Alcohol News

Alcohol News - 5/2012

2012-01-30T19:06:00.001+02:00

Irish Times (Ireland) - Minimumalcohol price across island planned to tackle abuse

HEALTH AUTHORITIES on both sides of the Border are planning tointroduce a minimum price for alcohol on the island in an effort to combatalcohol abuse.

Wall Street Journal (USA) - StricterThinking on Alcohol During Pregnancy

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

Huffington Post (USA) - IllinoisAlcohol Abuse: Midwest 'Binge Drinking Belt,' By The Numbers

Data released Monday shows that some of the highest rates of binge drinkingin the nation can be found in the Midwest -- specifically in Illinois.

BBC News (UK) - Alcohol deathsincrease slightly

Alcohol related deaths in the UK have increased slightly between 2009and 2010, according to official figures. The number of deaths linked todrinking has gone from 8,664 to 8,790 - a rise of 126.

BBC News (Ireland) - New plansfor all-Ireland minimum alcohol price

Health authorities have decided upon a cross-border strategy on aminimum price for alcohol. The proposals were outlined at the first formalNorth/South conference on alcohol misuse, held in Armagh on Thursday.

Scotsman (Scotland) - Scotsalcohol-related deaths double during last 30 years

THE number of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland has more than doubledin the past three decades, latest figures show.

PRWeb - Is Alcohol a BiggerThreat to Male Sexual Health than Smoking?

Men who drink what is considered to be above the normal amount ofalcohol on a weekly basis are at higher risk of developing erection problemsthan those who smoke and do not drink as regularly, reports QuitFullStop.

Irish Times (Ireland) - Ban onselling alcohol in shops urged

A BAN on the sale of alcohol in supermarkets and garages should beconsidered by Government, a new report on alcohol and drugs has said.

The Canberra Times (Australia) - Alcoholincidents 'double' on Aust Day

Heavy drinking is the Australian way for many, and Australia Day is theday more young people are involved in harmful alcohol-related incidents, suchas assaults and car accidents, than on any other public holiday, research hasfound.

Medscape (USA) - Prevalence ofHIV Risk Behaviors Between Binge Drinkers and Non-binge Drinkers Aged 18- to64-Years in US, 2008

Using data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on281,303 adults aged 18–64 years in the United States, we examined therelationship between HIV risk behaviors and binge drinking of alcoholicbeverages and the frequency of binge drinking among a subgroup of 41,073respondents who were acknowledged binge drinkers (bingers), based on reporteddrinking behavior in the year preceding survey.

Mayo Advertiser (Ireland) - Oireachtasalcohol report will tackle drink problem – O’Mahony

Fine Gael Mayo TD, John O’Mahony, has said that the report on alcoholand drug misuse published by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health andChildren, “provides a blueprint on how we can tackle our national drinkproblem”.

Irish Times (UK) - UK andRepublic top European binge-drinking list

SOME 80 per cent of drinking takes place around a meal table in Italy,Spain and France, while in Britain and Ireland 80 per cent of drinking happensaway from the meal table, the first North-South conference on alcohol heardyesterday.

The Guardian (Poland) - Polishstereotypes: hard-drinking Catholic zealots? Nie!

These stereotypes of Poles are true but only partly. Poles drinkaverage amounts of alcohol, they are Catholic but not really bothered by whatthe church says, and they dislike Jews just slightly more than the averageEuropean.

RAPSI (Russia) - Lawsuit againstwatchdog to register Russian Alcohol brand to be heard Jan. 31

A commercial court will start reconsidering on January 31 the RussianAlcohol (Russky Alkogol) distributor's lawsuit disputing the patent watchdog'srefusal to register the Russian Alcohol trademark, the court told the RussianLegal Information Agency (RAPSI/rapsinews.com) on Monday.

dailyRx (Netherlands) - BingeDrinking Linked to Explicit Thoughts

Widely accepted patterns of alcohol consumption suggest that bothexplicit and implicit behaviors influence the way people drink. A recentresearch study debunked that frame of thought. A study done by scientificinvestigators in the Netherlands implies that our social thoughts, such asexcitement to see friends or anticipation to meet someone new, encourage excessalcohol consumption.

Irish Times (France/Ireland) - Frenchlaw on breath test kits to affect Irish tourists

THOUSANDS OF Irish tourists who will take their car with them to Francethis summer will face fines unless they are carrying a breathalyser with themin their vehicle.

Alcoho News - 4/2012

2012-01-23T18:56:00.003+02:00

MyHealthNewsDaily (Denmark) - 1-2Drinks a Week Can Raise Miscarriage Risk

Drinking even a small amount of alcohol could increase the risk ofmiscarriage during the first four months of pregnancy, a new study from Denmarksuggests.

The Local.se (Sweden) - AverageSwede likes sweets, booze, and TV

The average Swede is 40+, munches on a weekly bag of sweets, washeddown with a glass or three of alcohol, while relaxing in front of the TV,according to the 2012 Statistical Yearbook of Sweden from Statistics Sweden(Statistiska Centralbyrån -SCB).

TIME - Alcohol in Pregnancy:It’s Never Safe, Especially Not in the First Trimester

A new study finds that the developmental hazards of maternal drinkingmay be greatest at the end of the first trimester.

The Age (Australia) - Alcoholincidents skyrocket on Australia Day

HEAVY drinking is the Australian way for many, and more young peopleare involved in harmful alcohol-related incidents, such as assaults and caraccidents, on Australia Day than on any other public holiday, research hasfound.

BBC News (Brazil) - Beer 'mustbe sold' at Brazil World Cup, says Fifa

Beer must be sold at all venues hosting matches in the 2014 World Cupin Brazil, football's world governing body, Fifa, has insisted.

The Columbian (USA) - Binge drinking can lead to variety ofserious consequences

More than 18 percent of Washington residents, and nearly 16 percent ofpeople nationally, binge drink, according to new estimates by the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention. The CDC defines binge drinking as a mandrinking five or more alcoholic drinks within a short period of time or a womandrinking four or more alcoholic drinks within a short period of time.

Irish Examiner (UK) - Almost onein 10 adults in North 'has drink problem'

Nearly one in 10 people surveyed about drinking in the North was foundto have a problem with alcohol. The research compiled on behalf of the BritishDepartment of Health was based on interviews with more than 2,000 people andrevealed trends in alcohol use.

LiveScience.com - ParentalAlcoholism Linked to Brain Changes in Kids

Adolescent brains respond to risky situations differently if the teen'sparents are alcoholics, new research finds.

msnbc.com - 'Sumerian beer'alcohol-free? A controversy is brewing

The fermented cereal beverage enjoyed by Sumerians, so-called Sumerianbeer, may have been alcohol-free, suggests a recent review of ancient Sumerianpractices.

Globes (Israel) - New law bansalcohol advertising

The Knesset plenum is due to pass a private member's bill by MK DannyDanon (Likud) which bans alcohol advertising on billboards and buses in itssecond and third readings today. The bill also restricts alcohol advertisementsto media that only targets adults.

RIA Novosti (Russia) - Beer mayreturn to Russian stadiums: Putin

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has promised to consider liftingthe current ban on sale and advertisement of beer at football stadiums inRussia, which will host the World Cup championship in 2018.

The Canberra Times (Australia) - Raisealcohol price to 'reduce harm'

A minimum price for alcohol is needed to prevent the industry fromselling liquor “below price'', according to a report prepared for the NSWBureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

Edinburgh Evening News (Scotland) - Stores accused over alcohol sales

MSPs have accused supermarkets of "undermining the spirit" ofalcohol discounting laws by slashing their prices and encouraging onlinepurchasing.

Irish Times (Ireland) - Supervisedteenage alcohol use at home is not a good idea

HOW DO you effectively teach your children about alcohol? Minister ofState with responsibility for Primary Care Róisín Shortall has said she feltparents should not be giving their children alcohol at home in an attempt toteach “responsible drinking”, and are sometimes permitting binge drinking athome to try to prevent it going on in unsupervised circumstances elsewhere.

Olive Press (Spain) - Spainrejects breathalysers for cars

SPAIN has rejected breathalysers for cars on the basis that “the onlysafe way to drive is with zero alcohol in your system”.

FASD News - 3/2012

2012-01-22T19:03:00.002+02:00

Medical News Today - No SafeLevel Of Alcohol During Pregnancy

The authors of a study published online on Tuesday that was designed toovercome the difficulties of obtaining accurate and reliable data in FetalAlcohol Syndrome research, say their findings reinforce the warning that thereis no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Edmonton Journal (Canada) - Justicesystem struggles to deal with fetal alcohol disorder

Since the Alberta government launched its 10-year plan on FASD fiveyears ago — a strategy with heavy emphasis on screening and education — moreoffenders are coming to court already diagnosed with FASD, and the justicesystem is struggling to find the most effective ways to deal with them.

Daily Mail - Mothers warneddrinking during seventh to 12th week of pregnancy puts unborn babies at highestrisk of foetal alcohol syndrome

Drinking regularly during pregnancy is known to increase the odds of havingchildren with foetal alcohol syndrome. However, scientists have now found thatthe risk to a woman's baby is highest if they consume alcohol in the seventh to12th week.

AngolaPress (Angola) - Sociologistwarns about alcohol consumption during pregnancy

The sociologist Maria Fernanda Nguenda, on Tuesday here criticisedpregnant women that consume alcoholicdrinks, putting at risk their own health and their babies, ANGOP has learnt.

MyHealthNewsDaily (Denmark) - 1-2Drinks a Week Can Raise Miscarriage Risk

Drinking even a small amount of alcohol could increase the risk ofmiscarriage during the first four months of pregnancy, a new study from Denmarksuggests.

MedicalXpress (USA) - SDSUresearchers develop an assessment tool to identify birth defects

Researchers with the National Children’s Study at South Dakota State University,in collaboration with Dr. H. Eugene Hoyme, chief academic officer at SanfordHealth and president and senior scientist for Sanford Research/University ofSouth Dakota, are working to develop a standardized assessment tool that wouldbe used to identify birth defects in infants.

MATERIALS and BLOGS

Empowering Front-Line Staff and FamiliesThrough a Collection of Lived Experiences

NAT member Anne Guarasci and colleagues at the College of New Caledoniahave developed a resource for front-line workers who work with women who haveFASD or FASD behaviours and characteristics.

POPFASD - 2 New eLearning Videosfeaturing Kim Barthel

There are two new eLearning videos available on the POPFASDwebsite. In the first video, Kim Barthelspeaks about the "Brain and FASD" and in the second video, shediscusses the "Theory of Attachment". The videos are excerpts fromthe 2009 POPFASD District Partner Meeting in Richmond, B.C.

Daysofwanderandgrace - O’Malleyon ADHD in FASD

Chapter 4 of Kieran O’Malley’s ADHD and Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorders is the most comprehensive research-based discussion I’ve found aboutthe unique challenges ADHD poses in FASD. It was published in 2007, so there ismore recent research than O’Malley reviews here.

Urban Servant - FASD: NotDiagnosed and Identified to The Legal System......

Yesterday at the Legal Aspects of FASD seminar Hon. Anthony P. Wartnickquoted these two sources... There is a fundamental principle of juvenile andadult criminal law which is this. "The treatment of criminal offenders asrational, autonomous and choosing agents is a fundamental organizing principleof our criminal law."

RESEARCH

Alcoholism - Prenatal AlcoholExposure Patterns and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects and Growth Deficiencies: AProspective Study

The physical features of fetal alcohol syndrome include smoothphiltrum, thin vermillion border, short palpebral fissures, microcephaly, andgrowth deficiencies on weight and height. However, little is known about thespecific quantities of alcohol exposure, pattern of drinking, timing ofexposure, and magnitude of risk for each of these features.

Alcohol and Alcoholism - PlacentalHypoxia and Foetal Development Versus Alcohol Exposure in Pregnancy

To examine the causes of variability in the effect of maternal drinkingon the foetus, with particular reference to the pattern, frequency and durationof the period of drinking, differences in maternal, foetal and placentalmetabolism of ethanol/acetaldehyde, and genetic factors.

International Journal of Epidemiology - Moderate alcohol intake during pregnancy and risk of fetal death

Even low amounts of alcohol consumption during early pregnancyincreased the risk of spontaneous abortion substantially. The results indicatethat the fetus is particularly susceptible to alcohol exposure early inpregnancy.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy - Neurocognitive Habilitation Therapy for Children With Fetal AlcoholSpectrum Disorders: An Adaptation of the Alert Program

The authors carried out a neurocognitive habilitation group therapywith the goal of increasingself-regulation in kids with FASD. The therapy consisted of a 12 week programusing techniques adapted from the Alert Program, in which children learn toidentify their state of regulation by recognizing when they are over-aroused(their engine is running “too high”), under-aroused (their engine is running“too low”), or at an optimal state of alertness (their engine is running “justright”).

IN OTHER LANGUAGES

AGI - Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (Italy) - Alcol: dopo 7 settimane di gravidanza a rischio feto

Bere regolarmente durante la gravidanza aumenta le probabilita' diavere figli con sindrome feto-alcolica. Tuttavia, un gruppo di scienziatistatunitensi ha ora dimostrato che il rischio per il bambino aumenta se lamamma consuma alcool dalla settima alla dodicesima settimana.

Healthylives (Netherlands) - Ookeen beetje alcohol slecht tijdens de zwangerschap

Dat het drinken van alcohol tijdens de zwangerschap ernstige gevolgenkan hebben voor je ongeboren baby is bekend. Toch denken sommige zwangere vrouwendat het drinken van af en toe een glaasje alcohol geen kwaad kan.

Alcohol News - 3/2012

2012-01-16T19:39:00.003+02:00

Reuters - Red wine-heartresearch slammed with fraud charges

A University of Connecticut researcher who studied the link betweenaging and a substance found in red wine has committed more than 100 acts of datafabrication and falsification, the university said Wednesday, throwing much ofhis work into doubt.

Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Justunder half would approve of lower blood-alcohol threshold for DUIs

According to a recent questionnaire study carried out by insurers If,some 43% of Finns would lower the blood-alcohol threshold for drink drivingfrom the present limit of 0.05% (0.5 ppm; 50mg/100ml blood).

New York Times (USA) - America’sDrinking Binge

Excessive drinking isn’t just for college kids anymore. New researchshows that four times a month, one in six Americans goes on a drinking binge,knocking back an average of eight alcoholic beverages within a few hours.

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Alcoholbinge sessions contribute to growing grog gut

A BOOZY night out could add as much to women's waistlines as a fastfood binge, with the booming popularity of kilojoule-laden cocktails, spiritsand cider causing "spare tyres".

San Francisco Chronicle - Endorphinstudy may help refine alcohol treatment

It's no big secret that alcohol makes most people feel pretty good, butscientists at UCSF and UC Berkeley have for the first time found evidence thatliquor triggers the release of pleasure-inducing endorphins in the brain - andthat heavy drinkers are especially influenced by those endorphins.

Huffington Post (USA) - MayorBloomberg Plans To Limit Alcohol Sales And Advertising In New Health Initiative

First it was smoking in public places. Then it was sodas, salts andtrans-fats. And now, the Bloomberg administration, perhaps taking a cue fromlocal community boards, is going after booze.

NewsMax.com - Liquor Ads onSocial Media Attract Children

The alcohol industry’s voluntary limits on traditional advertising arelargely being ignored online, according to a report Monday in the Baltimore Sunthat outlines a study on the use of social media to sell alcoholic beverages —and its effect on kids.

Scottish Daily Record (Scotland) - Scottishsupermarkets should be banned from selling alcohol, says top doctor

SCOTLAND should consider removing alcohol sales from supermarkets in aneffort to reduce drink-related health problems, a leading doctor toldpoliticians today.

The Oshkosh Northwestern (USA) - Trafficfatalities decline in 2011, alcohol continues to be a factors in ones thathappen

The number of traffic fatalities in Winnebago County dropped in 2011,but alcohol continues to be a factor in many of the crashes.

Kenilworth Today (UK) - Alcoholpromotion is ‘irresponsible’

A PETROL station has been slammed by safety campaigners for running apromotion offering money off at the pump when drivers buy alcohol.

Emailwire - New ReportDefinitively Declares Alcoholic Beverages as Carcinogens Says Mountainside DrugRehab and Alcohol Treatment Center

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a report at theclose of 2011 which states that the heavy consumption of alcoholic beveragescan be a cancer risk for humans.

The Atlantic - The Truth AboutBreast Cancer and Drinking Red Wine—or Any Alcohol

This week many middle-aged women experienced joy, and maybe even raiseda glass, upon reading that red wine might stave off breast cancer. The study,published in the Journal of Women's Health, turns out to be quite small. It's alimited analysis of hormone levels in the blood of 36 premenopausal women whodrank red and white wine for one month. Still, the story garnered headlines andenthusiastic posts, as if women wanted this news to be true.

National Post (Canada) - Vancouvergroup pitches free booze to reduce rubbing alcohol, Listerine consumption

Rob Morgan says when you wake up after getting drunk on hand sanitizerit feels like your kidney is bulging out of your body.

Jakarta Post (Indonesia) - Regionsdefend alcohol bylaws despite govt calls for revision

A number of regional administrations are insisting on keeping bylawsthat ban the distribution of liquor despite the government’s recommendationthat they be repealed because they contradict higher laws and regulations.

Shetland Times Online (UK) - Cheapalcohol ‘destroying’ lives, says drug and alcohol service manager

Figures from the Community Alcohol and Drugs Services Shetland (CADSS)show a higher number of problem drinkers turned to the service in 2010/11 thanillegal drug users.

Alcohol News - 2/2012

2012-01-09T18:42:00.001+02:00

BBC News (UK) - Two drink-freedays a week needed, MPs' report says

People should have at least two days a week completely clear ofalcohol, a group of MPs says. It is one of the recommendations in a report bythe Commons science and technology committee, which is calling for a review ofall government guidelines on alcohol in the UK.

Wall Street Journal (Qatar) - Qatar,Unveiling Tensions, Suspends Sale of Alcohol

Qatar, the wealthy Persian Gulf state that will host the 2022 World Cupand shot to prominence last year as a bankroller of the Arab Spring, isexperiencing a small counterrevolution at home.

MarketWatch (USA) - Coalition toBan Alcohol Ads on Public Property in Los Angeles Hits the Streets to TextDigital Proof of Pervasive Alcohol Advertising

Armed with smart phones, members of the Coalition to Ban Alcohol Ads onPublic Property in Los Angeles and hundreds of community supporters launched agrassroots City-wide campaign today to document the over-proliferation ofalcohol ads on public property.

BBC News (UK) - Foetal alcoholmothers 'should be held responsible'

It is estimated that 6,000 babies are born every year in the UK withfoetal alcohol syndrome because their mothers drank alcohol when pregnant. Thecondition is a form of structural brain damage.

Washington Post - The economicsof curbing alcohol consumption

Late last year, the Centers for Disease Control ran the numbers on howmuch binge drinking costs the United States. They came up with a pretty bignumber: Excessive alcohol consumption costs $223.5 billion each year, mostlydue to lost workplace productivity and increased health care costs.

AFP (Serbia) - Serbia bansalcohol in parliament

The Serbian parliament has banned alcohol after media reports ofexcessive drinking, a top official said Friday.

The Australian (Australia) - Territorypolice 'need to go further' in alcohol crackdown

NORTHERN Territory police have not gone far enough in cracking down onalcohol-related crime in Alice Springs. So says opposition indigenous affairsspokesman Adam Giles, despite the death of an Aborigine in custody after he waspicked up for drinking on Wednesday.

Medscape - Drinking Frequency IsQuick Test for Youth Alcohol Problems

A 3-question survey probing alcohol consumption identifies youth withalcohol-related problems, according to a study published online January 4,2012, in Pediatrics.

Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade Review (UK) - 90% of adults fail alcohol unit test, says Wilson Drinks Report

Almost 90% of British adults that took part in a survey, had no ideahow strong their drinks were, according to research from the Wilson Report.

Food Consumer - Consumption ofalcoholic beverages is known to be a human carcinogen - official report

Consumption of alcoholic beverages is known to be a human carcinogenbased on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity from studies in humans.

GP online (UK) - Minimum alcoholpricing could be introduced to England via by-laws

Minimum alcohol pricing could be introduced on a regional basis inEngland using by-laws drawn up in response to the lack of national progress onthe issue.

The Economist (South Africa) - Thegovernment wants to make the country less drunk

LOWERING the permissible alcohol level for drivers is common enough.Banning booze on the roads altogether is plainly far more drastic. But roaddeaths in Brazil, for instance, have dropped by almost a third in the threeyears since the government told drivers to eschew even a drop.

Irish Examiner (Ireland) - Govtto clamp down on 'distance sale' of alcohol to minors

The Department of Justice is expected to use new surveillance methodsto target the sale of alcohol to minors by third parties.

The Copenhagen Post (Denmark) - Majoritysupport raising drinking age

A vast majority of Danes support raising the legal purchase age ofalcohol from the current 16 to 18, according to a newly released poll.

FASD News

2012-01-08T16:53:00.000+02:00

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - One in 50babies has a birth defect: research

More than one in 50 babies has a birth defect – almost double theprevious estimate, according to the most comprehensive report of its kind.

Science Network Western Australia (Australia) - Fitzroy children centre of Foetal Alcohol Disorder study

ABORIGINAL organisations in Fitzroy Valley have called for researchinto social, health and wellbeing issues associated with alcohol abuse.

