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Monday, August 29, 2011

Alcohol News - 35/2011


YLE News (Finland/Estonia) - Alcohol tourism to Estonia set to increase
A higher “sin tax” to be levied on alcohol is expected to accelerate alcohol tourism between Finland and Estonia. The trend has been noticeable with each previous increase in alcohol taxes in Finland.
YLE News (Finland) - Study: Finns unfazed by summer binge drinking
In spite of evidence to the contrary, a new survey shows that a majority of Finns don’t believe that their relatives’ wellbeing is compromised by increased alcohol consumption during the summer.
The Local.se (Sweden) - Swedish alcohol monopoly launches 'booze camera' iPhone app
Drunken Swedes can now record their boozed-up antics with a new iPhone app launched on Monday by a subsidiary of the country's state-owned alcohol monopoly.
The Local.se (Sweden) - Obesity op hikes risk of alcohol abuse: study
People who have undergone gastric bypass operations are at greater risk of suffering from alcohol abuse, according to a new Swedish study which reveals that the effects of alcohol become stronger after the op.
The Guardian (UK) - Tough love stops binge drinking, Demos claims
Poor parenting significantly increases the likelihood that children will grow up to be binge drinkers, according to the findings of a controversial study.
HealthNews - Teen Social Networking Increases Likelihood of Alcohol and Drug Use
While many believe social networking sites and teen-based reality TV are harmless, these popular forms of entertainment may have a profound negative effect, increasing alcohol and drug use amongst teens.
TVNZ (New Zealand) - PM defends no minimum pricing on alcohol
Prime Minister John Key has defended the Government's Alcohol Reform Bill after it was slammed by anti-alcohol abuse groups.
thejournal.ie (Ireland) - Government should consider raising tax on alcohol, says report
ALCOHOL ABUSE IN Ireland has cost the State €3.7 billion up to the year 2007, according a study on the issue by the HSE.
Fairport-E.Rochester Post (USA) - Excellus report: Adult binge drinking more frequent than heavy drinking
According to a report released today by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on alcohol consumption by adults Upstate New York, adults in the Finger Lakes region admitted to binge drinking more often than heavy drinking, as health care costs related to alcohol misuse continue to climb. 
Economic Times (India) - West Bengal government imposes higher taxes on tobacco, alcohol
While keeping other items untouched by not altering the tax rates, the West Bengal government on Monday raised the levies on alcohol and tobacco-related products.
Russia Beyond The Headlines (Russia) - Alcohol consumption in Russian cities decreasing
Russia's chief narcologist has announced that people in Russian cities consumed only 15 liters of alcohol per capita last year, compared with 18 liters the year before. WHO experts say the real number is 12 liters, but at least they agree the amount is going down.
The Connexion (France) – France unveils new austerity budget
CIGARETTE and alcohol price rises and a new tax on France's richest residents are among the measures unveiled by the goverment in an €11bn deficit reduction package.
The Age (Australia) - Alcohol services condemn fines
SPECIALIST drug and alcohol workers should be deployed with police targeting public drunks, and new fines of up to $1100 should be used to boost treatment services, the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association says.
thejournal.ie (Ireland) - ‘Second chance’ for drunk drivers rejected by alcohol charities
NEW PROPOSALS TO reduce the penalties for drivers just over the blood alcohol limit have been criticised by alcohol charities.
Korea Times (South Korea) - Should lyrics be alcohol-free for youth?
Fresh public debates have been ignited over songs labeled by censors as “harmful to youth” due to the mention of alcohol-related phrases in the lyrics.
Trend News Agency (Uzbekistan) - Uzbekistan toughens rules of selling and using alcohol and tobacco products
The Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan  (upper chamber of Uzbek Parliament) has approved at a plenary session on Friday the Law on restriction of distribution and consumption of alcohol and tobacco products.
The Independent (Spain) - In booze-soaked Spain, the party may soon be over
'Binge tourism' reaches a new low when police fire rubber bullets to restore peace. Alasdair Fotheringham reports from the Benidorm plaza dubbed 'British square'.
Medscape - Industry Influence on UN Noncommunicable Disease Summit?
The United Nations (UN) High-Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) will convene in New York City from September 19 to 20. However, negotiations recently broke down in drafting an outcomes document that will contain commitments toward progress in 4 target NCD areas: cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses, cancer, and diabetes.
Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Govt accepts 130 changes to alcohol reform bill
Alcohol sales in dairies will be banned and grocery stores forced to make their liquor sales more discrete after the Government accepted 130 changes to its controversial alcohol reform bill.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Alcohol News - 34/2011


