Strategizer 55 - Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide

Strategizer 55, Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide, outlines available evidence-based community prevention strategies shown to decrease the consequences associated with alcohol outlet density, the concentration of bars, restaurants serving alcohol, liquor and package stores in a given geographic area.

The publication was developed by CADCA in partnership with the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.


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Hospital admission rates for alcoholic intoxication after policy changes in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland

In February, 2005, the canton of Geneva in Switzerland prohibited the off-premise sale of alcoholic beverages between 9pm and 7am, and banned their sale in gas stations and video stores. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of this policy change on hospital admission rates for alcoholic intoxication.

An interrupted time series analysis of this natural experiment was performed with data on hospitalisations for acute alcoholic intoxication during the 2002–2007 period. The canton of Geneva was treated as the experimental group, while all other Swiss cantons were used as the control group.

In the experimental site, the policy change was found to have a significant effect on admission rates among adolescents and young adults. Depending on the age group, hospitalisation rates for alcoholic intoxication fell by an estimated 25–40% as the result of restricted alcohol availability.

Modest restrictions on opening hours and the density of off-premise outlets were found to be of relevance for public health in the canton of Geneva. In light of this finding, policy makers should consider such action as a promising approach to alcohol prevention.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: mwicki@addiction-info.ch

The social context of homeless men's substance use

Homeless men may be at particular risk for the negative health effects of substance use. This cross-sectional study investigates the individual and personal network risk factors associated with substance use in this vulnerable population.

Participants were a representative probability sample of 305 heterosexually active homeless men interviewed from meal programs in the Skid Row region of Los Angeles, CA. Interviews assessed individual, personal network, and substance use characteristics. Logistic regression examined individual and personal network predictors of the three most prevalent substances.

In the past 6 months, the three most prevalent substances were marijuana (56%), crack (40%), and alcohol to intoxication (38%). The mental health status of homeless men was associated with substance use, with PTSD more common among those who used crack. Riskier networks (comprised of a larger proportion of drug users) were associated with marijuana use, and normative social ties (family, employed and school/work contacts) were associated with a decreased likelihood of crack use.

Mental health problems and riskier personal networks are associated with homeless men's substance use. These findings underscore the importance of interventions that focus on improving mental health, mitigating the drug-using norms of personal networks, and helping men to maintain contact with normative, low-risk alters. Mental health care and peer-based, network interventions to reduce substance use should be a priority for heterosexually active homeless men.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: hrhoades@usc.edu

Mortality in alcohol use disorder in the Lundby Community Cohort—A 50 year follow-up

To describe the mortality and causes of death among subjects with alcohol use disorder in comparison with those without alcohol disorder and to study whether mental disorders increase mortality in alcoholics.

Data were analysed from the database of the Lundby Study, comprising 3563 subjects followed from 1947 to 1997.

A community-based sample was investigated in 1947 with follow-ups in 1957, 1972 and 1997. Best-estimate consensus diagnoses of mental disorders, including alcohol use disorder, were assessed. In the total cohort, 427 cases of alcohol use disorders were identified. Differences in mortality between subjects with alcohol use disorders and non-alcoholics were studied using Cox regression models and causes of death were compared between alcoholic subjects and other participants. Risk factors for mortality among the 348 individuals with alcohol use disorders and known age-of-onset were analysed by means of Cox regression analyses.

The hazard ratio for mortality was higher for alcoholics compared to other subjects in the cohort. A substantial proportion of the causes of death among the alcoholics was suicide N=27 (6.3%) (26 males, 1 female). In the multivariate models of risk factors in alcohol use disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, alcohol induced psychotic disorders and dementia were risk factors for premature death.

The mortality risk for subjects with alcohol use disorder was increased, females were especially vulnerable. The risk for suicide was high among males with alcohol problems. Anxiety disorders and severity of alcohol use disorder turned out as risk factors for premature death.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: cecilia.mattisson@med.lu.se

Toward DSM-V: Mapping the alcohol use disorder continuum in college students

The present study examined the dimensionality of DSM-IV Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) criteria using Item Response Theory (IRT) methods and tested the validity of the proposed DSM-V AUD guidelines in a sample of college students.

