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Monday, February 23, 2009

Alcohol News - week 8/2009

BBC News (Scotland) - Alcohol kills twice as many men

The number of men dying from alcohol misuse in Scotland each year is double the rate for women, a new study claims.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7902306.stm

guardian.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol and young people: what's the attraction?

This statistic comes from a recent glut of research into how much alcohol young people consume, when they do it and where they're getting it from. But do we know enough about why they drink?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/alcoholandyoungpeople/young-people

la estrella (Panama) - The growth of the alcohol industry

The last National Comptroller survey revealed that beer, seco and rum are the favorite tipples of Panamanians even amidst a global economic crisis.
http://www.laestrella.com.pa/mensual/2009/02/23/contenido/66419.asp

Washington Post (US) - Hold the Alcohol? No Problem

Last month, I did something that many of my friends considered insane. It made some question whether they knew me anymore and others ask, "Good God, why?"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/19/AR2009021900895.html

MedIndia - Alcohol and Drug Abuse Could also Mean a Host of Other Problems

Alcohol and drug abuse could also mean a host of other problems, New Zealand researchers have found.
http://www.medindia.net/news/Alcohol-and-Drug-Abuse-Could-also-Mean-a-Host-of-Other-Problems-47800-1.htm

UWEC Spectator - Unique study to look at economics of drinking

After a week of successful pilot testing and working out some minor kinks, a pair of UW-Eau Claire students and economics professor Sanjukta Chaudhuri will begin implementing a survey that will gather data for a first-of-its-kind study.
http://media.www.spectatornews.com/media/storage/paper218/news/2009/02/23/CampusNews/Unique.Study.To.Look.At.Economics.Of.Drinking-3642423.shtml

guardian.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol culture in the UK

There is good news and bad news about under age drinking in Britain. While the number of teenagers drinking has declined in recent years, those who do drink are consuming more alcohol, more often. Among 35 European countries, the UK has the third-highest proportion of 15 year-olds who have been drunk 10 times or more in the past year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/alcoholandyoungpeople/alcohol-culture

Sunday Star Times (New Zealand) - Addiction chief pinpoints "hidden truths" of alcohol industry

THE ALCOHOL industry should be pressured to be more upfront about the potential damage alcohol can cause, says the director of the National Addiction Centre.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4855508a6442.html

Guardian (Scotland) - Scotland calls for drink-drive limit reduction

The Scottish government is calling on Westminster to reduce the drink-drive limit, or give it the powers to introduce different laws north of the border, in a bid to save lives.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/22/scotland-drink-drive-limit

Canada.com (Canada) - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Effects

Diagnosis of a child with FAS includes the mother's drinking history, a physical examination of the child and observation.
http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/condition_info_details.asp?channel_id=0&relation_id=0&disease_id=307&page_no=2

TVNZ (New Zealand) - Alcohol consumption on the rise

There is concern at the increase in the amount of alcohol being consumed by New Zealanders.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/alcohol-consumption-rise-2497198

Bloomberg (USA) - Bar Tabs May Climb as U.S. States Consider Raising Booze Taxes

Heineken and Johnnie Walker fans from New York to Oregon could be paying more soon. Lawmakers need to balance state budgets, and alcohol companies say drinkers will have to soak up any new taxes.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=anJg581WVrwE&refer=home

YLE News (Finland) - Accidental Alcohol Poisoning on the Rise Among Children

A doctoral dissertation claims that increasing numbers of underage children end up in hospital for accidental poisoning.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/02/accidental_alcohol_poisoning_on_the_rise_among_children_531172.html

Hindu - Drunken driving connected to mental problems

Drunken driving is not just an indication of a deeply seated alcohol problem but is also very often connected to psychological disease and chronic criminal background, says a doctoral thesis presented at the Karolinska Institute (KI).
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/099200902190951.htm

60 Minutes (USA) - The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age

Last fall, a group of over 100 college presidents - including the heads of Dartmouth, Virginia Tech and Duke - signed a declaration stating that the 21-year-old drinking age is not working, and fireworks went off.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/main4813571.shtml