The Foreigner (Norway) - Alcohol adverts soon to be on Norway cable TV
Labour’s (Ap) long hard-fought battle to retain the ban on advertising booze is now hanging by a thread following statements by the EU Norway will not be exempt from the new European Union TV Directive (AVMSD).
ERR News (Estonia) - Alcohol Price Exceeds EU Average by 6.3%
Although the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages in Estonia is below the EU average, the price of alcoholic drinks is 6.3 percent higher, according to the recent report by Eurostat.
OnMedica - Call for Facebook ban on alcohol ads
A new report by campaigning charity Alcohol Concern reveals the growing importance to alcohol companies of social networking sites like Facebook and video sharing sites such as YouTube as a means of promoting their products.
Nursing in Practice (Wales) - Welsh Government to combat child drinking
At least 1,200 children are admitted to Welsh A&E departments for alcohol and drug abuse each year, new research has found.
U.S. News & World Report - More Evidence That Alcohol Hinders Good Sleep
You might want to take a pass on that nightcap, a new study suggests. Japanese researchers report that alcohol hinders the restorative functions of sleep.
Modern Ghana (Ghana) - Checking Road Accidents
The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has embarked on a novelty cause to help check the carnage on our roads. With effect from October, this year, the union is introducing alcometers at all lorry parks to check alcohol levels of drivers. It has also ordered for some reflectors for acquisition by drivers.
Daily Mail (UK) - British ladettes match men in binge drinking as they top European poll of alcohol abusers
British women have topped a European league of ‘ladette’ drinking shame.
They are now as likely to binge on alcohol as men, according to EU research.
Morning Advertiser (UK) - Sixty firms back Drinkaware campaign
The campaign for 2011, launched today, challenges young adults’ attitudes towards excessive alcohol consumption and the social acceptability of drunkenness.
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Debate over warning labels on alcohol heats up
HEALTH warnings linking alcohol with dire outcomes such as brain damage and cancer have been backed by health groups but described as potentially ''alarming'' by an industry-backed group.
NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Greens push for volumetric alcohol tax
THE Australian Greens will use October's tax forum to push for all alcohol to be taxed according to volume rather than beverage type.
Reuters (Philippines) - Philippines may increase alcohol, tobacco tax take
The Philippine government will push a proposal to index taxes on alcohol and tobacco products to inflation that could raise around $1.4 billion in revenues as one of 13 priority bills in Congress this year, President Benigno Aquino said on Tuesday.
WebMD - Genes Play Role in How Alcohol Affects Men and Women
New genetic research may help explain some of the different ways that alcoholism affects men and women.
Andina - Agencia Peruana de Noticias (Peru) - Sports are vital to prevent drug, alcohol abuse among youth
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala stated Thursday that the practice of sports is vital to prevent drug and alcohol addiction among young people and to reinforce the fight against crime and the lack of public safety in Peru.
Bizjournals.com - New smartphone app aims to stop drunken driving
The “Show Me My Buzz” application helps users determine their estimated blood-alcohol concentration, or BAC, by typing in the number of drinks they’ve had, how long they’ve been drinking and their gender.
Times of India - Impulsive drinking leads to early death
A new study has revealed that people with current drinking problems and poor impulse control are more likely to die in the next 15 years.
Infection Control Today - Researchers Study How Excess Alcohol Depresses Immune Function
Alcoholism suppresses the immune system, resulting in a high risk of serious, and even life-threatening infections. A new study shows that this effect stems largely from alcohol's toxicity to immune system cells called dendritic cells.
HealthLeaders Media (USA) - Medicare Proposes Alcohol, Depression Screening Rules
Federal dollars should be used to screen Medicare beneficiaries for depression and for alcohol misuse under two rules proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Eurekalert - Study: Community organization can reduce, negate impact of alcohol outlets on neighborhood violence
The density of businesses that sell alcohol in a community has been tied to local levels of violence, but new research has found that the influence depends on the nature of the community. More stable communities can see little to no influence but more disorganized communities are not so fortunate.
On Lanka (Sri Lanka) - New regulations on tobacco and alcohol scenes on TV
A series of new regulations will be implemented restricting the use of mosaics or blurred images masking tobacco and alcohol scenes in television programmes.
Russia Beyond The Headlines (Russia) - Anti-alcohol campaign produces winners and losers
Multinational brewers and small kiosk owners alike are already bracing for new restrictions on beer sales, scheduled to come into effect in 2013, but there could be a silver lining for microbreweries.
Marketwire (USA) - New Federal Government Study: AlcoholEdu Reduces Binge Drinking and Alcohol-Related Harms
EverFi, Inc., the leading education technology platform company, today announced the release of a new federal government study showing that AlcoholEdu®, EverFi's online alcohol education program for incoming first-year students, is proven to reduce student binge drinking and alcohol-related harms, such as blackouts, injuries, and sexual assaults. More than one third of all college freshmen across the U.S. will complete the program in the upcoming academic year.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

