Alcohol News

Alcohol News - week 45/2009

2009-11-09T18:59:00.002+02:00

guardian.co.uk - Warning of extra heart dangers from mixing cocaine and alcohol

A third chemical – cocaethylene – builds up in the liver over a number of years among those who mix the two drugs. And this is now having major health consequences.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/nov/08/cocaine-alcohol-mixture-health-risks

New York Times (Russia) - Russians Comment on Ways to Curb the Use of Alcohol

How hard will it be for the Russian government to reduce the country’s alcohol consumption? The New York Times asked readers of its Russian-language blog on livejournal.com for their thoughts.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/world/europe/03russia.html

WalesOnline (Wales) - Alcohol watchdog warning over free CeltFest drinks

THE Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs has condemned the decision to give thousands of party-goers two free pints each as “irresponsible”.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/11/07/alcohol-watchdog-warning-over-free-celtfest-drinks-91466-25111397/

Boston Globe (USA) - Alcohol ads on the T reaching school children, BU study warns

Alcohol advertising inside MBTA subway cars reaches thousands of Boston Public School students every school day, a new study from Boston University reports, exposing young people to the kind of messages that research links to increased underage drinking.
http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2009/11/alcohol_adverti.html

Atlanta Journal Constitution - Binge Drinking Puts the Brain, and Life Itself, at Risk

Nearly half of students at four-year colleges do it regularly (and, it's not sex). Rather, it's binge drinking -- downing five or more alcoholic drinks at a sitting.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/alca/629300.html

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol minimum pricing plan 'all but dead', claim Scottish Tories

SNP ministers’ attempt to introduce a minimum price for alcohol is “all but dead” following a Holyrood debate on the measure, the Tories have claimed.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/6509524/Alcohol-minimum-pricing-plan-all-but-dead-claim-Scottish-Tories.html

Himalayan Times (Nepal) - 37 pc Nepalis hooked on tobacco; 29 pc on alcohol: Survey

A survey of 15-64 years old concluded in 15 districts across the country over a period of three months has unveiled a frightening data on the use of tobacco in Nepal. The survey has concluded that 37 percent of the total population in the country are tobacco users.
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=37+pc+Nepalis+hooked+on+tobacco%3B+29+pc+on+alcohol%3A+Survey+&NewsID=45743

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol gravest threat to society, claims sacked scientist

The minimum drinking age should be increased to 21 and the price of alcohol tripled in order to tackle what will soon be the "biggest killer" in modern society, claimed the sacked head of the government's drug advisory body.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6502063/Alcohol-gravest-threat-to-society-claims-sacked-scientist.html

ABC Online (Australia) - Call to reduce blood alcohol levels for drivers

There are calls to cut the blood alcohol level for drivers to zero in order to reduce the number of fatalities on Australian roads.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/05/2734495.htm?section=justin

The Herald (Scotland) - Drinking by Scots parents revealed by young

Twice as many calls are made to ChildLine by young people concerned about their parents’ harmful drinking in Scotland than the rest of the UK.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/health/drinking-by-scots-parents-revealed-by-young-1.931322

guardian.co.uk (UK) - UK product placement consultation launched

The government has launched a consultation looking at how product placement could work on UK television, with a view to restricting the promotion of alcohol, junk food and gambling.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/product-placement-consultation-launched

Decanter.com (UK) - UK alcohol consumption falling faster than ever

Alcohol consumption in the UK is falling faster than at any time in the past 60 years, prompting calls for more targeted efforts at reducing alcohol-related harm.
http://www.decanter.com/news/290861.html?aff=rss

Alcohol Focus Scotland - Minimum pricing for alcohol - joint letter to press

The debate on minimum pricing for alcohol has become increasingly polarised. Some believe that the rising burden of harm due to alcohol demands effective government intervention and others believe that concern for Scotland's health is not sufficient grounds for curbing market freedoms that have enabled unprecedented growth in the production, trade and promotion of alcohol.
http://www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/news/details/?id=54

Courier Mail (Australia) - Kevin Rudd plans to curb alcohol-fuelled violence

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd will spearhead a fresh battle against binge drinking amid a growing outbreak of alcohol-fuelled violence.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,26311689-3102,00.html?from=public_rss

Alcohol News - week 44/2009

2009-11-02T19:37:00.001+02:00

Huffington Post (UK) - Government Adviser Fired For Saying Alcohol Is More Dangerous Than Drugs

The Guardian reports that Professor David Nutt, the British government's chief drug adviser, has been fired after claiming that ecstasy and LSD are less dangerous than alcohol.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-kilkenny/government-adviser-fired_b_341471.html

Telegraph.co.uk (USA/UK) - British lemonade causes US alcohol row

Fentimans, a traditional Victorian lemonade enjoyed by British drinkers for more than a century, has caused a row after an American teenager had a bottle confiscated in school for its tiny alcohol content.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6455178/British-lemonade-causes-US-alcohol-row.html

PS News (Australia) - New alcohol plan has the right mix

A package of resources that help war veterans manage their alcohol consumption issues has been updated, improved and launched by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Alan Griffin.
http://www.psnews.com.au/Page_psn19314.html

Novinite.com (Bulgaria) - Sofia Bans Alcohol Sale on Election Day

The sale of alcohol in the Bulgarian capital Sofia will be banned on November 15 from 6 am to 8 pm due to the elections for mayor that will take place that Sunday.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=109536

BBC News (UK) - Heavy drinkers seek out bargains

A study of heavy drinkers consuming hundreds of units of alcohol a week found they were buying cheaper drink than most other people.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8335394.stm

EurekAlert (UK) - PTSD less common than depression and alcohol misuse amongst UK troops

Common mental disorders, such as depression and alcohol misuse, are the top psychological problems amongst UK troops post-deployment and not post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as is widely believed.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-10/bc-plc102809.php

Irish Times (Ireland) - Drinks industry slump deepening

The depression in the drinks industry is deepening, with 70 per cent of licensed premises reporting a decline in sales over the past five years, according to a new report.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1102/breaking25.htm

The Breeze (USA) - Sharing Stories on the Dangers of Drinking

Alcohol kills 6.5 times more youths than all other illicit drugs combined. About 1,400 college students die each year in alcohol-related causes, and 25 percent of college students say drinking has caused them to fall behind in class and receive lower grades, according to statistics presented Wednesday.
http://breezejmu.org/2009/11/02/in-a-‘blink’/

Science Daily - Link Between Alcohol And Cancer Explained: Alcohol Activates Cellular Changes That Make Tumor Cells Spread

Alcohol consumption has long been linked to cancer and its spread, but the underlying mechanism has never been clear.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026172052.htm

TestCountry.com (UK) - 6,000 Die Each Year as a Result of Drinking in the UK

The rate of alcohol related diseases is up to 9,000 in the UK each year, an increase that is three times higher than what it was 25 years ago.
http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=4490

Bloomberg (Ireland) - Irish Cut Beer Prices After Left ‘High and Dry’ by Pound Slide

Hugh McGee is cutting the price of Guinness by about 20 percent at his bars and hotels in the Irish town of Letterkenny to keep customers coming across the border from Northern Ireland after the euro’s surge against the pound.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aHiNwJTXCNvU

Foreign Policy (Russia) - Another Russian battle with the bottle

There's a reason for the popular perception that Russians like their drink: The average Russian citizen consumes 18 liters of pure alcohol per year, compared with about 11 liters per year in Western Europe.
http://eurasia.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/10/27/another_russian_battle_with_the_bottle

The Age (Australia) - Booze putting teen brains at risk

A GENERATION of Victorian teenagers are drinking themselves into oblivion, with more than a quarter of 15-year-olds bingeing until they black out - the point at which brain damage is likely to occur.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/booze-putting-teen-brains-at-risk-20091031-hqtj.html

Times Online (Scotland) - SNP left high and dry as Labour rejects minimum alcohol pricing

The minority SNP government’s plans to adopt a minimum price for alcohol appear doomed after Labour’s appointment of a new shadow health secretary who is strongly against the move.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6894772.ece

Alcohol News - week 43/2009

2009-10-26T19:59:00.001+02:00

NEWS.com.au - Alcohol consumption increasing cancer threat to women

FOUR out of 10 women who drink are drinking enough to increase their risk of cancer, the Cancer Council South Australia has found.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26264400-2682,00.html?from=public_rss

Irish Times (Ireland) - Drink-drive penalty points may be reduced

THE NUMBER of penalty points to be issued for lower-level breaches of the proposed new drink-driving legislation is expected to be lower than originally envisaged, in order to persuade Fianna Fáil backbenchers to back the Road Traffic Bill.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1026/1224257458085.html

Irish Times (Ireland) - 25% jump in cross-Border shopping – survey

SOME 250,000 households in the Republic are now regularly doing their grocery shopping in the North, up 25 per cent since the end of last year, according to new figures.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1026/1224257456822.html

Healthcare Republic (UK) - Public health directors demand minimum alcohol price per unit

A minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol should be introduced, according to directors of public health in the north west of England.
http://www.healthcarerepublic.com/news/947998/Public-health-directors-demand-minimum-alcohol-price-per-unit/

United Press International - Childhood risk factors, adult alcoholism

U.S. researchers say neurobiological variables measured as a child may be linked to risk of adult alcohol dependence.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/10/26/Childhood-risk-factors-adult-alcoholism/UPI-55391256571557/

United Press International - A few drinks have negative health impact

Swedish researchers are calling into question the assumption that low alcohol consumption is good for health.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/10/26/A-few-drinks-have-negative-health-impact/UPI-19141256573692/

Detroit Free Press - Rethink that drink to health

Just about every month a study emerges touting the health benefits to be gained from a daily glass of wine or pint of dark beer.
http://www.freep.com/article/20091025/FEATURES08/910250309/1025/FEATURES/Rethink-that-drink-to-health

Nunatsiaq News (Canada) - Kugluktuk’s alcohol controls make for lower crime rate

Nearly two years to the day have passed since people in Kugluktuk voted in favour of an alcohol education committee, just about everyone says the most westerly community in Nunavut is doing much better than before.
http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/615_kugluktuks_alcohol_controls_make_for_lower_crime_rate/

ScienceAlert (Australia) - Alcohol problems most treated

Alcohol continues to be the number one drug of concern for Australians seeking treatment for drug or alcohol issues, according to a report released 21 October by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20092610-20084.html

Science Daily - Chronic Voluntary Alcohol Consumption Impairs Neurogenesis

A new study found that chronic alcohol consumption reduces the number of new brain cells that form in the hippocampus of adolescent rhesus monkeys.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023102314.htm

Gov Monitor (Scotland) - Scotland’s Health Secretary Responds To Minimum Pricing of Alcohol

Responding to a news release claiming that minimum pricing for alcohol is “illegal”, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: “It is entirely inappropriate and irrelevant to translate an opinion on tobacco to the totally different issue of minimum pricing of alcoholic products per unit of alcohol for public health reasons.
http://thegovmonitor.com/world_news/britain/scotlands-health-secretary-responds-to-minimum-pricing-of-alcohol-11953.html

The press and journal (Scotland) - Legal blow to SNP’s plan for minimum pricing on alcohol

Scottish Government plans to introduce minimum prices for alcohol suffered a major blow after Europe’s top legal adviser, the advocate general, decided it was not legal.
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1451240/?UserKey=

TestCountry.com (UK) - UK’s Alcohol Abuse Rate Causes a Need for Fines at Schools

Alcohol abuse has become a particularly hard to treat problem in the UK prompting drastic measures by the federal and local government to help prevent abuse of the substance and other products that contain it.
http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=4102

