Alcohol News

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Documentary: Drunk Irish - A stereotype that is actually true

This RTE documentary explores the problems with alcohol amongst the people of the Republic of Ireland. The Irish people are known the world over as lazy drunks - but is it a nasty stereotype or factually correct?

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Alcohol industry is reaching for new markets

As the European market is decreasing big alcohol companies have already for some time looking for new markets from Asia. And what a big opportunities they find there. Unregulated markets, big populations.
Last week Bloomberg Businessweek wrote how Carlsberg, "the world’s fourth- biggest brewer, is seeking acquisition opportunities in Asia, including China, amid slowing growth in Europe."
First read the Bloomberg story and then look at that:

Monday, February 20, 2012

Alcohol News - 8/2012

Scientific American - Deadly Alcohol Needs Global Regulation, Health Expert Says

Existing WHO recommendations on ads, pricing and driving laws could serve as the framework for a new international convention on alcohol regulation, yet even the U.S. would struggle to meet some of them.

Helsinki Times (Finland) - Alcohol advertising ban under consideration

The Uutispäivä Demari, the official newspaper of the Social Democratic Party, reported today that the Minister of Health and Social Services Maria Guzenina-Richardson (Social Democrats) has put forward plans to restrict alcohol advertising.

The Baltic Course (Estonia) - Estonian police distributes 10,000 breathalyzers

Estonia's North Prefecture is handing out 10,000 single-use alcohol breathalyzers to drivers in a framework of roadside sobriety checks in Tallinn, the Estonian news portal ERR reports.

IceNews (Sweden) - Police struggle to stop teenage dial-a-drink service

Stockholm police have admitted they are making little progress in quelling the phenomenon known as “vodka-mobile”, which sees teens ordering alcohol deliveries via text message.

BBC News (UK) - 210,000 people face alcohol death risk, warn doctors

Failure to reform alcohol laws could lead to 210,000 preventable deaths in England and Wales in the next 20 years, doctors have warned.

The Guardian (UK) - David Cameron hints at minimum alcohol price

PM determined to deal with 'one of the scandals of our society', as figures show alcohol abuse is costing the NHS £2.7bn a year.

Fox News (USA) - One in 10 U.S. kids have alcoholic parent, study finds

More than one in 10 U.S. children live with an alcoholic parent and are at increased risk of developing a host of health problems of their own, according to a new government study released on Thursday.

Science Codex (Australia) - Comments by the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research

In 2008, the NHMRC commissioned the Dieticians Association of Australia to undertake systematic literature reviews to support the revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Australians. The primary aim was to undertake a series of systematic reviews of the national and international literature from the year 2002 on the food-diet-health-disease inter-relationship for different population subgroups. One of the 29 sections in the report (pp 613-678) covered the evidence for the risks and benefits of alcohol drinking. This critique is only of the alcohol section.

LiveScience.com - Deadly Alcohol Needs Global Regulation, Health Expert Says

When considering the world's worst killers, alcohol likely doesn't come to mind. Yet alcohol kills more than 2.5 million people annually, more than AIDS, malaria or tuberculosis.

Daily Mail - Drinking alcohol really does shrink the brain as grey matter seeks to protect itself against alcohol-induced damage

Brain scans of mice given significant quantities of alcohol has revealed serious shrinkage in some regions of the brain.

WalesOnline (Wales) - Report shows how interventions on tobacco and alcohol use ‘could save the NHS millions’

EXPERTS have advised the cash-strapped NHS to adopt a series of simple steps to improve patients’ health and save millions of pounds in treatment costs.

eMaxHealth - Strict parental drinking rules can restrain teen drinking

Some parents are of the opinion that allowing their teens to sip a small glass of wine with dinner or have a swallow or two of beer at a family barbecue will introduce them to responsible drinking.

BBC News (Wales) - Problem drinkers: Alcohol Concern Cymru call to remove stigma

People in Wales are being urged to be more honest about the role of alcohol in society, in an attempt to remove the stigma attached to drinking problems.

iAfrica.com (South Afica) - Motsoaledi targets alcohol ads

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is on a crusade and he expects to make no friends as he targets liquor advertising, tougher smoking laws and noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

New York Times (USA) - Drinking and Drugging

Remember that phrase? I heard many people repeat it last week as they appraised the waste of Whitney Houston’s later years and flashed back to her 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer, when she uttered those immortal words. She was bristling not at rumors that she abused drugs but at insinuations that she turned to cheap ones. With album sales like hers, you didn’t have to suck on a pipe.