FASD News - 33/2011

NEWS AND ARTICLES
Lethbridge Herald (Canada) - Balancing FASD-justice scales
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder represents a major challenge to the court system, as detailed in The Herald's recent two-part look at FASD and justice.
Read more 
Jewish Tribune (Canada) - Universities team up for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder research
The University of Manitoba has teamed up with Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Manitoba government to support a new research collaboration to address fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
Read more 
Canada Views (Canada) - Alberta recognizes International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day
September 9 is International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day. Each year on the ninth day of the ninth month, this day serves as a reminder to people around the world that during the nine months of pregnancy, a woman should abstain from alcohol.
Read more 
Bangkok Post (Thailand) - Drinking alcohol while pregnant
A survey of 772 pregnant women in nine provinces across the country by the Centre for Alcohol Studies (CAS) showed 12.6% of them drank during pregnancy.
Read more 
National Affairs (Australia) - Starved of their future at birth
ABORIGINAL babies born into families on the margins of society are our most vulnerable citizens. Unable to feed themselves and given insufficient nutrition they suffer hunger and are unable to develop normally.
Read more 
Dynamic Chiropractic - Substance Abuse: A Prenatal-to-Grave Public Health Issue
Deaths from substance use and abuse exceed in number deaths caused by all other diseases. Doctors of chiropractic nationwide have added substance testing (and education) as a service promoting healthful living or the restoration of health and wellness for patients.
Read more 
Times of India - Binge drinkers have sex they later regret
A new study has found that binge drinking puts teenage girls at risk of having unprotected sex, unplanned pregnancies and contracting sexually-transmitted diseases.
Read more 
Nigerian Tribune (Nigeria) - How mothers can avoid having babies with birth defects
Most babies with birth defects are born with no obvious health problems or risk factors. Nonetheless, experts say part of what women can do to ensure that they do not have babies with  birth defects, such as spina bifida, include adopting good lifestyles, as well as using folic acids supplements at least three months before getting pregnant, reports Sade Oguntola.
Read more  
theWEST.com.au (Australia) - GG makes historic visit to Kimberley town
Governor-General Quentin Bryce has flown into Fitzroy Crossing this morning - the first such official visit to the Kimberley town in more than a decade. Mrs Bryce, a famed feminist, will visit Marninwartikura Women's Resource Centre and meet participants in the Lililwan Project, which aims to document the extent of children affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD.
Read more 
Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Booze and babies are a harmful mix
There is no safe amount of alcohol nor safe time to drink while pregnant according to Alcohol HealthWatch. The organisation has teamed up with Northland District Health Board and ran a series of hui last month to teach health and community workers about alcohol and pregnancy.
Read more 

COMING UP
FETAL ALCOHOL & OTHER NEUROBEHAVIORAL CONDITIONS: Understanding & Application of a Brain-Based Approach
This session provides information about FASD and the effects of other drugs on behaviors of children, adolescents and adults.
Read more 
fasdprevention blog - Getting ready for FASD Awareness Day 2011 – September 9
On the ninth day of the ninth month of the year, the world will remember that during the nine months of pregnancy a woman should abstain from drinking alcohol.
Read more 
www.Tweet4FASD.com and International FASD Awareness Day
To bring FASD awareness to Twitter users around the world, I am asking everyone with a Twitter account to Tweet the following on September 9, 2011:
"#FASD is preventable! Alcohol in pregnancy can cause brain damage, learning problems, more. Don't drink while pregnant. http://www.vimeo.com/27342419"
Read more 

MATERIALS
Common Misinterpretation of Normal Responses in Students with FASD
Tip sheet for teachers working with students with FASD.
Read more 
VIDEO - Hunter's Story: Overcoming FASD
Hunter was diagnosed at the age of 15 with FASD. His journey is an incredible one - this video gives a brief glimpse into his life and how he has "turned something that could have been a weakness, into a strength". Hunter inspires us all!
Read more 
Tom Daschle on NOFAS – Full Senate Floor Speech
Read more 