PsychCentral.com (USA) - HealthScreens Limit Substance Abuse in Pregnancy

Pregnant women who smoke cigarettes, use alcohol or take drugs increasethe risk of medical complications for the baby and mother. That’s well-establishedscience. Now, a program developed by the Kaiser Permanente Health System forwomen at risk of substance abuse during pregnancy could save nearly $2 billionannually in health care costs if implemented nationwide.

AllAfrica.com (Tanzania) - NoWine If You Want to Conceive

If you are a habitual drinker and you are planning to get pregnant, putthat glass down.It is advisable to forgo your favourite tipple for at leastthree months before the planned pregnancy, and remain alcohol-free for theensuing nine months to delivery. Here is why.

TbNewsWatch.com (Canada) – NANtells province to get serious about FASD

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose is calling onthe province to develop an integrated provincial strategy for prevention andsupport services for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

RESEARCH

MedIndia - Gestational AlcoholExposure may be Revealed by Analysis of Fetal Meconium

A new study has examined fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) andethylglucuronide (EtG) in meconium samples from public hospitals in sevenItalian cities to test for prenatal exposure to alcohol.

Alcoholism - Callosal ThicknessReductions Relate to Facial Dysmorphology in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Consistent with previous reports, findings suggest an adverse effect ofprenatal alcohol exposure on callosal growth and further indicate that fiberpathways connecting frontal and parieto-occipital regions in each hemispheremay be particularly affected. Significant associations between callosal andfacial dysmorphology provide evidence for a concurrent insult to midline facialand brain structural development in FASD.

Plos One - Large-Scale Analysisof Acute Ethanol Exposure in Zebrafish Development: A Critical Time Window andResilience

In humans, ethanol exposure during pregnancy causes a spectrum ofdevelopmental defects (fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS). Individuals vary inphenotypic expression. Zebrafish embryos develop FAS-like features afterethanol exposure.

Obstetrics and Gynecology - EarlyStart: A Cost–Beneficial Perinatal Substance Abuse Program

To conduct a cost–benefit analysis of Early Start, an integratedprenatal intervention program for stopping substance use in pregnancy.

IN OTHER LANGUAGES

taz.de (Germany) - Achtung, Babytrinkt mit

Manchmal passt ein kompliziertes Problem in einen Satz: "Meinemuter Trinkte", steht in krakeliger Schrift auf einem Plakat im Büro vonProfessor Hans-Ludwig Spohr. Der Kinderarzt leitet des FASD-Zentrum der Charité.

Lietuvos rytas (Lithuania) - Nuofizinio ir dvasinio negalavimo kenčia ne vien alkoholikių vaikai

Vokietijos gydytojas Hansas Ludwigas Spohras - specialistas neįgaliųjųvaikų, kurių motinos, būdamos nėščios, vartojo alkoholį. Duodamas interviušalies žurnalui „Der Spiegel“ profesorius perspėjo, kad nėščiosioms pavojingavartoti alkoholį.

Iltalehti (Finland) - "Envihaa biologista äitiäni"

Annakaisa Tiirinki syntyi alkoholin vaurioittamana. FAS-taustastaanhuolimatta hän on selättänyt oppimisvaikeudet ja elää itsenäisen nuoren naisenelämää.

La Stampa (Italy) - Il meconiofetale può smascherare l’abuso di alcol

L’alcolismo è problema molto grave. Ed è anche peggio se riguarda unadonna in stato di gravidanza. I rischi per il feto sono altissimi e anche dopola nascita è necessario tenere sotto controllo sia mamma che bambino.

Alcohol News - 1/2012

2012-01-02T19:40:00.000+02:00

The Local (Norway) - Norwegianssceptical as alcohol ads draw near

With the government indicating it won’t veto a controversial EUdirective, a majority of Norwegians believe alcohol ads on television will leadto more widespread alcohol abuse.

YLE News (Finland) - Pricesrising for alcohol, soft drinks and sweets

Higher taxes will mean higher prices for alcohol, sweets, ice cream andsoft drinks as of the start of the year. The Taxpayers’ Association of Finlandcalculates that, for example the price of a bottle of 38% Koskenkorva vodkawill go up by 80 cents and the price of a 9 euro bottle of wine by 20 cents.

The Baltic Course (Lithuania) - Grybauskaitesigns amendments to the law on alcohol control

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite signed the amendments to theLaw on Alcohol Control which will introduce restrictions for selling alcohol,alcohol containers and its consumption during sports events and in publiccatering establishments, writes LETA/ELTA.

The Local.se (Sweden) - Rowdystart to the new year in Sweden

Police were kept busy during the last evening of 2011 with celebrationsall over Sweden getting out of hand and resulting in brawling and fireworkaccidents.

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - DavidCameron plans minimum alcohol price in England

Drinkers will pay a minimum price for alcohol under plans instigated byDavid Cameron to tackle a growing health crisis, The Daily Telegraph candisclose.

USA TODAY (USA) - New Year'sEve: night of walking drunks, busy ER doctors

Take one New Year's Eve. Combine with a Saturday. Now add alcohol – andyou have a health and safety nightmare. At least that's how some emergency roomdoctors feel about the fast-approaching celebration – which is always anoccasion for widespread immoderate drinking and could be worse than usual thisyear.

Minivan News (Maldives) - PPMsupports nation-wide alcohol ban “if the government has the courage”

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP and Spokesperson Ahmed Mahloufhas said that “if the government has the courage to ban alcohol and pork acrossthe country, PPM will support it.”

BBC News (UK) - Former alcoholic'scared' by rise in young drinkers

A recovering alcoholic from Norfolk says he is "scared" bythe rise in the number of young people with drink problems at his supportgroup.

NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Callfor minimum alcohol price as alcopop tax fails to stop Australia's young bingedrinkers

YOUNG binge drinkers have simply switched to cheaper booze to beat theFederal Government's controversial "alcopop" tax. New research shows15 to 29-year-olds have dodged the 70 per cent tax on popular pre-mixed drinksby changing their drink of choice.

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - AMA seeks clamp on marketing of alcohol

ALCOHOL companies are exploiting loopholes in advertising regulationsby launching mass campaigns at sporting events and music festivals encouragingpeople to drink recklessly, the peak body representing doctors has said.

Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Premier'salcohol move is welcome

THE Scottish Government's plans to set a minimum price for alcohol havebeen given a significant boost from David Cameron's sudden enthusiasm forintroducing similar legislation in England.

Belfast Newsletter (Northern Ireland) - Alcohol is blamed for rise in violent clashes

EMERGENCY services across Northern Ireland have reported another busyfestive season, with an alarming rise in the number of street fights and peopleinjured.

The Australian (Papua New Guinea) - Papua New Guinea alcohol bans extended

PAPUA New Guinean governments have stepped up their war on alcohol forthe new year and deeper into 2012, when mid-year elections are expected totrigger violence. In the country's most populous region, the Highlands, liquorbans have been in force for a decade in Enga and Southern Highlands provinces.

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Thousandsmore teenage girls hospitalised by binge-drinking than boys

Thousands more teenage girls than boys are ending up in hospitalbecause of binge-drinking, Government ministers have revealed, as they work onnew plans to tackle cheap alcohol.

RIA Novosti (Russia) - Alcoholconsumption in Russia down 17% to 15 liters in 2 yrs

Russia has seen a fall in alcohol sales over the past two years from 18liters to 15 liters per capita a year, First Deputy Prime Minister V. Zubkovsaid on Wednesday.

Ahram Online (Egypt) - Egyptreverses duty-free alcohol restrictions

In the wake of soaring prices on the black market and mountingcriticism from the Egypt Free Shops Company and the tourism ministry, thedecision to restrict alcohol and cigarette purchases is withdrawn.

Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Elderlydrinkers on the rise

Elderly people drinking to excess is an increasing problem in NewZealand, despite most people perceiving heavy drinking as a youth issue.

AdAge.com (Russia) - Beer-Ad BanHits Russia as Nation Boosts Sobriety

Although Russia's identity will always be linked to vodka, it is alsothe world's fourth-largest beer market, thanks to an influx of global brewersand a culture in which beer is often drunk on the street like soda.

TopNews Arab Emirates (Australia) - Australia Gearing Up To Deal with Alcohol and Drug Abuse

On the New Year eve, we all pledges to improve our life by notindulging into bad habits and by giving up our unhealthy lifestyle. Similarly,the Australian Medical Association President Steve Hambleton has asked theFederal Government to come up with a better policy which would put greateremphasis over the health of the kids.

TechEye - Microsoft cracks downon heavy drinking

Software giant, Vole, is so worried that its image has been tarnishedby the heavy drinking antics of its sales people that it has ordered its staffback off the wagon.

Politics.co.uk (UK) - New year'sresolution? Cameron launches war on alcohol

Drinkers looking to cut down on their intake in the new year willreceive some help from the government, after reports emerged of a 'big bang'plan to tackle alcohol consumption in England and Wales.

Malta Independent Online (Malta) - Drink-drivingremains a concern

Many people continue to underestimate the danger of drink-driving eventhough it claims numerous lives, Aġenzija Sedqa believes.

24 (Kyrgystan) - In Kyrgyzstannumber of adolescents who take alcohol drinks increases

In Kyrgyzstan, 181 teenagers have been examined for 10 months of 2011.151 of them were drunk. This was stated in the press-centre for the KyrgyzMinistry of Public Health.

The Local (Germany) - Moreseniors addicted to drugs and alcohol

Hundreds of thousands of German senior citizens are dependent on drugsor alcohol and authorities worry the number is only increasing.

Alcohol New - 52/2011

2011-12-26T19:02:00.001+02:00

PsychCentral.com - AlcoholUps Aggression in Present-Focused Drinkers

Getting drunk increases aggression in people who have oneparticular personality trait: the inability to consider the future consequencesof current behavior, according to new research.

MarketWatch (USA) - Centeron Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) Charts Alcohol Industry's DigitalMarketing, Questions Adequacy of Industry's Self-Regulation to Avoid ExposingYouth to "Alcohol Experience"

The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at theJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health today released a four-partYouTube movie ( http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnsHopkinsSPH ) charting thealcohol industry's push into digital marketing and raising questions whetherthe industry's self-regulation is adequately protecting underage youth fromexposure to the "alcohol experience" available on social marketingplatforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Reuters (Philippines) - Philippinesto review alcohol taxes after WTO ruling

The Philippines will review taxes on foreign alcoholproducts following a World Trade Organisation decision that the current systemwas discriminatory and the trade minister said the government will look at howto assist affected local distillers.

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Hiddenalcohol problem among elderly

A growing number of older people are exceeding therecommended alcohol limit, many of whom only develop harmful drinking habitswhen faced with bereavement, tedium and other stresses of retirement.

aidsmap - Alcoholincreases desire for sex without condoms: systematic review

Alcohol consumption has an impact on the intention ofindividuals to have unprotected sex, according to the results of a systematicreview and meta-analysis published in the journal Addiction.

Scottish Daily Record (Scotland) - Plan for minimum alcohol prices will be contested in court admitsNicola Sturgeon

LEGISLATION for a minimum unit price for alcohol is"almost certain" to meet a legal challenge, the Health Secretary hassaid.

Scotsman (Scotland) - Onein seven children ‘drinking regularly’

THE scale of Scotland’s under-age alcohol problem was laidbare yesterday when a new survey showed that more than one third of 15year-olds and one in seven 13 years olds admitted that they had taken a drinkin the previous week.

Vibe Ghana (Ghana) - Chiefalarmed at rate of alcohol consumption in Builsa

The Nasuing Naab, Alex Azantilow, Regent of the BuilsaTraditional Area, on Wednesday said alcohol consumption among the people isassuming an alarming proportion and affecting the manpower of the area.

The Stir - AlcoholHits Women Way Harder Than Men

You know how your husband can drink a few beers and not evenblink, whereas you're wearing the proverbial lampshade after only a glass and ahalf of wine? A new study has underscored what we all know to be true: Alcoholaffects women much more dramatically than it does men.

The New Age Online (South Africa) - Presidentialadviser’s blood ‘free of alcohol’

“The police are in sh*t. Blood sample results are back,alcohol in my blood: zero. I told them, banyile ngekhe ndibayeke.” So tweetedPresident Jacob Zuma’s adviser, Zizi Kodwa, on Tuesday.

Daily Mail (UK) - Ataste for champers! Cuts-hit BBC ran up a £366,000 bill on alcohol in fiveyears

BBC executives were last night accused of ‘living it up onthe licence fee’ after it emerged that the Corporation has spent £366,000 onalcohol in the past five years.

Irish Times (Ireland) - Nocheery side to excessive drinking at Christmas time

HOW OFTEN have you heard it said that drinking is part ofour culture, part of our social norm, part of our economy? There’s reality andtruth in this. You’re not a bad person if you like a drink, or for that matterif you don’t, and the Irish pub is a venue to be preserved as part of ournatural heritage.

Medscape - Help forDrinking Unpopular During Minor Injury Treatment

Patients presenting at minor injuries units (MIUs) in theUnited Kingdom may often fit the profile of "hazardous""drinkers, making such settings ideal for interventions and advice to supportproblem drinking, according to a pilot study published online December 21 inEmergency Medicine Journal.

SPECIAL: Year in Review: Alcohol news in 2011

2011-12-22T20:37:00.000+02:00

JANUARY

YLE (Finland) - AlcoholConsumption Falls in Finland

Finns drank less alcohol this year than last. However, if alcohol taxis not raised, consumption might yet exceed recent records, says Valvira, theNational Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.

Herald Sun (Australia) - Alcoholbehind almost all murders in Queensland, figures reveal

ALMOST every murder committed in Queensland during the past year wassuspected to involve alcohol, crime statistics show.

Focus Infomation (Spain) - Toughertraffic laws cut road deaths in Spain

The government credits the introduction of tough new road laws as wellas the greater use of alcohol checkpoints and speed scanners for the decline indeaths from road accidents.

Innovations (Sweden) - ConsumptionReport 2010: Swedes' alcohol consumption is falling

Despite the fact that the Swedish Alcohol Retail Monopoly's sales arerising and statistics from Statistics Sweden indicate that we drink more andmore alcohol, the trend is going in the opposite direction – Swedes' alcoholconsumption is falling. This emerges from the Consumption Report 2010(Konsumtionsrapporten 2010) published by the Centre for Consumer Science at theUniversity of Gothenburg.

The Telegraph (Denmark) - Why isDenmark the cancer capital of the world?

One reason why Danish people seem to be particularly susceptible tocancer is that its record of diagnosing the disease is so good, meaning thatmore cases are picked up by the country's doctors than in most other parts ofthe world. But there are also lifestyle factors which could be having aninfluence on the figures reported by the World Cancer Research Fund from theWorld Health Organisation.

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol-relatedliver disease in young people up 50% in a decade

The number of young people having to be treated in hospital for seriousliver disease has risen by more than 50 per cent in the last decade, figuresshow.

FEBRUARY

European Public Health Alliance (EU) - 2010 - Overview of activities in implementation of EU Alcohol Strategy

Between September and November 2010 all the existing EU structuresworking on alcohol conducted their meetings. You can find below reports of thefollowing : the Open Alcohol and Health Forum, the European Alcohol and HealthForum, the Forum Science Group, as well as the Committee on National Policy andAction.

Medical News Today - WHO Study:Alcohol Is International Number One Killer, AIDS Second

Today the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that alcohol is toblame for just about 4% of, or 2.5 million deaths worldwide annually. Alcoholattributable injuries are of a growing concern to the public health community,with alcohol-related injuries such as road traffic accidents, burns,poisonings, falls and drownings making up more than a third of the diseaseburden attributable to alcohol consumption.

Barents Observer (Russia) - Everyfifth Russian man dies of alcohol

The Russians drink an average of 15,76 liters of pure alcohol everyyear, which makes them the fourth most drinking country in the world, a newreport from the World Health Organization reads.

RIA Novosti (Moldova) - WHOnames Moldova world's leader in alcohol consumption

Moldovans consume more alcohol per head than citizens of any othercountry, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its report.

GlobalPost (Russia) - NEWSFLASH! Beer is alcohol, Russia says

The Russian parliament today finally acknowledged something taken asgiven the world over: beer is alcohol. The Duma passed a law on second reading(a third, largely ceremonial reading will follow, but the second is the mostimportant) a bill that explicitly acknowledges that fact and bans the sale ofbeer between 11pm and 8am.

MARCH

EurekAlert (Sweden) - Parentsimportant for keeping adolescents off alcohol

Parents who are both present and engaged are the very best way of preventingteenagers from consuming large quantities of alcohol. Adolescents who smoke,stay out with their friends and have access to alcohol – from their parents,for example – when they are as young as 13 are at greater risk of becomingbinge drinkers in their late teens, reveals a new thesis from KarolinskaInstitutet in Sweden.

stv.tv (UK) - Health bodies slam"toothless" alcohol policy

Six prominent health organisations withdrew their support on Monday fora government initiative aimed at promoting responsible alcohol consumption,accusing ministers of not standing up to the drinks industry.

Times LIVE (South Africa) - Statedeclares war on alcohol abuse

The government is waging war on the alarming increase in the abuse ofalcohol and drugs, and has warned of stricter legislation - including raisingthe legal age for alcohol consumption from 18 to 21.

Norway: Government has to acceptalcohol advertising on TV

The EU Commission will not grant Norway a continued exemption from theimplementation of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. This means that theNorwegian government will have to accept TV advertising for alcoholic beveragesin Norway when it is broadcast from another country.

APRIL

BCM (Russia) - Vladimir Putinspeaks out against sharp rise in prices on alcohol in Russia

Speaking at the meeting of the Government Presidium on Thursday,Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that a sharp hike in excise dutiesand, accordingly, the price of alcohol would be unacceptable.

Eureka! Science News - Underagebinge drinking can create lasting brain changes

Adolescents represent the majority of people who binge drink. This maycome as a surprise to some, but recent surveys indicate that episodes of heavyalcohol drinking within the previous two weeks are reported by 12 percent of8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders, 28 percent of 12th grade seniors and44 percent of college students.

BMJ (EU) - Alcohol attributableburden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results fromprospective cohort study

In western Europe, an important proportion of cases of cancer can beattributable to alcohol consumption, especially consumption higher than therecommended upper limits. These data support current political efforts toreduce or to abstain from alcohol consumption to reduce the incidence ofcancer.

Telegraph.co.uk - Glass or twoof wine a week 'could damage baby'

Pregnant women who drink as little as a glass of wine a week could beputting their babies at risk, according to new research which contracts recentstudies indicating that an occasional tipple is harmless.

UPI.com (Italy) - Study: Italianyouth at alcohol risk

The country's Higher Health Institute released a report Thursday sayingat-risk drinkers of both sexes under the age of 16 are on the rise, with 18.5percent of males and 15.5 percent of females in that age bracket showingworrying drink patterns, ANSA reported.

Focus-Fen (Sweden) - Swedenlaunches new strategy to combat narcotic, alcohol problems

The Swedish government Tuesday launched a new comprehensive strategy todeal with alcohol, drugs, doping and tobacco problems together.

ABC Online (Australia) - Alcoholstrongly linked to cancer

The Cancer Council of Australia has issued a new position statementrecommending that people limit their alcohol intake to reduce their risk ofdeveloping cancer.

MAI

Wine Spectator (Australia) - AussieHealth Group Says No to Alcohol, Even in Moderation

An Australian health organization has issued an eyebrow-raising reporturging people to abstain from alcohol completely in order to reduce their riskof cancer.

BBC News (UK) - Alcohol-relatedhospital admissions reach record level

The number of alcohol-related hospital admissions in England has toppedone million for the first time, according to official statistics.

JUNE

The Hindu - Even small amountsof alcohol impact the brain

Just the one drink can sometimes prove one too many when it comes toalcohol, according to Chinese researchers who have discovered that even minimalalcohol intake can cause immediate damage to the brain.

Daily Mail (EU) - Men twice aslikely as women to die before 65 because of smoking and alcohol abuse

Smoking and drinking too much means men are twice as likely as women todie before the age of 65, a European Union study has revealed.

JULY

Scottish Daily Record (Scotland) - NicolaSturgeon: SNP will make war on cheap alcohol top priority in 2012

HEALTH secretary Nicola Sturgeon yesterday vowed to drive throughminimum pricing for drink within a year.

NHS Choices - Alcohol 'maydamage a baby's DNA'

“Alcohol damages DNA of unborn children beyond repair,” The Independentreported today. The newspaper says that “scientists have identified the precisemolecular mechanism” through which this damage happens.

Alcohol and Alcoholism (EU) - HeavyEpisodic Drinking in Europe: A Cross Section Study in Primary Care in SixEuropean Countries

Consecutive attenders aged 18–75 were recruited from the UK, Spain,Slovenia, Estonia, the Netherlands and Portugal and followed up after 6 months.Data were collected on alcohol use using the Alcohol Use DisorderIdentification test (at recruitment and 6 months) and risk factors for heavyepisodic alcohol use at recruitment.

Daily Mail - How much alcohol isREALLY safe? None, say cancer specialists

French researchers said most nations including the UK and U.S. settheir drink limit guidelines to deal with short-term effects of alcohol andwere not designed to prevent chronic diseases.