The Australian (Australia) - Alcohol biggest problem for addicts

Some 44 per cent of people seeking treatment in 2007/08 wanted to tackle their drinking problem, according to an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26248631-12377,00.html

Science Daily - Even Low Alcohol Consumption Has A Negative Impact On Overall Health, Researchers Argue

Low alcohol consumption is bad for your health in general. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation studied the relationship between alcohol consumption and health to test the current theory which suggests improved health is responsible for the link found between low alcohol consumption and increased wages.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022202717.htm

guardian.co.uk - Alcohol hinders having a baby through IVF, couples warned

Couples who share a bottle of wine a week reduce their chances of having a baby through IVF by more than a quarter, according to a study by American fertility specialists.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/20/alcohol-hinders-baby-ivf

Wall Street Journal (EU) - Fighting Downturn, East Europe Boosts Alcohol, Cigarette Taxes

Cash-strapped Central and Eastern European governments are turning to a time-tested strategy of raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol as the recession takes its toll on the region's public finances.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125599061198095083.html

YLE News (Finland) - Booze, Drugs Ingredient in Most Homicides

Alcohol plays a role in 80 percent of the homicides in Finland. Meanwhile, drugs or a mix of drugs and alcohol are involved in 20 percent of the cases. The National Research Institute of Legal Policy reports there were 132 homicides in Finland last year.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/10/booze_drugs_ingredient_in_most_homicides_1101035.html

Alcohol-related deaths

2009-10-19T20:44:00.000+03:00

Alcohol News - week 42/2009

2009-10-19T20:25:00.001+03:00

BBC News (UK) - Calls for minimum alcohol price

Doctors in the North West of England have called for the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8314497.stm

guardian.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol death toll to reach 9,080 a year, study predicts

Alcohol will claim more than 90,000 lives over the next decade without urgent action to tackle the country's increasingly ruinous relationship with drinking, experts warn today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/oct/19/alcohol-death-toll-rising

Atlanta Journal Constitution - Hangovers May Be Tougher for Migraine Sufferers

As if migraine sufferers didn't already have enough pain, new research has found that they may also be more prone to hangover headaches.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/alco/632059.html

PsychCentral.com (USA) - Help Young Adults Manage Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has awarded Saint Louis University a grant to develop and test a new program to help older children and young adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/10/19/help-young-adults-manage-fetal-alcohol-syndrome/9040.html

Times Online (UK) - Homebuyers face questions on alcohol and smoking under new mortgage rules

Homebuyers could be forced to provide detailed information about the amount of money they spend on alcohol each month to qualify for a new mortgage under a new clampdown on reckless lending.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article6880612.ece

Examiner.com - Science questions if moderate alcohol intake is beneficial

In the first study of it's kind, researchers have examined whether the moderate consumption of alcohol played a part in the mobility of people aged 70-79.
http://www.examiner.com/x-3011-Atlanta-Wellness-Examiner~y2009m10d19-Science-questions-if-moderate-alcohol-intake-is-beneficial

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Mums who drink warned they risk serious long-term damage

BUSY mums who enjoy a wine to ease the stress of daily living have been warned they risk serious long-term damage.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26234400-36398,00.html

Thaindian.com - Alcohol, drug abuse test can predict risky teenage sexual behaviour

Alcohol and drug use are known contributors to teenagers engaging in dangerous practices like unprotected sex, multiple partners, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and drug overdose.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/alcohol-drug-abuse-test-can-predict-risky-teenage-sexual-behaviour_100262495.html

Atlanta Journal Constitution - Drinking Your Way to Health? Perhaps Not

Just about every month -- if not every week -- a new study emerges touting the health benefits to be gained from a daily glass of wine or a pint of dark beer.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/alco/629696.html

TestCountry.com - Teens Views on Smoking Linked to Likelihood of Consuming Alcohol and Drugs

Peer pressure, parental influence and the role they play in the use of multiple drugs was studied by researchers at Weil Cornell Medical College: the research seems to point out that teens’ views on tobacco use could have a link with the decision to use tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana together.
http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=4225

BBC News (UK) - Teenage drink crackdown 'success'

Thousands of teenagers had a total of 5,171 litres of alcohol confiscated in a summer crackdown on binge drinking, the government has said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8309827.stm

Nursing in Practice (UK) - Drinking "down to regional causes"

People in different areas of the country binge drink for different reasons and a regional approach is necessary to tackle the problem, according to new research.
http://www.nursinginpractice.com/default.asp?title=Drinking%22downtoregionalcauses%22&page=article.display&article.id=18938

Daily Nation (WHO/Kenya) - WHO plan to rein in drinking

The Kenyan Government might soon be asked to put in place measures to reduce access to alcohol. In a global effort to reduce the availability and consumption of alcohol, the World Health Organisation is drafting a strategy that calls for higher taxation of beer, fewer drinking hours and fewer outlets.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/674098/-/uo1ken/-/

Jerusalem Post (Israel) - 'Raising alcohol prices would reduce youth crime'

Welfare and Social Services Ministry Director-General Nahum Itzkovitz called on the Treasury Wednesday to increase taxes on alcoholic beverages in an attempt to fight rising levels of violence.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1255547719768&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

ABC News (Australia) - Alcohol and Co-Sleeping Affect Risk for SIDS

Dave Taylor, a Boulder, Colo. father of three school-age kids, is one of the growing number of people who ignored pediatricians' warnings against bed-sharing as a way to reduce Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/alcohol-affects-sids-risk-sleeping-baby/story?id=8824926

Ireland Online (Ireland) - Govt 'must reduce VAT and tax on alcohol'

Retail Ireland has said that new CSO retail sales figures show the sector remains under serious pressure.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/business/govt-must-reduce-vat-and-tax-on-alcohol-430478.html

Novinite.com (Serbia) - Serbia President Faces Charges over Stadium Alcohol Consumption

Tadic is facing charges for drinking champagne at the Belgrade’s Red Star football stadium last Saturday.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=108993

BBC News (UK) - How alcohol affects the brain (Video)

If alcohol were invented today, it would be classified as a drug and restricted, according to Professor David Nutt, a government adviser who chairs the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8304655.stm

YLE News (Finland/Estonia) - Higher Alcohol Taxes Have Not Caused Rush to Estonia

Private alcohol imports by Finns travelling abroad have been on the rise this year. However, a 10% increase in alcohol taxes in Finland has not led to a surge of travel to Estonia to buy cheaper booze.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/10/higher_alcohol_taxes_have_not_caused_rush_to_estonia_1071976.html

University Observer Online - Alcohol dependency linked to ‘bad’ gene

In modern day Ireland, it is often difficult to personally realise the boundary between a few hearty drinks, and full-blown alcohol abuse.
http://www.universityobserver.ie/2009/10/13/alcohol-dependency-linked-to-‘bad’-gene/

YLE News (Finland) - New Face of Child Abuse: Drunk Moms

Police statistics show that child abuse has a new face: drunken mothers. Police say they get around 400 reports of domestic violence against children each year; these days around two-thirds of the cases point to intoxicated mothers.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/10/new_face_of_child_abuse_drunk_moms_1078406.html

Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (Sweden) - Striking results from the Swedish Risk Drinking Project: Talking about alcohol is becoming routine practice in Swedish health car

The proportion of health care personnel reporting that they always or often queried their patients regarding alcohol use has increased significantly. This is particularly notable with nurses, where the proportion has doubled to 60 per cent, and midwives, where 92 per cent estimate their capacity to identify risk consumption as good or very good.
http://www.idw-online.de/pages/de/news338510

Alcohol News - week 41/2009

2009-10-12T20:11:00.001+03:00

Xinhua (China) - Drunken drivers' passengers face fines

People who willingly catch a ride with a drunken driver could face fines under a new proposal.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/12/content_12214116.htm

The Associated Press (Iraq) - Authorities in Iraq's holy Shiite city ban alcohol

Local Iraqi authorities have outlawed alcohol in the province of Najaf, home to the holiest Shiite city, saying it contradicts the principles of Islam.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g0jQCNASbNTaghnn9WcCcNmDT1awD9B8EKE80

AdAge.com (EU/UK) - Europe Faults Alcohol Marketers for Binge Drinking; U.K. Proposes $286M Ad Ban

In Britain it's called "binge drinking," in Germany it's known as "coma" drinking, and in France you "se prendre une cuite" -- but whatever you call it, excessive alcohol consumption is putting marketing in the crosshairs.
http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=139578

Scottish Daily Record (Scotland) - Senior Scots cop calls for minimum alcohol price to cut domestic violence

A TOP Scots cop yesterday stepped up calls for a legal minimum price for alcohol. Strathclyde Chief Constable Stephen House said he was "very keen" to drive up the cost of booze to curb domestic violence.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/10/12/senior-scots-cop-calls-for-minimum-alcohol-price-to-cut-domestic-violence-86908-21740902/

Irish Times (Ireland) - Drink role in fatal crashes highlighted

Alcohol may have been a factor in more than 1,000 fatal crashes on Irish roads between 1999 and 2008, a meeting on road safety was told today.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1012/breaking38.htm

Ynetnews (Israel) - Ministers pass bill to jail adults who buy alcohol for minors

Ministerial Committee on Legislative Affairs passes MK Yohanan Plesner's motion calling for three-month prison sentence for adults who purchase alcoholic beverages for minors.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3788502,00.html

Canada.com (Canada) - First Nations' liquor-related deaths five times higher than others in B. C

Alcohol-related deaths among First Nations in B.C. are a staggering five times higher than for other British Columbians, says a prominent First Nations doctor, who argues aboriginal leaders need to start working on an alcohol strategy to save lives.
http://www.canada.com/First+Nations+liquor+related+deaths+five+times+higher+than+others/2093363/story.html

Globe and Mail (Canada) - Panel seeks measures to combat fetal alcohol disorder

Canada needs to implement a sweeping set of measures, ranging from providing education pamphlets in boxes of condoms to alternatives to prison for brain-damaged inmates, says a report from a blue-ribbon panel on the epidemic of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/panel-seeks-measures-to-combat-fetal-alcohol-disorder/article1320496/

BBC (Sweden) - 'I will have one, or maybe two pints'

BBC Scotland's health correspondent Eleanor Bradford travelled to Sweden to discover how the Swedish government tackled binge drinking and look at the impact of its policies.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8291833.stm

Visit Bulgaria (Australia) - Reducing Alcohol and Cigarettes Can Save Billions

According to a new study, thousands of Australian lives can be saved, simply by cutting back on alcohol and cigarettes, including saving the economy over $2-billion in healthcare costs.
http://www.visitbulgaria.info/11473-reducing-alcohol-and-cigarettes-can-save-billions

3News.co.nz (New Zealand) - One drink a day enough to increase breast cancer

A glass of wine a day is all it takes to increase your risk of developing breast cancer, so when Rowena Mortimer was diagnosed she decided her lifestyle had to change.
http://www.3news.co.nz/One-drink-a-day-enough-to-increase-breast-cancer/tabid/420/articleID/124807/cat/475/Default.aspx

Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) - Prof's plea on alcohol law

Alcohol industry representatives "dissociate themselves from the mayhem" and keep the community in the dark about the realities of the drug, the head of the Christchurch School of Medicine's national addiction centre says.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/77515/prof039s-plea-alcohol-law

Science Daily - The High Cost Of Treating Alcohol-impaired Drivers

The costs of drinking and driving are all too apparent, with alcohol involved in 41 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities in 2006.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005111623.htm

Expatica Netherlands (Netherlands) - Over 16,000 stopped in Rotterdam alcohol checks

