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Monday, September 28, 2009

Alcohol News - week 39/2009

BBC (Scotland) - Alcohol pricing could save £950m

Charging a minimum price for alcohol could save Scotland £950m over 10 years by reducing the harmful effects of drinking, researchers say.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8278385.stm

Washington Post (USA) - Alcohol-Sniffing Anklet Saves Money but Stirs Privacy Fears

The biometric anklet represents a recent technological breakthrough whose popularity is gaining as state and local governments search for ways to close budget deficits during the recession.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092405012.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Reuters (Italy) - Pressures mount as binge-drinking hits Italy

In a country where proverbially "wine makes good blood" -- a popular belief that moderate alcohol intake makes people good-humored and can be healthy -- the authorities are grappling with a youth drinks culture modeled on the heavy-drinking north.
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE58R05Z20090928

Reuters - Obesity, alcohol, depression interlinked for women

Alcohol abuse, obesity and depression seem to go hand in hand for many women, according to the first study to look at how the three relate to one another over time in young adults.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58O6ID20090925

ABC Online (Australia) - Richer communities 'more impacted by alcohol crimes'

A study has found that richer rural communities are more affected by alcohol-related crime than poorer communities.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/28/2697971.htm

Newsday - Drinking alcohol may worsen year-round allergies

The reason your allergies are making you crazy all the time might have nothing to do with your significant other's cat (or dog, or carpet). It might be due to what you're drinking before, after or with dinner. Cutting back on beer, wine and cocktails could mean less sneezing, a clearer nose and more comfortable eyes.
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/drinking-alcohol-may-worsen-year-round-allergies-1.1475688

Big Hospitality (UK) - Gov to allow more flexibility on alcohol measures

The government has announced plans to introduce a new law that will allow pubs, restaurants and hotels to sell wine in smaller measures and beer and cider in two-thirds of a pint size glasses.
http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/default.aspx?page=articles&ID=203912

guardian.co.uk (France) - One for the road? Film forces France to admit its drinking problem

One for the Road, the real-life story of a journalist's battle with alcohol, sparks debate over the country's self-image as a nation of moderate wine-lovers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/27/film-france-drinking-problem

Press Trust of India - Alcohol's benefits 'exaggerated'

In a new research, scientists have claimed that there is no "conclusive proof" that drinking alcohol in moderation benefits the heart.
http://www.ptinews.com/news/301261_Alcohol-s-benefits--exaggerated-

Monsters and Critics.com - Binge drinking weakens the immune system

Binge drinking doesn't just mean a hangover the next day. It also means a weakened immune system and a heightened chance of an infection, report US scientists.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1503493.php/Binge-drinking-weakens-the-immune-system

Daily Mail (UK) - Labour ministers accused of being 'soft' on alcohol warnings

Ministers have been accused of colluding with the alcohol lobby to water down new warning labels on drinks.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1215175/Labour-ministers-accused-soft-alcohol-warnings.html

Scotsman (Scotland) - Minimum drink price would save 70 lives in first year, study shows

A MINIMUM price for alcohol of 40p per unit would eventually save hundreds of lives a year, a Scottish Government commissioned study will reveal this week.
http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Minimum-drink-price-would-save.5681991.jp

MedPage Today - Booze May Interfere with Controlled-Release Mechanisms

Consumption of alcohol may interfere with controlled-release drugs, potentially sending an excess of active ingredient into the bloodstream, researchers say.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/ProductAlert/Prescriptions/16110

YLE News (Finland) - Tax Increases Give Boost to Alcohol Imports

Imports of alcohol beverages by Finnish travellers have increased significantly since the turn of the year following an increase in alcohol taxes. Personal tobacco imports meanwhile declined.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/09/tax_increases_give_boost_to_alcohol_imports_1025986.html

The Baltic Course (Estonia) - Estonia will increase tax on alcohol and tobacco in 2010

The Estonian government agreed yesterday on principle on next the state budget 2010 and in order to cover spending in this budget, the state will increase the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco, Estonian dailies write.
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies/?doc=18634

Swedish Presidency of the European Union (EU) - Harmful alcohol consumption hinders social progress

