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Monday, August 31, 2009

Alcohol News - week 35/2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

Telegraph.co.uk - Alcohol linked to heartbeat irregularities

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

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

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

AFP - Toyota developing anti-drunk driving gadget

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FirstScience - Alcohol, pregnancy and brain cell death

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

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

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

EurActiv (EU) - Battle brewing over alcohol restrictions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, August 24, 2009

Alcohol News - week 34/2009

BBC News (UK) - Hundreds held over alcohol crimes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SFGate - Does wine really prevent heart problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Voice of America - Drunk Driving Increasing Concern Worldwide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, August 17, 2009

Alcohol News - week 33/2009

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

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

Chicago Tribune - Does alcohol blur cues?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Los Angeles Times - Binge drinking affects later cognitive performance

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

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

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

BBC News (UK) - Charity warns over child drinkers

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

Monday, August 10, 2009

Alcohol News - week 32/2009

Examiner.com (UK) - Breastfeeding and alcohol consumption

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Los Angeles Times - Alcohol consumption linked to increased cancer risk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, August 3, 2009

Alcohol News - week 31/2009

BBC (UK) - Daily alcohol limit 'unhelpful'

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

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

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

Hindu - Exposure to alcohol in womb leads to sleep problems

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

Globe and Mail - Fetal alcohol victims face discrimination

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

The Age (Australia) - Support for alcohol warnings

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

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

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

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

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

Reuters - Prenatal alcohol tied to kids' social problems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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