The Guardian (France) - France'syoung binge drinkers upset cafe society with their 'British boozing'

Midnight on the Left Bank and the cafes and bars on Place St-Michelare, on the surface at least, unchanged from the 1920s, when Ernest Hemingwayimmortalised one in the opening chapter of A Moveable Feast.

AUGUST

IrishExaminer.com (Ireland) - Drinkmay cause ‘invisible’ brain harm

MORE than 4,000 Irish people could be suffering from an"invisible" serious brain injury caused by alcohol abuse, accordingto research.

AFP (USA) - More than half ofAmericans drink alcohol: report

More than half of Americans aged 12 and up drink alcohol, a quarterbinge-drank in the past month, and one in 14 teens has used marijuana, a USgovernment agency says in a report on substance abuse.

Medscape - Industry Influence onUN Noncommunicable Disease Summit?

The United Nations (UN) High-Level Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases(NCDs) will convene in New York City from September 19 to 20. However,negotiations recently broke down in drafting an outcomes document that willcontain commitments toward progress in 4 target NCD areas: cardiovasculardisease, respiratory illnesses, cancer, and diabetes.

SEPTEMBER

Austrian Independent (Austria) - Alcoholaddiction warning issued

Around 900,000 of the 8.5 million residents of Austrian are consuminghealth-threatening amounts of alcohol, experts have warned.

Euractiv (EU) - Combat alcoholabuse with mandatory labels, EU urged

Policymakers gathered in Brussels this week to discuss the risks posedby alcohol abuse to unborn children urged the EU to introduce mandatory warninglabels on bottles and cans.

Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Alcoholcontributes to quarter of child deaths – report

Alcohol contributed to the deaths of one in four children and youngpeople who died between 2005 and 2007, a new report has found.

The Age (Australia) - Expertssee red over wine 'myth'

RED wine's reputation for preventing heart attacks has come under firefrom health experts who have declared every drink of alcohol can do you damage.

CNN International - WHO outlinessteps to reduce leading causes of death

To decrease deaths from noninfectious diseases, countries should passexcise taxes on tobacco and alcohol, encourage smoke-free public places, reducesalt and trans fat in foods, and increase awareness of diet and physicalactivity, according to a World Health Organization report.

Los Angeles Times (USA) - Drinkingproblems have increased in last 60 years

An analysis of 31 studies on alcohol drinking patterns worldwide hasfound that people born in North America after World War II are more likely thanother groups to engage in binge drinking and develop alcoholism. Younger groupsconsistently consume more alcohol than older generations.

European Public Health Alliance (WHO Europe) - New Action Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol adopted by 53 countriesin Europe

Representatives from the 53 WHO European Region Member States met atthe 61st session of the Regional Committee for Europe and adopted the EuropeanAction Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.

OCTOBER

IceNews (Denmark) - WHO callsfor Denmark drinking age hike

The World Health Organisation has warned the new Danish government thatit should take steps to reduce the amount of alcohol being consumed byteenagers.

Independent Online (South Africa) - Foetal alcohol syndrome is on the rise, says study

FOETAL alcohol syndrome is ravaging Western Cape farming communities,with hundreds of children affected, research has found.

PR Newswire - Big Alcohol DrunkWith Power

Industry watchdog Alcohol Justice, formerly Marin Institute, released anew report today that chronicles an obscene outlay of Big Alcohol dollars toCalifornia legislators in 2010.

EurekAlert (Baltics/Italy) - Linkbetween alcohol and harm is stronger in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Swedenthan in Italy

Research clearly shows a dose-response relationship between alcohol andhealth issues such as cirrhosis of the liver. More recent research has shownlinkages between greater drinking and greater problems such as interpersonal violence.A study of the impact that the larger, cultural context of drinking in severalEuropean countries may have on the relationship between drinking and harm hasfound that this relationship is stronger in the Baltic countries and Swedenthan Italy.

Euroalert.net (EU) - Commissionstresses the need for action to protect young people from alcohol-related harm atthe EU Alcohol and Health Forum

Although minimum drinking age in most EU Member states is set at 18years old, the most recent European surveys show that half of school childrenaged 15 to16 years have drunk alcohol in the past month. In order to tacklethis situation and take action to protect young people, experts, industry andother stakeholder have met at the the 9th plenary meeting of the EuropeanAlcohol and Health Forum held in in Brussels on 19 October.

NOVEMBER

NHS Choices - Breast cancer linkto alcohol studied

Women who drink within the recommended limits are still putting theirhealth at risk, according to The Daily Telegraph. It said new research showsthat less than one small glass of wine a day increases the risk of breastcancer.

EPHA (EU) - 68 NGOs call of anew EU alcohol strategy

Under Eurocare’s leadership, 68 international, European and NationalNGOs (including EPHA) joined forces to call for a comprehensive Alcohol PolicyStrategy in the European Union 2013-2020.

AHN | All Headline News - Teenagegirls up breast cancer risk with every alcoholic drink

Among teen girls with a family history of breast cancer, there is asignificant association between the amount of alcohol consumed and the risk ofgetting benign breast disease, which is a known breast cancer risk factor.

Toronto Star (Canada) - Womenare the new face of alcohol advertising

She's the image of poised perfection: a come-hither blonde in a sexygold dress, balancing a martini between polished red nails, painted just ashade darker than the swizzle stick perched jauntily through the “o” in“Classic Cocktails” above her head.

The Local.de (Germany) - One infive German children have alcoholic or drug-addict parents

One in five German children have alcoholic or drug-addict parents,according to the latest annual figures on drugs and addiction.

Kashmir Watch (China) - ChinaProhibits Advertising of Alcoholic Drinks

Nine out of the more than 20 national Chinese television networks(CCTV) will not air TV commercials that advertise beer, wine, or any other typeof alcoholic drink, according to He Haiming, vice-director of CCTV'sadvertising operations and management center, as told to the Beijing Todaynewspaper.

DECEMBER

Baltic Business News (Estonia) - Researcher:Estonia should triple alcohol excise duty

Indrek Saar writes in his doctor’s thesis that the alcohol taxationrate that was introduced in 2009 is notably below the optimum level.

The Atlantic (Italy) - ASobering Look at Alcohol: 10-Year Study Finds High Death Rate

A number of studies in the past few years have suggested healthbenefits from drinking small or moderate amounts of alcohol. This can encouragepeople to look at alcohol almost as if it's medicine. A recent study of alcoholuse in Italy paints a much more sobering picture.

Mindshare (Lithuania) - Alcoholadvertising ban denied

Lithuanian Parliament has abjured complete ban of alcohol advertising.Alcohol advertising details are in constant questioning, as the latter planoversaw a complete ban of outdoor, internet and print advertising.

Medical Daily - UnderageDrinking Boosts Criminal Activity: Researchers

While alcohol has frequently been linked to criminal activity amongadults, a new study finds that there is a strong association between childhooddrinking and criminal activity.

New Zealand Herald (Australia) - Newwarning labels for pregnant women on NZ liquor products

Warning labels aimed at pregnant women will be added to all alcoholproducts in New Zealand and Australia.

Alcohol News - 51/2011

2011-12-19T18:40:00.002+02:00

The Baltic Course (Latvia) - 40cigarettes and liter of alcohol allowed to be carried into Latvia withoutpaying taxes only once per week

In 2012, individuals will be able to transport 40 cigarettes and aliter of alcohol across Latvia's borders without paying taxes only once a week,according to amendments to the Law on Excise Tax that Saeima passed in the secondand final reading today.

Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News (Sweden) - Increased Alcoholism Rates Seen After Gastric Bypass Surgery

European researchers have found that gastric bypass patients have anincreased risk for postoperative alcohol dependence, according to datapresented at the 2011 Digestive Disease Week (DDW) meeting (abstract 266).Based on the findings of a retrospective cohort analysis of more than 12,000bariatric surgery patients, the investigators are calling for clinicians toexamine gastric bypass patients for alcohol-related diagnoses.

Eurocare (Lithuania) - ThePresident of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Parliament do notwant a ban of alcohol advertisement

Two years ago, Lithuania showed willingness to protect health of itscitizens by restricting alcohol marketing. The Lithuanian Health Program andAlcohol Control Law suggested an alcohol marketing ban from 1 January 2012.However, that situation has now changed, after a regrettable Parliamentdecision has stopped the process.

BBC News (UK) - Alcohol 'overprovided' in some parts of Highlands

Alcohol is too widely available and harming health in some parts of theHighlands, the area's health board has warned.

Offlicence News (UK) - Alcoholpricing scheme is illegal, minister says

The government remains convinced that minimum unit pricing for alcoholis illegal under European law, despite the Scottish government’s determinationto press ahead with the policy.

New York Daily News - Loud musicmakes alcohol taste sweeter: study

At a bar where the music is so loud you can’t hear yourself think? Bemindful of the number of drinks you tip back, as new research suggests thatloud environments can make alcohol taste sweeter and impair judgement.

PsychCentral.com - Texting forAlcohol Intervention in High-Risk Young Adults

A new study explores text messaging as a method to interact with youngadults to reduce alcohol consumption and decrease binge episodes.

HealthCanal.com - New strain oflab mice mimics human alcohol consumption patterns

A line of laboratory mice developed by a researcher from the School ofScience at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis drinks morealcohol than other animal models and consumes it in a fashion similar tohumans: choosing alcohol over other options and binge drinking.

The Independent (UK) - Britain'salcohol crisis: Is there a cure for the biggest hangover in Europe?

Minimum pricing on alcohol will not beat Britain's burgeoning drinkproblem, the Health Secretary insists, defying medical experts.

Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Alcohol-pricefinding challenged

Research that claims lifting the price of alcohol will not curb bingedrinking has been denounced by a leading alcohol health promotion group.

AllAfrica.com (Rwanda) - YouthWarned Against Drugs, Alcohol

Abuse of drugs and alcohol are among the main challenges that continueto hinder the development of the youth and could potentially derail the country'seconomic development, it has emerged.

Mashable (UK) - British FacebookUsers Are Intoxicated in 76% of Their Photos [STUDY]

The average British person is under the influence of alcohol inthree-quarters of of his or her tagged Facebook photos, according to a newstudy.

Medical Daily - UnderageDrinking Boosts Criminal Activity: Researchers

While alcohol has frequently been linked to criminal activity amongadults, a new study finds that there is a strong association between childhooddrinking and criminal activity.

Hindustan Times (UK) – Why mumstend to turn to alcohol

More mothers are now getting inclined towards alcohol to cope up withthe pressure of becoming Supermums to their kids, a new study has revealed.This lifestyle of mothers is putting their children at risk of depression andanxiety.

The Atlantic Wire (Egypt) - EgyptianVoters Go to the Polls to Decide the Fate of Alcohol and Bikinis

Egypt's second of three rounds of parliamentary elections began today,and two of the big talking points during this election are booze and beachwear-- at least according to CNN's report.

Native Times (USA) - Alcohol:The strongest enemy we have ever faced

I have thought long and hard about this dominating thing we have in ourlives, the dominating thing that has been used as a weapon, as a means to robus of not only our lands but also our proud warrior mentality.

The Press Association (Canada/Scotland) - Minimum booze price 'cuts drinking'

Minimum unit pricing for alcohol has been credited with cuttingconsumption in part of Canada.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon highlighted the findings of astudy into the impact of the policy in British Columbia as evidence that herown pricing plan will tackle Scotland's alcohol problems.

Irish Times (Ireland) - Driverswarned about alcohol in their system on morning after night out

ANYONE PLANNING to drive the morning after a night out should use analternative means of travel if they are in any doubt about whether they stillhave alcohol in their system, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar saidyesterday.

New Zealand Herald (Australia) - Newwarning labels for pregnant women on NZ liquor products

Warning labels aimed at pregnant women will be added to all alcoholproducts in New Zealand and Australia.

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Britainwill never have a Mediterranean drinking culture

One of the many things I prefer about being in France to England, alongwith the superior food, beautiful architecture and even more beautifullanguage, is their civilised attitude to alcohol – cheap, freely available andnot used by the authorities as an excuse to constantly tell the population howhorrible and rubbish they are.

openPR (Canada) - CanadianPharmacies Convinced Alcohol Consumption Causes More Damage than Good

Alcohol consumption has always invited strong debates, some in favor ofdrinking while others finding potential harm to health far more serious.

Alcohol News - 50/2011

2011-12-12T19:29:00.001+02:00

Mindshare (Lithuania) - Alcoholadvertising ban denied

Lithuanian Parliament has abjured complete ban of alcohol advertising. Alcoholadvertising details are in constant questioning, as the latter plan oversaw acomplete ban of outdoor, internet and print advertising.

ERR News (Estonia) - TemperanceActivists Seek Warning Labels for Pregnant Women on Booze Bottles

The Temperance Union is participating in a Pan-European initiative whichaims to introduce labels on liquor bottles, warning women of the hazards ofconsuming alcohol during pregnancy.

Copenhagen Post (Denmark) - DrunkenDanes

At a friend’s recent birthday party, I had the pleasure of being toldby an intoxicated teenager that young Danes hold the record for drinking toexcess in Europe. His face lit up as he bragged that his generation drank evenmore than the Brits and that this was an achievement to celebrate.

The Independent (UK) - Alcoholdiseases double in 7 years

The Health Minister Andrew Lansley was forced to defend hiscontroversial "hands off" approach to public health yesterday as newfigures revealed hospital admissions for alcohol-related diseases have doubledin the past seven years.

Examiner.com - Alcohol leads tounsafe sex – it is now official

Some things in life are a matter of common sense. The idea that theconsumption of alcohol would lead to a higher incidence of unsafe sex is such acommonsense concept.

Wall Street Journal (USA) - NewDistracted Driving Measure Shows Alcohol Is Still The Bigger Threat

The safety threat posed by drivers who text and talk behind the wheelgenerates a lot of heat, but drinking and driving remains the bigger problem,according to the latest highway fatality statistics from the U.S. government.

AllAfrica.com (Liberia) - ConsumersCouncil Warns Children Against Alcohol

The National Consumers Council of Liberia (NCCL) has warned Liberianchildren to stay far from alcohol during the Christmas and the New Yearseasons. The NCCL said its attention has been drawn to the continuous intake ofalcoholic beverages by children despite the Ministry of Commerce and Industry'sregulation, prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages to children.

The Press Association (Scotland) - Salesof alcohol down since ban

Alcohol sales have fallen since the ban on multi-buy deals wasintroduced in October, new figures suggest. Retail analysts Neilsen said salesof wine fell by 5%, spirits 3% and beer 8% during the first eight weeks of theban, compared with the same period of 2010.

BBC News (Scotland) - Scottishalcohol sales fall after multibuy ban

The amount of alcohol sold in Scottish shops and supermarkets hasfallen since a ban on multi-buy deals was brought in this October, figuresshow.

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Unhealthylifestyle responsible for 'half of cancers'

Almost half of cancers are caused by an unhealthy lifestyle that couldbe avoided by quitting smoking, losing weight, exercising and drinking lessalcohol, the most comprehensive study of its kind has found.

Daily Mail (UK) - Drinks companyslammed for handing out free alcohol to student blood donors

A drinks company has been slammed for handing out free alcohol toteenage blood donors.

Photographs posted via Facebook showed students being given cases ofTurbo shandy as they queued at a temporary blood bank outside a church inLeeds, West Yorkshire.

NPR (France) - French Lessons:Why Letting Kids Drink At Home Isn't Tres Bien

Many European parents, and some American ones, too, have long figuredif they let their kids drink alcohol at home, they'd be less likely to go hogwild with their friends. But recent studies of teen drinking behavior don'tbear that out.

Telegraph.co.uk - Middle-ageddrive to avoid peer pressure of drinking

Middle-aged people regularly volunteer to drive to dinner parties justto resist "mature" peer pressure to drink, according to new research.

The Daily Telegraph (Australia) - Alcohollabels to warn mums-to-be

THE country's leading health experts will today call on the federalgovernment to impose mandatory warning labels for pregnant women on allalcoholic drinks.

7thSpace Interactiv (EU) - Drinkingbehaviours and blood alcohol concentration in four European drinkingenvironments: a cross-sectional study

Reducing harm in drinking environments is a growing priority forEuropean alcohol policy yet few studies have explored nightlife drinkingbehaviours. This study examines alcohol consumption and blood alcoholconcentration (BAC) in drinking environments in four European cities.

Stuff.co.nz (New Zealand) - Boozeand networking meet online

An iPhone cover that counts how many beers you have opened, an app thatstops you sending drunken abusive texts, and a program that matches your drinksto your musical tastes are all encouraging a strong link between social mediaand drinking, researchers say.

PhysOrg.com - The perils ofdrunken walking

Drinking and driving is a much-publicized, dangerous combination, butis walking after drinking any safer?

HGV UK (EU) - Motorists getpan-European drink drive warning

Motorists across Europe, including truck drivers can expect to be testedfor alcohol as police officers conduct a week-long enforcement operationstarting tomorrow, Monday 12 December.

Croatian Times (Croatia) - Croatianparents accustomed to giving children alcohol

Some Croatian parents continue to believe in nutritional values ofalcohol and give their first graders wine or beer often, recent research shows.

Malta Independent Online (Malta) - Zerotolerance approach to drink-driving – Health Minister

Health Minister Joe Cassar yesterday urged the public to adopt a zerotolerance mentality to drink-driving and called on society to evaluate whethertoo much alcohol is being consumed for enjoyment, not just at Christmas but allyear round.

FASD News - 49/2011

2011-12-11T18:48:00.001+02:00

NEWS and ARTICLES

Net Newsledger (Canada) - “Ontarioneeds to step up and get serious with the prevention of FASD”

Anishinabek Nation Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare says thatOntario needs to step up and get serious with the prevention of Fetal AlcoholSpectrum Disorder.

Reno Gazette-Journal (USA) - JohnPackham: Prevention plays powerful role in fight against Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorders

Prenatal exposure to alcohol and other drugs is the leading cause ofpreventable birth defects and intellectual disabilities in Nevada. Childrenborn to women who use alcohol during pregnancy have an elevated risk for anumber of lifelong negative health and developmental outcomes.

PR Web - Film about PreventableBirth Defects Subject of Christmas Release

Award-winning film maker, Tom Monson announced the world-wide releaseof Last Call, the Sobering Truth about Drinking During Pregnancy. Amazingly,20% women drink alcohol while they are pregnant. One of the most comprehensivedocumentaries on the subject, the producer believes a timely release will savebabies from a life of pain and unfulfilled dreams.

The Daily Telegraph (Australia) - Alcohollabels to warn mums-to-be

THE country's leading health experts will today call on the federalgovernment to impose mandatory warning labels for pregnant women on allalcoholic drinks.

Twin Cities Planet (USA) - Fetalalcohol program takes unique cultural approach

A parenting program developed in Minnesota and aimed at helping Indianfamilies affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder goes national early nextyear.

Asian Scientist Magazine (Australia) - Study: Some Pregnant Women Still Smoke And Drink

A recent study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies has founda minority of Australian women still report drinking alcohol and smokingcigarettes during pregnancy.

ERR News (Estonia) - TemperanceActivists Seek Warning Labels for Pregnant Women on Booze Bottles

The Temperance Union is participating in a Pan-European initiativewhich aims to introduce labels on liquor bottles, warning women of the hazardsof consuming alcohol during pregnancy.

Nunatsiaq News (Canada) - KRGwants health board to adopt a “zero-tolerance” for drinking by pregnant women

Women in Nunavik should not drink when they are pregnant. That’s theclear position of counsellors at the Kativik Regional Government.

The Nation (Nigeria) - ‘Firstthree months of pregnancy are critical’

There are actually many things that can cause heart defects. When wesay Hole in the heart, it comprises of a whole bunch of problems. It is just alayman’s terminology to describe congenital heart diseases.

Detroit Free Press -Risk ofdisease partially established in womb, scientists say

Pregnant women sacrifice many of life's simple pleasures -- caffeine,sushi, a glass of wine -- in the hope that their babies will be born healthy.

iPolitics (Canada) - Feds fundstudy to determine cost of fetal alcohol disorders

The Conservative government is tasking a study to determine thefinancial toll of various disabilities in children and adults whose mothersdrank alcohol during pregnancy.

The Star (Canada) - Bettertesting needed to diagnose fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Canadian expertSterling Clarren says

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the leading cause of developmentaldisability in Canada, is an umbrella term used to describe a range ofdisabilities that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol.

MATERIALS

Healthy Child Manitoba - InSightMentoring Program

InSight is an outreach program where mentors provide intensive supportto women who are pregnant or have recently had a baby and are struggling withalcohol or drug use. This is a voluntary program for women who aren’t wellconnected to community support services.

CanFASD Northwest - Evaluationof FASD Mentoring Programs

This team is focused on the research and evaluation of Parent ChildAssistance Programs (PCAP), or other mentoring support programs, that provideintensive mentorship support services to women considered most at risk to havea child with FASD.

SAFE Babies program – Caring forBabies with Prenatal Substance Exposure

Check out the 3rd edition of Baby Steps: caring for babies withprenatal substance exposure. The 92-page handbook is for parents and caregiversof babies who have been prenatally exposed to alcohol or other drugs.

helsenorge.no - Alkoholfrittsvangerskap

Watch here

COMING

Eurocare - 2ND InternationalSAFFrance Colloquium, 15- 16 December 2011, Strasbourg, France

The second international conference of SAFFrance to be organised on the15th and 16th of December in Strasbourg is linked to the first conferenceorganised in the Senate in September 2009 to which the higher head of stateparticipated.

