through the development and piloting of a multi-component system to provide the required data, highlights of which include the following:

• Buy-in from key federal and provincial government bodies in the form of continued funding and representation on a project steering committee co-chaired by the BC Provincial Health Officer and Director of BC Mental Health and Addiction Services.

• Continued collaboration across multiple research agencies and individuals drawn variously from the tertiary education, government, health authority and non-government sectors.

• Hosting of an international research symposium regarding national and international experiences with AOD monitoring systems in which there were 90 attendees and 36 written papers presented from 11 countries. The proceedings of the symposium will also being prepared for special issues of a peer-reviewed journal.

• Design of consistent questions on patterns, levels and consequences of substance use across samples of the general population (n=11,000 for Canada per year, at least 1,000 per year for BC), school children (n=45,000 for BC in 2008), club drug and rave attendees (200 per year in BC), street entrenched injecting drug users (IDUs, 200 per year in BC), street involved youth (200 per year in BC) and emergency department attendees (500 to 1000 per year in BC).

• Effective links with national data collection exercises for BC data collection exercises for most components of the monitoring system (CADUMS, provincial school surveys, national treatment system data, national drug analysis services, mortality and morbidity estimates).

• Pilot testing of three new surveys of high risk populations (see http://www.carbc.ca/Home/Projects/tabid/232/ctl/ArticleView/mid/891/articleId/30/Default.aspx ) which will generate a total sample of 600 respondents from Vancouver and Victoria.
• Analysis of BC’s world class alcohol sales data to estimate per adult rates of alcohol consumption across 28 areas of BC (see Figure 9.4).

• Analysis of trends and geographic variation in size and purity of cocaine seizures made by police in British Columbia over the past two decade.

• Health Authority level data for British Columbia for rates of alcohol, tobacco and drug-caused mortality and morbidity, per capita alcohol consumption, cocaine seizures and addiction treatment services.

Read Full Executive Summary (PDF)
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'Scare tactics' fail to prevent binge drinking

Tue 23 Oct 2007

LINDSAY MCINTOSH (lmcintosh@scotsman.com)

SCOTS are binge drinking because they believe "everyone else is doing it", a leading American expert warned yesterday.

New York academic Dr Wesley Perkins spoke out at a seminar at the Scottish Parliament, on the same day the government launched an alcohol awareness week, aimed at encouraging drinkers to acknowledge how much they are consuming.

"Traditional prevention strategies are not working, whether we are trying to educate young people about the influence of alcohol upon them, or we are trying to scare them," he told the think tank Scotland's Futures Forum.
. . . . . . .

Read Full Article

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In Defense of "Dependence"
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (OnlineEarly Articles). 19 October 2007





Extract
There is a recent recommendation that the word ‘‘addiction’’ be added to the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in place of ‘‘dependence’’ (O’Brien et al., 2006). Support for this recommendation has been mixed in the form of letters to the editor about the original editorial (Am J Psychiat, Nov 2006) and several papers in a supplement issue of the journal Addiction in 2006. However, the issue needs further discussion to determine whether there should be a change in DSM-V.
. . . . . . .
To summarize, the term ‘‘addiction’’ is a popular term, not an accurate clinical or scientific term. To replace ‘‘dependence’’ with ‘‘addiction’’ in the DSM would be a step backward scientifically, it would confuse ongoing stigma-reduction strategies of grassroots organizations, and there is no evidence for (and no strategy to implement) the idea that use of the word ‘‘addiction’’ would in any way reduce the suffering of chronic pain patients. We are scientists. Let us get the evidence
before we make a serious terminology change such as this one.

Read Summary


Request Reprint E-Mail: erickson.carl@mail.utexas.edu
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Equity In Private Insurance Coverage For Substance Abuse: A Perspective On Parity
Health Affairs, published online 23 October 2007


Congress is considering enactment of comprehensive parity legislation. The intent of parity is to equalize private coverage of behavioral and general medical care, thereby improving efficiency and fairness in insurance markets0.

One issue is whether to extend parity to substance abuse (SA) benefits. In the past, inclusion of substance abuse has been a hurdle to passage of parity.

We examine the politics of SA parity, compare coverage trends for substance abuse and mental health, and assess the rationale for equalizing benefits.

We conclude that the justification for SA parity is as compelling as it is for mental health parity.