RESEARCH
Womens Health - Preconception Markers of Dual Risk for Alcohol and Smoking Exposed Pregnancy: Tools for Primary Prevention
Effective preconception primary prevention strategies are needed for women who are at dual risk for alcohol and smoking exposed pregnancies. The current study seeks to identify risk factors that can be used to target intervention strategies at women who are at dual risk.
Read more 
Addiction - Mortality among Substance-using Mothers in California: A 10-year Prospective Study
To examine mortality rates and causes of death among a cohort of substance-using mothers and to identify risk factors that predict mortality. This is a prospective study of a cohort of 4,447 substance-using mothers (pregnant or parenting) who were enrolled during 2000 to 2002 in 40 drug abuse treatment programs across California.
Read more 

IN OTHER LANGAUGES
EZ Rome - Roma quotidiana (Italy) - Il Professore Nicola Surico e la campagna “Se aspetti un bambino l’alcol può attendere”
La vita è un valore da difendere fin “dalle sue origini” con comportamenti e scelte concrete. I rischi connessi all’uso e all’abuso di alcol durante il periodo della gravidanza passa, oggi, più che mai, attraverso campagne di informazioni e di sensibilizzazione rivolte alle donne, alle loro famiglie e agli operatori sanitari, in particolare ginecologi e ostetriche.
Read more 

Monday, August 15, 2011

Alcohol News - 33/2011

IceNews (Iceland) - Icelandic bars want cheaper beer and wine
The Association of Icelandic Pub Owners has called on the government to provide bars and restaurants with wine and beer at lower-than-retail prices in order to provide their customers with better prices.
YLE News (Finland) - Scanners could reveal contraband on interstate rail services
The Finnish Customs and Finnish State Railways (VR) are planning closer inspection of express train services between Finland and Russia. A scanning of an entire train was tested for the first time in Helsinki on Tuesday.
Read more 
biceps.org (Estonia) - Optimal alcohol taxation: simulation results for Estonia
The aim of this paper is to empirically estimate the optimal level of alcohol taxes for Estonia on externality as well as fiscal grounds. For this purpose, a static general-equilibrium model with a representative agent was used.
Read more 
The Independent - Long work hours linked to alcohol abuse: study
Long working hours can more than triple the risk of alcohol abuse and addiction, New Zealand research has found.
Read more 
Essex County Standard (UK) - Trust steps up battle against binge drinking
A HEALTH trust is sending staff into hospital to battle binge drinking. An alcohol liaison nurse and a health worker are to be stationed at Colchester General Hospital to deal with people admitted with alcohol-related illnesses.
Read more 
UPI.com (USA) - Retail liability may reduce alcohol deaths
U.S. researchers say deaths, homicides and injuries drop when retail alcohol establishments are liable for injuries from their intoxicated customers or minors.
Read more 
Wall Street Journal (USA) - Schumer: Feds move to speed wine bottle labelling
Sen. Charles Schumer says the federal government is taking an important step to simplify the process of approving labels for New York wines.
Read more 
Private Healthcare UK (UK) - Alcohol abuse 'puts children at risk'
An expert has stressed the importance of tackling alcoholism as swiftly as possible, pointing out that years of abuse can take a heavy toll on entire families as well as individual addicts.
Read more 
Ghana News Agency (Ghana) - Psychiatrist says alcohol should be declared health hazard
Dr Eugene Dordoye, a psychiatrist with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has suggested that alcohol should be declared a public health hazard.