EUFASD – Second EuropeanConference on FASD

The European FASD Alliance is pleased to announce the Second EuropeanConference on FASD – Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: clinical and biochemicaldiagnosis, screening and follow-up, which will take place in Barcelona, October21 to 24, 2012.

RESEARCH

Alcoholism - Callosal ThicknessReductions Relate to Facial Dysmorphology in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Structural abnormalities of the corpus callosum (CC), such as reducedsize and increased shape variability, have been documented in individuals withfetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Alcoholism - Ethanol ExposureDuring Pregnancy Persistently Attenuates Cranially Directed Blood Flow in theDeveloping Fetus: Evidence from Ultrasound Imaging in a Murine Second TrimesterEquivalent Model

These data show that binge-type maternal EtOH exposure results in rapidand persistent loss of blood flow from the umbilical artery to the fetal brain,potentially compromising nutrition and the maternal/fetal endocrine environmentduring a critical period for neuron formation and angiogenesis in the maturingbrain.

IN OTHER LANGUAGES

De Stentor (Netherlands) - 'Verplichtlogo alcohol en zwangerschap'

Een zwangere vrouw in silhouet met daaromheen een rode cirkel en eenstreep erdoor. Dat logo moet op alle alcoholhoudende dranken wordenaangebracht. Dat vinden de FASstichting, de European FASD Alliance en hetNederlands Instituut voor Alcoholbeleid.

BarniMagen (Norway) - Slikkommer gravide seg unna drikkepresset

Fest er forbundet med moro og hygge, men for gravide kan det værevanskelig. Særlig i julebordsesongen opplever de drikkepress.

Delfi (Estonia) - Üleeuroopalineaktsioon nõuab pudelitele silte: rasedad peaksid alkoholist loobuma

Organisatsioonid enam kui 20 Euroopa riigist kutsuvad üles edastamasõnumit, et lapseootuse perioodil peaksid naised alkoholist täielikult hoiduma.

Kehitysvammaliitto (Finland) - Kehitysvammaliitolta lyhytelokuva Alkoholinsynnyttämät

Odottavan äidin alkoholinkäyttö voi aiheuttaa syntyvälle lapsellepysyvät vauriot. Vakavasti vaurioituneet lapset päätyvät usein sijaisperheeseenasumaan.

Kehitysvammaliitto (Finland) - Kunäiti joi raskauden aikana

Tälle sivulle tallennetaan Kehitysvammaliiton järjestämien seminaarienja asiantuntijatapahtumien aineistoja. Aineistot julkaistaan tilaisuudenjälkeen ja ne ovat sivulla kolmen kuukauden ajan.

Alcohol News - 49/2011

2011-12-05T15:02:00.001+02:00

Medscape (Sweden) - AlcoholAbuse More Detrimental to the Female Brain

Alcohol abuse appears to be much more detrimental to thefemale brain than to the male brain, new research suggests. Investigators fromthe multidisciplinary Gothenburg Alcohol Research Project in Sweden found thatafter 4 years of excessive drinking, women experienced the same loss ofserotonergic function that occurred in men who had been abusing alcohol for 12years.

The Local.se (Sweden) - Halfof Swedes 'unsure' if they have driven drunk

Some 46 percent of Swedes are uncertain whether they havedrunk too much when they get behind the wheel, according to a new surveycarried out by a major insurance company.

Stockholm News (Sweden) - Police: We can’t get rid of pub violence

The police can not reduce pub violence more than marginally.This because of Swedish drinking culture and the availability of alcohol.Efforts are now concentrated on keeping such crime at a "reasonable"level.

Baltic Business News (Estonia) - Researcher: Estonia should triple alcohol excise duty

Indrek Saar writes in his doctor’s thesis that the alcoholtaxation rate that was introduced in 2009 is notably below the optimum level.

The Guardian (UK) - Alcohol-inducedliver problems soar among young adults

There has been a huge increase in the number of young adultstreated in hospital for serious liver problems brought on by drinking too much,NHS figures show.

American Medical News - Avoidingalcohol in adolescence may reduce breast cancer risk

Drinking alcohol during adolescence has been linked to anincreased risk of breast cancer, especially for girls with a family history ofthe disease, a study says.

RTE.ie (Ireland) - Alcoholtops drug-related deaths

Alcohol accounted for the greatest number of drug-relateddeaths in Ireland between 2004 and 2009.

The Atlantic (Italy) - ASobering Look at Alcohol: 10-Year Study Finds High Death Rate

A number of studies in the past few years have suggestedhealth benefits from drinking small or moderate amounts of alcohol. This canencourage people to look at alcohol almost as if it's medicine. A recent studyof alcohol use in Italy paints a much more sobering picture.

CBC.ca (Canada) - B.C.drunk-driving law could be overturned

The B.C. Supreme Court is expected to rule Wednesday onwhether the province's tough new drunk-driving law violates constitutionalrights. Described as the strictest impaired driving law in Canada, the B.C.Motor Vehicle Act's automatic roadside driving prohibition clause allows policeto issue roadside suspensions, impound cars and levy fines in the hundreds ofdollars for drivers with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 or higher.

The Economist (Scotland) - The battle of the bottle

SATURDAY nights in most British cities are high-spirited,but in Glasgow they are the stuff of legend. Some 75,000 people stream throughits streets, crowding into pubs and clubs. After the bouncers push their lastall-but-senseless clients out of the door, and the last punch-up outside achippy is dispersed by the Strathclyde police, pavements lie deserted under adense coating of fag ends and glass shards. Over a thousand people will havebeen admitted to accident and emergency units.

Fin24 (South Africa) - Ministercalls for alcohol ban at functions

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has called onher government colleagues to lead by example and ban alcohol at all statefunctions, City Press reported on Sunday.

New Zealand Herald (Australia/New Zealand) - Fetal harm warnings likely for alcohollabels

Alcoholic drinks in New Zealand and Australia could sooncarry health warnings aimed at pregnant women and their unborn babies. TheAustralian Government indicated this week that it will aim for compulsorywarnings in two years as part of a transtasman agreement on food labellingstandards.

RIA Novosti (Ingushetia) - Ingushetia MPs seek alcohol ban on Thursdays, Fridays

Lawmakers of Ingushetia’s outgoing parliament voted for thefirst reading of a bill to ban alcohol sales in the predominantly MoslemRussian republic on Friday, the local government’s spokeswoman said.

Irish Independent (Ireland) - Alcohol locks and tracking devices planned for drivers who flout law

DRIVERS who repeatedly flout road-traffic laws face theprospect of having tracking devices and alcolocks installed in their vehicles.

ABC Online (Australia) - Declaring homes alcohol free could reduce violence

For some, it's an everyday reality - the walls are smashedas a fist goes through or there are holes or marks where a chair has beenthrown.

The Independent (UK) - Editor-At-Large:Let's sober up – and stand up to booze industry bullies

It's that time of year again – pubs and pizzerias full ofgurning office workers wearing paper hats and pulling crackers, downing houseplonk by the bucket load, all in the name of seasonal good cheer. Laterthere'll be puke in the gutters and piss on the back walls of buildings up anddown the land.

Alcohol News - 48/2011

2011-11-28T19:12:00.001+02:00

ERR News (Estonia) - Store Clerks Turn Blind Eye to UnderagedAlcohol Purchases

In a freshly released study, test subjects 18 years of age (the legaldrinking age) weren't asked for ID on 71 percent of their alcohol purchases

The Local.se (Sweden) - 'Systembolagetbehind wine club police report'

Sweden’s state-run alcohol monopoly Systembolaget has been accused ofhaving had a hand in a police report filed by a temperance society against agroup of wine clubs.

HealthCanal.com (Sweden) - Gene impedes recovery from alcoholism

People who are alcohol-dependent and who also carry a particularvariant of a gene run an increased risk of premature death. This is a recentfinding from the interdisciplinary research at the Department of Psychology andthe Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Reuters (USA) - Sharp rise inhospitalizations tied to energy drinks: report

Emergency room visits linked to energy drink consumption have surged inrecent years, according to a report released on Tuesday, as more people combinethe popular beverages with alcohol and drugs.

CBC.ca (Canada) - Alcoholdrinking guide stresses moderation

Canada's new alcohol drinking recommendations aim to help guide peoplein how much to consume and they encourage moderation. The new guidelines fromthe National Alcohol Strategy Advisory Committee were released Friday.

The Daily Post (New Zealand) - MerepekaRaukawa-Tait: Alcohol is a drug

As soon as Zac Guildford's plane landed when he returned from Rarotongahe should have been whisked off to rehab. This talented young man has a drugaddiction that is affecting his life.

Nigerian Tribune (Nigeria) - Excessivealcohol weakens body’s immunity against infections

Most people associate the physical harms of alcohol with liver damage.However, experts warn that heavy alcohol intake can also weaken the immunesystem, slow the healing process, impair bone formation, and increase the riskof transmitting HIV, reports Sade Oguntola.

UPI.com - Teen volunteering cutsalcohol, drug use

Programs that foster positive social behaviors such as volunteeringreduce the likelihood teens will use alcohol or drugs in adulthood, U.S.researchers say.

Drogheda Independent (Ireland) - Alcoholtakes enormous toll on Irish families

'SADLY alcohol takes a huge toll in Ireland. We have been in denialabout this for a long time.' That's the opinion of Dr Declan Bedford, publichealth specialist with the HSE.

The West Australian (Australia) - Injuriesand illness from grog cost us millions

WA hospitals are spending $76 million a year treating alcohol-relatedillnesses and injury, with cases in the metropolitan area rising significantly,a new report shows.

Advertisement Journal - Womenand Alcohol Advertisements

Women are becoming the new face for alcohol advertisements. Whether itis beer, liquor, or specialty drinks, women are being targeted for alcoholadvertisements all over. Not only are women being targeted for alcoholadvertisements, moms are also being targeted.

stv.tv (Scotland) - Report:Increased tax on alcohol would be preferable to minimum pricing

A study has argued that extra revenues raised from alcohol sales shouldgo to the public purse rather than retailers and producers.

Irish Health (Ireland) - Shockrise in alcohol liver disease

Death rates from alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in Ireland have seen amassive increase during the Celtic Tiger years, according to a new study.

Saipan Tribune (Canada) - Alcohol-relatedcar crashes dropping since 2009

Alcohol-related vehicular crashes in the CNMI have significantlydecreased since 2009, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Insurance Age (UK) - ABI advisesalcohol ban and curfew for young drivers

A ban on alcohol and restricted driving hours are two of the proposalsset out by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) in a bid to reduceaccidents among drivers aged under 25.

The West Australian (Australia) - Lobbygroup tackles alcohol harm in teens

Doctors, child health experts and police are among 78 organisationsthat have formed a powerful new lobby group in WA to fight problem drinking inteenagers.

Daily Mail (UK) - Boozy Britonsare drinking more... as the rest of Europe cuts down

Consumption of alcohol has soared in Britain over the last few decadeswhile it has plummeted on the continent. Adults in the UK drink 9 per cent morethan they did in 1980, making us the 11th booziest nation in Europe – althoughour intake has fallen slightly over the past few years.

Kashmir Watch (China) - ChinaProhibits Advertising of Alcoholic Drinks

CorpComms (Belgium) - Fake deathapp highlights drugs and alcohol risk

A controversial new Facebook app that sends a fake newspaper article tofriends describing a fatal car accident has been launched by The BelgianInstitute for Traffic Safety (IBSR).

Warsaw Voice (Poland) - Polandplans no alcohol or LPG excise hike

Poland has no plans to raise excise duty on alcohol or auto gas LPG,deputy Finance Minister Jacek Kapica told PAP Polish news agency.

FASD News - 47/2011

2011-11-27T20:11:00.001+02:00

NEWS AND ARTICLES

The Journal (Ireland) - Drugs,drink, and sex – Irish teenagers on their experiences

THE EXTENT OF Irish teenagers’ experiences with drugs, alcohol and sexare unveiled in two new reports from UNICEF. UNICEF Ireland has launched thefinal two reports in its Changing the Future series, which address the themesof drugs and alcohol and sexual health and behaviour respectively.

Malaysia Star (Malaysia) - Adoctor’s perspective

MALAYSIA has no official definition for rare diseases. However,according to University Malaya Medical Centre consultant paediatrician andclinical geneticist Prof Dr Thong Meow Keong, the unofficial working definitionis diseases that strike less than one in 4,000 people in the population.

Toronto Star (Canada) - Better testing needed to diagnose fetalalcohol spectrum disorder, Canadian expert Sterling Clarren says
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the leading cause of developmental disabilityin Canada, is an umbrella term used to describe a range of disabilities thatresult from prenatal exposure to alcohol.

The West Australian (Australia) - Detention'fails' to solve foetal alcohol problems

Locking up persistent juvenile offenders is like "beating a blindchild for not reading the blackboard" and alternative sentencing optionsto detention must be explored, an international foetal alcohol spectrumdisorder expert says.

Sunderland Echo (UK) - Pregnantmums warned over drinking

A MEDICAL expert has spoken out over the dangers of pregnant Wearsidewomen drinking. Dr Shonag Mackenzie, of Northumbria Healthcare Trust, iswarning mums-to-be that Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), can greatly affectbabies physical, mental and behavioural well-being.
Read more

Canada First Perspective (Canada) - First Nations taking the lead in addressing developmental disabilities

Anishinabek Nation Deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare says thatOntario is leagues behind the Western Provinces in addressing Fetal AlcoholSpectrum Disorder.

iPolitics.ca (Canada) - Feds fundstudy to determine cost of fetal alcohol disorders

The Conservative government is tasking a study to determine thefinancial toll of various disabilities in children and adults whose mothersdrank alcohol during pregnancy.

Houston Chronicle (USA) - Studylinks Latino assimilation, drinking while pregnant

Hispanic women who have been in the U.S. longer are more likely todrink during pregnancy than those who haven't lived here as long or assimilatedas much, according to interviews conducted through a health department program.

My SA (USA) - Alcohol poses aspecial danger in San Antonio

Local Hispanic women who have been in the U.S. longer are more likelyto drink during pregnancy than those who haven't lived here as long orassimilated as much, according to interviews conducted through a healthdepartment program.

MyIndia Living - Is Alcohol ACause For Miscarriage?

The moment you plan for pregnancy or confirmed, the first advice yourpals would give is not to drink. But how drinking or alcohol consumption canaffect the baby development? Our attempt for today is to help you understandthe effects of drinking specially during pregnancy. Do not miss to have a look.

The Star - Her 15-year-old soncouldn't read and he couldn't add. She knows she caused this

“I binge drank through my pregnancy,” says Janet Christie,matter-of-factly. “I really loved drinking. I knew when I was pregnant that itwasn't good to drink. I was so ashamed. But I had no one to talk to about it.”

COMING UP

Smithers Community Services (Canada) - Regional FASD Conference Hope in Action – FASD, A Caring Community

We have selected a panel of speakers that will help us take a look atthe broader context in which FASD often exists, and in this way, help break thesilo that has been built around FASD as an emotionally charged disability.

RESOURCES

Best Start - Be Safe: Have anAlcohol Free Pregnancy Tear-off Pads

Pad of tear-off colour sheets (10 cm by 10 cm) with information forexpectant parents about alcohol use in pregnancy. One side says "Be Safe:Have an alcohol-free pregnancy" and includes visuals that illustrate thedangers to the baby from alcohol use in pregnancy. The other side includesphone contact information for Motherisk, Telehealth etc.

RESEARCH

Neuroscience - Alterations inneural aneuploidy by drugs of abuse during fetal brain development

Mosaic aneuploidy, defined as coincidental chromosome losses and/orgains to deviate from the haploid chromosome complement, has been identified inboth the developing and the adult mammalian central nervous system, includingneural progenitor cells and functionally integrated mature neurons.

Substance Use and Misuse - Subtypesof Alcohol Dependence and Their Effect on Sexual Behavior Change

This study utilized data from a National Institute on Drug Abuse andNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism funded community-based HIVprevention program in the Midwest in 2000.

Alcohol News - 47/2011

2011-11-21T19:01:00.001+02:00

Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Accident Investigation Board calls foralcohol limit for rowing boats
Tragically, "messing about in boats" in the Finnish context all toooften involves the excessive consumption of alcohol, an open zipper, a tumblebackwards off the stern of a rowing boat, and ugly drowning statistics in thenewspapers, particularly over the Midsummer weekend.
Read more

Times of India (Sweden) - Alcoholic women suffer quicker brain damage

Swedish scientists have found that high alcohol consumption damages theserotonin system in women's brains more readily than that in men's brains.

EurekAlert (Sweden) - Gene impedes recovery from alcoholism

HealthCanal.com (Norway) - One in thirty drivers tested positive insaliva samples

About one in 30 car drivers on Norwegian roads has alcohol,illegal drugs or psychoactive medicines in their blood.

Views and News from Norway (Norway) - Bars may be forced to closeearlier

The rise in alcohol-related violence in Norway means that bars, also inOslo, may be ordered to stop serving at 2am. Many now keep pouring much laterthan that.

Toronto Star (Canada) - Womenare the new face of alcohol advertising

PhysOrg.com - Research showstravel combined with alcohol, weather can be deadly

How have driving patterns during the Thanksgiving holidays changedduring recent years? The answer to this question may help you avoid a crash, orat least the congestion that goes with most holiday travel.

BBC News (Scotland) - Alcoholcould be banned on Scottish trains, report says

Passengers in Scotland could be banned from drinking alcohol on trains,a report into the radical overhaul of rail travel has suggested.

Gant Daily (USA) - Drinking inthe U.S. hit a 25-year high in 2010

For many it’s social.For others it’s an escape. For some, it’s simply more time. For whatever thereason, Americans are drinking more.

Nursing Times (UK) - Doctors call for change to alcohol advice

Doctors have warned, “drinkers should have three alcohol-free days aweek if they want to avoid the risk of liver disease,” the Daily Mail reported.

Ivanhoe - Death by Alcohol

Alcohol consumption is responsible for approximately four percent ofall deaths worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence! It’s alsoresponsible for roughly five percent of global disease.

AllAfrica.com (Kenya) - HighSchool Students Abusing Drugs, Alcohol

Forty nine per cent of Kenyan youth in high school aged between 14 and18 years have abused alcohol and drugs, a report says. A further 71 and 28 percent of male and female youths were reported to be sexually active; a trendthat exposes them to sexually transmitted infections, including Aids.

TIME (USA) - Study: AnotherReason to Keep the Drinking Age at 21

Young women who came of age in the late 1960s and '70s, when manystates had lowered their legal drinking ages to under 21, remained at higherrisk of suicide and homicide into adulthood, a new study finds.

The West Australian (Australia) - Alcoholcauses 'one in five' deaths by injury

Alcohol contributes to one in five of all deaths from injury in WA,including almost one-quarter of all road accident fatalities, new figures show.

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Women drinking, smoking in pregnancy

Australian women continue to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol duringpregnancy, a new study reveals.

MedPage Today - Chronic DrinkingMay Weaken Brain Connections

Chronic alcoholism may result in a weakened relationship between thefrontal lobe and cerebellar activity in those who are recently abstinent,according to the results of a small study.

Times of Zambia (Zambia) - Luotackles alcohol abuse

Apart from the much talked about 90 days developmental transformation,Zambians have had their numerous issues which they feel will be resolved underthe PF government and within the stipulated 90 days. One of such issues is theillegal trading of illicit alcoholic beverages commonly known as ‘Tujilijili’by non- licensed vendors.

The Dispatch (Germany) - BerlinLooking To Ease Event Alcohol Restrictions

After the success of last month’s Octoberfest, the Berlin Mayor andCouncil are considering changing the rules regarding alcoholic beverages onpublic property during specially sanctioned events.

U.S. News & World Report - AlcoholicsMore Likely to Die of Cancer: Study

Alcoholics have a higher rate of death from cancer and other causesthan other people, a new study finds.

Mayo News (Ireland)- Alcoholindustry accused of bullying governments

Experts on alcohol consumption have accused the government of giving into ‘corporate bullying’ by the alcohol industry. Speaking last week during MayoDrug and Alcohol Awareness Week, Professor Joe Barry and Dr Ann Hope arguedthat the government has allowed the industry to self regulate and has failed tocurb alcohol advertising.

Lifeinsurance.co.uk (UK) - Britishthroat cancer Europe's highest thanks to obesity and alcohol

The UK suffers the highest rate of throat cancer in Europe, double theaverage rate, according to new analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund(WCRF). Britain's high level of alcohol consumption and obesity are blamed forthe figures.

The Local.de (Germany) - One infive German children have alcoholic or drug-addict parents

One in five German children have alcoholic or drug-addict parents,according to the latest annual figures on drugs and addiction.

Irish Health (Ireland) - Alcohol-relatedcrime a major problem

According to a survey commissioned by the charity, Alcohol ActionIreland (AAI), half of people say they have experienced some type ofalcohol-related intimidation, threat or violence during the last 12 months,while almost one in 10 claim that they, or a family member, has actually beenassaulted by a drunk person in the last year.

Florida's Kids and Alcohol

2011-11-20T13:30:00.001+02:00

Watch Florida's Kids and Alcohol on PBS. See more from WEDU SPECIALS.

Alcohol News - 46/2011

2011-11-14T18:02:00.001+02:00

EPHA (EU) - 68 NGOs call of a new EU alcohol strategy

Under Eurocare’sleadership, 68 international, European and National NGOs (including EPHA)joined forces to call for a comprehensive Alcohol Policy Strategy in theEuropean Union 2013-2020.