Read Full Text (PDF)
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Combined Effect of Low-Risk Dietary and Lifestyle Behaviors in Primary Prevention of Myocardial Infarction in Women
Vol. 167 No. 19, October 22, 2007
Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:2122-2127.
Vol

Limited data are available on the benefit of combining healthy dietary and lifestyle behaviors in the prevention of myocardial infarction (MI) in women.

We used factor analysis to identify a low-risk behavior–based dietary pattern in 24 444 postmenopausal women from the population-based prospective Swedish Mammography Cohort who were free of diagnosed cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus at baseline (September 15, 1997). We also defined 3 low-risk lifestyle factors: nonsmoking, waist-hip ratio less than the 75th percentile (<> physically active (at least 40 minutes of daily walking or bicycling and 1 hour of weekly exercise).

During 6.2 years (151 434 person-years) of follow-up, we ascertained 308 cases of primary MI. Two major identified dietary patterns, "healthy" and "alcohol," were significantly associated with decreased risk of MI. The low-risk diet (high scores for the healthy dietary pattern) characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fish, and legumes, in combination with moderate alcohol consumption ( 5 g of alcohol per day), along with the 3 low-risk lifestyle behaviors, was associated with 92% decreased risk compared with findings in women without any low-risk diet and lifestyle factors. This combination of healthy behaviors, present in 5%, may prevent 77% of MIs in the study population.

Most MIs in women may be preventable by consuming a healthy diet and moderate amounts of alcohol, being physically active, not smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Read Full Abstract


Request Reprint E-Mail: Agneta.Akesson@ki.se
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Lower Alcohol Beverages
ICAP Reports 19


Drinks with “lower” alcohol content are produced in each of the major beverage alcohol categories (beer, wine, and spirits). The existence of such drinks points to an interest on the part of the beverage alcohol producers to provide an expanded range of products reflecting consumers’ lifestyle choices, health-consciousness, price sensitivities, as well as tastes.

In this report, a lower alcohol beverage (LAB) is defined as one with an alcohol content—measured by percentage of alcohol by volume, ABV—below the traditional content for a given drink category (see Table 1 for the traditional ABV ranges). This report examines LABs from the perspectives of the beverage alcohol producers, governments, and consumers. It provides an overview of the types of LABs available, identifies trends, and reviews relevant research.

Download Full Report (PDF)
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Is the cardioprotective effect of alcohol real?
Alcohol Volume 41, Issue 6, September 2007, Pages 399-402

A large number of investigations in experimental, clinical, and epidemiological settings have given support to the idea that consumption of moderate amounts of alcoholic beverages, particularly wine, protects against coronary heart disease (CHD).

Biological effects of other components of wine in human beings, however, have been hardly demonstrated, and alcohol itself has several potential adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.

Not all epidemiological surveys have found protection from alcoholic beverages and in African-Americans, alcohol consumption was a risk factor for the incidence of CHD. The possibility that the lower risk of drinkers of moderate amounts of wine or other beverages is secondary to a health cohort effect in whites is not negligible, and could be discarded only in a clinical trial.

In view of the potential risks of alcohol, a more cautious view about the beneficial effects of alcoholic beverages is warranted.

Read Full Abstract


Request Reprint E-Mail: ffuchs@hcpa.ufrgs.br
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New agency to combat drug and booze abuse
20th October 2007


The Swedish government is to create a new organisation for dealing with drug, alcohol and tobacco-related issues. The move is intended to bring focus to the state's investment in preventative measures, which have until now been split between two different agencies.

"While both the Alcohol Committee and Action against Drugs have made great efforts in many ways, it is important that the work is long term and persevering," minister for public health Maria Larsson told Svenska Dagbladet.
. . . . . . .

Read Full Article
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Alcohol-related illnesses are rising dramatically among young women in Stockholm.


18 October 2007

The number of women aged 16 to 24 admitted to hospital suffering from alcohol-related illnesses has risen 119 percent since the late 1990s, according to a new report from Stockholm County Council.

"The continued rise in alcohol-related illnesses among young women is very worrying," said alcohol researcher Björn Trolldal. He called for specially targeted measures to deal with the problem.

The number of men in the same age group suffering from alcohol-related problems was up 32 percent.
. . . . . . .