Police in Rotterdam conducted alcohol testing on 16,485 motorists in the country’s most large scale alcohol checks, reports Dutch news agency ANP.
http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/dutch-news/Over-16_000-drivers-stopped-in-Rotterdam-alcohol-checks_57180.html

GlobalPost (Spain) - Binge drinking among Spanish teens on the rise

Friday night in a Madrid square. Dozens of adolescents hanging out. Two-liter soda bottles strewn at their feet, along with colorful gin and rum bottles. Teens mix their own drinks for hours, to the indifference of passersby.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/spain/090903/binge-drinking-trend-reveals-troubled-society

YLE News (Finland) - No Further Hikes to Alcohol Tax in Store

The government is not planning any new increases to the tax on alcohol, despite a report on YLE over the weekend that another hike in alcohol taxes is being planned for January 2010.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/10/no_further_hikes_to_alcohol_tax_in_store_1072858.html

CNN (USA) - Death row female inmate denied high court review

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal from a female death row inmate who said fetal alcohol syndrome should have been considered by the state court that reviewed her sentence.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/05/scotus.female.death.row/

WalesOnline (Wales) - MP welcomes new booze law

LAW-ABIDING citizens can “reclaim the streets” thanks to new alcohol-banning powers for the police, said MP Jenny Willott.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/10/12/mp-welcomes-new-booze-law-91466-24905586/

Forexyard (Bulgaria) - Brandy anger forces Bulgaria to scrap tax increase

Bulgaria's new government abandoned plans to raise alcohol taxes due to public anger that this would threaten a centuries-old tradition of making wine and rakia brandy at home.
http://www.forexyard.com/en/reuters_inner.tpl?action=2009-10-12T101737Z_01_LC300082_RTRIDST_0_BULGARIA-ALCOHOL-TAXES

Independent (UK) - Tories turn party-poopers to end era of cheap alcohol

Steep increases in the cost of super-strength lager and alcopops were promised by the Tories in a drive to combat binge drinking.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-turn-partypoopers-to-end-era-of-cheap-alcohol-1799277.html

Billings Gazette - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder sufferers need help making choices

"The general public doesn't understand that these are people with alcohol-related birth defects, and it's permanent," Howanach said. "Their brain just doesn't function like the average brain."
http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_91a24848-b604-11de-991a-001cc4c03286.html

BBC (UK) - Capital bans alcohol from streets

Drinking on the streets of Cardiff has been banned under new laws designed to tackle anti-social behaviour.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8295805.stm

Kansas City Star (Russia) - Brewers foaming over tax increase aimed at curbing Russian alcoholism

Vodka may be the drink of choice for most Russians, but the Moscow government is focusing on beer in its attempt to clamp down on rampant alcoholism.
http://www.kansascity.com/news/world/story/1501413.html

YLE News (Finland) - Most Finns Want Tougher Drinking and Driving Laws

According to a survey commissioned by the newspapers Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, Karjalainen, Keskisuomalainen and Savon Sanomat, 63 percent of Finns say the legal blood alcohol limit should be lowered to 0.2 mg/ml, down from 0.5.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/10/most_finns_want_tougher_drinking_and_driving_laws_1073691.html

Alcohol News - week 40/2009

2009-10-05T18:48:00.000+03:00

The Associated Press (Russia) - UN: Russia must adapt to shrinking population

For reasons that are not fully understood, Russians suffer very high levels of cardiovascular disease. But most experts blame the country's overall high death rate on one factor, alcohol. It has been linked to everything from liver disease to Russia's high number of murders, suicides and fatal accidents.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j11XO83g3FRNnnH12pC88ve7TbBAD9B4M2R00

BBC News (Scotland) - Drink drain on ambulance response

The majority of ambulance calls in Scotland at weekends are alcohol-related, BBC Scotland can reveal.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8290325.stm

New York Times (USA) - Alcohol Interlocks Are Gaining Traction

Earlier this month, in response to a Wheels post on the increase in arrests among women driving under the influence, one reader wrote that in Australia drunken driving is addressed much more aggressively than in the United States.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/alcohol-interlocks-are-gaining-traction/?hpw

Reuters - Alcoholics sleep worse months after quitting booze

Recovering alcoholics sleep worse than people who have never had a drinking problem, and this difference persists after months or even years of abstinence, new research shows.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5915SR20091002

Nashua Telegraph - New research links alcohol, 6 types of cancer

People who consume, on average, more than one alcoholic drink daily face a significantly higher risk of developing six types of cancer, according to sobering new Canadian research.
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091004/HEALTH/910049926/-1/health

Financial Times (Scotland) - Minimum alcohol price threat to SNP pro-business image

The Scottish government is said to be risking its carefully cultivated pro-business image by pressing ahead with plans to set a minimum price for alcohol in an attempt to tackle an entrenched problem of drink abuse.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a2191fd4-b0fb-11de-b06b-00144feabdc0.html

World Radio Switzerland (Switzerland) - Cities call for tougher alcohol measures

City governments have begun lobbying Bern to allow them to carry out fake purchases, to test whether alcohol is being sold to minors.
http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/wrsnews/cities-call-for-tougher-alcohol-measures.shtml?16158

Courier Mail (Australia) - Time to target alcohol abuse like we targeted smoking

THE recent release of the Federal Government's National Preventative Health Taskforce report has generated important discussion and debate on not only the value of investing in prevention, but also how best to reduce the harm being caused by tobacco, alcohol and obesity.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26163367-5003426,00.html

Washington Post (USA) - Pay For Health Reform With an Alcohol Tax

One way to reduce the harmful effects of heavy drinking is to make drinking more expensive: the more a drink costs, the less people drink. This is true of young people, pregnant women and even heavy drinkers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/28/AR2009092802796.html

LiveScience.com - Exercisers Drink More Alcohol

Here’s a question for your buddies at the next golf outing or bowling league night: Are we more active because we drink more or do we drink more because we’re more active? Recent research showed that there is a correlation between the two, but could not offer a solid reason.
http://www.livescience.com/health/091001-sports-alcohol-exercise.html

EurActiv (Sweden/EU) - Swedes put alcohol pricing on EU health agenda

Europe's health ministers will today (1 October) discuss the role of pricing and responsible marketing in tackling alcohol abuse, but early indications suggest Sweden may have somewhat tempered its ambitions.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/swedes-put-alcohol-pricing-eu-health-agenda/article-185929

Alcohol News - week 39/2009

2009-09-28T19:45:00.001+03:00

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

Alcohol News - week 38/2009

2009-09-22T09:02:00.002+03:00

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

Alcohol News - week 37/2009

2009-09-14T18:32:00.001+03:00

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

Alcohol News -week 36/2009

2009-09-07T18:27:00.001+03:00

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

Alcohol News - week 35/2009

2009-08-31T18:46:00.001+03:00

BBC News (UK) - New 'booze Asbos' come under fire

New powers to impose Drinking Banning Orders - dubbed "booze Asbos" - on people who behave anti-socially while drunk have come under fire.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8230406.stm

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol-related hospital admissions up by a third

Alcohol-related hospital admissions have increased by almost a third in just three years, according to official figures.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6115187/Alcohol-related-hospital-admissions-up-by-a-third.html

Ha'aretz (Israel) - Israel's five-point plan to combat violence and alcohol abuse

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday unveiled details of a five-point plan to combat violent crime and alcohol abuse in Israel. The plan includes stiffer penalties for violent crimes, greater regulation of the sale of alcohol and the use of CCTV cameras in dozens of cities.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1111106.html

Telegraph.co.uk - Alcohol linked to heartbeat irregularities

Researchers have discovered that even drinking within the recommended limits boosts the chances of atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats fast or irregularly.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6114349/Alcohol-linked-to-heartbeat-irregularities.html

BBC News (Scotland) - Fears over 'confusing' drink laws

Thousands of premises selling alcohol could be operating illegally as an overhaul of the licensing system comes into force, it has been claimed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8230074.stm

AFP - Toyota developing anti-drunk driving gadget

Toyota Motor said Monday it was developing anti-drunk driving equipment that would lock the ignition of a vehicle if high levels of alcohol are detected in the driver.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hsXaPAlJWEaMaHhEy4laRV249Asg

eNews Park Forest - Marijuana Compounds May Offset Alcohol-Induced Toxicity, Study Says

Compounds in cannabis may protect the human brain against alcohol-induced damage, according to clinical trial data published online by the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology.
http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9776:marijuana-compounds-may-offset-alcohol-induced-toxicity-study-says-&catid=88888904&Itemid=88890249

Greeley Tribune (USA) - Faces of the Recession: Alcohol sales up, but there's a difference

Jim Radcliffe knows alcohol sales increase during recessions. Today, it might as well be conventional wisdom.
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20090830/NEWS/908299950/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001

WalesOnline (Wales) - Wales urged to follow Scotland’s lead and ban ‘happy hour’ drinking

SUBSTANCE misuse experts in Wales last night called on the UK Government to follow Scotland’s lead and introduce tougher restrictions on the sale of alcohol, including a ban on “Happy Hour” and other promotions.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/08/31/wales-urged-to-follow-scotland-s-lead-and-ban-happy-hour-drinking-91466-24568691/

News Blaze (UK) - Drug & Alcohol Action Team uses SAS to Tackle Drugs and Save Lives by Improving Joined-Up Delivery

The London Borough of Croydon's Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) is using SAS software to achieve better results in its efforts to get more people into drug treatment, reduce drug-related crime and empower the local community to resist drug misuse.
http://newsblaze.com/story/2009082905050600003.bw/topstory.html

FirstScience - Alcohol, pregnancy and brain cell death

NIH $3.5 million award enables Rutgers researcher to continue exploring the damaging effects of alcohol on the nervous systems of the unborn.
http://www.firstscience.com/home/news/biology/alcohol-pregnancy-and-brain-cell-death_69541.html

Al-Jazeerah.info (Russia) - Fighting Alcoholism in Russia Absolutely Impossible, Says Medvedev

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev discussed the problem of alcohol consumption in Russia in his residence “Bocharov Ruchei” in Sochi. The president urged the government to take measures to reduce the consumption of alcohol in Russia.
http://www.aljazeerah.info/News/2009/August/30%20n/Fighting%20Alcoholism%20in%20Russia%20Absolutely%20Impossible,%20Says%20Medvedev.htm

EurActiv (EU) - Battle brewing over alcohol restrictions

Efforts by Sweden to tackle alcohol abuse in Europe look set to come to the boil during the latter half of its six-month EU presidency. The drinks industry is gearing up for a counter-offensive against an expected push to increase prices and restrict alcohol advertising.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/battle-brewing-alcohol-restrictions/article-184935

New York Times (Italy) - Barrage of New Rules Targets Italy's Drinkers

In an effort to regulate the sale of alcoholic beverages and control potential abuse, lawmakers in Italy have recently concocted a series of measures that critics describe as a cocktail for confusion.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/business/global/05italy.html

Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Study shows sharp increase in heavy drinking by women

Alcohol consumption by Finnish women has increased, according to a fresh study on drinking habits in Finland.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Study+shows+sharp+increase+in+heavy+drinking+by+women/1135248869099

WHO - Working document for developing a draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol

On 24 May 2008, the Sixty-first World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA61.4 on Strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol. The resolution requested the Director-General to prepare a draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol that is based on all available evidence and existing best practices and that addresses relevant policy options. The draft strategy should be submitted to the Sixty-third World Health Assembly, through the Executive Board.
http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/activities/msbwden.pdf