On Wednesday 23 September the Swedish Presidency, in cooperation with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, and co-sponsored by the World Health Organisation, conducted a Global Expert Meeting on Alcohol, Health and Social Development.
http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/9/23/harmful_alcohol_consumption_hinders_social_progress

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Alcohol News - week 38/2009

ISRIA (Sweden/EU) - Swedish Presidency - The first day of the Conference on Alcohol focused on children and young people

On Monday 21 September the Swedish Presidency began a two-day expert conference on alcohol and health. Around 450 participants from EU institutions and Member States, as well as from a range of stakeholder organisations, have gathered at Norra Latin Conference Centre in Stockholm.
http://www.isria.com/pages/21_September_2009_260.php

The Local (Sweden/EU) - Older Europeans drinking more: Swedish study

Alcohol consumption is on the rise among older Europeans, according to a Swedish study, with researchers claiming that public health officials have been slow to react to the problem.
http://www.thelocal.se/22200/20090921/

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Suicide rates in rural communities linked to number of bars, says study

Suicide rates in rural communities are linked to the number of pubs and bars in the area, according to new research.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6213654/Suicide-rates-in-rural-communities-linked-to-number-of-bars-says-study.html

New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) - Call for alcohol detectors in drunk drivers' cars

Cars belonging to repeat drunk drivers should be fitted with a disabling device that detects breath alcohol levels, lobby group CrossRoads says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10598686

MedPage Today - Alcohol Dependence Linked to Age at First Drink

Starting to drink at a young age may facilitate the expression of genes that are associated with alcohol dependence, researchers said.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/Addictions/16059

The Publican (UK) - BMA comes under fire over "joke" evidence in alcohol report

An academic has branded evidence used by the British Medical Association (BMA) in calling for a ban on alcohol advertising as “folk assumptions” based on studies that are a “joke”.
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=65171&c=1

Aidsmap - Tobacco, marijuana and alcohol may lower levels of some anti-HIV drugs

Tobacco and marijuana may reduce levels of atazanavir (Reyataz) in the body, whilst tobacco and alcohol may lower efavirenz (Sustiva or Stocrin) levels in individuals who carry specific genetic variations, according to two posters presented last week at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Francisco.
http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/ED030B5D-A7A5-4575-AD47-CC721636305C.asp

Monsters and Critics.com - Alcohol most common cause of damage to foetus

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is the most common cause of physical and mental damage to a baby developing in the womb, according to Germany's federal centre for health education.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1502233.php/Alcohol-most-common-cause-of-damage-to-foetus

New York Times (USA) - A Dead End in Eradicating Drunk Driving

There was, of course, Diane Schuler, and the horrific accident on the Taconic State Parkway in which she drove the wrong way for almost two miles before crashing her minivan into a sport utility vehicle on July 26.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/nyregion/21towns.html

BBC News - 'Teach' over fives about alcohol

A whisky expert has called for children aged five and over to be "educated" about alcohol in a bid to combat its misuse.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8262798.stm

Telegraph.co.uk (Scotland) - Alcohol kills up to six times more Scots than UK average

More people than average are dying of drink-related illnesses in 64 of the Scottish Parliament’s 73 constituencies, with huge differences recorded between areas.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6201085/Alcohol-kills-up-to-six-times-more-Scots-than-UK-average.html

Daily Mail (UK) - Britain's gone soft on drunks: Shame of being found paralytic in street disappears as convictions fall by 75%

Doctors' leaders expressed alarm at figures showing the number of those convicted of or receiving a police caution for drunkenness has slumped by more than three quarters in the last 30 years.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1214916/Britains-gone-soft-drunks-Stigma-inebriated-street-disappears-number-convictions-plummets.html

EurActiv (Sweden) - Sweden denies 'losing control' of alcohol policy

The Swedish health ministry has rubbished claims by Europe's beer industry that the country's alcohol policy has led to increased consumption and boosted illegal trade.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/sweden-denies-losing-control-alcohol-policy/article-185473