Participants were 396 college students who reported any alcohol use in the past 90 days and were aged 18 years or older. We conducted factor analyses to determine whether a one- or two-factor model provided a better fit to the AUD criteria. IRT analyses estimated item severity and discrimination parameters for each criterion. Multivariate analyses examined differences among the DSM-V diagnostic cut-off (AUD vs. No AUD) and severity qualifiers (no diagnosis, moderate, severe) across several validating measures of alcohol use.

A dominant single-factor model provided the best fit to the AUD criteria. IRT analyses indicated that abuse and dependence criteria were intermixed along the latent continuum. The “legal problems” criterion had the highest severity parameter and the tolerance criterion had the lowest severity parameter. The abuse criterion “social/interpersonal problems” and dependence criterion “activities to obtain alcohol” had the highest discrimination parameter estimates. Multivariate analysis indicated that the DSM-V cut-off point, and severity qualifier groups were distinguishable on several measures of alcohol consumption, drinking consequences, and drinking restraint.

Findings suggest that the AUD criteria reflect a latent variable that represents a primary disorder and provide support for the proposed DSM-V AUD criteria in a sample of college students. Continued research in other high-risk samples of college students is needed.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: hagman@usf.edu

Intensive referral to 12-step dual-focused mutual-help groups

This study implemented and evaluated procedures to help clinicians effectively refer dually diagnosed (substance use and psychiatric disorders) patients to dual-focused mutual-help groups (DFGs).

Using a cohort cyclical turnover design, individuals with dual diagnoses beginning a new outpatient mental health treatment episode (N=287) entered a standard- or an intensive-referral condition. Participants provided self-reports of 12-step mutual-help (DFG and substance-focused group [SFG]) attendance and involvement and substance use and psychiatric symptoms at baseline and six-month follow-up. The intensive referral intervention focused on encouraging patients to attend DFG meetings.

Compared to patients in the standard condition, those in the intensive referral intervention were more likely to attend and be involved in DFGs and SFGs, and had less drug use and better psychiatric outcomes at follow-up. Attending more intensive-referral sessions was associated with more DFG and SFG meeting attendance. More need fulfillment in DFGs, and more readiness to participate in SFGs, were associated with better alcohol and psychiatric outcomes at six months. However, only 23% of patients in the intensive-referral group attended a DFG meeting during the six-month follow-up period.

The intensive referral intervention enhanced participation in both DFGs and SFGs and was associated with better six-month outcomes. The findings suggest that intensive referral to mutual-help groups focus on its key components (e.g., linking patients to 12-step volunteers) rather than type of group.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: ctimko@stanford.edu

Race/ethnicity and sex differences in progression from drinking initiation to the development of alcohol dependence

Prior studies on the course of alcohol use disorders have reported a “telescoping” effect with women progressing from drinking initiation to alcohol dependence faster than men. However, there is a paucity of population-based analyses that have examined progression to alcohol dependence comparing race/ethnicity subgroups, and little is known about whether the telescoping effect for women varies by race/ethnicity. We examined whether a telescoping effect is present in the general population comparing race/ethnicity subgroups and comparing men and women stratified by race.

This study uses data from Wave I of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) to compare a nationally representative sample of White, Black and Hispanic adults 18–44 years of age (n=21,106). Time to event analyses compare the risk of alcohol initiation, onset of alcohol dependence, and the transition from initial use to onset of alcohol dependence in the three race/ethnicity groups and for males and females in each race/ethnicity group.

Whites were younger than Blacks and Hispanics of the same sex at drinking onset and progressed to alcohol dependence at a faster rate than both Blacks and Hispanics. In addition, we found no evidence of a telescoping effect in women for any race/ethnicity group.

The present study illustrates differences in the course of transition from alcohol initiation to the development of dependence by race/ethnicity but not sex. Our findings highlight the need for additional study of factors resulting in race/ethnicity differences in order to inform culturally relevant prevention and intervention initiatives.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: aalvanz1@jhmi.edu

Contingency management for alcohol use reduction: A pilot study using a transdermal alcohol sensor

Contingency management (CM) has not been thoroughly evaluated as a treatment for alcohol abuse or dependence, in part because verification of alcohol use reduction requires frequent in-person breath tests. Transdermal alcohol sensors detect alcohol regularly throughout the day, providing remote monitoring and allowing for rapid reinforcement of reductions in use.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of CM for reduction in alcohol use, using a transdermal alcohol sensor to provide a continuous measure of alcohol use. Participants were 13 heavy drinking adults who wore the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) bracelet for three weeks and provided reports of alcohol and drug use using daily web-based surveys. In Week 1, participants were asked to drink as usual; in Weeks 2 and 3, they were reinforced on an escalating schedule with values ranging from $5 to $17 per day on days when alcohol use was not reported or detected by the SCRAM.