Read Full Article
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Alcohol exposure affects generations on Indian reservations

by Tom Robertson, Minnesota Public Radio

October 22, 2007


Bemidji, Minn. — It's no secret that alcohol has had a devastating impact on American Indians.

But what many in Indian communities are less comfortable talking about is the damage caused when pregnant women drink alcohol. Some call fetal alcohol exposure the No. 1 problem in Indian Country. It's causing a literal brain drain in tribal communities.

"I would say it's very definitely a problem, almost pervasive," says Sandra Parsons, director of Family and Children's Services for the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota. "I haven't found anybody yet who disputes that. I think people would be literally amazed at how prevalent it might be."

. . . . . . .

Read Full Article

Audio

• Alcohol exposure affects generations on Indian reservations (feature audio)

Photos

• Antone family
• Sandra Parsons
• Shyra Antone
• View full slideshow
  (7 total images)

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You tube!' warning to drinkers



A new advertising campaign inspired by the YouTube website has been launched to warn youngsters and their parents about the dangers of binge drinking.

Posters will appear on buses across the Forth Valley with the message "You Tube! Don't be Next".

The adverts are based on the website, which has been criticised for showing footage of youths drinking to excess.

Research among youngsters in Falkirk and Stirling show high levels of drinking among 13-15 year olds.

The posters will also feature local telephone numbers for advice about alcohol-related problems.
. . . . . . .

Read Full BBC Report

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Press Release - New IOF report shows smoking, alcohol, being underweight and poor nutrition harm our bones

October 20, 2007

If you smoke, drink more than two units of alcohol a day, are underweight, don’t exercise or eat well, you could be setting yourself up for osteoporosis later in life, according to a new report issued today by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) on the occasion of World Osteoporosis Day (WOD).
. . . . . . .

Read Full Press Release
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Short Reports - Alcoholic ketoacidosis with multiple complications: a case report
Emergency Medicine Journal 2007;24:776-777

Alcoholic ketoacidosis is a poorly diagnosed medical emergency usually identified in chronic alcohol misusers following an abrupt cessation or reduction of alcohol consumption.

A high index of suspicion should be maintained by acute physicians as response to treatment is rapid with complete resolution of metabolic derangements. Complications are usually the result of not instituting the correct treatment or not addressing associated conditions.

We describe a case of alcoholic ketoacidosis with multiple complications at presentation.

<sup>Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:</sup> asangwaiya@yahoo.com

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Primary Prevention of Risk Behaviour - Rationality Meets Ideology

26.11.2007

4th Annual International Conference - Primary Prevention of Risk Behaviour "Rationality Meets Ideology".
Venue: Prague City Hall, Mariánské náměstí 2/2, Prague 1 (Staroměstská metro station, line A). Date: November 26 – 27, 2007

Published by: PhDr. Matúš Šucha
Last review: 22.10.2007

Focus of the conference:

The conference follows on from the previous annual conferences in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Its general part will focus on conceptual premises for successful primary prevention and the practical part will involve elective workshops on individual topics.

The main topic of the conference involves the relationship between rational and ideological approaches to primary prevention. The purpose of this confrontational topic is to create an atmosphere for discussing issues related to the effectiveness of preventive methods and approaches, the conclusiveness this effectiveness, how records of it are kept, etc. The effort is to open a wider discussion about why the professional community makes such little use of findings from modern research into prevention, why we can still find practical examples of the use of methods and instruments which are demonstrably ineffective or even counterproductive, and why prevention is still so contaminated with an ideological approach and unfounded claims and assumptions. Inter alia, the discussion and presentations should involve the topic of the politicisation of primary prevention and the political-economic consequences of the medialisation of ideologically tuned claims.

The programme committee of the conference expects theoretically oriented contributions (theory and concepts) as well as ones with a practical focus or based on actual cases. Special space will be reserved for contributions from practice (case reports, examples of good practice). The programme committee wishes to support a variety of messages, which will be divided between the main thematic blocks of the conference (see below).


Main thematic blocks of the conference:
• Aggression and bullying
• Risk sports and risk behaviour in transportation
• Food intake disorders
• Racism and xenophobia
• Negative influence of sects
• Risk sexual behaviour
• Addictive behaviour (addictology)

Read Full Press Release
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Health report: some progress but we are still too fat and drink too much
Nigel Hawkes, Health Editor
October 23, 2007

England’s health rating in comparison with other European countries remains about average, despite signs of progress in tackling heart disease and cancer, a report released yesterday by the Department of Health shows.