Wall Street Journal (USA) - The (Partial) Cost of Underage Drinking

Six-packs of beer come cheap, but the cost of underage drinking can add up. An analysis by researchers at the Mayo Clinic estimates hospitalization charges alone for incidents related to underage drinking at $755 million in 2008.

This is South Wales (Wales) - 'Be honest, alcohol not someone else's problem'

PEOPLE in Wales need to be more honest about their relationship with alcohol, a leading charity has said. Alcohol Concern Cymru says it is easy to think that problems with alcohol are "someone else's problems" rather than something closer to home.

AFP (South Africa) - South Africa grapples with toll of heavy drinking

Tisha Lourens suffered brain damage when her mother drank during pregnancy. Now the slight teenager who was abandoned as a baby in a Cape Town hospital battles with learning problems.

Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Sallies call for changes to way alcohol is sold

Kiwis knocked back an extra 20 million ready-to-drink alcoholic drinks in the past year, prompting calls for supermarkets and dairies to be banned from selling liquor after 10pm.

Czech Happenings (Czech Republic) - Czech teenagers increasingly drink alcohol - ESPAD study

The number of sixteen-year persons regularly drinking alcohol and getting drunk is on the rise in the Czech Republic, according to the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) for last year and unveiled today.

Bangkok Post (Thailand) - Social media 'push youth to alcohol'

Alcoholic beverage companies are using social media outlets to recruit young drinkers, in some cases using cartoon characters and stuffed toys to promote their products, researchers say.

The Voice of Russia (Russia) - Alcohol zero-tolerance policy for drivers questioned

Komsomolskaya Pravda reports that during the Monday session of Committee on Traffic Safety a proposal to abolish alcohol zero-tolerance policy for drivers was voiced.

The Oncology Report - Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Worsens Cancer Surgery Outcomes

Patients with head and neck cancers who develop alcohol withdrawal syndrome perioperatively experience significantly more complications after undergoing surgery, a large database analysis indicates.

BusinessWeek (Europe/Asia) - Carlsberg Looks for Acquisitions in Asia as Europe Stagnates

Carlsberg A/S, the world’s fourth- biggest brewer, is seeking acquisition opportunities in Asia, including China, amid slowing growth in Europe.

thejournal.ie (Ireland) - Four in ten parents ‘binge drink’ at least once a month

JUST OVER FOUR in ten parents ‘binge drink’ at least once a month – with the majority of those drinking most often at home, according to a new survey.

thenews.pl (Poland) - Health Ministry OKs controversial WHO alcohol proposals

Poland's Health Ministry has accepted a controversial raft of proposals from the World Health Organisation (WHO) designed to counter alcohol abuse in the EU.

FASD News - 7/2012

NEWS AND ARTICLES

The New Age Online (South Africa) - Foetal alcohol syndrome rate drops 30%

There’s been a dramatic drop of 30% in the incidence of foetal alcohol syndrome disorders (FASD) in the province since 2002, apparently as a result of successful prevention programmes by the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research.

Nursing Review (Australia) - Push for national strategy for foetal alcohol disorder

A parliamentary inquiry is generating calls for FASD to be recognised as a disability. Parents, foster carers, nurses and other health workers who have experience with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders have been urged to tell their story to federal parliament.

Smithers Interior News (Canada) - Rural area great for hosting FASD conference
Renowned doctor and speaker Gabor Maté opened last week’s regional Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) conference in Smithers with a keynote address.

CTV Saskatoon (Canada) - Convention helps people learn to cope with FASD

A preventable disorder is still a concern in Saskatchewan. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder affects a person's ability to cope in life. Conventions, like the one held in Saskatoon this week, hope to give a better understanding of FASD, so those with it can lead a better life.

Voxy (New Zealand) - Scandalous perpetuation of brain damage to children

Alcohol Healthwatch launched an on-line resource today to assist health professionals talk to their pregnant patients about alcohol.