Alcohol News - week 34/2009

2009-08-24T19:22:00.002+03:00

BBC News (UK) - Hundreds held over alcohol crimes

A total of 529 people have been arrested in Greater Manchester in a major police operation targeting alcohol-related violent crime.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/8213564.stm

Los Angeles Times - Watching cable TV may expose teens to too many alcohol ads

Teens soak up more than plot lines while watching cable TV -- they're also being exposed to too much alcohol advertising. That's the conclusion of a new study that looked at what teens watched on cable, and how often alcohol ads popped up during those shows.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/teens-soak-up-more-than-plot-lines-while-watching-cable-tv--theyre-also-being-exposed-to-alcohol-advertising--thats-the-conc.html

ABC Online (Australia) - Study bolsters alcohol-cancer link

The National Drug Research Institute has found more than 2,000 Australians die from alcohol-related cancers each year.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/24/2664875.htm?section=justin

LIVENEWS.com.au - New research shows alcohol brain damage continues much longer in life

New research which shows brain damage from alcohol continues much longer in life than first thought, has prompted a new campaign targeting parents.
http://livenews.com.au/feature/new-research-shows-alcohol-brain-damage-continues-much-longer-in-life/2009/8/24/217172

ABC Online (Australia) - Teen drinking campaign accused of hypocrisy

A campaign encouraging teenagers to delay having their first alcoholic drink has come under fire for being sponsored by alcohol companies.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/24/2664481.htm?section=justin

SFGate - Does wine really prevent heart problems

People know that alcohol - and wine - can cause liver disease. But since the headline-making "60 Minutes" segment in 1991 popularizing the seductively simple French Paradox (the French eat a high-fat diet but have less heart disease because they drink red wine), people have embraced the concept that drinking wine, especially red wine, prevents heart disease.http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/23/FDF2196S5E.DTL

MedIndia (UK) - Tory Leader David Cameron For Hike In Alcohol Taxes To Reduce Binge Drinking

Tory leader David Cameron has declared he would go for a hike in alcohol taxes in an attempt to reduce binge drinking. The man widely expected to be the next Prime Minister of the UK in the next 18 months was endorsing a suggestion floated last year by Shadow Chancellor George Osborne.
http://www.medindia.net/news/Tory-Leader-David-Cameron-For-Hike-In-Alcohol-Taxes-To-Reduce-Binge-Drinking-56867-1.htm

WalesOnline (Wales) - Poor diet and alcohol abuse behind tripling of liver cancer

OBESITY and drinking have led to a tripling of liver cancer cases in the past 30 years, figures published today reveal.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health-news/2009/08/20/poor-diet-and-alcohol-abuse-behind-tripling-of-liver-cancer-91466-24484884/

TIME´(Russia) - Russia's Medvedev Launches a New War on Drinking

It's a cliché because it's true: Russians love their booze. The word for the national drink, vodka, is in fact a cutesy version of the word for water. The first course in every meal is designed to encourage its consumption.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1917974,00.html?iid=tsmodule

Voice of America - Drunk Driving Increasing Concern Worldwide

A survey of 178 countries finds 30 to 40 percent of road deaths are caused by alcohol. Experts from the World Health Organization say drunk driving is more than just a law enforcement issue.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-21-voa11.cfm

Reuters - A beer a day may raise risk of several cancers: study

Men who drink beer or liquor on a regular basis may face a heightened risk of several different types of cancer, according to a Canadian study.
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE57M2AZ20090823

Voice of America (Kenya) - Government Concerned Over Drinking in Kenya

Almost half of the Kenya's adult population drinks alcohol, and some drink too much, putting their children at risk.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-21-voa17.cfm

The Age (Australia) - Call to revise .05 limit

AUSTRALIA'S .05 blood-alcohol limit should be re-examined in light of overseas experience showing a .02 limit reduces road fatalities, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana has said.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/call-to-revise-05-limit-20090811-egz6.html

The Local (Sweden) - Sales up at Swedish state liquor stores

Sales at Sweden's state-run alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget, measured in terms of the amount of goods sold, increased by 9.2 percent in the first seven months of 2009 compared to the same period last year.
http://www.thelocal.se/21480/20090814/

Alcohol News - week 33/2009

2009-08-17T17:05:00.001+03:00

Huffington Post (USA) - Diane Schuler: The Heartbreak of Denial

An August 13th, New York Post article Blood is not Thicker than Alcohol reports that, "William Hance, was enraged not just that his sister, Diane Schuler, had guzzled vodka and smoked pot while driving his kids -- but that her husband, Daniel, concocted bizarre medical excuses to try to explain away his wife's condition and denied that she had a drinking problem, said a lawyer familiar with the situation."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-tian-dayton/diane-schuler-the-heartbr_b_260269.html

Chicago Tribune - Does alcohol blur cues?

Of the many things that long-term alcohol addiction can steal -- careers, lives, health, memory -- one of its most heartbreaking tolls is on relationships. Alcoholics, researchers have long known, have a tendency to misread emotional cues, sometimes taking offense when none was intended, failing to pick up on a loved one's sadness, joy, anger or disappointment.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-tc-nw-alcoholism-0815-0816aug16,0,6652479.story

The Press Association (Scotland) - Labour 'back minimum alcohol price'

Ministers have claimed growing support for setting minimum prices for alcohol, following reports the plan was set to become a reality.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5idOn26SMSJouZW6f4memMXN5PfOQ

Washington Post (Russia) - Reindeer herders battle alcohol on Russia's edge

Seventy years of Soviet rule failed to subdue Russia's most isolated natives, but "perestroika" proved to be devastating. In the ensuing lawlessness, poachers decimated reindeer herds and unemployment was rife.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/13/AR2009081303358.html

Alibaba News Channel (China) - Nation cracks down on drunk driving

Motorists across the country are being warned to stay away from alcohol before getting behind the wheel as authorities launch a new campaign to crack down on drunk driving amid an increase of road fatalities in recent months.
http://news.alibaba.com/article/detail/business-in-china/100156373-1-nation-cracks-down-drunk-driving.html

RT (Russia) - ROAR: New anti-alcohol campaign in Russia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has proposed measures to curb drinking in the country. “Alcoholism has reached the proportions of a national disaster,” he says.
http://www.russiatoday.com/Politics/2009-08-17/anti-alcohol-campaign-russia.html

guardian.co.uk (UK) - Call for alcohol laws as liver disease soars

Excessive drinking habits have led to a sharp rise in alcohol-related disease in England over the past five years, with cases of cirrhosis increasing by 42% since 2004, to almost 5,000 cases a year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/aug/16/liver-diseases-callfor-alcohol-laws

ABC News (USA) - New Middle-Age Crisis: Drinking Over 50

Binge drinking does not occur just among teenagers or college students. A recent study indicated that drinking large amounts of alcohol is now more prevalent among middle-aged adults than previously thought.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=8341707&page=1

United Press International (Spain) - Anglo-Saxon countries influence binging

Drinking patterns in Spain may be changing from drinking with meals to binge drinking on weekends, a researcher in Spain says.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/08/17/Anglo-Saxon-countries-influence-binging/UPI-49581250487518/

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - More young people in hospital for alcohol-related problems

THERE has been a surge in young people being hospitalised for "acute alcohol problems" over the last few years, and researchers say it's because of alcopops.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25932527-1242,00.html

Telegraph.co.uk (Italy) - Italian children's binge drinking blamed on Britain

Italy is scrambling to tackle a British-style binge drinking epidemic that has caused national alarm in a country long admired as a model of Mediterranean moderation when it comes to alcohol consumption.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/6038686/Italian-childrens-binge-drinking-blamed-on-Britain.html

wthr.com (USA) - Ads target parents who provide alcohol to teens

Parents who allow teens to drink alcohol are the target of a new billboard campaign in Monroe County. The messages proclaim: "Not In Our House. Don't provide alcohol to teens."
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=10934359

Irish Times (Ireland) - Time to stand up to drinks industry and ban adverts

A RECENT Irish Times editorial entitled “Safety on our Roads” (August 1st) rightly concluded that Irish society has a serious problem with alcohol abuse and that all sorts of excuses are found when it comes to doing something about it.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0817/1224252667866.html

Mirror.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol link to huge rise in oral cancers among people in their 40s

The number of men getting tumours of the mouth, tongue, lip and throat has shot up 28% since the mid-90s and women 24%.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/08/11/booze-link-to-mouth-cancer-rise-in-forties-115875-21588489/

Los Angeles Times - Binge drinking affects later cognitive performance

College students who describe themselves as regular binge drinkers performed considerably worse on a test measuring attention and memory skills compared with students who didn't binge. The test, by the way, was conducted while all the students were sober.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/binge-drinking-effects-later-cognitive-performance.html

Ethiopian Review - Inside the World of Religious Drug And Alcohol Use

Drug use throughout our history has developed from a intensely sacred and religious practice, to a intensely secular and recreational one. The origins of many controlled substances is with Shamans and Buddhists, with native cultures and ancient civilizations.
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/23785

BBC News (UK) - Charity warns over child drinkers

Fewer children are drinking but those who do are consuming more than ever before, a charity has warned.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8198672.stm

Alcohol News - week 32/2009

2009-08-10T20:02:00.003+03:00

Examiner.com (UK) - Breastfeeding and alcohol consumption

A North Dakota woman arrested and charged with child neglect after breastfeeding her 6-week old baby while intoxicated has been sentenced.
http://www.examiner.com/x-17413-Atlanta-Northside-StayatHome-Moms-Examiner~y2009m8d9-Breastfeeding-and-alcohol-consumption

Media Newswire - Royal College of Psychiatrists calls for more alcohol treatment services in Scotland

The Royal College of Psychiatrists welcomes the Scottish Government’s approach to alcohol problems, but remains concerned at the shortage of alcohol treatment services in Scotland.
http://media-newswire.com/release_1096030.html

AFP (Malaysia) - Malaysian state rejects Islamic party's push for alcohol ban

An opposition-controlled Malaysian state on Friday rejected a demand by Muslim fundamentalists to ban the sale of alcohol at convenience stores in Muslim-majority areas.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ioGfZcruJ2kWVBnL4xK8dfqOXnQQ

Business Mirror (EU) - RP alcohol makers in ‘David vs Goliath’ fight vs European liquor companies

LOCAL alcohol producers are crying foul over the seeming haste by which the Philippine government is responding to the European Community’s (EC) complaint against alleged discrimination in the tax treatment of local vis-à-vis imported alcohol products.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/nation/14354-rp-alcohol-makers-in-david-vs-goliath-fight-vs-european-liquor-companies.html

Los Angeles Times - Alcohol consumption linked to increased cancer risk

If you’d like to increase your risk of getting an array of cancers, a new study suggests you should hit the bottle.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/alcohol-beer-wine-cancer-risk.html

PR Newswire - Survey Shows Moms' Top Back-to-School Concern is Kids' Exposure to Drinking and Drugs

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America kicks off its third annual Time To Talk Month with a new online guide to help parents guide their teens through tough transition times, including back to school, when added social and academic pressures make teens more vulnerable to trying drugs and alcohol.
http://sev.prnewswire.com/education/20090810/DC5913410082009-1.html

BBC News (Scotland) - 'Little help' for alcohol abusers

Almost a third of Scottish men and a quarter of women drink at potentially harmful levels but very few are getting help, a study has suggested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8186088.stm

Ethiopian Review - The Men Behind The Most Famous Names in Alcohol

Since the dawn of reason and man's ability to comprehend oneself, alcohol has profoundly influenced the human race. Every social network has an individual who, when drunk, will profess their undying love for you.
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/22130

BBC News (UK) - Boredom 'fuels teen alcohol use'