Self-reports of percent days abstinent and drinks per week, and transdermal measures of average and peak transdermal alcohol concentration and area under the curve declined significantly in Weeks 2–3. A nonsignificant but large effect size for reduction in days of tobacco use also was found. An adjustment to the SCRAM criteria for detecting alcohol use provided an accurate but less conservative method for use with non-mandated clients.

Results support the efficacy of CM for alcohol use reductions and the feasibility of using transdermal monitoring of alcohol use for clinical purposes.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: Nancy_Barnett@brown.edu

Changes in protective behavioral strategies and alcohol use among college students

Background: Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are specific cognitive-behavioral strategies designed to reduce alcohol consumption and resulting negative consequences. A host of studies have examined the cross-sectional relationship between such strategies and alcohol use in the high-risk population of United States college students, but prospective studies on the construct are lacking. The primary purposes of this study were to determine if PBS use prospectively predicted subsequent alcohol use/alcohol-related problems and if changes in PBS use were associated with less alcohol use and fewer problems.

Data were examined from 521 heavy drinking college students (60% male, 84% White, mean age=18.9 years). Participants completed questionnaires assessing alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and PBS use at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups.

Analysis of residualized change scores indicated that increases in some PBS across time were associated with less alcohol use and fewer alcohol-related problems at follow-up. Findings regarding the prospective relationship between PBS use and subsequent alcohol use/problems were equivocal.

Results from the study suggest that PBS may have value in alcohol-related interventions among college students. Clinicians who help clients increase their use of PBS may help those clients increase the probability of drinking less and experiencing fewer alcohol-related problems in the future.


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Request Reprint E-Mail: martensmp@missouri.edu

Strategies for characterizing complex phenotypes and environments: General and specific family environmental predictors of young adult tobacco depende

Defining phenotypes in studies of tobacco and alcohol misuse is difficult because of the complexity of these behaviors and their strong association with each other and with other problem behaviors. The present paper suggests a strategy for addressing this issue by conceptualizing and partitioning variance in phenotypes into either general or substance/behavior-specific. The paper also applies the general or substance/behavior-specific conceptualization to environmental predictors of tobacco and alcohol misuse and other problem behaviors.

Data were drawn from the Seattle Social Development Project, a contemporary, ethnically diverse and gender-balanced longitudinal panel including 808 participants. Latent variable modeling was used to partition variance in young adult (age 24) nicotine dependence, alcohol abuse and dependence, illicit drug abuse and dependence, involvement in crime, and engagement in HIV sexual risk behavior into general problem behavior and behavior-specific variance. Similarly, measures of general, drinking-specific, and smoking-specific adolescent family environment were constructed.

Consistent with expectations, more positive general family environment during adolescence was associated with lower levels of shared variance in problem behaviors at age 24, but not with unique variance in tobacco or alcohol use disorder. Higher levels of family smoking and drinking environments during adolescence, however, were positively associated with unique variance in tobacco and alcohol use disorder, respectively, but did not predict shared variance in problem behaviors.

Results support the utility of the proposed approach. Ways in which this approach might contribute to future molecular genetic studies are discussed.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: jabailey@uw.edu

Predictors of clinical trial dropout in individuals with co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol dependence

Individuals with co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol dependence have particularly low rates of retention in clinical trials. Past research has identified a variety of factors associated with dropout in this population, but few have been replicated. The present study investigated the ability of several baseline variables to predict clinical trial dropout in a sample of individuals with co-morbid bipolar and alcohol use disorders.

Demographics, psychiatric diagnoses, recent alcohol use, mood pathology, and risk taking behavior (measured with the Balloon Analogue Risk Task) were evaluated as predictors of dropout from a randomized clinical trial of acamprosate for individuals with co-morbid bipolar and alcohol use disorders (n=30) using stepwise logistic regressio.