BusinessWeek(USA) - Black and Asian Teens HaveLowest Rates of Drug and Alcohol Use

Black and Asianteenagers in the U.S. are less likely to use alcohol or drugs than adolescentsof other races, a study found.

AHN | AllHeadline News - Teenage girls up breastcancer risk with every alcoholic drink

Among teen girlswith a family history of breast cancer, there is a significant associationbetween the amount of alcohol consumed and the risk of getting benign breastdisease, which is a known breast cancer risk factor.

BBC News (UK) - Alcohol policy a joke, says British LiverTrust

Government-ledpolicies on alcohol throughout the UK have been branded a joke by the chiefexecutive of the charity the British Liver Trust.

MedPage Today - Alcohol-Inflamed Livers Benefit from EarlyTransplant

Early livertransplantation for severe alcoholic hepatitis boosts survival, whereas addingan antioxidant to medical therapy may not, studies showed.

Times of India(UK) - Alcohol, obesity main cause ofcancer

Alcohol andobesity are to be blamed for the alarming rate of throat and liver cancer inthe UK as compared to anywhere else in Europe, a new study has claimed.

The PressAssociation (Northern Ireland) - Actionurged over alcohol abuse

Alcohol abuseclaims 266 lives in Northern Ireland every year, doctors have warned. With theestimated cost of alcohol misuse across society in the region standing atalmost £700 million, the British Medical Association NI (BMA) has called foraction on the problem.

MarketWatch (USA)- Should Liquor Sales Be Privatized,asks Pennsylvanians Concerned about Alcohol Problems

Recently GovernorThomas Corbett announced that an independent study reported that if the statewere to sell off the state store system to private operators the state ofPennsylvania would realize an estimated one and half billion dollars.

Daily Mail - Fatherhood maketh the man: Smoking, alcoholeven crime all drop in men who become dads

Becoming a fatherreally can help men ditch bad habits, a study has found. Men who become dadsfor the first time tend to steer away tobacco, alcohol even crime, sayresearchers from Oregon State University.

The Daily Iowan(USA) - One year after 21-ordinancevote, alcohol-related ER visits drop

Fewer Universityof Iowa students are going to the emergency room because of alcohol,newly-released data show. But some in the community disagree on whether thestatistics represent a change in dangerous drinking behavior.

Irish Times(Ireland) - Surge in alcohol abusereported

The number ofpeople treated for alcohol abuse increased by almost 50 per cent in five years,according to figures just published. The report, Treated Problem Alcohol use inIreland 2005 to 2010 , from the Health Research Board, says 42,333 casespresented with alcohol as the main problem substance during the five yearperiod.

Stuff.co.nz (NewZealand) - Alcohol and violence 'adeadly mix'

It is only amatter of time before someone dies of alcohol-related violent assault inNelson, a senior Emergency Department doctor at Nelson Hospital says.

Forbes (Russia) -Russian Alcohol Consumption is MildlyDecreasing

It’s not the mostin-depth analysis of Russian drinking patterns I’ve ever seen, but I did wantto briefly flag this post from the Financial Times’ always excellent BeyondBRICS because it shows that Russian alcohol consumption is not some mythicalentity that is totally immune to amelioration or modification.

Waterloo Record -Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder requiresnew approach

Often all peoplesee in a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is their bad behaviour. “Thebehaviours make it difficult to deal with the kid in many cases,” said AllanMountford, who teaches in a special program that helps troubled teenagers transitionto high school.

BBC News(England/Wales) - Below-cost alcohol tobe banned from April

A ban on the saleof alcohol below a minimum price will be introduced in England and Wales from 6April 2012.

The Australian(Australia) - Women still drink andsmoke while pregnant

ONE in fivepregnant women smoke and 38 per cent drink alcohol, a study has found. It is tobe released today. Carried out by the Australian Institute of Family Studies,it uses data from Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of AustralianChildren, which has tracked more than 10,000 children since 2004.

AdWorld (Ireland)- Alcohol Marketing Debate Gathers Steam

The debate aboutalcohol marketing and its impact on consumption patterns in Ireland stepped upa few gears this week at a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health& Children.

Irish Times(Ireland) - Half of alcohol drinkers'damaging their health'

HALF OF allpeople who drink alcohol in Ireland do so at levels that are damaging theirhealth, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

The WestAustralian (Australia) - Health concernsover alcohol in music videos

Australia'sadvertising watchdog has admitted it is powerless to stop an emerging trend of"product placement" of alcohol in music videos watched by millions ofteenagers.

The Guardian (UK)- Smoking and drinking in pregnancy'harms 10,000 babies in UK each year'

An estimated6,000 of the UK’s 800,000 babies a year are born with some form of fetalalcohol spectrum, which can cause brain damage, physical problems and learningdisabilities.

The Guardian - Heavy drinking in pregnancy can alterunborn babies' brains, study shows

Heavy drinkingduring pregnancy could alter the genetic makeup of unborn babies' brains,causing mental and behavioural problems.

Fiji Times (Fiji)- Survey links alcohol use in schools topeer pressure

A SURVEY by theNational Substance Abuse Advisory Council (NSAAC) has found that students inthe Central Division feature in the most number of alcohol abuse cases.

IceNews (Iceland)- Icelandic alcohol producer complainsabout too-high tax

The Icelandicgovernment takes 90 percent of the sale price of vodka, the president of thecountry’s biggest drinks company says — claiming that the black market forillegally produced home made hard liquors is thriving as a result.

Helsingin Sanomat(Finland) - Authorities take hard lineon unlicensed serving of alcohol beverages on Restaurant Day

Next week, policewill keep an eye on people who set up restaurants for one day in order thatthey would not sell alcohol in addition to food.

The Local(Sweden) - Drunk drivers get shortersentences: study

Sober drivers whoinjure another person in traffic often receive longer prison sentences thandrunk drivers, according to new research from the Swedish National Road andTransport Institute (Statens väg- och transportforskningsinstitut - VTI).

FASD News - 45/2011

2011-11-13T16:52:00.001+02:00

NEWS and ARTICLES

The Guardian (UK)- Smoking and drinking in pregnancy'harms 10,000 babies in UKeach year'

Britain

'stop children's doctor has said that more than 10,000 babies each year sufferserious harm, including death, because their mothers drank alcohol, smoked,over-ate, or took drugs during pregnancy.

Irish Medical Times (

Ireland

) - Four-fifths of women drank alcohol ‘close to conception’

A total of 81 per cent of women reportedalcohol consumption during the peri-conceptual period, the prevalence study ofalcohol exposure in pregnancy at the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital has shown.

Irish Independent (

Ireland

) - 145 babies had alcohol withdrawal symptoms

AT least 145 babies were born in thecountry's main maternity hospitals in just three years suffering from alcoholwithdrawal, new figures reveal.

Lethbridge Herald (Canada) - Christmas tree carries message to avoidFASD

Almost every day in Alberta, a baby is born who will bediagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder. Approximately 23,000 Albertansand 2,200 in the southern region have the disorder FASD, which encompasses awide range of brain injuries causing mental, physical and learning disabilitiesas a result of mothers consuming alcohol or drugs while pregnant.

Parkersburg News (USA) - FAS rates on the rise in West Virginia

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome rates are on therise in West Virginia.A 2009 study by the West Virginia Perinatal Partners found one out of five West Virginia babies areexposed to drugs or alcohol before they are born.

Vancouver Sun (

Canada

)- Screen all prison inmates forfetal-alcohol syndrome, doctor urges

A Winnipegdoctor says he hopes all inmates will be screened for fetal alcohol spectrumdisorder as a matter of course within the next five years, just in time for anexpected spike in the country's prison population.

HealthCanal.com (

Australia

) - No room in the womb for alcohol

A flagship Indigenous health careinitiative in Western Australia's remote Fitzroy Valley has received vital funding thatwill allow it to progress to a new phase.

The West Australian (

Australia

) - Push for warning labels on alcohol

Federal and State health ministers arebeing urged to support health warning labels on alcohol, including theimmediate introduction of advice for pregnant women.

The Northern Echo (

) - Mothers-to-be in alcohol warning

A NORTH-EAST consultant has voiced fearsthat women are drinking too much in pregnancy – resulting in a huge hidden populationof damaged children. It follows a survey of the drinking habits of mums-to-bewhich suggests hundreds of babies born every year in the region suffer fromFoetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

CBC.ca (

Canada

) - Baby poop study tracks alcohol use

Hospital researchers on P.E.I. have beencollecting and studying human meconium – the first stool – of every newbornIslander.

Waterloo Record - Fetal alcoholspectrum disorder requires new approach

Often all people see in a child with fetalalcohol spectrum disorder is their bad behaviour. “The behaviours make itdifficult to deal with the kid in many cases,” said Allan Mountford, whoteaches in a special program that helps troubled teenagers transition to highschool.

The Fix - Alcoholism's Gender Gap is Closing Fast

As women rapidly chase down men in thedrinking stakes, one Harvard professor says alcoholism progresses faster infemales—and that all-women treatment groups are vital.

MATERIALS and EVENTS

The National Health Service Grampian (in

Scotland

)released a new booklet called Pregnancy,Parenting and Alcohol.

Eufasd.org - Second European Conference on FASD

Pre-Announcement: Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorders: Clinical and Biochemical Diagnosis, Screening and Follow-up.

RESEARCH

Coombe.ir - Drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of premature birth

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy isassociated with an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and lowbirth weight. But there are onflicting reports about how much alcohol, if any,it is safe for a pregnant woman to drink. New research, carried out in the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital looked at theamount of alcohol women drank during their early pregnancy and showed theeffect this had on their babies.

Alcohol and Alcoholism - Universal Prevention is Associated withLower Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Northern Cape, South Africa: A Multicentre Before–After Study

This, the first prevention study using FASDoutcomes, suggests that universal prevention might reduce FASD by ∼30% and have population-level effects. This supports intensifyinguniversal interventions where knowledge of harms of maternal drinking is low. Theseefforts need to be accompanied by alcohol-dependence treatment to lower moresevere FASD forms.

Modulationby the GABAB receptor siRNA of ethanol-mediated PKA-α, CaMKII, and p-CREBintracellular signaling in prenatal rat hippocampal neurons

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is adevelopmental neuropathology resulting from in utero exposure to ethanol; manyof ethanol's effects are likely to be mediated by the neurotransmitterγ-aminobutyric acid (GABA).

MeconiumTesting for Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters: A 2011 Status Report

The Canadian Association of PediatricHealth Centres, working in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canadahas recently published a toolkit to guide screening for identification of riskof FAS/FASD.

Alcohol News - 45/2011

2011-11-07T18:31:00.001+02:00

PhysOrg.com (Sweden) - Doctors' own alcohol consumption colors advice to patients

Doctors who drink more themselves are moreliberal in their advice to patients on alcohol consumption. They set higherthresholds for what is harmful, and while men who are heavy drinkers get tocontinue drinking, women are often advised to stop altogether, reveals a thesisfrom the Sahlgrenska Academy at the Universityof Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Local (Sweden)- Crime falls when Sweden 'drinks like Europe'

"Continental" drinking habitsamong Swedes have had a positive impact on violent crime levels, despite risingalcohol consumption, according to a report on Tuesday.

The Baltic Course (Lithuania) - Lithuanian Seimas debates on theprohibition of alcohol advertising

At its plenary sitting on Thursday, MPs hada heated debate on amendments to the Law on Alcohol Control which provide forlifting the prohibition of alcohol advertising that is supposed to enter intoforce on 1 January 2012, reports LETA/ELTA, referring to Kauno diena.

IceNews (

Denmark

) – Study: indicators of alcoholism present at birth

The research, which medical daily DagensMedicin describes as “rock solid, proven and tangible”, found that if a boywith an alcoholic father suffered a shortage of vitamin K during labour, wasunderweight at birth and had behavioural problems or ADHD as a child, he standsa high chance of becoming addicted to alcohol as an adult.

Politiken.dk (

Denmark

) - Sweets and alcohol up, tobacco not so much

The new centre-left government’s budget isdue out today and will include considerable price hikes on wine, beer andsweets, but a lower than expected increase in the price of tobacco products.

The Guardian (

Scotland

) - Scottish ministers face legal battle over minimum pricing of alcohol

Drinks industry likely to launch courtaction opposing bill that aims to cut dangerous levels of alcohol abuse amongadults.

News Tonight (

Australia

) - Alcohol Makes You Go ‘Looney’ Over the Time

It has been revealed in a recent reportthat there might be some series links between alcohol consumption anddeteriorating mental health of a person. This study was conducted on a teamfrom the Salvation Army.

NHS Choices - Breast cancer link to alcohol studied

Women who drink within the recommendedlimits are still putting their health at risk, according to The DailyTelegraph. It said new research shows that less than one small glass of wine aday increases the risk of breast cancer.

Nursing in Practice (UK) - Calls for clampdown on parental supply ofalcohol

A Cornish MP has called for a ‘tightening’of legislation to stop parents supplying their children with alcohol.

International Business Times AU (

Australia

)- BISWorld Study: Aussies Cutting BeerConsumption

There is a shifting preference amongAustralians in their choice of alcohol consumption in favor of premium drinksover traditional beers.

Times of

India

- Alcohol, smoking may trigger fatal allergies

Alcohol and tobacco can lead tolife-threatening reactions including asthma attacks and anaphylaxis, and worsenexisting allergy symptoms, according to experts.

New York Daily News - Light drinkers have higher breast cancerrisk: study

Women who drink three to six glasses ofalcohol per week have a 15 percent higher risk of getting breast cancer thanwomen who do not drink.

Irish Times (

Ireland

) - Doctor says alcohol implicated in 45 per cent of all suicides

THE FOUNDER of the Irish Association ofSuicidology, Dr John Connolly, has said teenage suicide tends to be a moreimpulsive act, and that alcohol can lead to an increase in that impulsivity.

Reuters (

USA

) - Ask teen patients about drug, alcohol use: doctors

Doctors should be asking adolescents abouttheir drug and alcohol use at every visit and screening for any signs ofdependence or addiction, the American Academy of Pediatricssaid today in a new policy statement.

RIA Novosti (

Russia

) - Clerks selling alcohol to minors should go to jail – Medvedev

Clerks selling alcoholic beverages toteenagers should be subject to criminal responsibility and sent to prison forviolating underage alcohol sales laws, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev saidon Tuesday.

Irish Times (

Ireland

) - Alcohol a major factor in failure of rape cases

A MAJOR reason why the Director of PublicProsecutions does not prosecute in alleged rape cases is because thecomplainant is unable to recall the alleged offence or the details of it as aresult of intoxication.

Times of

India

- A drink a day causes gastrointestinal problems

Moderate alcohol consumption - just onedrink per day for women or two for men - could lead to small intestinalbacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and subsequently cause gastrointestinal symptomslike bloating, gas, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, a new study hassuggested.

Vancouver Sun (

Canada

)- Screen all prison inmates forfetal-alcohol syndrome, doctor urges

CTV.ca (

Canada

) - Mother's Against Drunk Driving launches new campaign

As they launch their annual Red Ribboncampaign, an organization committed to raising awareness against impaireddriving also unveiled a new, shocking PSA – one which the city and the provincehope drive the message home this holiday season - and possibly beyond.

3News NZ (

New Zealand

) - NZDF: 500 alcohol-related offences in five years

3 News can tonight reveal a shocking listof more than 500 alcohol-related offences committed by New Zealand DefenceForce personnel. The offences, committed over a five-year period, have beenoutlined in a series of reports obtained under the Official Information Act.

TopNews Arab Emirates - Middle-Aged Men More Prone to Liver Diseaseand Cancer Due to 'Risky Drinking'

Making an immensely shocking disclosure, arecently concluded research, dubbed From One to Many, has revealed that atleast one out of every three middle-aged men are evidently toying with theirlife by escalating their odds of falling for various forms of perilous cancerand liver disorders.

Radio Netherlands(Netherlands) - Underage still drinking in Holland

Despite government campaigns againstunderage drinking, it’s still quite easy for youngsters in the Netherlands toget their hands on alcohol, research shows.

Alcohol News - 44/2011

2011-10-31T18:33:00.002+02:00

Helsingin Sanomat (

Finland

) - Consumption and private imports of alcohol continue to fall

In the early part of 2011 the Finns boughtless alcohol than in the same period a year before. The same applied to drinkspurchased from abroad: a clearly smaller amount of alcoholic beverages werebrought in as souvenirs from overseas than a year earlier.

CBS (

USA

) - Amy Winehouse death puts alcohol poisoning in spotlight

"Death by misadventure." That wasan English coroner's curiously quaint way of saying Amy Winehouse drank herselfto death. The troubled singer was found with empty vodka bottles in her roomand more than five times the legal limit for drinking in England,coroner Suzanne Grennaway said on Wednesday.

BBC News (

) - Children claim alcohol intake of 28 units a week

A small number of children as young as 12claimed they drank the equivalent of 19 glasses of wine a week when questionedfor a health survey.

BBC News (

) - Alcohol warnings 'still being ignored', minister says

Many people still do not accept the harmthat alcohol can do to their bodies, despite government warnings, the publichealth minister has said.

eGov monitor (

Scotland

) - Nicola Sturgeon Welcomes Rising Support For Minimum Pricing For Alcohol

A leading Canadian academic and majorplayer in the alcohol industry have added their names to the growing list ofsupporters backing the Scottish Government's bid to introduce a minimum pricefor alcohol.

Newswise - Moderate Alcohol Consumption is Associated with Small IntestinalBacterial Overgrowth

Just one drink per day for women—two formen—could lead to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and subsequentlycause gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain,constipation and diarrhea, according to the results of a new study unveiledtoday at the American College of Gastroenterology’s (ACG) 76th AnnualScientific meeting in Washington, DC.

The Republic - Medical: Alcohol's impact affected by genes, studies show

And there's plenty of evidence that lightto moderate alcohol consumption can have health benefits for many people butcarries grave risks for others. The trick lies in figuring out just who fallsin which pathway.

News Tonight - Limit Alcohol Intake To Avoid Lung Cancer, Says Study

Lung cancer is a deadly form of cancer thatcan be considered as a leading cause of deaths across the globe. The disease isalready known to have a close association with poor lifestyle and habits suchas tobacco consumption.

New Vision (

Uganda

) - Excessive Alcohol consumption: A key driver of chronic poverty

Excessive Alcohol Consumption is a key‘driver and maintainer’ of chronic poverty in Uganda. Discussions on excessivealcohol consumption in the country have for long been in the back –seat of whatis considered as ‘personal choices’ making alcohol a new frontier for chronicpoverty in

Uganda

Scotsman (

Scotland

) - Alcohol and drugs lead to one in seven house fires

ALCOHOL and drug misuse were linked to atleast one in seven house fires in

Scotland

last year, according to anew Scottish Government report.

Nurse.com (

USA

) - Medicare to cover screening for alcohol misuse

The Centers for Medicare & MedicaidServices has announced two new national coverage determinations that coverscreenings for alcohol misuse and depression for Medicare beneficiaries.

PR Newswire (USA)- Calif. Study Shows 24/7 Alcohol Bracelets Curb Future DUIs

A newly released study of DUI offender datain Riverside County shows that Hard Core DrunkDrivers (HCDDs) who were monitored with 24/7 alcohol bracelets saw a re-arrestrate of nearly one-half the state average for repeat DUI offenders.

Irish Times (

Ireland

) - New drink-driving limits come into effect at midnight

LOWER DRINK-driving limits come into effectfrom midnight, reducing the maximum blood-alcohol level to 20mg per 100ml ofblood in some cases.

Medical News Today - Fearing Stigmatizing The Patient - Doctors Will Cite Alcohol As CauseOf Death, But Not Smoking

Not wanting to stigmatize the deceased,

doctors are not in general citing smoking as a cause of death on deathcertificates, although they will cite alcohol in cases where alcohol is a clearcause.

OHS Canada (

Canada

) - Random drug and alcohol testing approved

Public transit workers in Toronto will soon be subject to random drugand alcohol testing as the city's transit service was given the go-ahead tobegin testing employees in safety-sensitive positions.

Daily Mail - All-day drinking brings 670,000 surge in 'sickies'... and women areFIVE times more likely to bunk off work

Around 670,000 working days a year arebeing lost because of the relaxation of the drinking laws, researchers claim.

Independent Online (

South Africa

) - Govt to look into booze ads ban

The Health Department has agreed to lookinto an alternative solution to the proposed ban on alcohol advertising duringa meeting held on Friday with health Department officials and outdoor mediacompany Kena Media.

Namibia Economist(Namibia) - Alcohol misuse a “graving”concern

While alcohol is oftensaid to provide employment and income for the people who sell it, it has theopposite effect in the household of many patrons. It is for this reason thatthe availability of alcohol should be decreased or at the extreme totally eradicatedin the country.

News Wales (Wales)- 494 alcohol deaths in Walesand 152 from drugs

There were 494 alcoholrelated deaths in Walesin 2010 and 152 drug misuse related deaths. From 2006 to 2010, admissions formental and behavioural disorders due to opioids have increased overall by 53.2per cent (44.4 per cent in males and 68.1 per cent in females).

Bromsgrove Advertiser(

)- New county campaign to tackle sexualand drink related violence

A NEW campaign thataims to tackle sexual and drink related violence during the festive season hasbeen launched in Worcestershire.