Many British teenagers turn to alcohol to relieve boredom, a survey suggests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8181289.stm

Wall Street Journal (USA) - Buzz Kill? Critics Target Alcohol-Caffeine Drinks

State attorneys general and health-advocacy groups are urging the federal government to more closely regulate caffeinated alcoholic drinks, a small but fast-growing category popular among younger drinkers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203674704574328322293679870.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

New York Daily News - For parents, preventing college binge drinking should start during teen years at home

Forty-four percent of young adults acknowledge they binge drink. And HealthDay’s Steven Reinberg quotes U.S. health officials that this kind of alcohol abuse is on the rise, “along with its consequences of drunk driving and drinking-related deaths.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/08/07/2009-08-07_curbing_teenage_binge_drinking_starts_before_college.html

Wall Street Journal Blogs (USA) - Alcohol Advocacy Group Criticizes MADD over ‘Beer Summit’

It’s not every day Mothers Against Drunk Driving is accused of acting like a radical fringe group, but today the American Beverage Institute did just that, calling MADD an “anti-alcohol group that has been hijacked by the modern day temperance movement.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2009/08/03/alcohol-advocacy-group-criticizes-madd-over-beer-summit/

cafebabel.com (Sweden) - Why Swedes go next door to Denmark to buy alcohol

The Swedes have a difficult relationship with alcohol: they may, according to a study commissioned by the EU, drink alcohol less frequently than the Portuguese, for instance (the majority of Swedes claimed to drink alcohol either once a week or two to three times a month, whereas 47% of Portuguese professed to drink daily), but the amount of alcohol they consume at each of these sittings differs substantially: of the Portuguese respondants, 69% consume only one or two alcoholic drinks in one go, whereas 29% of the Swedes disclosed they consume at least double that; 16% even take more than five drinks.
http://www.cafebabel.com/eng/article/30957/sweden-alcohol-systemet-abstention-vodka-society.html

Alcohol News - week 31/2009

2009-08-03T19:26:00.001+03:00

BBC (UK) - Daily alcohol limit 'unhelpful'

Daily limits on alcohol consumption are meaningless and potentially harmful, experts have warned.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8172982.stm

Boston Herald (USA) - Bottoms up, taxes up: Mass. raises fee on alcohol

A new alcohol tax goes into effect Saturday on all beer, wine and alcohol purchases in the state, lifting a previous tax exemption on booze.
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view/20090802bottoms_up_taxes_up_mass_raises_fee_on_alcohol/

Hindu - Exposure to alcohol in womb leads to sleep problems

Babies exposed to alcohol in the womb and those who are small at birth develop sleep problems as eight-year-olds, says a new study.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/099200908031180.htm

Globe and Mail - Fetal alcohol victims face discrimination

A steady stream of offenders suffering from a syndrome with no cure – fetal alcohol spectrum disorder – are being unfairly entangled in the criminal justice system, says a leading criminal law scholar.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/fetal-alcohol-victims-face-discrimination/article1239601/

The Age (Australia) - Support for alcohol warnings

ALCOHOL labels with graphic health warnings and daily consumption advice would be welcomed by Victorians, new research has found.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/support-for-alcohol-warnings-20090802-e5vt.html

New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) - Supermarkets prefer alcohol tax rise to minimum prices

Supermarkets would prefer increased taxes on alcohol to imposition of minimum prices to try to stop discounting.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10588259

Medill Reports: Washington (USA) - Last call for no alcohol

President Barack Obama’s “Beer Summit” at the White House with Sgt. James Crowley and Professor Henry Louis Gates has been welcomed as a savvy resolution to a problem that, if you believe the pundits, has all the politically charged implications of the Dreyfus affair.
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=136863

Reuters - Prenatal alcohol tied to kids' social problems

Children who were exposed to large amounts of alcohol in the womb may have difficulty processing and reading emotions, leading to problems with their social skills and behavior, a new study shows.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE56R6EL20090728

New York Times (Ireland) - Drinkless in Ireland: Pubs but No Pints

WHAT is Ireland without a Guinness? Consult the typical guidebook, and you’ll get the impression that downing pints is the epitome of the tourism experience in Ireland, even the mystical key to the Irish soul.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/travel/02personal.html

Examiner.com - NY Times explores the role of alcohol in the sixth Harry Potter movie

Since it first became popular, Harry Potter has been accused of enticing kids down the dark paths of witchcraft and Satanism. But an article in the New York Times earlier this week accused Potter of having a negative influence on America’s youth in an entirely different realm: teen drinking.
http://www.examiner.com/x-13268-Boston-Speculative-Fiction-Examiner~y2009m7d30-NY-Times-explores-the-role-of-alcohol-in-the-sixth-Harry-Potter-movie

Medscape - Pancreas: Alcoholic Pancreatitis—It's the Alcohol, Stupid

The management of alcoholic pancreatitis is mostly reactive; little is done to prevent disease progression. It is time for physicians to pay attention to the root cause of the condition—that is, alcohol—rather than just responding to its effects.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/706319

Daily Mail - Absurd, dangerous, plain wrong. These mixed messages on drink and drugs are the road to social ruin

Holding the line is a key element of any military defence strategy. If the line is breached, the enemy can pour through. So it is with the defence of civilised values. Both the law of the land and informal networks of social stigma or disapproval play a crucial role in holding the line for the values of a society.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1203891/Absurd-dangerous-plain-wrong-These-mixed-messages-drink-drugs-road-social-ruin.html

Telegraph.co.uk (China) - China is planning to increase tax on alcohol. The workers will not like this at all

The China Daily, that great wielder of the sword of Truth, has issued a dire warning to the unregenerate. From today the government is increasing the taxation on high-powered alcohol.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timcollard/100005378/dont-water-the-workers-beer/

Independent (UK) - Liver charity calls for compulsory unit labels on alcohol

A liver charity has called on the Government to make unit labels on alcohol mandatory following a report on alcohol misuse published today.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/liver-charity-calls-for-compulsory-unit-labels-on-alcohol-1764879.html

BusinessWorld Online (EU) - EU complaint highlights need to restructure ‘sin’ taxes — Finance department

Amid complaints by the European Union (EU) about the Philippines’ way of taxing distilled spirits, the Finance department on Friday renewed its call for Congress to pass a measure restructuring the taxes on alcohol and tobacco, arguing that this would enable the country to comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW080109/content.php?id=051

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Health warnings on alcoholic drinks

ALMOST nine out of 10 Victorians want cigarette-style health warning labels on their beer, wine and spirits, according to new research.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,27574,25873580-2862,00.html

Alcohol News - week 30/2009

2009-07-27T19:48:00.002+03:00

Ethiopian Review - Drug Use and Addiction in War

We’re all familiar with the ‘War on Drugs’ but what about drugs in war? Drug use in wartime is a topic rarely covered by mainstream media but each war has a distinct underlying drug culture attached to it.
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/17414

Marketing week (UK) – UK to follow Aussie lead on sports sponsorship? Don’t put your shirt on it

Australian sport and alcohol have enjoyed a long and sometimes fruitful relationship. From Foster’s multi-million dollar backing of Aussie Rules football association, the AFL through to tales of Aussie cricketers’ marathon drinking sessions en route to England to do Ashes battle, there is an indelible link between drink and sporting contest Down Under.
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/uk-to-follow-aussie-lead-on-sports-sponsorship?-don%E2%80%99t-put-your-shirt-on-it/3002779.article

Guardian (UK) - What drives a child to drink?

By the time Madeline Hanshaw's son Gary Reinbach was 13 he was drinking heavily. This week, aged just 22, he died of liver failure. Here, she defends herself – and her son's memory – against those who have been quick to pass judgment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/jul/25/gary-reinbach-alcoholic-madeline-hanshaw

BBC (Northrern Ireland) - Compulsory jail drug tests on way

Compulsory drug and alcohol tests for Northern Ireland's prisoners are among rule changes set to be brought in by the prison service.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8168073.stm

Daily Mail (UK) - Children drinking 15 shots of vodka a WEEK as alcohol prices plummet

An NHS survey of children between 11 and 15 last year found that one in six - an estimated 550,000 - said they had drunk alcohol in the previous week.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1201680/Children-young-11-binge-drink-14-units-week.html

BBC News (UK) - UK's 'strongest beer' condemned

A Scottish brewery has been branded "irresponsible" after launching what it said was the UK's strongest beer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8170813.stm

Daily Mail (UK) - Coroner blames cheap alcohol for soaring number of drink deaths

A coroner has criticised the 24-hour drinking culture and sale of cheap alcohol after presiding over a soaring number of cases involving people who have drunk themselves to death.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1202526/Coroner-blames-cheap-alcohol-soaring-number-drink-deaths.html

MedPage Today - Blood Alcohol Level May Help Predict Complications After Trauma

An elevated blood alcohol level was significantly associated with a higher rate of complications in adults treated at a single trauma center, according to Michael Fleming, MD, MPH, of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and colleagues wrote online in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/EmergencyMedicine/EmergencyMedicine/15228

The Canadian Press - HIV Plus Alcohol Hampers Short-Term Memory

HIV infection and chronic drinking can deal a double blow to short-term memory, a new study has found.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5geQOV43aCabq8ZFDTB6Bd1fTANgA

Nursing in Practice - School pupils more likely to drink alcohol if they live with other drinkers

School pupils aged 11–15 in England are estimated to be more than three times as likely to drink alcohol if they live with other drinkers, a survey from The NHS Information Centre suggests.
http://www.nursinginpractice.com/default.asp?title=Schoolpupilsmorelikelytodrinkalcoholiftheylivewithotherdrinkers&page=article.display&article.id=17821

The Associated Press (Bahrain) - Bahrain's allure for Saudis extends beyond alcohol

This tiny Gulf island nation is sick of its reputation as a seedy off-shore Las Vegas and a hotspot of sin for Saudis, so it's starting to rein in the booze. Already it's flooded with Saudis looking for tamer fare they can't get at home in their ultraconservative kingdom — Hannah Montana and heavy metal.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jg9nBwQSkOtc1FoFZwqFZTQTWKdQD99IMQQG0

UGPulse.com (Uganda) - Alcohol threatens Ugandan Economy

Uganda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire has said Uganda’s economy is threatened by the citizens’ excessive consumption of alcohol.
http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=Alcohol+threatens+Ugandan+Economy&ID=11250

Daijiworld.com (Bangalore) - State Mulls Over Complete Ban on Alcohol

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs S Suresh Kumar on Saturday July 25 said that it has been planned to place before the cabinet a proposal to completely ban alcohol in the state.
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=63177&n_tit=Bangalore%3A+State+Mulls+Over+Complete+Ban+on+Alcohol+

The Canadian Press (Brazile) - Prosecutors to oppose alcohol sale in 2014 World Cup in Brazil

Brazilian prosecutors are promising to fight FIFA if alcohol is allowed to be sold in stadiums during the 2014 World Cup of soccer in Brazil.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jkx0_ipn9zSs3hK8U-jCSIrHi_wQ

Daily Post (Wales) - Alcohol related deaths rise by 50% in Wales

A TOP surgeon yesterday called for action to curb to sales of strong, cheap booze after alcohol-related deaths in Wales soared by a worrying 50% in eight years.
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/07/25/alcohol-related-deaths-rise-by-50-in-wales-55578-24235433/

Politico (USA) - What will it take to change Americans' lifestyles?