Read more 
Focus News (Bulgaria) - Bulgaria to follow the example of Turkey in reducing alcohol tourism industry
Alcohol tourism affects the image of Bulgaria as a tourist destination and therefore it should be taken serious measures. That is what Assoc. Prof. Stoyan Marinov, board member of the Varna Chamber of Tourism said for  Radio FOCUS Varna.
Read more 
Keremeos Review (Canada) - Regional district committee discuss prohibition of alcohol at firehalls
The regional district board’s Protective Services Committee meeting discussed alcohol storage and consumption at regional fire halls at last Thursday’s committee meeting in Penticton.
Read more 
Prague Daily Monitor (Czech Republic) - HN: Czechs drink less alcohol than EU statistics show
Czechs drink much less alcohol than the EU statistics show, the daily Hospodarske noviny (HN) writes yesterday, referring to data from Czech producers of alcoholic beverages.
Read more 
NACS Online (UK) - Britain to Lower Taxes on Low-Alcohol Beer
The British government will be lowering the excise tax for low-alcohol beer (2.8 percent or less alcohol) by 50-percent beginning in October, a move that is prompting brewers to begin modifying their recipes, CBC News reports.
Read more 
Voice of America (Zimbabwe) - Zimbabwean Ministers Disown Proposed Tougher Alcohol Sales Policy
Ministers from all three governing parties said there are many issues needing more urgent attention than regulating alcohol without clear research showing its consumption is a serious national problem.
Read more 
MedPage Today - Booze a Bad Mix With Poor Impulse Control
In a long-running, prospective cohort study among people seeking help for alcohol-related problems, those with poor impulse control had an increased risk of dying, according to Daniel Blonigen, PhD, and colleagues at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif.
Read more 
The Nation Newspaper (Nigeria) - More youths into drugs, more women into alcohol, says Dr. Erinfolami
Dr. Rasheed Adebayo Erinfolami is a consultant psychiatrist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.  He told Olukayode Thomas that more Nigerians are coming to the hospital for treatment for drugs-related sickness.
Read more 
Voxy (New Zealand) - Wrong time to take eye off the ball on alcohol – Labour
Plans by the Government to bury the country's alcohol watchdog within a new "health promotional agency" are at odds with all the advice coming from the coalface, Labour's Health Spokespeople Grant Robertson and Iain Lees-Galloway say.
Read more 
Jewish Tribune (USA) - Universities team up for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder research
The University of Manitoba has teamed up with Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Manitoba government to support a new research collaboration to address fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
Read more 
Herald Sun (Australia) - Average age of female drunks needing help is 36
BINGE drinking women are more than twice as unlikely as men to have curbed their boozing in the past year. It is not just girls drinking themselves into hospital, with the average age of drunks needing help 36.
Read more 
Business Insider (Ireland) - Ireland's Drinking Culture Isn't Romantic, It's Deadly
WE LOVE TO talk about Ireland’s alcohol culture – it allows us to speculate about how we drink and why we drink, without ever actually doing anything about it.
Read more 
DutchNews.nl (Netherlands) - Dutch teens drink, but don't fight
Dutch teenagers are heavy drinkers in European terms but less likely to get into drink-related fights, according to new research published in Criminology magazine.
Read more 