The Associated Press (USA) - Tribe suing beer companies for alcohol problems

An American Indian tribe sued some of the world's largest beer makers Thursday, claiming they knowingly contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Telegraph.co.uk (South Africa) - South Africa considers law banning sale of alcohol to pregnant women

The move is designed to cut one of the world's highest rates of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which sees babies develop mental and physical defects in the womb due to a mother's heavy drinking.

New York Times (USA) - Dog is Only Cure for 13-Year-Old with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

In May 1999, Donnie Kanter Winokur, 43, a writer and multimedia producer, and her husband, Rabbi Harvey Winokur, 49, beheld the son of their dreams, the child infertility denied them. Andrey, a pale dark-eyed 1-year-old in a cotton onesie, held in a standing position by a caregiver, appeared in a short videotape recorded in a Russian orphanage. If the couple liked the little boy, they could begin the legal process of adopting him. They liked the little boy very much.

Vaada E-News (Australia) - Hansard: Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee - inquiry into the incidence and prevention of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)

Monday, 13 February 2012 House of Representatives - Committees - Social Policy and Legal Affairs Committee - inquiry into the incidence and prevention of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

RESOURCES

AKOAOTEAROA - Pregnancy & Alcohol Cessation Toolkit

This resource aims to improve health professional’s consultation confidence and competence to optimise the implementation of the Ministry of Health’s practical guide on alcohol and pregnancy.

Information and ideas to help persons with FASDs live healthy and purposeful lives

Best I Can Be: Living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Effects by Liz Kulp.

NIAAA - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Understanding the Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

When pregnant women drink, they put their unborn babies at risk for a wide range of physical, cognitive, and behavioral problems. In fact, prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading preventable cause of birth defects in the United States.

Deborah Rutmans presentation at the FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan Conference „Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Here and Now“

RESEARCH

Alcoholism - Metabolic Biomarkers of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure in Human Embryonic Stem Cell–Derived Neural Lineages

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disability. The mechanisms underlying FASD are incompletely understood, and biomarkers to identify those at risk are lacking. Here, we perform metabolomic analysis of embryoid bodies and neural lineages derived from human embryonic stem (hES) cells to identify the neural secretome produced in response to ethanol (EtOH) exposure.

Alcoholism - Housing in Environmental Complexity Following Wheel Running Augments Survival of Newly Generated Hippocampal Neurons in a Rat Model of Binge Alcohol Exposure During the Third Trimester Equivalent

WR followed by EC could provide a behavioral model for developing interventions in humans to ameliorate hippocampal-dependent impairments associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research - FASD Learning Series webcast: „Cognitive Interventions to Improve Memory“

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012. 9-11 AM.

Nutrition Research Institute -Registration 2012 Frontiers in Nutrition Seminar Series

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 "The Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)" Dr. Philip May.

The FASD Trust (UK) - Managing Difficult Behaviour in FASD Children in the Community

Friday, 24 February 2012 09:30 - 16:30 (GMT)

EUFASD - Second European Conference on FASD

The European FASD Alliance is pleased to announce the Second European Conference on FASD – Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: clinical and biochemical diagnosis, screening and follow-up, which will take place in Barcelona, October 21 to 24, 2012.

IN OTHER LANGUAGES

Medical facts (Netherlands) - Joldersma: vaart maken met waarschuwingslogo alcohol

De minister van VWS moet zo snel mogelijk om tafel met de alcoholbranche om te praten over een waarschuwingslogo voor zwangere vrouwen op alcoholhoudende dranken. Dat bepleitte Cisca Joldersma tijdens een Algemeen Overleg over het alcoholbeleid. Onlangs gaf de minister in antwoord op schriftelijke vragen van Sabine Uitslag (CDA) aan dat ze wil proberen het logo via zelfregulering in te voeren.