Hong Kong Standard (Hong Kong) - Nolimits set in battle of the booze

An action planlaunched to reduce dangers related to alcohol abuse has no drinking guidelines.The World Health Organization has identified the use of alcohol as the thirdleading risk factor when it comes to noncommunicable diseases, which causeabout 2.5 million deaths worldwide every year.

South China MorningPost (

China

)- Call for crackdown on teenage alcoholabuse

The government isbeing urged to take a tougher stance on a growing youth drinking problem byreinstating a wine duty or imposing age restrictions.

Medscape - Liver Cancer is 'Largely Amenable toPrimary Prevention'

"Hepatocellularcarcinoma, one of the most lethal human cancers, is largely amenable to primaryprevention with existing knowledge and technology," according to Americanresearchers. They report a study showing strong links between liver cancer andthe modifiable risk factors of smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and obesity,and between liver cancer and chronic infection with hepatitis B and C.

Herald

Scotland

(Scotland/France) - There is a strongcase for taxing fizzy drinks, perhaps on the French model

While it is difficultfor a dentist to disagree with the central thrust of your editorial (“Time totake more of the fizz out of the family diet”, The Herald, October 25), itmissed the key issue as did the article (“Fizzy drinks are linked to increased teenviolence”, October 25) and indeed the original study which led to it.

Austrian Independent (

Austria

)- Beer to become more costly

Beer drinkers may haveto brace for price hikes. Officials at Austria’sleading breweries admitted considering price increases in the foreseeablefuture after Germany’sbiggest producer of the beverage decided to jack up its prices.

UPI.com (Italy) - Report:Youth drinking a problem in Italy

Italians are generallydrinking less although consumption is up among the country's young people, areport by an Italian think-tank says.

FASD News - 43/2011

2011-10-30T18:07:00.001+02:00

Irish Times (

Ireland

) - Experts differ on effects of alcohol in pregnancy

MOTHERS CAN ensure the best start in lifefor their children by abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy, said the HSE’snational director of family and childcare services.

Parkersburg News (USA) - FAS rates on the rise in West Virginia

AngolaPress (

Angola

) - Specialist advises pregnant women to abstain from alcohol

The specialist of Benguela General Hospital(HGB) maternity, Augusta Borges, urged Wednesday in this city pregnant women toabstain from excessive use of alcohol for better protection of babies duringpregnancy.

IEWY News (EU) - John DALLI Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy CommissionerJohn Dalli urges action on tackling alcohol abuse 9th plenary meeting of theEuropean alcohol and health forum Brussels

Some Member States are using alcoholicbeverage labels to provide information about the risks of alcohol duringpregnancy, and some alcohol producers have taken up this good practice on avoluntary basis. I believe that such labelling schemes are a powerful anddirect way of influencing behaviour, by giving people the information they needto take a decision. I would very much like to see them implemented right acrossthe European Union.

Winnipeg Sun (

Canada

)- FASD often an 'invisible impairment'

Often when we think of those who arehomeless, we think of the mentally ill, the addicted and perhaps the physicallyimpaired.

MarketWatch - Percussion Software Announces CDC Web Site on Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorders Deploys Percussion's CM System to Drive Engagement and Streamline WebSite Infrastructure

Percussion Software, a leading provider ofWeb Content Management (WCM) software, today announced the web site supportinga key Center for Disease Control & Prevention initiative focused on FetalAlcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) has deployed Percussion's advanced CM SystemWCM solution.

BCLocalNews - Screen for FASD to prevent crime

I was pleased to read Phil Melnychuk’sreport about the federal crime bill. The concerns expressed by lawyers GordonKehler and Rob Gunnell echo my own and I was pleased that your paper was ableto provide the opinions of some local experts on this legislation.

Chilliwack Times - UFV prof to speak onnew approaches to helping children with FASD

Where some people tend to focus onweaknesses, Chilliwack'sDr. Chris Bertram prefers to focus on strengths. The University of the FraserValley (UFV) kinesiologist has been working with a research team for fiveyears, trying to find ways to help children with Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorder live up their full potential.

Wayne State University - Wayne State University receives $655,500 grant from NIH todevelop a computer-delivered intervention for alcohol use among pregnant women

A team of researchers at Wayne State University's Parent Health Lab in the School of Medicine have received a three-yeargrant to develop a computer-delivered intervention for pregnant women at riskfor alcohol use, which can lead to lifelong negative effects on the fetus.

MATERIALS

NOFAS - Dr. Philip May on FASD Prevalence Rates

The National Organization on Fetal AlcoholSyndrome (NOFAS) is the leading voice and resource of the Fetal AlcoholSpectrum Disorders (FASD) community. Founded in 1990, NOFAS is the onlyinternational non-profit organization committed solely to FASD primaryprevention, advocacy and support.

Newlycompleted FASD Cookbook and DVD Set

West Coast Alternate is a school designedto work with students with FASD. The inspiration for this cookbook came from acooking class. When one of the students wondered if they would remember all therecipes from the classes, the group thought it would be a great idea to put acookbook together with images to help. This is a look and cook cookbook.

The International Journal of Alcohol andDrug Research - Call For Papers: SpecialIssue on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

The International Journal of Alcohol andDrug Research (IJADR), invites the submission of papers on biomedical,psychological, and sociological aspects related to Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorder (FASD), to be featured in this special issue to be published inDecember, 2012. Accepted papers will be published online prior to theirinclusion in this special issue in order to make the research available morequickly.

RESEARCH

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet - Ord Valley Aboriginal Health Service’s fetal alcoholspectrum disorders program: Big steps, solid outcome

Over the past four decades theinternational community has sought to clarify the risks associated withmaternal alcohol use and the associated disability of Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorders (FASD). Until recently,

Australia

has done little to raiseawareness of FASD, study prevalence or assist individuals born with thesedisorders.

Alcohol and alcoholism - Universal Prevention is Associated withLower Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Northern Cape, South Africa: A Multicentre Before–After Study

Prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrumdisorders (FASDs) is remarkably high in several provinces of

South Africa

; yet population-levelknowledge of the harms of maternal drinking remains low.

ACB - Modulationby the GABAB receptor siRNA of ethanol-mediated PKA-α, CaMKII, and p-CREBintracellular signaling in prenatal rat hippocampal neurons

Alcoholism - A Review of Social Skills Deficits in Individuals with Fetal AlcoholSpectrum Disorders and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Profiles, Mechanisms, andInterventions

Future investigations should strive toreconcile the relationship between social skills deficits in FASD and variablessuch as gender, age, cognitive profile, and structural and functional brainimpairments to enable better characterization of the deficits observed in thispopulation, which will enhance diagnosis and improve remediation.

Alcoholism - Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Exhibit Deficits whenRegulating Isometric Force

Production of isometric (i.e., constant)force is an essential component of performing everyday functional tasks, yet nostudies have investigated how this type of force is regulated in children withconfirmed histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.

Neurotoxicology and Teratology - Characteristics and behaviors of motherswho have a child with fetal alcohol syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a leadingcause of birth defects and developmental disabilities. The objective of thisstudy was to identify the characteristics and behaviors of mothers of childrenwith FAS in the

United States

using population-based data from theFAS Surveillance Network (FASSNet).

COMING UP

EUFASDConference 2012

Don't miss the 2nd European Conference onFASD 21 to 25 October 2012 Barcelona

FASDLearning Series via Live Webcast - Safety Planning for the Service Provider

The FASD Learning Series offers freeeducation opportunities tailored to meet the unique needs of individualsaffected by FASD and their family members/caregivers, support serviceproviders, healthcare providers, educators, legal and justice services, and professionalsin the research and evaluation field.

IN OTHER LANGUAGES:

Lietuvos rytas (

Lithuania

) - Nuo fizinio ir dvasinio negalavimo kenčia ne vien alkoholikių vaikai

Vokietijos gydytojas Hansas LudwigasSpohras - specialistas neįgaliųjų vaikų, kurių motinos, būdamos nėščios,vartojo alkoholį. Duodamas interviu šalies žurnalui „Der Spiegel“ profesoriusperspėjo, kad nėščiosioms pavojinga vartoti alkoholį.

Alcohol News - 43/2011

2011-10-24T19:18:00.002+03:00

Euroalert.net (EU) - Commission stresses the need for action toprotect young people from alcohol-related harm at the EU Alcohol and HealthForum

Although minimumdrinking age in most EU Member states is set at 18 years old, the most recentEuropean surveys show that half of school children aged 15 to16 years havedrunk alcohol in the past month. In order to tackle this situation and takeaction to protect young people, experts, industry and other stakeholder havemet at the the 9th plenary meeting of the European Alcohol and Health Forumheld in in Brussels on 19 October.

The Local.se (Sweden) - Queen under fire for giving kids wine

The admission that theRoyal children were allowed a glass of wine at festive occasions, followed byCoca Cola, despite being under age, has sparked criticism from Swedishtemperance campaigners.

The Local (

Sweden

)- Teen alcohol programme has 'noeffect': study

A nationwide programmeaimed at tackling drinking among young people has 'no effect' at all ondrinking habits, according to a new study.

World Trademark Review(

Norway

)- Alcohol brand owners might be allowedto advertise on Norwegian TV

Norway

is on the verge of involuntarily allowing theadvertising of alcoholic beverages on television, contrary to the country’sstrict alcohol policy. This change may take place as a result of pressure fromthe European Commission, which requested an immediate implementation of the EU‘Television Without Frontiers’ Directive (89/552/EEC).

Huffington Post (USA) - ExcessiveAlcohol Consumption Costs U.S.Economy Over $200 Billion Per Year

Heavy drinking iscosting the U.S. economymore than $200 billion a year, mostly in lost workplace productivity, a

U.S.

health agency said on Monday.

LiveScience.com - Recession Fuels Risky Drinking for BothJobless and Employed

People drink moreduring an economic downturn, suggests a new study showing that binge drinking,drunk driving and alcohol dependence increase when times are tough.

BBC (

) - Avoid alcohol three days a week, doctors warn

Doctors say thegovernment's alcohol guidelines could be improved to ensure they do notsanction daily drinking.

MedPage Today (

USA

) -Medicare to Cover Alcohol, DepressionScreening

Medicare will pay forannual screenings for alcohol misuse and depression, the Centers for Medicareand Medicaid Services (CMS) announced.

Telegraph.co.uk (

) – Two thirds of drunk teenagers given alcoholby parents‎

Officers in Newquay,Cornwall, said that when they contacted parents to tell them that they hadconfiscated drink from their children they were often abused and accused ofspoiling the youngsters’ “fun”.

TheGloss - ‘Drunkorexia’ Is A Growing And TerribleTrend, Say Scientists

Not eating enough anddrinking too much might be a practice familiar to many slightly un-hingedurbanites, but now scientists at the University of Missouri have releaseda study showing just how widespread this so-called “drunkorexia” problem is,especially among young people (our future!). According to findings released onMonday, 16% of college women surveyed reported restricting food calories inorder to “save them” for alcohol.

UPI.com - Study: Music links alcohol, degrading sex

U.S.

adolescent who listens to 2.5hours of popular music per day is heavily exposed to alcohol brands associatedto degrading sex, researchers say.

Ivanhoe - Alcohol Linked to Lung Cancer

Having a beer bellyshould be of least concern for alcohol users. According to three recent studies, heavy alcohol consumption is linkedto a great risk of developing lung cancer, while specific ethnic groups, includingAfrican American men and Asian women, had slightly higher risks for lungcancer.

Daily Mail (

) - BBC blows £70,000 on alcohol and leavingparties for staff as job cuts loom

The BBC has spent£70,000 on leaving parties at exclusive restaurants for its staff and onalcohol in the past year.

RTE.ie (

Ireland

)- Government plans to tackle alcoholmisuse

Minister RoisinShortall has told a seminar in Dublinthat she is taking legal advice on how to tackle below-cost selling of alcohol.

EurekAlert - Association of quantity of alcohol andfrequency of consumption with cancer mortality

A paper from theNational Institutes of Health in the United States has evaluated the separateand combined effects of the frequency of alcohol consumption and the averagequantity of alcohol drunk per occasion and how that relates to mortality riskfrom individual cancers as well as all cancers. The analysis is based onrepeated administrations of the National Health Interview Survey in the US, assessingmore than 300,000 subjects who suffered over 8,000 deaths from cancer. Theresearch reports on total cancer deaths and deaths from lung, colorectal,prostate, and breast cancers.

NEWS.com.au (

Australia

)- Anger at Aldi's booze for a buck

DISCOUNT supermarketgiant Aldi will begin stocking its shelves with $1 beers - including 80c cansof light - across New South Walesfrom next year, despite objections from NSW Health.

UCSD Medical Center - GeneticallyInfluenced Responses to Alcohol Affect Brain Activation

A study by researchersat the University of California, San DiegoSchool of Medicine suggests that differences in brain activation in individualswith a low level of response to alcohol may contribute to their inability torecognize modest levels of alcohol intoxication.

Medical News Today - Popular Music Linked To Top Alcohol Brands- Is Industry Exploiting Underage Drinking?

Music like rap, hiphop and R&B often contain references to branded alcoholic beverages thatare commonly linked to a luxury lifestyle which degrades sexual activity,violence, wealth, partying, and the use of drugs. Researchers at the Universityin Pittsburgh conducted a study published onlinein the international journal Addiction that reports that the average

U.S.

adolescent is heavily exposed to alcohol references in popular music.

NEWS.com.au (Pakistan) -

Pakistan

overturns ban on booze . . . for export

IT IS an Islamicrepublic where alcohol is forbidden to 97 per cent of the population anddrinkers can face 80 lashes of the whip under holy law - but in a move set toanger religious conservatives,

Pakistan

is poised to become an exporter of beer.

The Guardian (

) - Young people want more protection fromalcohol advertising, survey says

Most young peoplewould like more protection from alcohol advertising, but under-18s do notrecognise that drink logos on football shirts are a form of marketing,according to a survey.

ABC Online (

Australia

)- Alcohol-free homes to be declared toreduce violence

Authorities are hopingthe ability to declare any house in Western Australia an alcohol-free zone will lead to areduction in domestic violence.

Bend Bulletin - Drinking studies show increase

An analysis of 31studies on alcohol drinking patterns worldwide has found that people born in North America after World War II are more likely thanother groups to engage in binge drinking and develop alcoholism. Younger groupsconsistently consume more alcohol than older generations.

7thSpace Interactive(Hong Kong) - Action plan launched toreduce alcohol-related harm in Hong Kong

An action plan wasofficially launched today (October 24) to reduce alcohol-related harm, combatthe rising tide of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and enhance the quality oflife for the community.

Alcohol News - 42/2011

2011-10-17T18:46:00.001+03:00

The Press Association(

)- Experts make alcohol limits appeal

The "tide ofharm" seen in Britain's hospitals means it is vital that levels are notincreased, said Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Royal College of Physicians specialadviser on alcohol, and chairman of Alcohol Health Alliance UK.

Daily Mail (

) - 'Irresponsible' Asda is selling beer forLESS THAN 50p a bottle

Bottles of lager arebeing sold for less than 50p each as the supermarket price war blows retailer promises to tackle bingedrinking out of the water.

The Voice of Russia (Russia) - Chechenleader calls for alcohol prohibition in Russia

President of Russia’s Chechen republic Ramzan Kadyrov hascalled for alcohol prohibition in Russia. Russia’s public health chiefGennady Onishchenko backed the idea but said that it was “unachievable.”Onishchenko called for the price of a bottle of strong liquor to be increasedto $100. Experts doubt the efficiency of both proposals.

Irish Times (

Ireland

)- Below-cost alcohol sales'irresponsible'

THE MARKETING ofalcohol by some retailers has become “absolutely irresponsible” and its sale atprices far lower than in the past “needs to be addressed”, according to thechief executive of drinks industry-funded organisation Meas (Mature Enjoymentof Alcohol in Society).

Herald Sun (

Australia

)- Kids can get alcohol for as little as25c online

VICTORIAN kids aregetting drunk on alcohol sachets ordered from overseas websites for as littleas 25c a shot.

AFP (Iran) - Drink-drivingtests coming to Iran,where alcohol is banned

Iran

's traffic police will soon start testingmotorists for driving under the influence of alcohol, which has been bannedsince the 1979 Islamic revolution, the ISNA news agency reported.

Myjoyonline.com (

Ghana

)- MoH to take action on alcohol abuse

The Ministry of Health(MoH) is developing a policy to regulate the production, distribution,marketing and consumption of alcohol in the country, following the growingincidence of alcohol.

Daily News &Analysis - Heavy, moderate drinkers atincreased injury risk

Alcohol consumptiongreatly increases risk for serious injury among heavy and moderate drinkers,according to new research.

The Atlantic (

USA

) -Vodka-Soaked Gummy Bears: The NewestTeen Drinking 'Trend'

The Drudge Reportlinked today to a Washington D.C. radio station's report thatteens have found an alarming new way to ingest their alcohol: sweet, innocentgummy bears.

BusinessWeek (Turkey) -

Turkey

Raises Taxes on Mobile Phones, Alcohol,Tobacco, Cars

Turkey

raised the tax it levies on alcoholic drinks,tobacco products, mobile phones and cars through a special consumption tax.

Cordis News(Sweden/UK) - Alcohol and violence inthe media - what does your child think?

Researchers from the United Kingdom and

Sweden

are taking part in a uniqueEU-funded project analysing fictional media representations of alcohol andalcohol-related violence; the aim is to understand youth drinking culture.

The Prospector - Alcohol and sex: a dangerous cocktail

Picture this: you're acollege student that meets someone at the library, the student lounge orperhaps in class. You've exchanged phone numbers, become friends on Facebookand later you meet at a bar to hang out. One drink leads to another, thenanother and things may become hot and heavy.

EurekAlert - Genetically influenced responses to alcoholaffect brain activation both with and without alcohol

A low level ofresponse (LR) to alcohol is a genetically influenced characteristic, orphenotype, that reflects at least in part a low brain response to alcohol, andcarries significant risk for the later development of alcoholism. This studyaddressed the physiological underpinnings of a low and high LR, findingsignificant differences in brain activation during a cognitive task, possiblyreflecting differences in the amount of brain activity used to deal with acognitive challenge.

gulfnews.com (Dubai) - Hotels to be involved in cutting roadcrashes caused by alcohol

Hotels will have arole to play in reducing the alarmingly increasing road fatalities caused bydriving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), Dubai Police's Traffic Departmenthas said.

STV Local (

Scotland

)- MSP warns of rising danger fromalcohol consumption

People in Moray arebeing challenged to question their behaviour and attitudes towards alcohol. Thecall comes from MSP Richard Lochhead, who is highlighting figures on alcoholconsumption that shows a 3% increase in alcohol related deaths in

Scotland

,with drink sales 23% higher throughout the nation.

EurekAlert (Baltics/Italy)- Link between alcohol and harm isstronger in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,and Sweden than in Italy

Research clearly showsa dose-response relationship between alcohol and health issues such ascirrhosis of the liver. More recent research has shown linkages between greaterdrinking and greater problems such as interpersonal violence. A study of theimpact that the larger, cultural context of drinking in several Europeancountries may have on the relationship between drinking and harm has found thatthis relationship is stronger in the Baltic countries and Sweden than

Italy

Reuters - 'Youth in Europe'drug prevention programme sees youth drinking drop from 42% to 9%

The Youth in Europe(YIE) drug prevention programme has released research tracking the incidence ofsmoking (daily), drinking and cannabis experimentation amongst 15 to16-year-old students in Icelandfrom 1998 to 2011. And the results are astonishing.

The Local.se(Sweden/Germany) - From Sweden to Germany in search of cheap booze

Tired of Sweden's highalcohol taxes and the state run liquor monopoly? Come along with contributorPatrick Reilly as he details a recent journey to

Germany

in search of cheap beer.

Physorg (EU) - Time for action: EU reacts to UN Summit onNon-Communicable Diseases

The MEP Heart Group,co-chaired by Ms. Linda McAvan MEP (S&D, UK) and Mr. Cristian Silviu MEP(ALDE, RO), meets today in Brussels with an agenda focused on Non-CommunicableDiseases (NCDs). 'Learning from the UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases', isan essential meeting for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to exchangewith Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, Mr. John Dalli, and Dr.Roberto Bertollini, Chief Scientist and World Health Organization (WHO)Representative to the EU, on the outcomes of the UN High-Level Summit on NCDs.

WalesOnline (Wales) -

Wales

must consider alcohol advertising ban tobeat binge drinking problem, says minister

MORE restrictions onalcohol advertising - and even a ban - are needed if Wales is to win its fight againstexcessive drinking, Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said today.

National Institutes ofHealth (

USA

)- NIH releases clinician's guide forscreening underage drinkers

Based on just twoquestions from a newly released guide, health care professionals could spotchildren and teenagers at risk for alcohol-related problems. Alcohol Screeningand Brief Intervention for Youth: A Practitioner's Guide, is now available fromthe National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of theNational Institutes of Health.

DigitalJournal.com - Study: Bad economy equals more drinking

Previous studies havefound that health improved during economic downturns, possibly becauseunemployment meant fewer funds available for behaviors that could harm health,like excessive drinking. But new research has suggested the opposite may betrue.

Alcohol policy making in Europe

2011-10-12T19:44:00.001+03:00

The Alcohol Policy Network in Europe(APN) organized its meeting this year in conjunction with the MedusaExperts Conference (part of Poland’s EU Presidency Program) inPoznan, Poland 10 October 2011.