Monday, August 8, 2011

Alcohol News - 32/2011


Medical News Today (Sweden) - One Measure Of Spirits Can Raise Acute Pancreatitis Risk By 52%
The Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducted a study, in which researchers followed 84,601 people aged between 46 to 84 years from the general population in Vastmanland and Uppsala  for an average of ten years, during which time 513 developed acute pancreatitis.
Huffington Post - Alcohol, Drugs To Ease Anxiety Could Spur Substance-Abuse Problems
Many people who experience chronic feelings of anxiety about social situations, work and relationships, or other aspects of everyday life often reach for a beer or a glass of wine to quell their unease.
Newsday (USA) - Army hiring more counselors for alcohol abuse
The army is increasing its staff of substance abuse counselors by about 30 percent to help the rising number of troops with alcohol problems.
AFP (USA) - More than half of Americans drink alcohol: report
More than half of Americans aged 12 and up drink alcohol, a quarter binge-drank in the past month, and one in 14 teens has used marijuana, a US  government agency says in a report on substance abuse.
Northern Advocate (New Zealand) - Zero alcohol law welcomed by SADD
The new zero-alcohol rule for young drivers is welcome for its clarity as well as life-saving potential, says a Whangarei student leader.
NY1 - New Study Highlights More Dangers Of "Alcopop" Consumption
The controversial, sweet, alcohol-laden soft drinks that have gained nicknames like "cheerleader beer" and "alcopops" are a favorite with minors, and a new study is once again putting dangers associated with these drinks in the spotlight. NY1's Health reporter Kafi Drexel filed the following report.
Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - British breweries to sell weaker beer following low-alcohol content tax cut
Since March, when the Chancellor announced a 50 per cent duty reduction on beers of 2.8 per cent alcohol by volume or less, many breweries have begun experimenting with weaker beers in anticipation of a price-driven surge in popularity.
Times of India - People who work more drink more
People who work at least 50 hours a week are three times more likely to develop alcohol-related problems than those who didn't work as much, a New Zealand study has found.
New Era (Namibia) - Alcohol abuse up
Preliminary findings on alcohol and drug abuse reveal that alcohol abuse is on the rise in the north, with medium and high-risk drinking more widespread among young people than elderly people.
The Bay of Plenty Times (New Zealand) - Alcohol ban for under 20 drivers has strong support
Almost 200 young drivers have been caught drink-driving this year and alcohol was a contributing factor in the deaths of eight people who have died on Western Bay of Plenty roads.
The Age (Australia) - Drunken bashings up despite booze campaign
ALCOHOL-RELATED domestic violence, assaults and hospital admissions have risen sharply despite attempts to turn Victoria's binge drinking culture around.
London Free Press (Canada) - Ontarians OK with modern alcohol laws
Regardless, then as now Ontarians seem OK with having 20th century laws and attitudes when it comes to the sale of alcohol. Poll results this week found that 60% would welcome the idea of being able to pick up beer or wine at a corner store. In polls, 60% is a big number.
BusinessWeek (Russia) - Russia Vodka Crackdown Hits CEDC Outlook as Analysts Cut Targets
Russian president Dmitry Medvedev’s push to curb alcoholism and regulate liquor sales is hurting the outlook for the world’s biggest vodka producer.
EurekAlert - The effects of smoking and alcohol use on risk of upper aero-digestive cancers
Upper aero-digestive tract cancers (UADT), especially those of the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, are often referred to as alcohol-related cancers as it has been shown repeatedly that heavy drinkers, in particular, are at increased risk. The combination of heavy alcohol use and cigarette smoking is the key factor in increasing the risk of these cancers.
Euroalert.net (EU) - The project on strategies towards responsible alcohol consumption for adolescents in Europe reaches practical phase
The TAKE CARE ("Strategies towards responsible alcohol consumption for adolescents in Europe") project has reached the practical phase. First pilot trainings with adolescents took already place in the individual countries. The project counts with EU funds.
Czech Position (Czech Republic) - Czech booze makers dismiss EU drinking stats
The Czech Union of Distillers and Spirits Importers (UVDL) and also domestic wine makers and brewers say European Commission statistics according to which Czechs consume over 15 liters per capita of pure alcohol annually — making them Europe’s second-heaviest drinkers, after the Estonians — are flawed, with the true figure at around 9.9 liters per year.
Irish Central (Ireland) - Ireland’s DUI rate among highest in Europe, new study shows
Ireland has some of the highest rates DUI rates in Europe, a new study has shown.
Diet.co.uk (UK) - Poor Diet and Drinking Places UK Women at High Risk of Cancer
A poor diet and drinking places 25 per cent of British women at risk of cancer. British women are more susceptible of developing cancer than anywhere else in Europe.
Scoop.co.nz (New Zealand) - Liquor Licences: Authorities ignore social harm
"I was woken at 3.50am with a man yelling that he'd been attacked with a meat cleaver. His friend has gone mad and he needed somewhere safe to stay. The man's face was bloody and swollen, and he smelled of tobacco and alcohol. He was soaked through to the skin by the rain" said Colin Bridle, Salvation Army Community Ministries Manager, as he picked up the pieces from yet another alcohol-fuelled incident in Tokoroa.
FoodManufacture.co.uk (UK) - Government rejects alcohol policy concerns
The Department of Health (DH) has defended its approach to alcohol, after public health groups alleged that the drinks industry has an undue influence on government policy.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