The problem with legislative action, though, is that it is not likely to alter the personal behavior that is one reason life expectancy in the United States — 77.9 years — ranks 42nd in the world, well below that of Andorra, the Cayman Islands and most European countries.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25450.html

Alcohol News - week 29/2009

2009-07-20T20:56:00.001+03:00

Science Daily - Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Have More Severe Behavioral Problems Than Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Study Finds

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have a high risk of psychiatric problems, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder, or both.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716164335.htm

Forbes - Fetal Alcohol Disorders Often Misdiagnosed as ADHD

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are often initially diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, since the two problems can manifest in similar ways, a new study shows.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/07/17/hscout629016.html

ANSA.it (Italy) - Milan bans alcohol for minors

Milan became the first Italian city to ban minors under 16 from buying or consuming alcohol when a new ordinance came into force on Monday.
http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-07-20_120393567.html

Science Daily - Genes And The Environment Interact To Influence Adolescent Alcohol Use

Adolescent alcohol use and behavior problems are influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716164333.htm

Australian Food (Australia) -Preventative Health Taskforce recommends sport ad alcohol ban: report

A proposal to ban alcohol advertising in sport has been put forward by the Federal Government’s Preventative Health Taskforce, according to newspaper reports.
http://www.ausfoodnews.com.au/2009/07/20/preventative-health-taskforce-recommends-sport-ad-alcohol-ban-report.html
also
ABC Online - Country sport fears alcohol ad ban
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200907/s2630562.htm

Medscape - Moderate Alcohol Intake and Cancer Incidence in Women

With the exception of breast cancer, little is known about the effect of moderate intakes of alcohol, or of particular types of alcohol, on cancer risk in women.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704793

Scotsman (Scotland) - Minimum price plan falls foul of EU law

PLANS to stop the sale of cheap drink could be halted because they fall foul of EC free trade rules, opponents have claimed.
http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Minimum-price-plan-falls-foul.5473075.jp

Forbes - Heavy Drinking Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Heavy drinking, especially when it's beer, increases the risk for highly aggressive prostate cancer, a new study finds.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/07/13/hscout628912.html

RTE.ie (Ireland) - Rise in youth addiction problems reported

One of Ireland's leading drug, alcohol and gambling addiction treatment centres has recorded a big increase in its workload.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0720/drugs.html

Wall Street Journal (China) - Drink of Death: China’s Cadre Culture Gone Wild

The dangers of China’s boozy cadre culture are back in the spotlight after one official died and another fell into a coma in separate incidents last week.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/2009/07/20/drink-of-death-chinas-cadre-culture-gone-wild/

CNSNews.com (USA) - Lawmakers Urged to Raise Excise Tax on Alcohol to Fund ‘Wellness’ Programs

A coalition of businesses, non-profits, and government agencies is urging the House of Representatives to include an alcohol tax hike in its health care bill.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=51205

Reuters India (Russia) - Russia's Medvedev praises Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday praised the unpopular 1980s anti-alcohol campaign of the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and suggested his own crusade could also introduce new restrictions.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-41121920090717

Reuters (Asia) - Asia's beverage sector fizzes despite downturn

The crowds drinking beer in the bustling bars of Mumbai and Shanghai underscore the motive behind a flurry of recent merger and acquisition activity in Asia, with forecasts of strong growth for beer and spirits in years to come.
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE56J01S20090720

KAIT8 - Truth on Alcohol and Alzheimer's

A recent report from Medpage TODAY and ABC News claims a study presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, shows a couple of drinks a day could lower the risk of dementia. But Dr. Thomas Mulligan with the Center on Aging Northeast says this report is a bit misleading and offers a surprising warning.
http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10744552

Los Angeles Times (EU) - EU says Denmark, Ireland and Finland have highest prices for food, clothing and electronics

Denmark, Ireland and Finland had the highest overall prices of all European Union nations for consumer goods such as food, clothing and electronics last year, the EU statistics agency said Thursday.
http://www.latimes.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-eu-eu-prices,0,5379006.story

The Swedish Wire (Sweden) - Foreigners pick up cheap booze in Sweden

For many years Sweden has been famous for its expensive alcohol due to high taxes and a state-run alcohol-retailing system. But the times appears to be a-changin.
http://www.swedishwire.com/business/518-foreigners-pick-up-cheap-booze-in-sweden-

The Baltic Course (Latvia) - Alcohol curfew regulations likely to be changed in Latvia

It is highly probable that the law on sale of alcoholic beverages in Latvia will be amended, Assistant Chairman of Saeima's Economic Committee Vents Armands Krauklis (People's Party) announced today.
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies/?doc=15890

Alcohol News - week 28/2009

2009-07-13T20:42:00.001+03:00

Marketing Week (UK) - Cinema alcohol ad rules fail children, says charity

Current restrictions on alcohol advertising at the cinema are being ignored putting children’s health at risk, according to a leading alcohol charity.
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/cinema-alcohol-ad-rules-fail-children-says-charity/3002285.article

YLE.fi (Finland/Estonia) - Massive Alcohol Smuggling Case

Customs officials are preparing a case involving a massive smuggling of illegal alcohol into Finland. Three men from south-east Finland are suspected of leading an organisation that smuggled at least 85,000 litres of alcohol from Estonia to Finland over a three-year period.
http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/2009/07/massive_alcohol_smuggling_case_858327.html

CNN International (India) - Tainted alcohol leaves children without fathers

It is a scenario that has played out dozens of times, killing hundreds of people across India over the years. In Ahmedabad this month, police said more than 100 people died and more than 200 were sickened after drinking tainted alcohol.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/07/13/india.alcohol.deaths/

MedPage Today - Heavy Drinking Boosts Prostate Cancer Risk

Regular, heavy consumption of alcohol increased the risk of high-grade prostate cancer and blunted the chemopreventive effect of finasteride, data from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) showed.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Urology/ProstateCancer/15046

Ethiopian Review - Alcohol goes to the head in six minutes, scientists say

For the first time, researchers have proved the rapid changes that drinking alcohol causes in human brain cells.
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/articles/13582

Los Angeles Times (USA) - Alcohol sales to minors an issue with self-service checkout

The state Senate begins debating a bill today that would force supermarkets to route alcohol sales through cashiers. The all-self-checkout Fresh & Easy stores would especially be affected.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-booze8-2009jul08,0,723067.story

7thSpace Interactive (Sweden) - Alcohol use among university students in Sweden measured by an electronic screening instrument

Electronic-based alcohol screening and brief interventions for university students with problemdrinking behaviours forms an important means by which to identify risky drinkers.
http://7thspace.com/headlines/314202/alcohol_use_among_university_students_in_sweden_measured_by_an_electronic_screening_instrument.html

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Booze behind most Australians' murderous intent

ALCOHOL was involved in almost half of all homicides in Australia between 2000 and 2006, new figures show.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25772059-29277,00.html

WalesOnline (Wales) - Alcohol deaths treble in Wales

DEATHS from alcohol abuse in Wales have almost trebled in a generation, according to shocking new official figures.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/07/12/alcohol-deaths-treble-in-wales-91466-24131641/

Science Daily - College Students Might Drink Less If They Knew Peers' True Habits

Blame it on peer pressure. When college students think that other undergrads drink a lot of alcohol, they drink more themselves.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709205421.htm

Jerusalem Post (Israel) - Bill would forbid minors from drinking alcohol outside their homes

Following two deadly weekend car accidents likely caused by drinking, MK Yariv Levin (Likud) was planning to submit a bill Sunday forbidding anyone under the age of 18 from consuming alcohol outside their homes.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443780304&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

MedIndia - Infection, Alcohol and Diabetes Double Death Risk in Stroke Patients

A new study has warned that heavy drinking, type 1 diabetes or having a preceding infection is likely to double the risk of death in stroke patients.
http://www.medindia.net/news/Infection-Alcohol-and-Diabetes-Doubles-Death-Risk-in-Stroke-Patients-54554-1.htm

Arizona Republic - Survey: Dads lag in talking to kids about drugs, alcohol

A recent survey indicates that fathers are likely to leave it to mothers to talk with their children about substance abuse.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2009/07/09/20090709drugdads0709.html

Science Daily - Student Drinking: Changing Perceptions Reduces Alcohol Misuse

Giving students personalised feedback on their drinking behaviour and how it compares to social norms might help to reduce alcohol misuse, according to a Cochrane Systematic Review.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201116.htm

KION46 (USA) - Is there Alcohol in Your Kids Energy Drink? Maybe

The Hollister Police Department has received information from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control that minors are buying alcoholic beverages that are commonly mistaken for energy drinks. Those drinks are known as "alcopops", and they resemble energy drinks.
http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10667356

ABC Online (Australia) - Economic downturn increases rural substance abuse

A health advocacy group fears more people in rural Australia are using alcohol to cope with stress caused by the economic downturn.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200907/s2623972.htm

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol deaths rise by 40 per cent

The number of women dying from alcohol-related causes increased by 32 per cent and male deaths rose by 43 per cent.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5780529/Alcohol-deaths-rise-by-40-per-cent.html

PrisonPlanet - Drunken and Disturbed Children; The Failure Of Government, Police, Media and Parents

The research found British children regard themselves as less happy, drink more alcohol, take more drugs, and had more underage sex than children elsewhere.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/drunken-and-disturbed-children-the-failure-of-government-police-media-and-parents.html

The Baltic Course (Latvia) - Latvian breweries want ban on retail of beer during nighttime hours lifted

Latvian beer producers and retailers have turned to the Finance Ministry and the Economy Ministry with a proposal to lift the ban on selling beer at nighttime, as Inara Sure, the Aldaris brewery board chairman, told LETA.
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/markets_and_companies/?doc=15656

The Local (Germany) - Alcohol abuse spikes for Germans over 50

Incidents of alcohol poisoning and abuse among people between 50 and 60 years of age have risen in states across Germany, health insurer DAK confirmed on Wednesday.
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090708-20465.html

Alcohol News - week 27/2009

2009-07-06T19:53:00.001+03:00

SignOnSanDiego - Think. Drink. Think again.

There's nothing like a cold beer on a sweltering summer day. George Koob can tell you exactly what makes that beer so satisfying – how the alcohol triggers a cascade of pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters in the brain.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/29/1c29alcohol19135-think-drink-think-again/?science&zIndex=124043

Telegraph (UK) - Alcohol advertising should be banned, British Medical Association says

The conference passed a motion calling for a complete ban on advertising and for a minimum price per unit of alcohol to be set which would increase the cost of cut price alcohol and reduce consumption.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5721919/Alcohol-advertising-should-be-banned-British-Medical-Association-says.html

New York Times (Australia) - Facing a Crisis, Aborigines Stage Interventions of Their Own

Since Halls Creek recently became the latest Aboriginal town in the Australian outback to restrict alcohol sales, its doctors and police officers have been getting more sleep thanks to a steep dropoff in nighttime brawls.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/world/asia/05australia.html?hpw

Swissinfo (Turkey) - Turkish alcohol sector attacks new ad restrictions

Turkish alcohol producers voiced deep concern on Monday about new advertising restrictions which they say severely curb alcohol advertisements in Muslim, but secular, Turkey.
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Turkish_alcohol_sector_attacks_new_ad_restrictions.html?siteSect=143&sid=10923052&cKey=1246890201000&ty=ti

China Daily (China) - Media: China to delay adjustment of alcohol tax

The State Council, or China's cabinet, will delay the adjustment of a consumption tax on alcohol products, local media reported last Friday.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/06/content_8383185.htm

The Swedish Wire (EU) - Sweden wants to raise EU alcohol taxes

Christian Democrat Göran Hägglund wants to roll out Sweden’s restrictive alcohol policy in Europe and put new EU-wide rules into practice as a part of the Swedish EU presidency.
http://www.swedishwire.com/politics/468-sweden-wants-to-raise-eu-alcohol-taxes