APN emerged out of 2 EC sponsoredEurope wide research Projects Bridging the Gap and Building Capacity. The network has currently some 100 members working in the field ofalcohol policy making in governmental offices or in non-governmentalagencies throughout Europe.

There was a number of very high qualitypresentations on current dominant themes such as local communityaction, pricing and young people with keynotes presented by SvenAdreasson, Ann Hope and Evelyn Gillan.

“Communities can be stimulated todevelop alcohol prevention – but most health promotion programs inuse have little impact on harm,” said Sven Andreasson, professor ofthe National Institute of Public Health in Stockholm. “Policiesthat reduce the availability of alcohol on the other hand areeffective but require active advocacy efforts.”

There were also updates and adiscussion on recent developments concerning alcohol policy in the ECand in WHO by Giuliano Gallo and Lars Moeller as well as a review ofthe actual situation in Poland. An exciting open debate took place onthe future of European alcohol policy making. A special interestsession on local alcohol policy making concluded the day.

The meeting took place at a time whichis critical for alcohol policy making at European level: the EUstrategy is coming to an end soon and WHO’s new alcohol action planis at its very beginning after the Member States agreed at theirmeeting a couple of weeks ago in Baku.

With this meeting APN proved again tobe an extremely valuable resource for anyone with an interest inpublic health oriented alcohol policy making serving as a Europeanplatform for exchange, delivering top presentations and providing anopportunity for high quality debate. APN also announced itsmembership of the NCD Alliance.

Membership of APN is free of charge;the only admission criteria are a proven genuine interest indeveloping public health oriented alcohol policies and no interest orassociation with the alcohol industry in its widest sense. Furfurther information and membership application:www.alcoholpolicynetwork.eu

Alcohol News - 41/2011

2011-10-10T23:06:00.000+03:00

Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Studyshows the difficulties of comparing homicide statistics

In Finlandhomicides are committed by drunks, in Holland by criminals; just 6%of Finland’s homicides relate to criminal activities.

abc7.com (Sweden)- Children of alcoholics more likely to drink

A new study out ofSweden found that children of alcoholics are more likely to drinkwhen they get older.

The Foreigner(Norway) - Scotland looks to Norway alcohol policy

The amount ofalcohol drunk in Scotland compared to England and Wales is thehighest in 17 years. In an effort to combat the problem, Scotland isnow considering the Norwegian model, reports say.

PublicFinance (Scotland) - Scotlandcalls for devolution of alcohol duties

Scottishministers have set out their case for alcohol excise duty to bedevolved, arguing that it would give Holyrood more money to meet thecosts of excess alcohol consumption in Scotland.

Reuters- Drunk on Facebook?That could be a problem

Collegestudents' Facebook pages might hold clues to which of them are atrisk for alcohol dependence and abuse, according to a new study.

SydneyMorning Herald (Australia) - Scipioneslams 'drink until you drop' culture

NSWneeds to debate the manner in which alcohol is advertised andmarketed to ensure children and teenagers are not getting the wrongmessage about drinking according to the Police Commissioner, AndrewScipione.

DoctorsLounge (USA) - Alcohol-ImpairedDriving Down by 30 Percent in U.S.

U.S.adults drive after drinking "a bit too much" about a thirdless often than they did in 2006; still, about 1.8 percent of adults(four million people) reported alcohol-impaired driving in 2010,according to a report in the Oct. 4 early-release issue of the U.S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and MortalityWeekly Report.

Sacramento Bee(USA) - Are Alcohol Anklets the New Ignition Interlock?

When "Laura'sLaw" was signed by Governor Bev Perdue in June, North Carolinabecame the 8th state in the last year to pass progressive DUIlegislation that is substantially shifting the focus of DUI laws frompenalizing cars to required—and enforced—sobriety for the mostdangerous drivers on the road.

BBC News (UK) -Alcohol limits advice 'confusing'

The advice onalcohol limits is too confusing according to Debbie Bannigan, head ofthe charity Swanswell. She says that 'units' mean nothing to manypeople - and the guidance should be clearer and easier to remember.

Radio Netherlands(Netherlands) - Alcohol lock for Dutch drink drivers

From 1 DecemberDutch drivers caught with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.13percent will have an ignition lock fitted to their cars.

NationalInstitutes of Health (USA) - NIH study finds doctors miss manyalcohol screening opportunities

Physicians oftenfail to counsel their young adult patients about excessive alcoholuse, according to a study led by the National Institute on AlcoholAbuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes ofHealth.

Irish Health(Ireland) - Talks on alcohol and mental health

To mark WorldMental Health Day, which takes place tomorrow, the College ofPsychiatry is hosting two free public events on the relationshipbetween alcohol and mental health.

Reuters (USA) -Local program cuts youth drinking, violence: study

A program thathelps communities identify and target health risks in young peopleled to fewer teens drinking, smoking and being delinquent, accordingto a new report.

Hurriyet DailyNews (Turkey) - Import rules on alcohol amended

Certain importedalcoholic drinks will only enter Turkey through administrative unitsat specific customs points, according to a new regulation from thefood and trade ministries.

The Age(Australia) - Law puts brake on child drinking

A NEW law banningadults from supplying alcohol to children in a private home withouttheir parents' consent will reduce risky drinking when it comes intoeffect next month, experts say.

Trend News Agency(Kyrgyzstan) - Kyrgyzstan restricts import of soft drinks

The Kyrgyzgovernment has suspended the issuance of permissions to importlow-alcohol content drinks, 24.kg news agency reported.

PR Newswire - BigAlcohol Drunk With Power

Industry watchdogAlcohol Justice, formerly Marin Institute, released a new reporttoday that chronicles an obscene outlay of Big Alcohol dollars toCalifornia legislators in 2010.

UK: Alcohol a Bigger Threat to Society Than Heroin

2011-10-04T13:02:00.003+03:00

Alcohol News - 40/2011

2011-10-03T20:01:00.001+03:00

BBN (Estonia) - Government approves alcohol-tax increasefrom January

Estonia’sgovernment agreed to raise alcohol taxes from January in spite of havingpledged in May that it would not raise the alcohol excise in 2012.

The Local.se(Sweden) - Drunken Swedes choose knivesto kill: study

The averagemurderer in Sweden and neighbouring Finland are drunk men armed with knives whokill on the spur of the moment, according to a new study.

Helsingin Sanomat(Finland) - Children and young adultsexpress displeasure over parents' drinking habits

The drinkinghabits of parents, or more specifically the drinking problems of parents,become most unpleasant in the eyes of their offspring when they lead toreneging on what has previously been agreed and promised.

IceNews (Denmark)- WHO calls for Denmark drinking agehike

The World HealthOrganisation has warned the new Danish government that it should take steps toreduce the amount of alcohol being consumed by teenagers.

The impact of small changes in bar closing hourson violence. The Norwegian experience from 18 cities

The NorwegianInstitute for Alcohol and Drug Research presents findings and conclusions fromresearch on the relation between bar closing hours and violence.

BBC News (Scotland)- Online loopholes in Scottish alcoholbill

Online deals arebeing used to get round new laws banning discounted promotions on alcohol inScotland.

BBC News - What damage does alcohol do to our bodies?

We know thatdrinking too much alcohol is bad for us. It gives us hangovers, makes us feeltired and does little for our appearance - and that is just the morningafterwards.

The Economist(Africa) - Keep on walking

THE Q bar in theWestlands district of Nairobi is the sort of place that makes marketerssalivate. A few pool tables, a few flat-screen televisions (not all tuned toEnglish football), some prostitutes, but not enough to scare off girlfriends,the bottles tidily arranged behind the bar, a soft gangsta soundtrack, and acrowd full of wage-earning 20-something men.

The CanberraTimes (Australia) - Call to endwatering-down alcohol prices

Cheap winesselling for less than a bottle of water would increase to $7 or $8 under a planby health groups to tax alcoholic drinks by strength and volume.

Belfast Telegraph(UK) - Cut drink-drive limit evenfurther: charity

EnvironmentMinister Alex Attwood has been urged to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy todrink-driving by significantly slashing the blood alcohol limit for alldrivers.

Sudan Tribune(Sudan) - Sale of alcohol to minorswidespread in South Sudan – report

An internalreport from South Sudan ministry of gender,child and social welfare seen bySudan Tribune on Saturday said that children under the legal limit of 18 areinvolved in the sale and widespread consumption of alcohol.

MarketWatch(Canada) - National Report Sheds Lighton Student Alcohol and Drug Use

Authors of a newreport released today on alcohol and drug use by high school students acrossCanada raise concern about the prevalence of alcohol and cannabis use amongsenior high school students (grades 10-12). Specifically, they highlight thepercentage of 12th graders who report drinking to excess, using cannabis daily,and/or driving after drinking or using cannabis.

New York Times - Risks: Alcohol Deaths and the Solo Life

Researchers atthe Finnish Institute of Occupational Health studied deaths before and after areduction in the price of alcohol in Finland, and tracked the fatalitiesattributable to alcohol abuse — liver disease, alcohol poisoning,alcohol-related violence or accidents, among others. The results appear in theSeptember issue of PLoS Medicine.

IndependentOnline (South Africa) - Foetal alcoholsyndrome is on the rise, says study

FOETAL alcoholsyndrome is ravaging Western Cape farming communities, with hundreds ofchildren affected, research has found.

News24 (SouthAfrica) - Ad industry unites againstbooze ban

Members of theadvertising industry have come together in an effort to prevent thegovernment's proposed ban on alcohol advertising, it emerged on Friday.

GhanaBroadcasting Corporation (Ghana) - FeminineFace Of Alcohol In Ghana

It’s all commonto find our women dancing, exposing part of their body, and singing all in thename of alcohol. For the past one decade in the history of Ghana, our countryhas witnessed the proliferation of alcohol products with major advertisement ineither a huge bill board in town or ads on our major television stations.

Nigerian Tribune(Nigeria) - Why alcohol is deadlier thancocaine, heroin

Illegalsubstances such as heroin, cocaine, marijauna and the like are considered bymany people as deadly forms of recreation, not knowing that alcohol may be justas deadly as hard drugs or even worse.

Irish Times(Ireland) - Radical steps urged totackle drink abuse

GOVERNMENT PLANSto put alcohol abuse alongside drug abuse have been welcomed by leadingactivists in the treatment of addiction problems.

Zee News - Booze hits body’s ability to ward off viralinfections

Alcohol changesthe anti-viral and inflammatory functions of monocytes. “Alcohol has a profoundeffect of inhibiting IFN production in monocytes regardless of whether thedanger signal is intracellular (TLR8) or surface-derived (TLR4). Such areduction would impair the body’s ability to fight off infection,” Prof Szabosaid.

Active Quote (UK)- Alcohol and its effect on the NHS,society and individual health

Private healthinsurance customers could avoid the consequences of boozing Britain, asincreasing levels of alcohol related hospital admissions will cost the NHSnearly £4bn over the next few years.

Malta IndependentOnline (EU) - MEPs propose alcohol banfor newly-licensed drivers

Newly qualifiedmotorists in Europe should not be allowed to drink any alcohol before drivinguntil they have held a full licence for two years, European parliamentariansproposed this week.

Reuters (EU) - New drivers should stay dry, EU lawmakerssay

Newly qualifiedmotorists in Europe should not be allowed to drink any alcohol before drivinguntil two years after they have passed their test, EU lawmakers proposed onTuesday.

PharmaceuticalProcessing (USA) - Health Officials EyeMeasures to Curb Harmful Use of Alcohol

Top healthofficials from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean have endorseda series of actions that the Pan American Health Organization/World HealthOrganization (PAHO/WHO) says could significantly reduce the public healthimpact of alcohol.

Fiji Times (Fiji)- Scale up action to control alcohol andtobacco use

World HealthOrganisation South Pacific officer in charge Steve Iddings saidnon-communicable diseases were claiming victims at increasingly younger ages,even during childhood, depriving many people of their most productive years.

FASD News - 40/2011

2011-10-03T12:07:00.001+03:00

NEWS andARTICLES

TheStir - Pregnancy Helped Save MeFrom Alcohol

Formany years of my adult life, I abused alcohol. I don't talk about this veryoften, but I've been pretty up front about it—at least, as much as I can bearto be. As a result, people sometimes ask me how I managed to stop drinking. Iwish I had an easy answer for them, or maybe even something uplifting aboutdoing a personal inventory and finding inner strength and accepting help fromothers ... but really, the answer is this: I got pregnant.

TheHindu - Better safe than sorry

That'sas the popular saying goes and is very relevant for mothers-to-be. There is aprecious life growing inside you that is dependent on you for its veryexistence. Taking care of yourself in body and mind for nine months should beyour number one priority to raise a healthy baby and give it the best possiblestart in life.

BBCNews - What damage does alcohol do toour bodies?

Weknow that drinking too much alcohol is bad for us. It gives us hangovers, makesus feel tired and does little for our appearance - and that is just the morningafterwards.

West Virginia MetroNews (

USA

)- Study: Many Pregnant Women TestPositive for Drugs

Concernedabout the number of babies born addicted to drugs, the staff at CAMC's Women's Medicine Center for Prenatal Care decided to takea closer look at the problem.

HelsinginSanomat (

Finland

)- Hundreds of Finnish newborn babiesdamaged by alcohol

Hundreds,and possibly thousands of children in Finland are born each yearsuffering from the ill effects caused by alcohol consumed by the mother duringpregnancy. According to Research Professor Ilona Autti-Rämö of the SocialInsurance Institution KELA, the problem is getting worse.

NorthernAdvocate (

New Zealand

)- Northland women warned not to drinkwhile pregnant

Pregnantwomen from around Northland took to the streets to raise awareness about thedangers of drinking during pregnancy. Several events were held in Whangarei,Kerikeri, Kaitaia, Kaikohe and the Hokianga to mark International Fetal AlcoholSpectrum Disorders (FASD) Day last week.

MarketingWeek (

)- Halewood targets pregnant women inwine push

Drinksmaker Halewood International is targeting pregnant women in a push for alcoholfree wine brand Eisberg that aims to “demystify” the “contradictory” advicegiven to women during pregnancy.

OfflicenceNews (

)- Pregnant women targeted in Eisbergcampaign

Alcohol-freewine Eisberg has launched a campaign aimed at pregnant women. The campaign aimsto “help demystify the contradicting information and advice given to women inthe early stages of pregnancy and offer a healthy alternative to drinkingalcohol”.

VictoriaTimes Colonist (

Canada

)- FASD's terrible toll can be curbed

Theeditorial pointed out the harms that face our society related to alcohol use asB.C. and Vancouver Island face increasedconsumption. One consequence not mentioned in the article is fetal alcoholspectrum disorder. Every year, approximately 3,000 infants are born in Canada withFASD.

TheDaily Telegraph (

)- Poison for a baby's brain, foetalalcohol syndrome

THEfirst ever motion recognising foetal alcohol syndrome was passed in parliamentlast week, with the condition the leading cause of non-genetic disability inchildren.

Winnipeg Free Press (

Canada

)- Gerrard vows to track children withFASD

Itcosts Canadians at least $5.3 billion, affects at least 11,000 Manitobans andclogs jails, welfare rolls and the health-care system. But fetal alcoholspectrum disorder earned barely a mention on the campaign trail until Wednesday-- Day 25 -- when Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard promised to track and count kidswith the disability.

BCLocalNews- What it's like to live with FASD

Duringthe Sept. 9 Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day in 100 Mile House,Shirlana Vance read out the following speech that she had prepared for theoccasion.

MATERIALS

CAMH –Addiction Toolkit: Alcohol Use inPregnancy

TheCentre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has an on-line toolkit for healthcare providers who work in a primary care setting and who have patients withsubstance use problems. The have recently added two new sections on Alcoholproblems in women and Alcohol use in pregnancy.

Call for Papers - Special Issue on Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorders

TheInternational Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, a peer-reviewed,free-of-charge, open access journal and the official Journal of the KettilBruun Society for Social and Epidemiological Research on Alcohol (KBS), invitesthe submission of papers on biomedical, psychological, and sociological aspectsrelated to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), to be featured in thisspecial issue to be published in December, 2012.

Parenting with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Thispaper focuses on issues associated with parenting and living with FASD. It isbased on a larger research and video production project that examined thechallenges, accomplishments and support needs of adults with FASD in relationto parenting, employment and the legal system.

Review of: "FASD Relationships - What I Have Learnedfrom About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder"

RodDensmore is both a medical practitioner and a parent of a young adult withFASD. He addresses the complex issues of FASD as a parent and medicalprofessional in an user-friendly language book and also available as a 5-DVDset.

RESEARCH

Alcoholism- A Limited Access Mouse Model ofPrenatal Alcohol Exposure that Produces Long-Lasting Deficits inHippocampal-Dependent Learning and Memory

Ithas been estimated that approximately 12% of women consume alcohol at some timeduring their pregnancy, and as many as 5% of children born in the United Statesare impacted by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The range of physical,behavioral, emotional, and social dysfunctions that are associated with PAE arecollectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Neuroprotective effects of the 17β-estradiol againstethanol-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in the developing male ratcerebellum: Biochem

Duringparticular periods of central nervous system (CNS) development, exposure toethanol can decrease regional brain growth and can result in selective loss ofneurons. Unfortunately, there are few effective means of attenuating damage inthe immature brain.

UPCOMINGEVENTS:

Medusameeting – The agenda for the expert conference (October 11-12, 2011) will coverrecent advances in the alcohol related issues including such important topicas: health consequences of alcohol use, FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome),epidemiology, alcohol policy.

Alcohol News - 39/2011

2011-09-26T19:33:00.001+03:00

The CopenhagenPost (Denmark) - WHO concerned about Danish kids’ drinkinghabits

Denmark has beencriticised for its dangerously high rates of teen drinking in a newWorld Health Organisation (WHO) report.

Bloomberg (Estonia) - EstonianGovernment Approves Alcohol-Tax Increase From January

Estonia’sgovernment agreed to raise alcohol taxes from January to keep thebudget deficit within European Union rules.

Herald Sun(Finland) - Study: Loners likely to drink to an early death

LIVING alone has anew downside: a greater chance of drinking yourself to death. Notonly are the bills all yours, but social isolation increases thelikelihood of dying of a smorgasbord of alcohol-related causes,Finnish researchers say.

Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Hundreds of Finnish newborn babies damaged by alcohol

Hundreds, andpossibly thousands of children in Finland are born each yearsuffering from the ill effects caused by alcohol consumed by themother during pregnancy. According to Research Professor IlonaAutti-Rämö of the Social Insurance Institution KELA, the problem isgetting worse.

Helsingin Sanomat(Finland) - Alko not interested in home delivery of alcoholicbeverages

Alko, the Finnishstate-owned retail monopoly for spirits, wines, and strong beer, doesnot plan to follow suit if Sweden’s Systembolaget implements plansto offer home delivery of beverages.

Indian Express(Sweden) - Children with alcoholic parents likely to be driven todrink

A study hasrevealed that children whose parents are alcoholics are at a greaterrisk of consuming alcohol when they come across stressful situations.The research from the Sahlgrenska Academy, at the University ofGothenburg, Sweden, sheds new light on the link between alcoholicparents and 50 per cent of children having drinking habits in thefuture.

The Local.se(Sweden) - Systembolaget mulls home delivery

Sweden's state-runalcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget is considering plans to expandits current e-commerce to include a home delivery service.

The Guardian -Facebook deal with Diageo fuels under-age drinking fears

Amultimillion-dollar deal agreed between Facebook and drinks companyDiageo will fuel the under-age drinking epidemic by exposingincreasing numbers of young people to alcohol marketing, healthexperts are warning.

The PressAssociation (Wales) - Alcohol and energy drinks warning

Drinkers may beputting themselves at risk by mixing alcohol with energy drinks, anew report has warned. According to a new paper by charity AlcoholConcern, caffeine in energy drinks can mask the effects of alcoholand make drinkers less aware of how drunk they are.

The AssociatedPress (USA) - Local governments tap alcohol sales for revenue

Dee Gusewelle usedto rail against the sale of alcohol, posting signs in her yard andencouraging neighbors and passersby to keep booze out of this patchof northern Arkansas.

Wall StreetJournal - New Rules for Alcohol Companies to Advertise and Marketon Social Networks

Alcohol marketersare going to have to start carding at the door to their socialnetworking fan pages. Starting Sept. 30, spirits makers in the U.S.and Europe will be held to a new set of self-regulatory guidelinesfor advertising and marketing on social networking sites and otherdigital media designed to prevent marketing their products to kids.

Herald Scotland(Scotland) - City’s drink hot-spots to face major crackdown

HUNDREDS oflicensed premises will be visited in the coming weeks and warned theyhave one month to get their houses in order as a new dedicated policesquad moves to clean up Glasgow’s alcohol trouble spots.

MSN NZ News (NewZealand) - The problem of alcohol and sport

New Zealanders aredivided on whether professional sports people should be banned fromdrinking when they are on tour.

French Tribune(Australia) - Alcohol Important Component of Australian Culture:Survey

A survey has foundthat Australian teenagers feel that alcohol has been an importantcomponent of their culture, and drinking to a certain limit does notharm anyone.

Huffington Post(USA) - Binge-Drinking Among Women Is Up: Study

People born afterthe World War II era -- especially women -- are more likely thantheir ancestors to binge drink and develop alcohol disorders,according to a new review of studies.