FASD News - 31/2011

NEWS AND ARTICLES
Times of India - Binge drinkers have sex they later regret
A new study has found that binge drinking puts teenage girls at risk of having unprotected sex, unplanned pregnancies and contracting sexually-transmitted diseases.
The Imperfect Parent (USA) - Pregnant teen says she’ll continue to drink ‘or she’ll get bored’
As health professionals try to work out exactly how much alcohol can be consumed before a baby is potentially damaged, and conduct studies on the effects alcohol during pregnancy has on children as they grow older, it appears that the message that alcohol should not be drunk during pregnancy is not getting through.
University of Rochester Newsroom - Study Evaluates Tools to Encourage a Healthy Pregnancy
The University of Rochester Medical Center and Cornell University have teamed up to launch a major study that will assess electronic and web-based strategies designed to promote healthy behavior in women both during and immediately following their pregnancy.
6minutes (Australia) - Women still drink and smoke in pregnancy
A high number of Australian women are still drinking alcohol and smoking during pregnancy, research suggests.
NHS Choices (UK) - Unplanned babies' learning examined
“IVF children have bigger vocabulary than unplanned babies,” The Daily Telegraph has reported. The news is based on a large study investigating how pregnancy planning, time taken to conceive and the use of infertility treatment (including IVF) influenced cognitive ability of children at ages three and five.
Lethbridge Herald (Canada) - FASD: '10-second kids in a one-second world'
"John" is all too familiar with Canada's criminal justice system. He's been to court numerous times over the years on charges he'd rather not talk about, and he's spent time in jail.
Brew Drinking Thinkings - Could You Cut Out Alcohol Completely?
I have recently become a Mummy for the first time, having had my daughter on Christmas Eve 2010. As soon as I found out I was pregnant I didnʼt touch a drop of alcohol. I know that Government guidelines say it is safe to drink a little as long as it is moderation, but I made the choice to abstain from drinking altogether.
WIA Report (Australia) - Study Finds That Australian Women With College Degrees Are More Likely to Drink Alcohol During Pregnancy Than Australian Women With Lower Levels of Education
Prior research has shown that about 60 percent of young adult women in the United States are regular consumers of alcohol. In Australia, 87 percent of young adult women drink.
Examiner - Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) develop secondary problems
Children who are born with fetal alcohol syndrome are likely to develop a wide range of secondary conditions, problems that they were not born with, but can acquire as a result of having FAS.
Shine - The dangers of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Many know the dangers of consumer alcohol during pregnancy, but the lifelong effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome sometimes go unknown.
RESEARCH
Alcoholism - Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) Abnormalities Across the Life Span of Rats Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol
Our findings have important clinical implications for the assessment and management of (i) childhood hearing disorders and their comorbidities (i.e., speech-and-language, learning, and attention deficit disorders) and (ii) enhanced age-related hearing and neurological degeneration in middle-aged adulthood that can result from prenatal alcohol exposure.
OxfordJournals - Abnormal Cortical Thickness Alterations in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Their Relationships with Facial Dysmorphology
Consistent with previous reports, findings of this study are supportive of regional increases in cortical thickness serving as a biomarker for disrupted brain development in FASD. Furthermore, the significant associations between thickness and dysmorphic measures suggest that the severity of brain anomalies may be reflected by that of the face.
Behavioural Brain Research - Comparative effects of alcohol and thiamine deficiency on the developing central nervous system
The present study addresses the still unresolved issue of the character of alcohol–thiamine metabolic interferences in the developing central nervous system (CNS).
Alcoholism - Translation of an Evidence-Based Social Skills Intervention for Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure in a Community Mental Health Setting
Results suggest that children with PAE can benefit from treatments initiated in community settings in which therapists are trained to understand their unique developmental needs, and that they can be successfully integrated into treatment protocols that include children without PAE.
Alcohol Research & Health Volume 34, Issue Number 1
The adverse effects of prenatal alcohol consumption have long been known; however, a formal description and clinical diagnosis of these effects was not introduced until 1973. Since then, the distinction of the wide range of effects that can be induced by prenatal alcohol exposure, and, consequently, the terminology to describe these effects has continued to evolve.
Alcoholism - Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Cerebellum and Eyeblink Conditioning in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
This study extends recent findings that have used DTI to reveal microstructural deficits in white matter in children with FASD. This is the first DTI study to demonstrate mediation of a fetal alcohol-related effect on neuropsychological function by deficits in white matter integrity.

COMING EVENTS
Eurocare - Protecting the unborn baby from alcohol, 7 September 2011, European Parliament, Brussels
This event is jointly organized by European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare) and the Polish State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems (PARPA) to mark International Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Day.

MATERIALS
Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Center - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome & Fetal Alcohol Results Video clip Part two
Fetal alcohol syndrome is among the most frequent recognized triggers of psychological retardation and as these, it is a key public well being difficulty.
Pregnant? Think! Don't Drink! FASD Prevention Handbook
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, District  II is educating thousands of women across New York State about the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.  The College has developed a public friendly, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) prevention handbook.
Journal of Psychiatry & Law - SPECIAL ISSUE: FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME

IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Rynek Zrdowia (Poland) - Pijane ciąże - co roku kolejnych kilkaset dzieci wymaga leczenia. Bo matki piły...
Z badań wynika, że 33 proc. kobiet w wieku prokreacyjnym piło alkohol w czasie ciąży. Co najmniej kilkaset z nich rodzi dziecko z pełnoobjawowym alkoholowym zespołem płodowym - FAS. Są i takie matki, które piły alkohol sporadycznie, a ich dzieci wykazują cechy tego syndromu. W wykazie chorób uprawniających dziecko do świadczeń specjalnych takiego schorzenia w ogóle nie ma.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Alcohol News - 31/2011