From the first global alcohol policy conference in Bangkok

I´m sitting in the lobby of my hotel and waiting for the departure back to my cold homeland. I´ve been here the last four days with almost 1200 people from around 60 countries and the first global alcohol policy conference (GAPC) finished yesterday evening.
I had the pleasure to be one of the speakers here, introducing alcohol policy situation in my small homeland Estonia. Alcohol policy has made some great progress in last... 6 years or so. In 2006 the first European alcohol strategy was accepted. In 2010 WHO-s first global alcohol strategy followed. These are certainly important milestones. No doubt about it. But the conference here in Thailand raised an important and logical question: how to move from papers to action. This is coming from decades of experience. It is extremely important to have a grounding document, a strategy, but its just not enough. There are too many cases in national and international levels, where action is not following. For instance another Baltic state, Lithuania, accepted a national Health Program in 1999 and one of the goals was to cut the per capita alcohol consumption to 7 litres. Reality moved to the opposite direction so that in 2005 Lithuanians drank around 14 litres.
Estonia does´nt have a strategy and during its 21 years of independence it has´nt had a real alcohol strategy. There have been roundtables and working groups. We are working on a alcohol policy green book right now, but I cant help my pessimism about that. What does a good green book do for a government that just is not motivated to deal with this issue?
At least partly it looks like alcohol policy has a chance if different measures can be integrated into other policies. Estonia has raised alcohol excise taxes by 50% since 2005. And public health has´nt been the main reason behind that. Aspiring to become the next euro-zone member in 2011, the government needed extra revenue and alcohol taxes was a good chance to get that. And that is great. Alcohol policy was taken forward without public health reasoning. So what? Important that steps were made.
Of course its much more difficult with other important alcohol policy fields like marketing and availability. Without focusing to public health, things are not moving over there. And things just are not moving in that regard in Estonia.
So how to be able to "smuggle" these arguments into different policies?! Thats a challenge. And it might be dangerous only to focus on strategies. Strategy does´nt equal with action. But it of course helps.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Alcohol News - 7/2012

The Local (Sweden) - 'Vodka-mobile' selling booze to Swedish kids

Police in Stockholm are looking to beef up efforts to put the brakes on a “vodka-mobile” that delivers hard liquor to school children in the Swedish capital who place their orders via text message.

IceNews (Iceland) - No Motörhead wine for Icelanders, branding too negative

ÁTVR, Iceland’s public sector alcohol retail monopoly, has refused to sell a red wine marketed under the branding of British rock band Motörhead. The decision was taken because the name is apparently a nod to amphetamine abuse and because the band sings about war, unsafe sex and drugs.

The Local (Sweden) - 'Drunkorexia' on the rise in Sweden: report

An increasing number of young Swedes are starving themselves by day to be able to binge on calorie-rich alcoholic drinks by night, as a well known phenomenon in the US is becoming more common in Sweden, according to experts.

Baltic Review (Lithuania) - Opinion: Strange combination of alcohol and democracy in Lithuania

Several employees of a Lithuanian authority were caught partying wildly in a drunken state during working hours on Thursday. Lithuanian journalist reflects on the alcohol issues of his country’s bureaucrats in an article published on February 6.

Associated Press (UK) - London to test alcohol monitors for offenders

London will be the first city in England to test electronic monitoring to force persistent alcohol offenders to stop drinking, Mayor Boris Johnson said Friday.

CNN (Ukraine) - Most Ukraine cold deaths alcohol-related, minister says

Alcohol has been involved in most of the deaths blamed on the extreme cold in Ukraine, the country worst affected by the icy temperatures gripping eastern Europe, the country's emergencies minister said Wednesday.

Great Falls Tribune (USA) - Sioux tribe sues brewers, stores for alcohol woes

The Oglala Sioux Tribe is suing some of the world's largest beer brewers, saying they knowingly have contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Asia News Network (Bhutan) - The money cost of alcohol abuse in Bhutan

About Nu 30 M(US$607,165) went into treating alcohol related diseases in 2010 a study by Bhutan's National Statistical Bureau's socio-economic research and analysis division (SERAD) estimates.

Press Association (Ireland) - Plan to ban alcohol sport sponsors

The Government is to consider stamping out alcohol sponsorship of sporting events and festivals to curb Ireland's drink culture.

Science Daily - After-School Program Can Reduce Alcohol Use Among Middle School Students, Study Finds

A voluntary substance prevention program held after school and presented by trained facilitators can help reduce alcohol use among young adolescents, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

Maneater (USA) - New government study says alcohol abuse is higher among college students

According to the Chicago Tribune, a national study found United States college students abuse alcohol more than other drugs such as heroin, cocaine or methamphetamines compared to their non-student peers.