Monday, February 16, 2009

Alcohol News - week 7/2009

Newsday (USA) - A look at taxes generated by the sale of alcohol

The sale of alcohol generates large amounts of tax revenue for states and the federal government. The most recent national statistics on revenues from taxes and fees on alcohol are from 2006.
http://www.newsday.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-states-liquor-laws-glance,0,5642298.story

Independent (UK) - Alcohol abuse leads to rise in liver swaps

The past decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of transplanted livers going to people whose own organs have been damaged by alcohol misuse.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/alcohol-abuse-leads-to-rise-in-liver-swaps-1622998.html

guardian.co.uk - Fears over alcohol test for mothers

A product that tests for traces of alcohol in breast milk has triggered warnings that mothers who rely on its findings could damage the health of babies and encourage binge drinking.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/feb/15/breast-feeding-alcohol

Herald Sun (Australia) - Enforce zero alcohol, army told

THE Australian Defence Force has been told to enforce its zero-alcohol driving policy after an inquiry found three SAS soldiers drowned trapped in their car in Port Phillip Bay after a late-night drinking session.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25064721-662,00.html

Irish Medical Times (Ireland) - Irish Life says 20% of deaths linked to alcohol

One in five accidental or sudden deaths claims paid by Irish Life last year involved alcohol in some shape or form, the finance and insurance company has revealed.
http://www.imt.ie/news/2009/02/irish_life_says_20_of_deaths_l.html

Calgary Herald (Canada) - Naughty ads make prime-time TV debut

The Absolut Vodka commercials that aired in 15 cities during the Grammy Awards marked the first time in years that liquor ads ran in prime time on network-owned stations.
http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/calgarybusiness/story.html?id=6ec22439-6643-4002-ad70-7b9997c4f8f6

Times Online (UK) - Drinkers could lose their benefits and be made to take alcohol tests

PEOPLE who lose their jobs could be denied unemployment benefit if they refuse to tell the government how much they drink.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5734110.ece

WalesOnline - Brains avoids French alcohol ads ban with ‘Essai’ slogan

WELSH rugby’s latest method of tackling a problem posed by French advertising laws has been unveiled.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/02/14/brains-avoids-french-alcohol-ads-ban-with-essai-slogan-91466-22926144/

Financial Times (Sweden) - Vintner fails to milk Sweden’s sacred cow

The government-owned alcohol retailer has a presence on every high street and is known by the nickname “The System”. Swedes cannot buy alcohol from any other retailer and most of its stores keep bottles behind locked glass doors, bringing an element of pre-1989 eastern Europe to Sweden’s otherwise 21st century shopping streets.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a73aa9f8-fc4f-11dd-aed8-000077b07658,dwp_uuid=70662e7c-3027-11da-ba9f-00000e2511c8.html

Time (Russia) - Russia's Artisanal Moonshine Boom

Every August, Nikolai Gusev juices hundreds of unwashed apples which grow at his dacha, west of Moscow. For a month he waits patiently for the juice to ferment and turn into a wine. 
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1879572,00.html

Associated Content - Substance Abuse Preferences Evolving from Alcohol to Drugs

For many years now there has been a need for large numbers of people to get treatment for substance abuse. There are different types of substance abuse however, and historically more people were seeking treatment for alcohol than drugs. That is no longer true.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1465124/substance_abuse_preferences_evolving.html

Daily Nation (Kenya) - Nine-year-olds getting high

A recent survey carried out by Steadman shows that some are also using bhang or other drugs. The National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (Nacada) attributes this to increased availability and tolerance for alcohol in the society.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/530514/-/u2f0j2/-/

Independent Community Newspaper (New Zealand) - Booze laws not working

Desperate police are proposing radical measures to curb an increase in drink-driving, including publicly shaming repeat offenders and crushing cars.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/bayofplenty/4847076a6479.html

Portugal News (Portugal) - Drinking age up by two years?