YLE.fi (Finland) - Alcohol locks required for all public school transport
The use of alcohol locks became mandatory as of Monday for all authorized vehicles taking children to school and daycare. An alcohol lock prevents a car from starting if a breathalyzer test shows the driver is over the legal limit.
Sverige Radio (Sweden) - An end to the alcohol monopoly?
Despite EU membership, Sweden is holding on to its state liquor store monopoly. But there are signs that reform may be coming to a system that dates back to the mid-1800’s. Like a number of other northern countries, Sweden has a tradition of heavy drinking, especially beer and hard liquor.
Talking Alcohol.com (Norway) - Norway gets to keep ban on alcohol ads on TV
The Norwegian ban on alcohol advertising on TV will not be affected by an implementation of the EU directive for audiovisual services. So says the EU's ambassador in Norway, János Herman. He also said that Norway will be able to keep its practice for Internet ads.
Health Insurance and Protection Magazine (UK) - Diet and alcohol blamed for women's cancer risk
Unhealthy lifestyles lie behind the fact that a quarter of women in the UK develop cancer by age 75, compared to about a fifth (21%) in Europe, according to experts.
The Guardian (UK) - Drinks industry grip on alcohol panel criticised
The drinks industry has secured heavy representation on a key government advisory working group on alcohol, putting it in a strong position to influence the coalition's forthcoming alcohol strategy.
BBC News (UK) - More teens abstain from alcohol, NHS figures reveal
More than half of younger teenagers in England are abstaining from alcohol, the latest figures from the NHS Information Centre show.
Belfast Telegraph (Scotland) - Minister backs alcohol pricing move
Setting minimum prices for alcohol could help cut the near £700 million wasted each year tackling its misuse, the health minister has said. Edwin Poots said the Stormont Executive is still considering its options on the abuse of alcohol.
News Tonight (Northern Ireland) - Northern Ireland Doctors Blame Cheap Prices of Alcohol for Binge Drinking
Top Notch doctors of Northern Ireland have raised concerns for binge drinking in young women, as, according to them, these women are risking their life to death.
Prague Daily Monitor (Czech Republic) - Drivers no longer penalised for low alcohol blood content
Drivers on Czech roads will no longer be stripped of points for small speeding or a small quantity of alcohol in their blood as from Monday, August 1, when an amendment to the road law takes effect.
NDTV.com - Drinking alcohol prolongs, not relieves, stress
Although many people think that having a cocktail will help them relax, the relationship between stress and alcohol is a two-way street.
PR Newswire (USA) - New Alcohol Brand: Marin Institute Renamed 'Alcohol Justice'
he alcohol industry watchdog formerly known as Marin Institute is now called, "Alcohol Justice." The 24-year-old advocacy and research nonprofit made the announcement today as it launched a dynamic new web site at www.alcoholjustice.org and a series of updated fact sheets painting a picture of devastating alcohol-related harm.
IrishExaminer.com (Ireland) - Drink may cause ‘invisible’ brain harm
MORE than 4,000 Irish people could be suffering from an "invisible" serious brain injury caused by alcohol abuse, according to research.
Cowra Community News - Teen-targeted alcohol ads should be banned, says AMA
A NEW report shows there is further evidence that targeted marketing of alcohol to young people should be banned to prevent them from taking up drinking at harmful levels at a young age.
LSU The Reveille - Study: Binge drinking temporarily affects learning, memory
A new animal study by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that binge drinking does not necessarily kill or damage brain cells. Rather, excess alcohol temporarily disables the brain's ability to learn and create memories.
Pattaya Mail (Thailand) - People urged to refrain from alcohol in Buddhist Lent
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has encouraged people to refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages during this Buddhist Lent as a tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej upon this 84th birthday anniversary.
Fleet News Online (EU) - One million drivers tested for alcohol in European crackdown
A crackdown to enforce drink driving and drug driving regulations across Europe saw police conduct almost one million breath tests in a seven-day period, of which more than 17,000 were positive.
The Standard - World putting a brake on swigging alcohol
Today is Friday; a day when many people, especially young adults indulge in fun and drink. But there is an ongoing campaign to put a brake on this around the world. It encourages people who want to enjoy a drink to get a designated driver, who will remain sober.
Mail & Guardian Online (South Africa) - Advertising fuels consumption
It is a facet of human nature that if we recognize a problem and wish to change it, we wish to do so in a manner that requires as little change and as few sacrifices as possible.