Alcohol News - 52/2009

Herald Sun (Australia) - Alcohol intake triples during the Christmas festive season, charity FabFast finds
AUSSIES are getting very jolly in the festive season, with new research showing we drink three times as much over the Christmas/New Year part season.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/alcohol-intake-triples-during-the-christmas-festive-season-charity-fabfast-finds/story-e6frf7l6-1225814123689

WFIE-TV - Researchers find link between alcohol and breast cancer
A study by Japan's Health Ministry showed that women who drink heavily are 75 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who abstain from alcohol.
http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=11733095

Washington Post (Russia) - Top Russian doctor accuses brewers of spiking beer
Russia's top drug and alcohol specialist accused brewers on Friday of adding pure alcohol to their product, a charge rejected by firms in the latest spat between the industry and regulators.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/25/AR2009122501301.html

Radio New Zealand International (Fiji) - Fiji NGO speaks out about easier access to alcohol
The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre says the interim regime’s decision to liberalise access to alcohol is a bad move for the country.
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=51141

guardian.co.uk (UK) - Teenage alcohol abuse up, but fewer people counselled for hard drug use
Record numbers of teenagers are receiving help for drug and alcohol problems, but the number of those undergoing counselling for heroin and crack use is falling, official figures show.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/dec/23/teenage-drug-use-cocaine-heroin

Mirror (UK) - Drunken driving costs add up financially, personally
Ron W. is learning the hard way that he can't afford to drink and drive. The $2,000 in fines and court fees, $20 a week for alcohol testing and the loss of a job were only the financial costs imposed on him when he was sent to jail for 90 days over the holidays last year.
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20091227/NEWS06/912270419

Times of India (India) - 'Alcohol tests for pilots on intl flights mandatory'
India's aviation regulator has struck a sobering note — don't get high before take off — for pilots of Indian carriers operating international flights this Yuletide. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has made it mandatory for Air India, Jet and Kingfisher to do 100% alcohol testing for all pilots operating flights out of India.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Alcohol-tests-for-pilots-on-intl-flights-mandatory/articleshow/5379657.cms

Telegraph.co.uk (UK) - Alcohol-fuelled disorder costs every home £600 a year
Alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder is costing every household almost £600 a year as the true impact of the country's drink problem is exposed for the first time.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/6866448/Alcohol-fuelled-disorder-costs-every-home-600-a-year.html

BBC News (Scotland) - Health chiefs in booze price plea
All 17 of Scotland's public health chiefs have called on politicians to back a minimum price for alcohol.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8429145.stm

Baltimore Jewish Times (Israel) - Israeli Cabinet Advances Bill on Limiting Alcohol
The bill, passed Sunday, also bans the sale of alcohol in public places and would impose large fines on those who sell alcohol to minors.
http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/news/jt/israel_news/israeli_cabinet_advances_bill_on_limiting_alcohol/16238

7thSpace Interactive - Mice injected with ghrelin and then given the choice of alcohol or water to drink, were more likely to choose alcohol
A Faculty of 1000 evaluation examines how a stomach-produced hormone that influences the desire to eat and consume alcohol could be switched off to control drinking problems.
http://7thspace.com/headlines/330014/mice_injected_with_ghrelin_and_then_given_the_choice_of_alcohol_or_water_to_drink_were_more_likely_to_choose_alcohol.html

Prague Post (Czech Republic) - New drug guidelines are Europe's most liberal
Long known for a liberal policy on drugs, the Czech Republic is now officially quantifying its status as one of European Union's most lenient member states when it comes to decriminalizing drug possession.
http://www.praguepost.com/news/3194-new-drug-guidelines-are-europes-most-liberal.html

Huffington Post - Alcohol Consumption Around The World (PHOTOS, POLL)
The OECD data shows alcohol consumption in liters per capita for people 15 year old and over. The data is from 2007 or the latest year available.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/21/alcohol-consumption-aroun_n_399684.html

The Local (Sweden) - Sweden heads toward new wine sales record
More than 170 million litres of wine are expected to fly off the shelves of Sweden’s state-owned alcohol monopoly Systembolaget by the end of 2009, setting a new record.
http://www.thelocal.se/23832/20091214/

Deutsche Welle (Germany) - Fears rise as binge drinking among youths increases
Significant increases in youth binge drinking and hospitalizations has government officials worried. Experts are considering new methods to prevent German children from harming themselves through consuming alcohol.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5017116,00.html