In a move that will see Portugal brought in line with the overwhelming majority of European and Western World nations, several interested groups have launched strong lobbies to see the legal drinking age increased by two years.
http://www.the-news.net/cgi-bin/google.pl?id=997-1

The National (Morocco) - Morocco’s uneasy truce with alcohol

Four years ago, frustrated by the hidebound viticulture of his native France, the winemaker Stephane Mariot decamped to make his name on the free horizons of Morocco.
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090213/FOREIGN/801560268/1011/SPORT

Monday, February 9, 2009

Alcohol News - week 6/2009

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty (Chechnya) - Religious Clerics In Chechnya Call For Alcohol Ban

Islamic leaders in Russia's Chechen Republic are calling for a complete ban on alcohol, RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service reports.
http://www.rferl.org/content/Religious_Clerics_In_Chechnya_Call_For_Alcohol_Ban/1467094.html

Belfast Telegraph (Northern Ireland) - Alcohol sales soar as Irish shoppers flock north

Alcohol sales rocketed by more than 25% in Northern Ireland last year as consumers travelled across the border for bargains.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/alcohol-sales-soar-as-irish-shoppers-flock-north-14179440.html

HealthJockey.com - Review says alcohol advertisement linked to increased underage drinking

A review has brought out the negative impact of alcohol advertisements which could lead to underage drinking.
http://www.medindia.net/news/Booze-Advertisements-Could-Promote-Underage-Drinking-47273-1.htm

SouthCoastToday.com - Female alcohol abusers more prone to cirrhosis

Not everyone who drinks to excess comes down with liver cirrhosis, but the odds are against immoderate drinkers that they will escape it. Everyone who has alcoholic cirrhosis wishes he or she had never taken a drink.
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090207/LIFE/902070365

Daily Times (Pakistan) - Tourism minister for ban on alcohol

A ban will be imposed on alcohol consumption at tourism ministry’s hotels and licences of all hotels have been suspended in this regard.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C02%5C08%5Cstory_8-2-2009_pg12_10

Forbes - Zinc May Counter Effects of Alcohol in Early Pregnancy

Zinc supplements may help mothers-to-be reduce the risk for birth defects linked to alcohol use early in pregnancy, Australian researchers report.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/02/05/hscout623728.html

United Press International - Smoke, alcohol combo socks liver

U.S. researchers say combining second-hand smoke along with alcohol raises the risk of liver disease.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/02/04/Smoke_alcohol_combo_socks_liver/UPI-25081233803094/

RT (Finland) - Cheap booze is killing Finns

Alcohol is Finland’s biggest killer, claiming more lives than either cancer or heart disease. Doctors say it’s time to limit access to cheap booze.
http://www.russiatoday.com/features/news/37029

Barre Montpelier Times Argus (Canada) - Line between alcoholic, non-alcoholic drinks blurred, lawmakers told

Sitting side-by-side on a Statehouse committee room table, many of the drinks look alike. They all have flashy designs, bright colors, big logos and contain ingredients ranging from ginseng to lemonade.
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090205/NEWS01/902050354/1002/NEWS01

Science Daily - Combined Measures Of Maternal Drinking Can Predict Resulting Problems In Children

While many people are aware that drinking during pregnancy can lead to a range of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs), including the serious Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), linkages between maternal-drinking measures and child outcomes have been inconsistent.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202174449.htm

Mediaweek (USA) - CBS, Absolut Drink to Tough Times in Prime

But perhaps the most groundbreaking moment came in the third hour of the program, when affiliates in 14 of the top DMAs ran a 30-second branding spot for Absolut vodka.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/national-broadcast/e3i4922a47daed814db2aa25d32eb9c25d7

Monday, February 2, 2009

Alcohol News - week 5/2009

BBC News (EU) - Are Europe's teenagers drinking?

England's chief medical officer thinks childhood should be an "alcohol-free time". He is advising parents that under-15s should not drink any alcohol. But what about elsewhere? Our correspondents look at attitudes to under-age drinking across Europe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7858484.stm

Reuters (UK) - Parents told no alcohol for under-15s

Parents should not let their children drink any alcohol until they are 15, the government said on Thursday after a review of medical evidence.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/Internal_ReutersCoUkService_14/idUKLNE50S03U20090129

TheMedGuru - Alcohol’s Close Association with Breast Cancer

While most women are aware that a drink can reduce their risk towards strokes, about 85 percent of them are still grossly unaware of the risks they subject themselves to by consuming as little as even half a glass of wine every day.
http://www.themedguru.com/articles/alcohol_s_close_association_with_breast_cancer-86120279.html