RIA Novosti (Russia) - Medvedev against ban on alcohol, will fight problem differently

The Russian authorities are preparing a number of serious solutions to fight alcoholism, President Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday, adding that a ban would not help solve the problem.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090704/155431427.html

The Publican (UK) - Teenagers drink 'for something to do', says survey

One in four young people drink alcohol for ‘something to do’, according to new research launched by alcohol charity Drinkaware.
http://www.thepublican.com/story.asp?sectioncode=7&storycode=64380&c=1

guardian.co.uk (UK) - It's time for action on alcohol prices

The BMA's support for minimum unit pricing to combat the soaring cost of drink-related illnesses (Doctors vote for alcohol ads ban, 3 July) is a real call for the government to take effective action - the medical profession is united on this.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/04/alcohol-abuse-prices-doctors

ZDNet (USA) - 60% of Americans would give up alcohol for their mobile phones

In a survey indicative of how users interact with their electronic devices, one in three Americans said they would give up television to keep their mobile phone, and a full 60 percent said they would give up alcohol for a week instead.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=20569

Wall Street Journal (USA) - Study: Drug, Alcohol Use Among Young Adults Goes Untreated

About seven million young adults in the past year were classified as needing treatment to overcome alcoholism or illegal drug usage, a new national study released Monday said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090629-700006.html

National Business Review - Moderate drinkers live longer partly due to wealth & disability factors

Some of the association between moderate alcohol consumption and longer life is explained by the fact that teetotallers are less wealthy, less educated and more likely to be disabled, according to a new US study.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/moderate-drinkers-live-longer-partly-due-wealth-disability-factors-104889

Forbes - Increasing Alcohol Use Tied to More Hospitalization

The more alcohol men drink, the more time they spend in a hospital, research from the United Kingdom has found.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/07/01/hscout628588.html

Scotsman (Scotland) - Minimum price for alcohol set at 40p per unit

Scotland on Sunday understands that the SNP is poised to back a 40p per unit rate for all alcoholic drinks when it announces its full plans later this year. The government believes that it will stop shops from selling loss-leading cheap drink, while leaving more expensive brands untouched.
http://news.scotsman.com/politics/Minimum-price-for-alcohol-set.5430099.jp

Guardian (UK) - 'Wild side' alcohol ad banned by ASA

An alcohol advertising campaign showing a woman seducing a man and turning into a leopard has been banned by the ASA after a complaint from Alcohol Concern objecting that it linked drinking to seduction and sexual success.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/01/wild-africa-cream-alcohol-sex-ad-banned-asa#

Bloomberg (UK/France) - Britons Abandon Cheap Booze Cruises to France on Weaker Pound

Franglais, a warehouse of discount wine built for British day-trippers, had one shopper parked outside on a spring Saturday. Neighbors on the retail strip near the Calais ferry terminal were also deserted, including the only French outlet of Tesco Plc.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601093&sid=aK5KItkfOcRM

Alcohol News - week 26/2009

2009-06-29T20:05:00.001+03:00

BBC - Alcohol link to one in 25 deaths

One in 25 deaths across the world are linked to alcohol consumption, Canadian experts have suggested. Europe had the highest proportion of deaths related to alcohol, with 1 in 10 deaths directly attributable. Within Europe, the former Soviet Union countries had the highest proportion at 15%, or around one in seven deaths.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8118475.stm
also
TIME - Stemming the Rise in Global Alcohol-Related Deaths
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1907408,00.html

Associated Press (Russia) - Study blames alcohol for half 1990s Russian deaths

A new study by an international team of public health researchers documents the devastating impact of alcohol abuse on Russia — showing that drinking caused more than half of deaths among Russians aged 15 to 54 in the turbulent era following the Soviet collapse.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hJVsg2ZxlA4B1BfhPscqETG8sLLQD991SJ280

RedOrbit - Prenatal Nutrients And Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Doctors are searching for new ways to protect unborn babies from the dangerous health impacts caused by a drinking mother.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1709682/prenatal_nutrients_and_fetal_alcohol_syndrome/

Science Blogs - The Friday Fermentable: "Mixing Drinks With Work and Staying Sober, Too" (NYTimes)

I don't know if Kim Severson of the New York Times knew this when writing her thought-provoking article earlier this week, but it coincided with the annual meetings of the Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) and the College of Problems on Drug Dependence (CPDD).
http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/2009/06/the_friday_fermentable_mixing.php

Brandweek (USA) - Alcohol Consumption Up in the Home

While the recession has likely driven some people to drink, the odds are they are doing it at home these days, according to a recent study from Mintel.
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/direct/e3i344418db676344f02e8f218c90e67ebc

The Examiner (USA) - College-educated women admit to drinking while pregnant

The Centers for Disease Control questioned more than 500,000 women. They found that one in eight women reported drinking some amount of alcohol while pregnant.
http://www.examiner.com/x-13554-Atlanta-Childrens-Health-Examiner~y2009m6d28-Older-collegeeducated-women-admit-to-drinking-while-pregnant

New York Times (USA) - Alcohol a Common Factor in Suicide

Alcohol has long been known to play a role in suicides, but there have been little data regarding which victims use it and how often.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/health/19suicide.html?ref=health

Sowetan (South Africa) - Alcohol damages lives in Gauteng

ALCOHOL is the drug of choice for people in Gauteng with almost half of the patients at treatment centres in the province being treated for alcohol abuse.
http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1025339

Azerbaijan Business Center (Azerbaijan) - 82% of Baku residents do not drink alcohol

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. International Research Group Business Insight (BI) has conducted a poll to research lifestyle of the population of Azerbaijani capital Baku that covered 660 respondents (women - 65% and men - 35%).
http://abc.az/eng/news/main/36190.html

Monsters and Critics.com (Netherland) - Study says number of elderly Dutch alcoholics on the rise

The number of elderly people with an alcohol problem in the Netherlands is rising, according to a report released on Monday.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1486481.php/Study_says_number_of_elderly_Dutch_alcoholics_on_the_rise_

eMaxHealth.com (USA) - Prevention Programs Don't Decrease Alcohol Problems in Colleges

Ralph Hingson, Sc.D., M.P.H., and colleagues have published the results of their research which shows that binge drinking, drunk driving, and alcohol-related deaths increased among college students over the first half of the decade.
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1024/63/31739/prevention-programs-dont-decrease-alcohol-problems-colleges.html

guardian.co.uk (Lithuania) - StatoilHydro fights Lithuanian alcohol ban –report

Norwegian oil and gas group StatoilHydro is trying to reverse a ban on the sale of alcohol at petrol stations in Lithuania, claiming it may lead to massive lay-offs, daily Dagens Naeringsliv said on Wednesday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8573927

CBS 4 - Alcohol May Be Unsafe At Any Level For Women

Several years ago studies indicated a glass of red wine might have beneficial effects on heart health. But scientists cautioned heavy use of alcohol might raise a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. A new study reported in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicates even moderate use of alcohol can be dangerous.
http://cbs4.com/health/alcohol.wine.cancer.2.1060737.html

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Minimum alcohol price 'could halve hospital admissions for drinking'

Prof Gilmore, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, said the move could reduce the numbers admitted for alcohol problems by around 100,000.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5636607/Minimum-alcohol-price-could-halve-hospital-admissions-for-drinking.html

National Business Review (New Zealand) - NZ Treasury weighs in on ‘shonky’ Berl alcohol report

The Berl report into the social costs of alcohol being used by the Law Commission is work that doesn’t look like it meets the “normal standards you would expect”, according to Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Dr Peter Bushnell.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-treasury-weighs-shonky-berl-alcohol-report-104204

MedPage Today - Heavy Daily Drinking Boosts Chances of Lethal Brain Hemorrhage

Fatal hemorrhagic strokes were more than three times as common in men who had at least six drinks daily, researchers found.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/CriticalCare/Strokes/14868

MOSNEWS (Estonia/Finland) - Estonian service delivers cheap booze to Finland

Finnish officials are at wit’s end over a loophole in import laws that is allowing an Estonian internet service to deliver alcohol inexpensively to Finland, Estonian Postimees newspaper reports.
http://www.mosnews.com/money/2009/06/25/estbooze/

Alcohol News - week 25/2009

2009-06-22T18:48:00.001+03:00

BBC New (Scotland) - Bid to ban booze ads near schools

Labour is calling for a ban on alcohol advertising near schools in Scotland, as a wide-ranging summit on tackling drink problems takes place.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8111643.stm

USA Today (USA) - Alcohol abuse by GIs soars since '03

The rate of Army soldiers enrolled in treatment programs for alcohol dependency or abuse has nearly doubled since 2003 — a sign of the growing stress of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Army statistics and interviews.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-06-18-army-alcohol-problems_N.htm

New York Times (USA) - Alcohol a Common Factor in Suicides

Alcohol has long been known to play a role in suicides, but there have been little data regarding which victims use it and how often.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/health/19suicide.html?ref=health

Hürriyet (Turkey) - Alcohol sales rule leaves a sour taste

Producers and experts raise their concerns over a possible hidden agenda of the government while changing the regulations on sales of alcohol and tobacco products to put an indirect ban on alcohol consumption in line with the government’s perceived conservatism.
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/11914445.asp?scr=1

Times Online (EU) - EU technocrats turn noses up at new generation of de-alcoholised wines

For years New World vineyards have been reducing the alcohol content in wines through technology — and, for years, their European counterparts have sniffily rejected such methods. Now French research has shown that the Americans and the Australians had it right all along.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6550419.ece

RedOrbit - Study Links Teen Alcohol, Drug Use To Paternal Drinking

A U.S. study showed on Thursday that teenagers who live with alcoholic fathers, or even dads who drink in moderation, are more likely to have used drugs or had drinks themselves in the past year, AFP reported.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1708578/study_links_teen_alcohol_drug_use_to_paternal_drinking/

U.S. News & World Report (USA) - Advocates: Obama Should Treat Drug and Alcohol Addicts Too

With the president and Congress considering major, expensive healthcare reform, a group representing an often forgotten group has a message for Washington: Drug and alcohol addicts deserve your love too.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2009/06/18/advocates-obama-should-treat-drug-and-alcohol-addicts-too.html

Tasmanian Government Media Releases (Tasmania) - Alcohol is a Drug Too

‘Alcohol is a Drug Too’ is the theme for this year’s Drug Action Week 2009 which was officially launched to today in Northern Tasmania, at the Tasmanian Polytechnic, Alanvale Campus.
http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=27103

New York Times - Alcohol’s Good for You? Some Scientists Doubt It

By now, it is a familiar litany. Study after study suggests that alcohol in moderation may promote heart health and even ward off diabetes and dementia. The evidence is so plentiful that some experts consider moderate drinking — about one drink a day for women, about two for men — a central component of a healthy lifestyle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/health/16alco.html?ref=science

U.S. News & World Report - How Alcohol Changes the Brain ... Quickly

In the name of science, eight men and seven women drank alcohol through a straw while lying in an MRI scanner, presumably not all together, to see what would happen.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/science/medical-science/2009/06/15/how-alcohol-changes-the-brain--quickly.html

Examiner.com - Drinking at a work event, a do or a don't?