The Copenhagen Post (Denmark) - Fines urged for illegal alcohol adverts

The National Council on Alcohol Policy is calling on parliament to establish heavy fines for companies that violate alcohol marketing laws, reports Berlingske Tidende newspaper.
http://www.cphpost.dk/component/content/46949.html?task=view

Independent - Cigarettes and alcohol will take 10 years off your life

Doctors have for the first time quantified the effect of the three major killers of middle-aged men: smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/cigarettes-and-alcohol-will-take-10-years-off-your-life-1789434.html

BBC News - Binge drinking ups infection risk

Going on a drinking binge could leave you wide open to infections, as well as hangovers, work suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8262276.stm

YLE.fi (Finland) - Justice Ministry Calls for Crackdown on Public Drunkenness

Police in Finland could soon have more authority to crack down on public drunkenness. The Ministry of Justice has proposed that police would be able to slap a fine on people who drink in public.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/09/justice_ministry_calls_for_crackdown_on_public_drunkenness_1012478.html

Monday, September 14, 2009

Alcohol News - week 37/2009

The Associated Press (UK) - British doctors call for ban on all alcohol ads

British doctors called for a ban on alcohol advertisements Tuesday, saying the move was necessary to challenge Britain's dangerous drinking culture.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hsBMt0Qhu6wCi8hRu8aysw8bG--AD9AJEUB01

IOL (South Africa) - Expert urges SA to ban alcohol ads

South Africa should consider banning the advertising of alcohol, a British expert says.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20090914040812841C546503

PsychCentral.com - Alcohol Abuse May Lead To Overeating, Depression

The benefits of social networking during after-work “happy hours” may be mitigated if the get-togethers involve excessive alcohol consumption.
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/09/14/alcohol-abuse-may-lead-to-overeating-depression/8347.html

Reuters (Russia) - Medvedev orders swift anti-alcohol controls

Russian President Dmitry Medvedvev on Friday gave his officials three months to enact tough restrictions to try and curb alcohol abuse.
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLB591599

Dynamic Business (Australia) - Australian businesses lose $5.6 billion to alcohol

Alcohol is harming Australian businesses in more ways that one, a new report has found.
http://www.dynamicbusiness.com/articles/articles-news/australian-businesses-lose-56-billion-to-alcohol4320.html

Phnom Penh Post (Cambodia) - Study shows rise in youth alcohol use

Children as young as 14 are regularly drinking alcohol in Cambodia, according to a new study that has prompted fresh calls for strict age limits on alcohol consumption across the Kingdom.
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/2009091428354/National-news/study-shows-rise-in-youth-alcohol-use.html

Science Daily - Obesity, Alcohol Consumption And Smoking Increase Risk Of Second Breast Cancer

It is well known that survivors of breast cancer have a much higher risk of developing a second breast cancer than women in the general population have of developing a first breast cancer. However, little is known about what lifestyle factors may make survivors more vulnerable to a second cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908193424.htm

Science Daily (USA) - Heavy-drinking Colleges Showing No Improvements

U.S. colleges with the biggest student drinking problems have so far failed to turn the tide, according to a new study.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910114138.htm

Irish Times (Ireland/EU) - 'Worrying' alcohol use in pregnancies

PREGNANT IRISH and British women drink more heavily than women in other EU states, an alcohol and pregnancy conference at the European Parliament in Brussels heard yesterday.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0910/1224254205174.html

TheParliament.com (Sweden/EU) - Report criticises Swedish alcohol policy

A new report says the restrictive Swedish alcohol policy with high prices and taxes for alcohol has failed to meet the claimed objective of reducing alcohol consumption and excessive drinking patterns.
http://www.theparliament.com/no_cache/latestnews/news-article/newsarticle/report-criticises-swedish-alcohol-policy/

NPR (Mongolia) - Widespread Alcohol Abuse Clouds Mongolia's Future

At midnight in Mongolia's capital, Ulan Bator, 14 people are in the "sobering-up" cells at a district police station on a recent evening. This and police stations like it are on the frontline of Mongolia's battle against alcohol abuse.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112485545