BBC News (Wales) - Nurse advice cuts binge drinking in Cardiff University project

Nurses will be trained to help patients with alcohol problems across Wales after a pilot project led to about a quarter of people cutting drinking.

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Time for govt to focus on alcohol: AMA

The Gillard government is being urged to crack down on junk food and alcohol advertising now that it has taken on big tobacco by legislating for plain packaging of cigarettes.

News-Medical-Net (Spain) - Most young Spaniards do not consume alcohol or illegal drug

Despite the clich-s surrounding the habits of adolescents, the results of a study by the University of Seville show that most young people do not fit the risk profile of taking substances.

PRWeb - Global Market for Beer to Reach 191.8 Million Kiloliters by 2015, According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

GIA announces the release of a comprehensive global outlook on the Beer Industry. Growth in the world market for beer in the upcoming years will be driven by strong gains in developing countries in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Middle East.

Daily Telegraph (South Africa) - South Africa considers law banning sale of alcohol to pregnant women

The move is designed to cut one of the world's highest rates of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which sees babies develop mental and physical defects in the womb due to a mother's heavy drinking.

FASD News - 5/2012

USA TODAY - Study: No alcohol intake safe during pregnancy

It's known that drinking during pregnancy leaves babies vulnerable to a spectrum of abnormalities called fetal alcohol syndrome. Now, a new study pinpoints the latter half of the first trimester as a critical time in the development of some of the syndrome's most telling physical characteristics.

Primedia Broadcasting - Eyewitness News (South Africa) - 0% alcohol is best for pregnancy - WHO

A Worcester-based alcohol syndrome organisation on Friday urged pregnant women not to drink any alcohol as doing so may cause brain damage. The World Health Organisation (WHO) pin-pointed the Western Cape as having the highest number of children who have fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the world.

CBS Local - New Study Reveals More Problems With Drinking During Pregnancy

A new study released this week reveals the hidden dangers of women who drink alcohol while pregnant.

MyNorthwest.com - Colton Harris-Moore's attorney says emails are examples of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome behavior

After emails and phone calls from Colton Harris-Moore, also known as the "Barefoot Bandit," ridiculing police were released, his attorney John Henry Browne responded saying this is a classic example of behavior seen in people diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Elliot Lake Standard (Canada) - Solutions exist for fetal alcohol related crimes: lawyer

More grandmothers are needed in the lives of those with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, says lawyer and advocate David Boulding.

WA today (Australia) - Pregnant women 'ignoring alcohol warnings'

Women are continuing to place their unborn children at risk by drinking while pregnant, health experts have told a federal parliamentary inquiry.

The North West Star (Australia) - Don't poison your baby, don't drink

MOUNT Isa is the perfect environment for a health disorder that condemns children to a life of misery and often jail, but which is 100 per cent preventable.

Wall Street Journal - Stricter Thinking on Alcohol During Pregnancy

In the sixth to 12th week of pregnancy, a fetus's bones, brain and central nervous system are forming. Buds blossom into arms and legs, and internal organs start to function. A face with eyelids, lips and other features appears.

MATERIALS

Fetal Alcohol Forum – Issue 6 December 2011

NOFAS-UK have published Issue 6, 2011 of their newsletter.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Understanding the Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) in the United States has recently released a 6-page summary called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Understanding the Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. It summarizes the latest research on the full spectrum of alcohol-related developmental disorders, new diagnostic tools that can detect these disorders, and promising interventions and treatment options.

Pregnancy and Alcohol Brochure for Aboriginal Families

Best Start Resource Centre in Ontario has released a new brochure for Aboriginal women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy and their families on pregnancy and alcohol.

COMING UP

Managing Difficult Behaviour in FASD Children in the Community

IN OTHER LANGUAGES

Food Holland (Netherlands) - Schippers voor zelfregulering logo alcohol en zwangerschap op fles

Minister Schippers van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport (VWS) gaat inventariseren of het mogelijk is een logo alcohol en zwangerschap op flessen alcoholische dranken via zelfregulering in te voeren. Schippers antweoord dat op vragen vanuit de Tweede Kamer.