Have you ever been to a work event where someone got smashed? Yes… smashed. The person in question takes a drunken stumble right in front of their company president or they say something extremely inappropriate like a sexual innuendo? Needless to say, actions like these do not leave a good impression in the workplace.
http://www.examiner.com/x-13875-NY-Career-Search-Examiner~y2009m6d21-Drinking-at-a-work-event-a-do-or-a-dont

ABC Online (Australia) - Opposition split on alcopops tax hike

Four federal Opposition MPs have split from the rest of their Coalition colleagues and refused to vote for a permanent increase to the alcopops tax.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/22/2605370.htm?section=justin

ABC Online (Australia) - Alcohol ban human rights breach 'hard to prove

A legal expert says Halls Creek residents in northern Western Australia will find it very hard to prove that the ban on the sale of full strength alcohol is a breach of human rights.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/19/2602886.htm

Standart News (EU) - Europe Launches Alcohol Anti-Advertising Campaign

Alcohol consumption can damage your health and shorten your life,? such safety signs will be mandatory on the labels on bottles of rakia, whiskey and vodka. The new requirement will come into force after 2011, decided the General Assembly of the European Confederation of the Spirits Producers.
http://paper.standartnews.com/en/article.php?d=2009-06-18&article=27843

RIA Novosti (Russia) - Alcohol abuse kills 500,000 Russians annually – report

Around 500,000 Russians die annually of alcohol abuse, the Russian Public Chamber said in a report on Tuesday.
http://en.rian.ru/society/20090616/155266559.html

Alcohol News - week 24/2009

2009-06-15T21:39:00.001+03:00

Institutes of Health (USA) - As College Drinking Problems Rise, New Studies Identify Effective Prevention Strategies

Alcohol-related deaths among U.S. college students rose from 1,440 deaths in 1998 to 1,825 in 2005, along with increases in heavy drinking and drunk driving, according to an article in the July supplement of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jun2009/niaaa-15.htm

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Northern Territorians drink 15 litres of pure alcohol each year

NORTHERN Territorians are drinking the Irish lads under the table to become the world's undisputed booze-swilling kings.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25636982-421,00.html

Bangkok Post (Thailand) - Alcohol-free days sought

A network of monks has renewed calls for the government to declare the four most important days on the Buddhist calendar alcohol-free.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/18481/alcohol-free-days-sought

ABC Online - Wine industry wants more clarity on alcohol levels

The wine industry is pushing to have alcohol percentages for wine labelled more accurately.
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/200906/s2598380.htm

Newsroom Finland (Finland) - Finnish Parliament raises alcohol tax by 10 pct

The Finnish Parliament on Monday approved a ten per cent increase in alcohol taxes. The higher tax rate is expected to raise alcohol prices by an average of 4.5 per cent from the beginning of October.
http://newsroom.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=22132&group=Politics

Daily Mail (UK) - The ladette legacy: A third more women fined for being drunk in the last three years

The number of women arrested for being drunk and disorderly in public has risen by nearly a third in just three years.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1193069/The-ladette-legacy-A-women-fined-drunk-years.html

AFP (Finland) - Greying Finns drink more alcohol than before: study

Ageing Finns have increased their alcohol consumption significantly since 2000, a worrying trend in a country where alcohol is the leading cause of death, researchers said on Friday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iP2_I3VTbT91ccI5zaPoZMne42OQ

Science Daily - Study Redefines Roles Of Alcohol, Smoking In Risk For Pancreatitis

Although alcohol consumption is known to be associated with chronic pancreatitis, new evidence indicates that a threshold of five or more drinks per day is required to significantly raise risk; however, most patients with chronic pancreatitis do not drink this amount, according to a report in the June 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, smoking is an independent, dose-dependent risk factor.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608162430.htm

Science Daily - Relaxed Attitudes Toward Alcohol And Youth May Increase Risk Of Binge Drinking In College

Should parents allow their teenage children to drink alcohol? Restaurants in Germany can legally sell alcohol to a teenager after his sixteenth birthday, and French children drink wine with dinner in the home starting at an early age.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124823.htm

Canada.com - Heart rhythm risk seen in women's alcohol drinking

Women who consume more than two alcoholic drinks a day have a higher risk of getting the most common type of heart rhythm disturbance, which can raise the chances of having a stroke, researchers said on Tuesday.
http://www.canada.com/health/Heart+rhythm+risk+seen+women+alcohol+drinking/1026756/story.html

ScienceAlert - Booze ads target youth

Addiction scientists are calling for tighter regulation of alcohol advertising, as new research shows that self-regulation by the alcohol industry does not protect impressionable children and youth from exposure.
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20091606-19295.html

Atlanta Journal Constitution - Alcohol, Cigarettes and Diabetes Up Colorectal Cancer Risk

It's been known for some time that obesity and eating lots of red meat can raise the risk of colorectal cancer, but new research sheds light on other lifestyle factors that increase risk.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/alca/627710.html

followthemedia.com (Switserland) - Ad Rules and Changing Behavior

The Swiss Federal Council voted at the end of May to allow certain alcohol ads on Swiss TV, thinking it would be good for Swiss producers, both alcoholic and television.
http://followthemedia.com/spots/adrules15062009.htm

Alcohol News - week 23/2009

2009-06-08T20:34:00.001+03:00

BBC News - Alcohol: Is it really good for you?

Alcohol is bad for you. Red wine is good for the heart. It's all about moderation… Confused? You're not alone.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8079816.stm

Reuters - Alcohol risks greater in teen-onset drinkers

Delaying the start of alcohol drinking might curb subsequent rates of alcohol-related injuries.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5545BY20090605

The Australian (Australia) - Advertising bans on junk food and alcohol

AUSTRALIA'S advertising industry is facing a comprehensive and unprecedented push to ban unhealthy food and alcohol advertising, from the eight inquiries kicked off in the 18 months since the federal government was elected.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25601563-7582,00.html

BBC News (UK) - Youth drug treatment hits record

A record number of young people in England sought treatment for drug or alcohol problems in 2007/8, according to figures obtained by the BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8088502.stm

Atlanta Journal Constitution - Alcohol, Cigarettes and Diabetes Up Colorectal Cancer Risk

It's been known for some time that obesity and eating lots of red meat can raise the risk of colorectal cancer, but new research sheds light on other lifestyle factors that increase risk.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/alca/627710.html

USA Today (USA) - Report: Smoking declines as alcohol, drug use hold steady

A new report on substance abuse and mental health shows a small percentage of people are kicking smoking while alcohol and illicit drug-use levels remain steady.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-06-04-drugs-alcohol-abuse_N.htm

The Associated Press (USA) - Senate panel's alcohol, sweet drink tax proposal

The Senate Finance Committee has said it is considering raising federal taxes on alcohol and creating a new tax on sugar-sweetened drinks to help pay for revamping the nation's health care system, an overhaul that could cost $1.5 trillion over the next decade.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iGCD1gSHFjJvotw9KEY75CBuD-PAD98J9SMO0

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Drunk holidaymakers put travel insurance at risk

A survey this week by a travel insurance specialist found that 70 per cent of holidaymakers did not realise that they will be required to cover the costs of medical treatment should they sustain an injury while under the influence of alcohol.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/5478115/Drunk-holidaymakers-put-travel-insurance-at-risk.html

Kyiv Post (Ukraine) - Alcohol abuse can be cut by taking these steps

Proven ways exist to reduce alcohol consumption and improve public health.
http://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/op_ed/42816

Baltic Review (Finland) - The Finns have a neurotic relation to alcohol

Ninety years ago a ban was introduced in Finland on the production of drinks with an alcohol content of over 2 percent
http://baltic-review.com/2009/06/02/society-the-finns-have-a-neurotic-relation-to-alcohol/

Times of India - Why alcoholics often turn violent

Researchers have revealed low glycogen level – which means non-oxidative glucose metabolism – might be behind the violent behaviour.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lifestyle/Why-alcoholics-often-turn-violent/articleshow/4608833.cms

AIP.org (EU) - New Research on the "European" Approach to Teenage Drinking

Should parents allow their teenage children to drink alcohol? Restaurants in Germany can legally sell alcohol to a teenager after his sixteenth birthday, and French children drink wine with dinner in the home starting at an early age.
http://www.aip.org/isns/reports/2009/060109binge.html

The Local (Germany) - Politicians split over using undercover teens to buy alcohol

Should undercover teenage shoppers be allowed to expose the illegal sale of alcohol to underage consumers? Germany’s state interior ministers remained divided on the issue at an annual conference in Bremerhaven on Friday.
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090606-19747.html

World Radio Switzerland (Switzerland) - Could TV alcohol ad rules be loosened?

The House of Representatives voted today to liberalize restrictions on TV ads for wine and beer.
http://worldradio.ch/wrs/news/wrsnews/could-tv-alcohol-ad-rules-be-loosened.shtml?13937

Alcohol News - week 22/2009

2009-06-01T20:41:00.001+03:00

The Money Times (USA) - Survey finds first trimester alcohol use

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey of Drug Use and Health also indicated the percentage of women consuming alcohol during pregnancy declined as their delivery date approached, USA Today reported Monday.
http://www.themoneytimes.com/20090601/survey-finds-first-trimester-alcohol-use-id-1070047.html

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Alcohol 'increases' bowel cancer risk

Having more than one alcoholic drink a day is enough to dramatically increase your bowel cancer risk, Australian research shows.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/alcohol-increases-bowel-cancer-risk-20090602-bt3p.html

Science Daily - To What Extent Can Environmental Pollutants And Alcohol Affect Gastrointestinal Health?

New research quantifies the precise effects of environmental pollutants and alcohol intake on gastrointestinal (GI) health. Both studies being presented the week of May 31 -- Digestive Disease Week® 2009 -- offer concrete evidence that the environment and alcohol intake can affect GI health and share important insights into new directions for future research.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090531181746.htm

Forbes - Sensitivity to Alcohol May Predict Alcoholism

The more you need to drink to feel the effects of alcohol, the greater your chance of becoming an alcoholic, a new study says.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/05/26/hscout627292.html

Sify - Daily alcohol intake leads to binge drinking

Sipping wine, beer or spirits thrice or more per week heightens the risk of binge drinking, says a new study.
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jf3n4Qahbgb&title=Daily_alcohol_intake_leads_to_binge_drinking

United Press International (Germany) - Teen alcohol poisoning in Germany doubled

The number of adolescents in Germany admitted to the hospital for alcohol poisoning has more than doubled since 2000, researchers said.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/05/26/Teen-alcohol-poisoning-in-Germany-doubled/UPI-33101243363901/

Irish Times (Ireland) - 'Unprecedented' fall in alcohol sales

Alcohol sales fell by 13 per cent during the first quarter, compared to the same three-month period a year earlier, according to new figures from the Revenue Commissioners.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0527/breaking26.htm

Sunday Herald (Scotland) - Scandal of Scotland’s teenage alcoholics

scale of Scotland's teenage drink epidemic is today revealed by the Sunday Herald. Information obtained from the country's councils and health boards shows almost 1600 young people, some as young as 11, are currently being treated for alcohol addiction.
http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2511522.0.scandal_of_scotlands_teenage_alcoholics.php

Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Personal imports of alcohol from Estonia increase

The rise in the taxation of alcoholic beverages appears to have led to a decline in overall consumption of alcohol in Finland in January-April this year.
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Personal+imports+of+alcohol+from+Estonia+increase/1135246341200

The Baltic Course (Estonia) - Bank of Estonia considers that the State could increase excise tax on alcohol

the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Estonia Rein Minka wrote in a letter, being addressed to the Prime Minister and to the Minister for Finances, that Estonia could raise the excise tax on alcohol in order to improve the budgetary balance, writes LETA.
http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/finances/?doc=14077

The Associated Press (France) - France reports sharp drop in wine, champagne sales

As wallets grew thinner around the world, fans of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne cut back heavily on their purchases of French wine in 2008, according to French government statistics released Tuesday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hrjNy-ZnogLEzGoRreO33BbNCKeQD98EMPH04