Risk taking behavior was the only significant predictor of dropout in the present study (OR=1.44, p=0.03); opiate dependence marginally predicted dropout as well (OR=13.46, p=0.08). A model consisting of these predictors, as well as acamprosate group status (p=0.13), provided excellent prediction of dropout (i.e., area under the ROC curve=0.94; R²=0.53).

Given the robust relationship between risk taking and dropout in the present study, the Balloon Analogue Risk Task may represent a valuable tool for researchers to predict who will drop out of clinical trials for comorbid bipolar and substance use disorders.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: Priscian@musc.edu

Post-Treatment Outcomes in a Double-Blind, Randomized Trial of Sertraline for Alcohol Dependence

Pharmacotherapy studies in alcohol dependence (AD) are generally of short duration and do not include post-treatment follow-up. We examined the durability of treatment effects in a placebo-controlled trial of sertraline for AD.

As previously reported, patients received 12 weeks of treatment with sertraline (n = 63) or placebo (n = 71), followed by assessments at 3 and 6 months post-treatment (Kranzler et al., 2011, J Clin Psychopharmacol 31:22–30). We examined the main and interaction effects with time of 3 between-subject factors (medication group, age of onset of AD [late-onset alcoholics, LOAs, vs. early-onset alcoholics, EOAs], and the tri-allelic 5-HTTLPR genotype) on drinking days (DDs) and heavy drinking days (HDDs).

The medication group effect, which was significant during treatment, remained significant during the 3-month follow-up period for L’/L’ LOAs, with the sertraline group having fewer DDs than the placebo group (p = 0.027). However, the medication group effect seen in L’/L’ EOAs during treatment was no longer significant (p = 0.48). There were no significant effects in S’ carriers at the 3-month follow-up visit, or in either genotype group at the 6-month follow-up.

The beneficial effects of sertraline observed in LOAs during treatment persisted during the 3-month post-treatment period. Additional studies are needed to validate these pharmacogenetic findings, which together with the effects seen during active treatment support the use of sertraline only in LOAs.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: kranzler_h@mail.trc.upenn.edu

Alcohol Promotes Mammary Tumor Development via the Estrogen Pathway in Estrogen Receptor Alpha-Negative HER2/neu Mice

Alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for breast cancer. Yet, the mechanism by which alcohol affects breast cancer development remains unresolved. The transition from the premenopausal to the postmenopausal phase is associated with a drastic reduction in systemic estrogen levels. It is not clear whether the risk of breast cancer attributable to alcohol consumption is modified by the different levels of estrogen found in pre- and postmenopausal women. The objective of this study is to determine whether the effects of alcohol on mammary tumor development are dependent on the presence of ovarian estrogen.

As a model of breast cancer, we used mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-neu transgenic mice that overexpress the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) in the mammary epithelium, resulting in the development of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα)-negative mammary tumors. The mammary tumorigenesis process in these mice is similar to that of patients with HER2 breast cancer. Nonovariectomized (NOVX) and ovariectomized (OVX) MMTV-neu mice were exposed to 0, 5, and 20% ethanol in the drinking water. Breast cancer development and progression were determined alongside the effects of alcohol on estrogen availability and signaling.

Our data show that 20% alcohol consumption promoted tumor development in MMTV-neu mice only in the presence of ovarian hormones. Tumor promotion was associated with increased systemic estrogen levels, increased expression of aromatase (the rate-limiting enzyme in estrogen synthesis), and increased expression of ERα in the tumors of 20% alcohol-consuming MMTV-neu mice. Additionally, we show that ovariectomy (removal of the ovaries and ovarian hormone production) blocked the effects of 20% alcohol on tumor development.

Our results support the notion that alcohol consumption promotes HER2 breast cancer development via the estrogen signaling pathway. Additionally, they suggest that the effects of alcohol on breast cancer may be prevented by blocking estrogen signaling.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: nomeli@mail.utexas.edu

Effects of Prazosin, an α1-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonist, on the Seeking and Intake of Alcohol and Sucrose in Alcohol-Preferring (P) Rats

Previous studies show that prazosin, an α₁-adrenergic receptor antagonist, decreases alcohol drinking in animal models of alcohol use and dependence [Rasmussen et al. (2009) Alcohol Clin Exp Res 3:264–272; Walker et al. (2008) Alcohol 42:91–97] and in alcohol-dependent men [Simpson et al. (2009) Alcohol Clin Exp Res 33:255–263]. This study extended these findings by using a paradigm that allows for separate assessment of prazosin on motivation to seek versus consume alcohol or sucrose in selectively bred rats.