The greatest worries surround diseases caused by food and drink, including obesity, diabetes and liver disease, the Health Profile of England 2007 suggests.

Drink-related causes of death are rising in England while falling in the European Union as a whole. Premature deaths from cirrhosis of the liver in men and women in England were the lowest in the EU in 1970, but have since risen to almost the EU average in men, and above the average in women.

Given that cirrhosis takes years to develop, these trends are likely to continue for some time. Drinkers in Britain consume 11.37 litres of pure alcohol a head per year, against an average for the “old” EU of 15 countries (before the 2004 enlargement) of 11.24 litres.
. . . . . . .

Read Full Article
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Press Release - Researchers discover genes linking stress, high blood pressure, alcoholism and tobacco addiction

Quebec City – A team led by a Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher has uncovered a series of genes linking mental stress, high blood pressure, alcoholism and tobacco addiction.

Discovering and mapping these genetic pathways leading to major heart disease and stroke risk factors is the latest breakthrough from ongoing studies in the Saguenay-Lac St. Jean region of Quebec.

“Our results remind us that we are lucky that biology is not entirely destiny,” team director Dr. Pavel Hamet told the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2007, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

“Fortunately, one’s genetic inheritance consequences can be modified to a significant extent by living a heart-healthy lifestyle,” says Dr. Hamet.

The most recent studies from the Saguenay focus on sexual differences and alcoholism. “The genes we discovered that govern alcohol intake appear on chromosome X,” says Dr. Hamet.
. . . . . .

Read Full Press Release

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Figures expose wide north-south health divide
By Matthew Moore

22/10/2007

People living in the north of England are likely to be unhealthier, poorer and live shorter lives than their counterparts in the south, according to Government figures released today.

In full: The Health Profile of England 2007 Local health profiles: Heath statistics for every council area Your View: How can we bridge the north-south health divide? Almost every indicator analysed in the Health Profile of England 2007 reveals an alarming regional divide in the nation's health and well-being. People in the south live more than two years longer than people in the north, the report shows. Life expectancy for men in the South East is 78.1 years, compared to 75.4 in the North East. This divide is sustained by higher rates of disease and poverty in northern counties, with residents of the North East particularly badly off. Today's figures reveal: 25.1 per cent of adults in the North East are binge drinkers, compared to 15.4 per cent in London; . . . . . . Read Full Article _________________________________________________________________

Health Profile of England 2007


First published in 2006, the Health Profile of England provides a collation of national and regional data to provide a baseline against which people can compare data from their own Local Health Profile (LHP). The 2007 report updates tables showing regional comparisons and national trends for indicators presented in LHP, as well as a wide ranging snapshot of public health and well-being in England and a section on international comparisons.
. . . . . .

Chart 3.32: Pure alcohol consumed.
Following a rise in the 1970s, the level of pure alcohol consumed by adults in the United Kingdom remained relatively constant throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but is once again rising. The average of the EU-15 and the average of the EU as a whole have been declining, and the UK figure now exceeds both of these.

. . . . . . .

Key points from regional breakdown and national time trend
• The rate of admissions to hospital for alcohol specific conditions is almost two and a half times higher in the North West than in the East of England.

• Download Health profile of England 2007 - complete document (PDF, 2668K)
• Download executive summary, contents and preliminaries (PDF, 257K)

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European Commission's Alcohol and Health Forum will test alcohol industry's ability to commit to action

Eurocare Press Release - 17 October 200

Today, the Directorate for Public Health and Consumer Protection of the European Commission (DG SANCO) will hold the first plenary meeting of the Alcohol and Health Forum. This multistakholder forum, modelled on the EU Platform for Diet, Physical Activity and Health, brings together actors pledging to take concrete actions to reduce alcohol related harm in Europe, now the heaviest drinking region in the world. This Forum constitutes the backbone of the Commission’s “EU Strategy to Support Member States in Reducing Alcohol Related Harm”. Released in October 2006, this strategy finally saw the day after years of mounting pressure to tackle the harm done by alcohol, which now costs the EU €125 billion every year due to ill health, accidents and injuries, crime and lost productivity. Launched in June 2007, the Forum counts over 40 members - businesses as well as NGO’s, including Eurocare, and several of its national members. European Institutions, the World Health Organisation, and EU Member States, will participate as observers. A Committee on National Policy and Action, a structure separate of the Forum, will allow Member States to coordinate national alcohol policies, whilst the Forum remains a platform for concrete action. This separation is fundamental, as Eurocare believe public health policies should be formulated without the interference of commercial interests. . . . . . . . Read Full Press Release __________________________________________________________________________________