Wyoming Tribune (USA) - Early screening can stop drug and alcohol addiction

Early patient intervention offers help before substance use turns into substance abuse.
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2009/02/02/local_news_updates/20local_02-02-09.txt

eTaiwan News (Taiwan) - Gov't working to reduce alcohol abuse among indigenous people

The government will continue promoting its policy to help reduce alcohol abuse among the country's aboriginal people, after initial signs of progress in this area, said officials at the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples Sunday.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=853443&lang=eng_news

The Age (Australia) - Alcohol is not safe for under-18s: govt

New federal government guidelines warn that there's no safe alcohol consumption level for teenagers under 18 and that they should delay drinking for as long as possible.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/alcohol-is-not-safe-for-under18s-govt-20090201-7uj0.html

BBC News (India) - India state in alcohol crackdown

The chief minister of the Indian state of Rajasthan has said that the previous state government was wrong to promote "a culture of liquor".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7856472.stm

Central Chronicle (India) - Underage drinkers on rise

The drinking age in Delhi has gone down from 28 to 19 years since 1990 and in another 5-7 years this figure may come down to 15 years.
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20090203/0302321.htm

Medical News Today (UK) - UK Government Consults Health Professionals On Youth Alcohol Consumption Guidance

The government is giving key stakeholders and partners, including health professionals, the opportunity to shape guidance published this month on alcohol consumption, for parents of under 18s.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/137417.php

The Publican (UK) - 'Alcohol intake could be a ticking time bomb'

Assuming that you are counting your units properly, what sort of level should ring the alarm bells? If an average-sized man is drinking 35 units a week - that's half a bottle of white wine, or two to three pints of normal-strength beer a day - then he is likely to be doing harm. If he is drinking more than 50 units - the equivalent of five bottles of wine across the week - then it's not a matter of if he is going to come to harm, so much as when.
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=62655&c=1

Cancerpage.com - Gene Variants Increase Risk of Alcohol-Related Cancer

Polymorphisms in two enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism augment the association between alcohol consumption and risk of aerodigestive tract cancers, according to a review published in the February issue of The Lancet Oncology.
http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=13063

Times Online (UK) - Stop kids drinking? Adults are the problem

As a parent of two teenagers I have more than a passing interest in the latest guidance on alcohol from the Department of Health. It suggests avoiding alcoholic drinks altogether before the age of 15, and limiting them to no more than once a week in a supervised environment until the age of 17.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5621091.ece

CBC.ca (Canada) - Mandatory ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers set in motion

Anyone convicted of drinking and driving in B.C. will now have to provide a breath sample before going for a drive.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/02/02/bc-ignition-interlock-mandatory.html

TVNZ (New Zealand) - Youth drinking policy to be considered

A youth alcohol expert says legislation is the only way to reduce the problem of teenage binge drinking.
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/youth-drinking-policy-considered-2461084

CNN - Alcoholism: What you might not know

A recent survey of alcoholism studies in the Lancet suggests that men have more than a 20 percent lifetime risk of developing alcohol-use disorders, while women's risk is 8 to 10 percent.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/29/alcohol.dependence/

The News International (Pakistan) - JUI-F set to purge tourism sector of alcohol, immoral acts

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), whose lawmaker was lately put in charge of the Tourism Ministry, plans to ban official availability of liquor and what it calls ‘immoral practices’ by foreign as well as domestic tourists.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20017

Modern Medicine (USA) - Alcohol-Use Disorders Are Common, But Treatable

About one-quarter of individuals with alcohol-use disorders will seek help for their problems, and health care providers should routinely screen for alcohol dependence or abuse, according to a seminar published online Jan. 26 in The Lancet.
http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Modern+Medicine+Now/Alcohol-Use-Disorders-Are-Common-But-Treatable/ArticleNewsFeed/Article/detail/577545?contextCategoryId=40127

Newsroom Finland (Finland) - Finnish gov't sees involuntary treatment of pregnant substance abusers

A Finnish government working group said in a report on Monday that pregnant substance abusers should face involuntary treatment periods ranging between 30 days and the duration of pregnancy.
http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=20862&group=Politics