Alcohol-preferring (P) rats were trained to complete an operant response that resulted in access to either 2% sucrose or 10% alcohol. A 4-week Seeking Test Phase examined responding in single, weekly extinction sessions when no reinforcer could be obtained. A 4-week Drinking Test Phase consisted of rats lever-pressing to “pay” a specified amount up front to gain access to unlimited alcohol (or sucrose) for a 20-minute period. On Seeking and Drinking test days, prazosin (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 30 minutes prior to behavioral sessions.

Rats were self-administering an average of 0.9 (±0.09) g/kg alcohol on vehicle test day and had pharmacologically relevant blood ethanol concentrations. Prazosin significantly decreased alcohol seeking at all doses tested. The highest dose of prazosin also increased the latency to first response for alcohol and decreased alcohol intake. While sucrose-seeking and intake were similarly affected by prazosin, the high dose of prazosin did not increase response latency.

These findings are consistent with and extend previous research and suggest that prazosin decreases motivation to initiate and engage in alcohol consumption. The specificity of prazosin in attenuating the initiation of alcohol- but not sucrose-seeking suggests that this effect is not because of prazosin-induced motor-impairment or malaise. Together with previous findings, these data suggest that prazosin may be an effective pharmacotherapy, with specific application in people that drink excessively or have a genetic predisposition to alcohol abuse.

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Request Reprint E-Mail: cczachow@iupui.edu

Scotland's Alcohol and Offenders Criminal Justice Research Programme: prison health needs and brief intervenitons reports

The Alcohol and Offenders Criminal Justice Research Programme is a portfolio of three studies led by NHS Health Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government (2009-2011). The overarching aim is to understand better the extent and nature of alcohol problems in offenders and which effective interventions can address them, recognising that the criminal justice setting is an opportunity to detect and intervene in an often ‘hard to reach’ population. > > > > Read More

Ord Valley Aboriginal Health Service’s fetal alcohol spectrum disorders program: Big steps, solid outcome

Over the past four decades the international community has sought to clarify the risks associated with maternal alcohol use and the associated disability of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Until recently, Australia has done little to raise awareness of FASD, study prevalence or assist individuals born with these disorders. A prevention program was initiated in 2008 in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia through the Ord Valley Aboriginal Health Service (OVAHS) in response to the local Aboriginal community’s concerns about the risks of maternal alcohol use.

Antenatal clients were assessed three times during their pregnancy. Information was gathered on their alcohol use pre and post pregnancy, and their awareness and knowledge of FASD. FASD education was also provided to the wider community and feedback was evaluated.

Assessment outcomes in the first year showed that the majority of women reported drinking alcohol at some point during their pregnancy. Over half reported nil further consumption post FASD education. In addition to these promising findings, the insight gained into the reasons behind alcohol consumption proved to be of equal importance to program development and delivery. Client evaluation of community based education indicated that many found the education sessions useful and transferable to their own family and community.

Assessment results indicating high levels of maternal alcohol use supported the need for raising awareness of the risks of prenatal alcohol exposure. Following a twelve month evaluation of the program, the findings demonstrated the effectiveness of a consultative, whole-of-community approach as a strategy to address this significant health issue.

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Is alcohol dependence best viewed as a chronic relapsing disorder?

This ‘For Debate’ paper starts by recognizing the growing trend towards considering alcohol dependence as a chronic relapsing disorder.

We argue that the adoption of this model results from focusing on those in treatment for alcohol dependence rather than considering the larger number of people in the general population who meet criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.

The majority of the general population who ever experience alcohol dependence do not behave as though they have a chronic relapsing disorder: they do not seek treatment, resolve their dependence themselves and do not relapse repeatedly.

We suggest that caution is therefore needed in using the chronic relapsing disorder label. Our primary concerns are that this formulation privileges biological aspects of dependence to the detriment of psychological and social contributions, it inhibits much-needed developments in understanding alcohol dependence and leads to inefficient distributions of public health and clinical care resources for alcohol dependence.

We invite debate on this issue.