Drinking row doctor calls for alcohol tax rise
Anushka Asthana
Sunday October 21, 2007
The Observer

The doctor who caused controversy by admitting guidelines on safe drinking were 'plucked out of the air' 20 years ago says alcohol is a 'lethal substance' and should be taxed more heavily.

Richard Smith said he watched his brother, the comedian Arthur Smith, come 'within a whisker of death' as a result of alcohol and he never meant to suggest that heavy drinking was not harmful. 'The suggestion that the guidelines were "useless" is not what I meant at all,' said Smith. 'That would be a very serious misinterpretation.'
. . . . . . .

Read Full Article

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Alcohol deaths double in women
Times Online

October 21, 2007
David Cracknell

ALCOHOL-RELATED diseases are killing almost twice as many women as at the beginning of the 1990s, official figures to be published tomorrow will show.

In the 35-54 age group, about 14 women per 100,000 die from conditions such as liver failure and cirrhosis, well above the European average.

The report from the Office for National Statistics on health trends since the 1970s will also reveal just how badly “casual alcoholism” has hit the British population.
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Public consultation on the draft revised Australian alcohol guidelines for low-risk drinking

The Australian Alcohol Guidelines: health risks and benefits, issued by the NHMRC in 2001, are currently under review by the NHMRC in collaboration with the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. The draft revised Australian alcohol guidelines for low-risk drinking are now available for public consultation.

These draft guidelines are intended to give Australians clear guidelines on how to avoid, or minimise, the harmful consequences of drinking alcohol — both the immediate effects of each drinking occasion and the longer-term effects of regular drinking.

When finalised the guidelines will provide a valuable resource for a wide range of groups and individuals including health professionals, community groups, professional and educational organisations, policy makers, the general public and those businesses responsible for providing alcohol.

You are invited to make a submission to the NHMRC about the draft revised Australian alcohol guidelines for low-risk drinking:

» Download: draft revised Australian alcohol guidelines for low-risk drinking for public consultation (PDF, 881kb)

» Download: Australian alcohol guidelines for low-risk drinking frequently asked questions (PDF, 46kb)

Source: Robin GW Room
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Prevalence of self-reported hypersensitivity symptoms following intake of alcoholic drinks
Clinical & Experimental Allergy (OnlineEarly Articles) 10 October 2007

Although hypersensitivity symptoms following alcoholic drink consumption are common in asthmatics, the prevalence of such symptoms in the general population is not known.

To assess the prevalence of hypersensitivity symptoms following alcoholic drink consumption in an adult Northern European general population and the association of these symptoms with the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma.

The prevalence of alcohol-induced symptoms from the upper airways, lower airways, and skin was 7.6% , 3.2% , and 7.2% , respectively.

A total of 13.9% had ever experienced alcohol-induced symptoms from at least one of the three regions (upper airways, lower airways, or skin), and 9.9% had experienced symptoms in the last 12 months.

All types of beverages were commonly reported as triggers of hypersensitivity symptoms, red wine being the most common. Alcohol-induced hypersensitivity symptoms from the upper and lower airways were significantly more prevalent in persons with AR and asthma .

In this Northern European general population, self-reported hypersensitivity symptoms following the intake of alcoholic drinks are common. These symptoms were markedly more prevalent in persons with AR and asthma.

The underlying mechanisms and the clinical significance of these symptoms remain to be elucidated.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: alli@glo.regionh.dk

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Relationship Among Alcohol, Body Weight, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in 27,030 Korean Men
Diabetes Care 30:2690-2694, 2007

Recent studies suggest a lower risk for overweight/obesity in moderate alcohol drinkers. However, the validity of this relationship and its impact on the putative benefits of alcohol consumption on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has not been well evaluated.