Scotsman (Scotland) - SNP curb on drink prices is condemned in America

THE Scottish Government's flagship proposal to tackle the nation's alcohol problem has been attacked by US drinks companies who have urged ministers to abandon their minimum pricing policy.
http://news.scotsman.com/health/SNP-curb-on--drink.5641282.jp

Guardian (UK) - Drink and drugs a leading cause of youth deaths

The deaths of more than 3,000 young people in the UK every year could be prevented and many are precipitated by Britain's drink and drugs culture, a leading child health expert claims.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/sep/11/drinks-drugs-cause-youth-deaths

Monday, September 7, 2009

Alcohol News -week 36/2009

RTE.ie (Ireland) - Call for clearer labels on alcohol

The Health Service Executive's Alcohol Implementation Group has recommended that clear health-warning labels be placed on all alcohol products sold in Ireland.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0906/alcohol.html

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Aussie kids 'having first drink aged 10'

PARENTS are still giving children alcohol, sparking more warnings about the devastating effect even a small amount can have on a developing brain.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26041839-421,00.html

Ynetnews (Israel) - Rabbi Sherlo: Alcohol abuse in religious public alarming

Rabbi Yuval Sherlo, one of religious- Zionism's most prominent figures, urged the sector to curb its alcohol abuse, which he defined as "alarming".
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3772718,00.html

ABC News (USA) - One in 10 Binge-Drinkers Drive Afterward: Study

More than 10 percent of U.S. adults who binge-drink admits to getting behind the wheel after doing so, a government study finds.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=8473569

Los Angeles Times (Russia) - Russia president takes out after alcohol

Dmitry Medvedev has launched a PR campaign against drinking, accompanied by blistering condemnations. But no leader has ever cracked down on Russia's epic drinking and been kindly remembered.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-russia-booze3-2009sep03,0,7832349.story

Reuters (USA) - Women Urged Not to Drink While Pregnant

Learning disabilities, mental health issues and behavior problems are just some of the issues that afflict babies exposed to alcohol in the womb, yet some doctors still tell their patients it is safe to have a drink now and then while pregnant.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS211637+04-Sep-2009+PRN20090904

guardian.co.uk (UK) - Poorly labelled alcohol leaves consumers in the dark, warns charity

Despite a voluntary agreement between industry and government, almost half of bottles do not provide information vital for consumer health.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/sep/04/alcohol-labelling-supermarkets-sensible-drinking

New York Times (USA) - When Getting Drunk Is Cheap

Anyone who has spent time around a college campus knows that the local bars offer drink specials to entice the party crowd.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/when-getting-drunk-is-cheap/?hp

The Local (Sweden) - Young men at greater risk for alcohol dependence

The number of young men who drink sufficient amounts of alcohol that they risk becoming dependent has almost doubled in four years, according to a forthcoming report from the National Institute of Public Health (Statens folkhälsoinstitut – FHI).
http://www.thelocal.se/21918/20090907/

The Associated Press (Italy) - Italian minister: OK to drink (a little) and drive

Should two glasses of wine disqualify someone from getting behind the wheel? Italy's agricultural minister says no — and has ignited a storm of criticism.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iv-yKon22--oR42sDlcssi4Kjv2wD9AELCRG0

The Australian (Australia) - Push for ban on alcohol sponsorships 'political'

THE sports, alcohol, media and advertising industries are among those crying foul over a government report that recommends phasing out alcohol sponsorship of sport and advertising of unhealthy food and drinks on television before 9pm.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26015364-5013871,00.html

Science Daily - How Alcohol Blunts Ability Of Hamsters To 'Rise And Shine'

Chronic alcohol consumption blunts the biological clock’s ability to synchronize daily activities to light, disrupts natural activity patterns and continues to affect the body’s clock (circadian rhythm), even days after the drinking ends, according to a new study with hamsters.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901082552.htm

The Copenhagen Post (Denmark) - Danish youth start boozing early, but they’re happy

In the latest report on children’s well-being in the OECD’s 30 countries, Denmark ranks in the top eight in five of the study’s six main categories.
http://www.cphpost.dk/culture/culture/122-culture/46772-danish-youth-start-boozing-early-but-theyre-happy.html