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Global Actions on Harmful Drinking Oct 7, 2011

Key Recent Milestones

· China: Traffic police have completed a pilot survey at drink drive checkpoints in Wuhan and Nanjing. The surveys coincide with a country-wide drink driving enforcement campaign launched in time for China’s National Day on October 1.

· Philippines: The Philippines’ self-regulatory organization (SRO), the Ad Standards Council (ASC), has undertaken a nationwide survey to measure awareness of the self-regulatory (SR) process. The survey targets 1,500 respondents from five major urban areas to raise consumer awareness of the SR process in the Philippines, one of three strategic objectives agreed by ASC, the Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA) and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

Global Actions in Focus: Colombia Site Visits

Our Colombia team will be visiting cities where the “PACTOS por la Vida” (Pact for Life) projects have launched. From October 7-14, Global Actions’ Mario Alberto Lleras, Alberto Bouroncle, and John Sullivan will travel to Neiva, Medellín, Ibague, Cali, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga, where they will conduct workshops with Colombia’s Ministry of Social Protection and Fondo de Prevencion Vial.

The site visits mark the second phase of the PACTOS project to reduce harmful drinking in Colombia. On August 30-31 in Bogotá, stakeholders gathered for a workshop that outlined the PACTOS agenda, with experts discussing responsible drinking and public attitudes regarding alcohol consumption. Along with key stakeholders, ICAP will collect information from each city to gauge the success of the projects at the pilot stage.

The site visits will include workshops with program leaders directly involved in structuring the projects at the city level. Program administrators will convene for roundtable discussions with other people and institutions, organizations, and establishments directly involved with the PACTOS project. Leaders in Neiva will document their work with local bars, and demonstrate how they achieved incorporation into the project.

What’s Happening Next

· Hong Kong: An October 14 meeting is scheduled for ICAP’s Asia-Pacific Contact Group. Participants, including Global Actions Vietnam Country Manager Lan Huong Nguyen and China Country Manager James Yu, will draft an operational plan for ICAP work in the Asia-Pacific region and discuss next steps.

· Nairobi: November 21-22: ICAP’s Ken Williams will meet with government, researchers, local experts, and industry to consider expanding Global Actions’ Noncommercial Alcohol research to Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Local experts will be present from these countries as well as from Botswana and Kenya.

Alcohol tax revenue plans pressed

The SNP Government has pressed the case for gaining control of alcohol tax revenue in the last of six demands sent to Westminster.

A paper set out more details of the proposal, arguing that because Scotland already meets the costs associated with alcohol consumption, it should also receive control of the revenue benefit.

The Scottish Government estimates that every year alcohol costs the economy about £3.56 billion, including £270 million on healthcare, £230 million on social care and £720 million on crime.

The paper suggests that the Scottish budget should be reduced by a per-capita share of UK-wide alcohol duties, with the amount of duty actually collected in Scotland added to the budget. > > > > Read More

Call for Papers Special Issue on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research
Deadline for Submissions: March 31, 2012

The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, a peer-reviewed, free-of-charge, open access journal and the official Journal of the Kettil Bruun Society for Social and Epidemiological Research on Alcohol (KBS), invites the submission of papers on biomedical, psychological, and sociological aspects related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), to be featured in this special issue to be published in December, 2012. Accepted papers will be published online prior to their inclusion in this special issue in order to make the research available more quickly.

Original articles (including both quantitative and qualitative research), methodological pieces, reviews, and case reports will be considered for publication and submitted for peer review, if eligible.

FASD describes permanent birth defects and encompasses a range of effects (including physical, behavioral, and cognitive) that result from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The goal of this special issue of the Journal is to publish papers that expand our current knowledge of FASD. We invite all FASD-related research be submitted, and we especially encourage submission of papers from authors in developing countries (i.e., low and middle income countries). All submissions should be prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines outlined in the Journal website at www.ijadr.org, and be submitted through the website. Please indicate in the cover letter accompanying your manuscript that you would like to have the paper considered for the special issue on FASD. Guest editors of the special issue on the FASD are Drs. Christina Chambers and Svetlana Popova. Contact information is below.

Dr. Svetlana Popova, MD, MPH, PhD
Social and Epidemiological Research Department Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Email: lana_popova@camh.net

Dr. Christina Chambers, PhD
Department of Pediatrics School of Medicine University of California San Diego La Jolla, CA Email: chchambers@ucsd.edu