BMI and overweight prevalence increased linearly with alcohol intake. Alcohol intake was also positively associated with blood pressure and triglyceride, HDL, and fasting glucose concentrations and negatively associated with LDL and insulin concentrations .

With nondrinkers as the reference group, the odds ratio for having insulin in the top quartile also declined linearly when adjusted for age, BMI, smoking, and exercise, with the heaviest drinkers (>40 g/day) having an odds ratio of 0.71 . The relationship between alcohol and CVD risk factors was similar in normal-weight and overweight individuals.

Alcohol intake is associated with increasing BMI and several metabolic abnormalities, including higher fasting glucose. Paradoxically, it is also associated with lower insulin concentrations. The clinical significance of these findings needs further investigation.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: sunhkim@stanford.edu

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CONSTRUCTING PUBLIC AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE ON ALCOHOL ISSUES: TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS
Alcohol and Alcoholism 2007 42(2):150-157

To examine the possibilities for research into news reporting and its role in reflecting and informing public and political beliefs and action in relation to alcohol and drinking practices.

Most research on alcohol and media has focused on either advertising or entertainment media content, rather than on news reporting and its wider social implications.

The role of news reporting could usefully be widened. We offer a framework for analysing the role of news media in relation to public debate and practice with regard to alcohol and drinking.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: ash@leicester.ac.uk

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Covariations of emotional states and alcohol consumption: Evidence from 2 years of daily data collection
Social Science & Medicine Article in Press, 29 August 2007

We examined inter- and intra-individual covariations of mood and alcohol consumption in a sample of 171 light, medium, and heavy alcohol consumers aged 21 and over who reported daily about drinking and mood for a period of up to 2 years.

Cluster analyses of the within-subject correlations revealed four clusters: (1) emotion-inhibited drinking (drinking combined with reduced emotional arousal, n=12); (2) “positive emotion drinking” (drinking in combination with positive mood, n=69); (3) “stress drinking” (drinking combined with negative mood, n=12); and (4) “non-emotional drinking” (no relationship between alcohol consumption and mood, n=78).

Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses revealed that a significant amount of random variance of the Level-1 mood slopes (38% and 40%) was accounted for by the clusters, demonstrating the predictive power of cluster membership on individual drinking patterns.

Although Cluster 3 members (stress drinking) did not report significantly higher levels of alcohol consumption, they were more likely to report current and lifetime dependence symptoms.

The results point to the existence of stable, but diverse drinking patterns among non-clinical alcohol consumers with potentially different implications for development into alcohol abuse and dependence.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: kerstin.schroder@usu.edu

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Alcohol Drinking and Total Cancer Risk: An Evaluation Based on a Systematic Review of Epidemiologic Evidence among the Japanese Population
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2007 37(9):692-700

We conducted a systematic review of epidemiological evidence to evaluate the association between alcohol drinking and total cancer risk among the Japanese population.

Of eight cohort studies identified, six studies, three of which included women, were subjected to evaluation. In men, all six studies showed a weak to moderate positive association between alcohol drinking and total cancer risk. While light drinking had little effect on total cancer risk, heavy drinking of more than 46–69 g of alcohol per day contributed to total cancer risk for most of these Japanese populations. However, no association was reported in women in any of the three studies.

We conclude that there is convincing evidence that alcohol drinking increases the risk of total cancer in the Japanese population, specifically among heavy drinking men.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: mnminoue@gan2.res.ncc.go.jp

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Alcohol Consumption Is Associated with an Interaction between DRD2 Exon 8 A/A Genotype and Self-Directedness in Males
Neuropsychobiology 2007;56:24-31





Both reduced postsynaptic dopamine D₂ receptor function and the character variable self-directedness (SDD) are related to the level of alcohol consumption.

We examined for interactions between DRD2 exon 8(rs6276), a polymorphism which has been associated with various alcohol-related phenotypes, SDD and alcohol consumption.

Male probands with A/A genotype reported significantly higher alcohol consumption in a typical week; those with A/A genotype and low SDD showed particularly high consumption levels. Alcohol dependence/abuse (DSM-IV) but not nicotine dependence was also relevant for higher alcohol consumption. In the female group, only alcohol disorders predicted alcohol consumption.

Our findings support a role for a gene-personality interaction of DRD2 exon 8 × SDD in alcohol consumption in males.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: lucht@uni-greifswald.de
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