Sydney MorningHerald - Red repudiated to the last drop

Red wine'sreputation for preventing heart attacks has come under fire fromhealth experts who have declared every drink of alcohol can do youdamage.

Indian Express(India) - Around 13000 caught driving under influence of alcoholin Delhi

Around 13,000drunken drivers have been challaned or jailed so far this year -- thehighest for any year in the city's history -- due to an aggressivedrive which police claim has paid high dividends with the reductionin the number of accidents.

AllAfrica.com(Zimbabwe) - Alcohol, Tobacco Taxes - Avoid 'Killjoy' Approach

For decades,finance ministers around the world did complex calculations whensetting their "sin taxes" on alcohol and tobacco products.

Philippine Star(Cambodia) - Cambodia begins to ban ads of alcohol drinks inpublic

Cambodia began toban all advertisements of alcohol drinks in public with an aim toreduce the alarming rate of traffic accidents that were merely causedby drunk drivers, according to a new notice received Wednesday.

The Drum -Analysis: Do alcohol and YouTube mix?

Farhad Divecha,director of AccuraCast, discusses the relationship between alcoholmarketing and YouTube's potentially under-age audience.

Myjoyonline.com(Ghana) - Comment: Feminine face of alcohol in Ghana

It’s all commonto find our women dancing, exposing part of their body, and singingall in the name of alcohol. For the past one decade in the history ofGhana, our country has witnessed the proliferation of alcoholproducts with major advertisement in either a huge bill board in townor ads on our major television stations.

The Conversation -Last drinks: regulating alcohol to prevent non-communicablediseases

Paula O'Brienlooks at the what The Lancet NCD Action Group and the NCD Alliancename as one of the priority interventions for mitigating the impactof NCDs: reduction in hazardous alcohol intake.

PrimediaBroadcasting (South Africa) - Government to finalise alcohollegislation

The legislationgoverning alcohol advertising could be finalised by the end ofNovember. Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini on Thursdaysaid government was going ahead with drastic methods which includedbans on alcohol marketing.

The Daily Star(Lebanon) - Decision to prohibit alcohol sale in Hadath late atnight sparks controversy

While recent banson the sale of alcohol in predominantly Shiite towns have beenimplemented rather quietly, a decision prohibiting the sale ofalcohol late at night is dividing residents in the town of Hadath.

Irish Times(Ireland) - Shortall wants to end below-cost alcohol sales

MINISTER OF Statefor Health Róisín Shortall has said she is in favour of introducinga minimum price for alcohol being sold in supermarkets and othershops to make alcohol products more expensive.

Sky News (NorthIreland) - Drink-Drive Limit In N Ireland Set To Halve

The drink-drivelimit is set to be almost halved for most motorists in NorthernIreland - prompting speculation the change could be extended to theentire UK.

Care2.com - IsBooze Causing Europe’s Economic Woes?

It’s a longknown economic joke that the only recession proof investment isalcohol — no matter what happens, consumption never seems to lag.Oddly, the opposite is holding true for European liquor outfits,which have had to cut hundreds of thousands of jobs because ofdeclining demand and increasing prices.

Alcohol News - 38/2011

2011-09-19T19:38:00.001+03:00

prMac (Latvia) - DrinkControl Lite - Track Drinks and Related Expenses on iPhone for Free

Happy Moments today is pleased to announce DrinkControl Lite 2.0.345, alcohol usage and expenses tracker for iPhone. DrinkControl Lite is used for recording the beverages taken and related expenses.
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Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Rise in alcohol tax is to focus specifically on milder drinks

Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry assumes that the aim is to make room for Class-2 beer with lower alcohol content.
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Hartwall (Finland) - Preliminary Inspection Committee supervises the TV alcohol advertising of members of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry

Last spring, the Finnish Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry decided that the content of the TV alcohol advertisements of its members will be inspected before release.
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www.stockholmnews.com (Sweden) - Alcohol will be permitted at old peoples´ homes

The four parties in the government all open up for a change in the law which will permit serving alcohol at old peoples’ homes.
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BakuToday (Lithuania) - The Government intends to put Lithuania in the category of moderate drinkers States

The Lithuanian Government approved the draft programme for the control of producers of alcohol and tobacco, reported today, 12 September BakuToday the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers.
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The Guardian (UK) - Price of alcohol is 'obscenely low'

The price of alcohol is "obscenely low" and heavy drinkers are being subsidised by ordinary shoppers in supermarkets, according to medical experts.
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Cancer Research UK - New insight into how alcohol is linked to breast and liver cancers

A US laboratory study has revealed how the breakdown of alcohol in human cells results in DNA damage that causes cell changes linked to cancer.
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The Age (Australia) - Experts see red over wine 'myth'

RED wine's reputation for preventing heart attacks has come under fire from health experts who have declared every drink of alcohol can do you damage.
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CNN International - WHO outlines steps to reduce leading causes of death

To decrease deaths from noninfectious diseases, countries should pass excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol, encourage smoke-free public places, reduce salt and trans fat in foods, and increase awareness of diet and physical activity, according to a World Health Organization report.
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Daily Mail - Sport and demon drink: Alcohol is a poison, adding to the risk of injury

Drinking excessively in modern sport goes against everything you are taught, so what England's players have apparently been doing in New Zealand makes no sense. Alcohol is a poison, so you don't want it in your blood and when it is, you are putting yourself at severe risk of injury.
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WebMD (USA) - Drinking on the Rise Among U.S. Women

Women are catching up to men when it comes to how much and how often they drink alcohol. As a result, they are increasingly at risk for developing alcohol problems.
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AllAfrica.com (Zimbabwe) - Alcohol, Tobacco Taxes to Go Up

CONCERNED by the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases, the Government is considering raising alcohol and tobacco taxes to finance the prevention and treatment of such conditions.
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Los Angeles Times (USA) - Drinking problems have increased in last 60 years

An analysis of 31 studies on alcohol drinking patterns worldwide has found that people born in North America after World War II are more likely than other groups to engage in binge drinking and develop alcoholism. Younger groups consistently consume more alcohol than older generations.
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Voxy (New Zealand) - Alcohol Reform Bill not to pass before election

The Government is maintaining its impotent response to New Zealand's heavy drinking culture and not even passing the Alcohol Reform Bill before the election, says Alcohol Action.
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Indiana Public Media - Study: Parents Have Misperception Of Kids’ Drug, Alcohol Use

A new study looks at parents’ perception of alcohol and marijuana use among teenagers. The study from the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital says that 10 percent of parents think their own teens drank alcohol in the last year and five percent think their teens smoked marijuana in the last year.
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Sydney Morning Herald - UN summit targets obesity, alcohol and smoking

WORLD leaders will agree to a deal at a United Nations meeting tomorrow to try to curb the spread of preventable ''lifestyle'' diseases, amid concern that progress is already being hampered by powerful food, alcohol and tobacco lobbyists.
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Radio-Info.com - New study: "Young people are being overexposed to alcohol ads on the radio"

There could be implications for radio advertising in this story. A 2003 deal obligated beer and distilled spirits advertisers to keep alcohol ads away from media where those under the age of 21 are particularly likely to be represented.
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Independent Online (South Africa) - Hope for alcohol syndrome babies

For the first time, many South African babies born with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) will be diagnosed at birth – giving them a far better chance at getting help.
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Sydney Morning Herald (Russia) - Beer's no longer lunch for Russians

WITH a stroke of the presidential pen, beer has been reclassified as an alcoholic drink instead of a foodstuff in Russia.
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Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Boris Johnson: 'stay sober, stay free from jail' says London mayor

In a column for The Daily Telegraph, the mayor of London called for the introduction of mandatory “sobriety tests”, instead of jail for those convicted of alcohol-fuelled violence.
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U.S. News & World Report - Problem Drinking Linked to Brain Damage

Long-term alcohol abuse can result in significant damage to the brain, a new study shows.
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AFP (Russia) - Russia targets beer in fight against alcoholism

With a stroke of the presidential pen, beer was recently reclassified as an alcoholic drink in Russia, no longer a foodstuff, and its sales are to be restricted to cut alcohol abuse.
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Times of Malta (Malta) - Penalties on sale of alcohol to minors should be raised – MHRA

Penalties governing the sale of alcohol to minors should be raised substantially to a level that constituted a real deterrent, as had been announced by government in May this year, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association said.
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Irish Times (Europe) - Europeans 'heaviest drinkers in world'

The World Health Organisation have announced an "action plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol" in Europe, which they say is the heaviest drinking region in the world.
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European Public Health Alliance (WHO Europe) - New Action Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol adopted by 53 countries in Europe

Representatives from the 53 WHO European Region Member States met at the 61st session of the Regional Committee for Europe and adopted the European Action Plan to reduce the harmful use of alcohol.
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The Chosun Ilbo (Korea) - Koreans Biggest Drinkers in Asia

Koreans drink more alcohol than any of their Asian neighbors, according to the World Health Organization. According to a report the WHO released in February on the annual average per capita consumption of alcohol by country, Koreans consume 14.80 liters to rank 13th in the world and No. 1 in Asia. The results were based on data gathered from 2003 to 2005.
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FASD News - 37/2011

2011-09-18T16:44:00.002+03:00

FemaleFirst.co.uk - Alcohol in pregnancy causes 'most common form of learning disability'

A new research paper has assessed the impact on learning of children suffering from foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and it provides a wake-up call to the consequences of drinking alcohol whilst pregnant.

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The West Australian (Australia) - Alcohol in pregnancy can harm babies

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is now being revealed as a tragic legacy of alcohol misuse. And the condition is not isolated to marginalised, disadvantaged communities, researchers say.
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BBC News (UK) - Pregnant pause at Aberdeen flash gathering

A flash mob to highlight fetal alcohol problems has taken place in Aberdeen city centre.

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EMC Kingston (Canada) - A resounding reminder of the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy

Who better to help ring a bell to raise awareness about any worthwhile cause than the city's own Town Crier, Chris Whyman. Wyman, bell in hand, joined a room full of people at Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health as they rang bells to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

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WVNS (USA) - Born Addicted: Approximately 1 out of 5 W.Va. Babies Born With Drugs in System

Instead of spending the first few weeks or months in the comfort of their new home, many West Virginia babies start their lives in an intensive care unit, withdrawing from drugs.

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Kingston This Week (Canada) - New interventions for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Until the last child is born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, bells will continue to toll around the world at 9:09 a.m. on September 9 to mark International FASD Awareness Day and the importance of abstaining from alcohol during the nine months of pregnancy.

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Independent Online (South Africa) - Hope for alcohol syndrome babies

For the first time, many South African babies born with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) will be diagnosed at birth – giving them a far better chance at getting help.

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NewsPoint Africa (South Africa) – EXPERTS acknowledge 4000 new cases fas every year says report

Foetal alcohol syndrome is a severe birth defect that makes infants mentally retarded along with episodes of facial and neural abnormalities as well as malformations of other body parts. The health condition is believed to be triggered by alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
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Austin American-Statesman (USA) - State office, advocates seek screening of all pregnant women for alcohol use

A state health office and advocates announced Friday that they are seeking universal screening of all pregnant Texas women and "brief intervention for alcohol use" to prevent a widespread but little-known disability.

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EurActiv (EU) - Combat alcohol abuse with mandatory labels, EU urged

Policymakers gathered in Brussels this week to discuss the risks posed by alcohol abuse to unborn children urged the EU to introduce mandatory warning labels on bottles and cans.

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South Wales Argus (Wales) - Mums-to-be tell of dangers of boozing while pregnant

MUMS-to-be joined NHS staff in Newport yesterday to highlight the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant.
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Independent Online - Just one drink can harm your unborn baby

Friday (September 9, 2011) is International Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Awareness Day and the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) is urging expecting mothers not to drink alcohol while pregnant.

UPCOMING EVENTS

2ND International SAFFrance Colloquium, 15- 16 December 2011, Strasbourg

The second international conference of SAFFrance to be organised on the 15th and 16th of December in Strasbourg is linked to the first conference organised in the Senate in September 2009 to which the higher head of state participated.

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Live webcast – September 28, 2011 (9 -11am MST) – Talking with Women about Alcohol and Pregnancy

Christine Urqhart, Co-Founder, Change Talk Associates This session will address FASD prevention in relation to how we communicate with pregnant women and women in their childbearing years along the continuum of risk.
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MATERIALS:

2011 Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise (FACE) Poster Competition Abstracts

Held on September 13, 2011 - Prince Edward Island
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Learn more about signs, treatments, and what you can do about FASDs.

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Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research Awards Research Grants

The Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research (CFFAR) today announced its fourth round of grants awarded for the research, prevention and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Dr. Louise Nadeau, Professor at the Université de Montréal and Scientific Director of the Centre Dollard-Cormier, University Institute on Dependencies and Ian Faris, President and CEO of the Brewers Association of Canada (BAC) made the announcement.
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RESEARCH:

A Differential Approach for Examining the Behavioural Phenotype of Fetal Alcohol Research Disorders

2006, Nash and colleagues published results suggesting that individual items from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) could be used as a screening tool that was highly sensitive in differentiating children with FASD from controls and children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
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A Need for Closer Examination of FASD by the Criminal Justice System: Has the Call Been Answered?

Individuals with FASD exhibit deficits in many domains that can include memory, learning, behavioural inhibition, executive functioning, interpersonal skills, and language. These deficits have serious implications for affected persons when they become engaged in the legal system.
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IN OTHER LANGUAGES:

STERN.DE (Germany) - Für immer geschädigt

In Deutschland kommen jedes Jahr mehrere tausend Babys mit Alkoholschäden zur Welt, weil ihre Mütter während der Schwangerschaft getrunken haben. Die Kinder sind oft unterentwickelt, verhaltensauffällig und lernen nicht so schnell wie Gleichaltrige - so wie Michael Resch, für den seine Kindheit eine Qual war.
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Opoka (Poland) - Międzynarodowy Dzień FAS i konferencja w Lędzinach

W dniu 9 września obchodzony jest po raz 11 Światowy Dzień FAS. Płodowy Zespół Alkoholowy (ang. FAS: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) jest zespołem uszkodzeń organizmu i związanych z tym zaburzeń rozwoju u dzieci matek pijących alkohol w czasie ciąży. W USA ten syndrom znany jest od 1973 r. W najbliższy poniedziałek, 12 września odbędzie się w Lędzinach konferencja naukowa „FASD (poalkoholowe spektrum wrodzonych zaburzeń rozwojowych a inne zaburzenia rozwojowe".

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Deutsches Ärzteblatt (Germany) - Drogenbeauftragte: Gynäkologen sollen schwangere Mädchen vor Alkoholkonsums warnen

Schätzungsweise 10.000 Kinder mit einer Form der Fetalen Alkoholspektrum-Störung (FASD) werden in jedem Jahr in Deutschland geboren. Damit ist FASD die häufigste angeborene Behinderung in diesem Land.

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Salon Seudun Sanomat (Finland) - 9.9. muistuttaa yhdeksän kuukauden raittiudesta

Perjantaina vietetään kansainvälistä FASD-päivää. Päivämäärä 9.9. muistuttaa odottavan äidin yhdeksän kuukauden raittiudesta. Kun odottava äiti juo alkoholia, juo kohdussa oleva lapsikin. Alkoholi on kuitenkin myrkky, jota sikiön elimistö ei pysty käsittelemään. Vaikeimmillaan alkoholi voi aiheuttaa syntyvälle lapselle syvän kehitysvamman.

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Libero-News.it (Italy) – Pediatria Iss rischi da alcol nel pancione per oltre 7 neonati su 100

Divieto assoluto di bere alcol per le donne in gravidanza. Ma in Italia 7,6 neonati su 100 corrono il rischio di un'esposizione ai danni della sindrome fetoalcolica.

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Noticias Médicas (Spain) - El 25% de mujeres españolas aún bebe alcohol en el embarazo a pesar de las graves consecuencias para el bebé

La importancia de los trastornos derivados del consumo abusivo de bebidas alcohólicas afecta a de 2 a 4 bebés nacidos, según el Parlamente Europeo.
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Alcohol News - 37/2011

2011-09-12T18:47:00.000+03:00

Euractiv (EU) - Combat alcohol abuse with mandatory labels, EU urged

Policymakers gathered in Brussels this week to discuss the risks posed by alcohol abuse to unborn children urged the EU to introduce mandatory warning labels on bottles and cans.
Read more

YLE News (Finland) - Study: Reduced-alcohol beer would save 350 lives a year

Diluting beer could mitigate problems associated with alcohol use in Finland. Fresh research argues that alcohol consumption would clearly fall if grocery stores sold drinks diluted to 3.5 percent, as in Sweden.
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Netdoctor (

Finland

) - Alcohol 'an important cause of death' among people with type-1 diabetes

There has been a worrying rise in alcohol-related deaths among people with type-1 diabetes, new research shows. Researchers in

Finland

investigated deaths among 17,306 under-30s with type-1 diabetes between 1970 and 1999, all of whom were followed for around 21 years.
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MarketWatch (EU) - Changing European Drinking Habits Force Alcohol Producers to Diversify

Although the World Health Organization reports that European alcohol consumption remains the region with the heaviest drinking in the World, recent studies suggest that drinking is on the downturn in Europe.
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The Press Association (

Scotland

) - Back alcohol price plan, MSPs urged

A Conservative leadership contender who opposed the SNP's minimum alcohol pricing plan last year has said politicians should now respect the "clear view" of the public and back the policy.
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BBC News (

) - 'E-course' to help hospital staff assist alcohol users

An online alcohol awareness course has been developed to help medical staff assist patients to choose healthier drinking behaviour.
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CanadianBusiness.com (Canada) - Big Island study on fetal alcohol, drug exposure

Nearly half of the children on the Big Island were exposed to intoxicating substances in the womb, according to a study of women over the past three years.
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Times of

India

- Out: Why office parties often leave you red-faced

People often embarrass themselves and behave badly at office parties. Now, scientists have come up with an explanation - drinking in unfamiliar environments make people lose control of their inhibitions.
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Stuff.co.nz (

New Zealand

) - Alcohol contributes to quarter of child deaths – report

Alcohol contributed to the deaths of one in four children and young people who died between 2005 and 2007, a new report has found.
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EurekAlert - Role of alcohol intake and smoking on upper aerodigestive cancers

This paper provides an extensive analysis of the proportion of the risk of upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancers in the population (the population attributable risk) that may be due to alcohol consumption and/or smoking.
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French Tribune (

South Africa

) - Test for Alcohol Syndrome in Fetuses Launched

The first ever Commercial test for fetal alcohol syndrome has been launched in South Africa by the Trimega Laboratories. This test is going to be traded under the partnership with Tripelo, in order to form double bilateral system.
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Adelaide Now (

Australia

) - Service stations and convenience stores float alcohol sales proposal

OWNERS of service stations and 24-hour convenience stores have launched a bid to sell alcohol. The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores - which counts Smokemart, On the Run and BP franchise owner Peregrine Corp among its members - has asked the Productivity Commission to consider the proposal.
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BBC News (Ecuador) -

Ecuador

tackles bootleg alcohol after wave of deaths

Since mid-July, 50 people have died in

Ecuador

after drinking contaminated alcohol, according to the government.
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Financial Times (Russia) -

Russia

counts the cost of drinking

Employers in Russia are not known for compassion – unless they are dealing with drunkenness. A hangover is still seen in many offices and factories as an excuse for skipping work, turning up late or just being grumpy and unproductive. However, as the Kremlin steps up its campaign against alcoholism, experts are counting the economic cost of Russians’ excessive drinking habits.
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Independent Online (

South Africa

) - ‘Alcohol abuse costs SA’

Alcohol abuse costs

South Africa

's economy R9 billion a year, Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Elizabeth Thabethe said on Monday.
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GP online (Scotland) - BMA backs minimum pricing in Scotland to end 'scourge of alcohol abuse'

BMA Scotland has welcomed the Scottish government's pledge to reintroduce a Bill for minimum pricing of alcohol to help address the 'scourge of alcohol abuse' in the country.
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Wiki Peers (

Sri Lanka

) - Smoking and Alcohol Ads to Issue a Warning

Carlo Fonseka, the chief of National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol in Sri Lanka, has stated that alcohol and tobacco are two of the biggest killers of the society. This has prompted a warning notice to be issued whenever an advertisement concerning these two products goes on air.
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The Guardian (

) - The shocking facts about young people and alcohol abuse

We want to express our support for Dr Sarah Wollaston's private member's bill, calling for restrictions on alcohol advertising in cinemas, on television and online, as a means of reducing the number of children and young people harmed by alcohol.
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Novinite.com (Bulgaria) - Crackdown on Bulgaria Booze-Fests

Seems "alcohol tourism" has gotten a little out of control in the country due to British, German and Scandinavian tour companies promoting heavy drinking vacation packages. Cheap alcohol prices and lax regulations have made Eastern Europe, and especially Bulgaria, the current hot spot for stag (bachelor) parties from Western Europe.
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Novinite.com (

Bulgaria

) - Bulgarians Get Drunk Fast, Die Old – Study

Contrary to popular beliefs, the Bulgarians' alcohol tolerance is inferior to that of other nations, a study has apparently shown.
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Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Glasgow A&Es see 1300 child drink and drug cases

MORE than 1300 children were taken to hospital in

Scotland

’s biggest city over a three-year period as emergency cases because of drugs and alcohol.