A new study suggests Russians love their health in theory - but not in practice.
It says that while the vast majority of Russians prize their health more highly than anything else - only EIGHT per cent lead a healthy lifestyle.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
FASD News - 17/2011
ATTENTION: TOMORROW (27.04.2011) - CC Grand Rounds Lecture: (1) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Etiology, Epidemiology, and Advances in Diagnosis
Live videocast
MadeforMums - Even small amounts of alcohol in pregnancy can harm baby – new study
Drinking even small amounts of alcohol while you’re pregnant could harm your unborn baby, suggests a new study from Ireland
Private Healthcare UK
Private maternity services might be able to offer women some advice when it comes to drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
The Australian (Australia
ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda has thrown his weight behind a controversial proposal that would mean banning pregnant women from buying alcohol in Alice Springs to protect their babies, provided the indigenous community supports it.
HealthCanal.com (Australia
Pregnant women are not receiving enough information from midwives and health professionals on the effects of alcohol consumption on their babies, a new research study from the University of Wollongong
Daily Mail (Ireland ) - Health warnings on alcoholic drinks can and bottles to be implemented in Ireland
Alcoholic drinks cans and bottles sold in Ireland
REASEARCH
Alcohol and Alcoholism - What do We Know about the Economic Impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder? A Systematic Literature Review
Limitations and gaps in the existing methodologies of calculating the economic costs of FASD are discussed. It is evident that there is an urgent need to develop a comprehensive and sound methodology for calculating the economic impact of FASD to the society.
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics - Premature birth risk 'linked to drinking during pregnancy'
Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely or have a miscarriage, a new study has revealed. The research, published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, looked at the amounts of alcohol women consumed during the early stages of their gestation and the effect this had on their unborn child.
Neuropsychology Review - Functional Neuroimaging in the Examination of Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Functional neuroimaging offers the opportunity to understand the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on the activities of the brain as well as providing a window into the relationship between neural activation and the behavioral outcomes that have been described in affected individuals.
Neuropsychology Review - Magnetic Resonance-Based Imaging in Animal Models of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, such as magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), have recently been applied to the study of both normal and abnormal structure and neurochemistry in small animals.
Neuropsychology Review - What Does Diffusion Tensor Imaging Reveal About the Brain and Cognition in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders?
Over the past 5 years, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) has begun to provide new evidence about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on white matter development. DTI, which examines microstructural tissue integrity, is sensitive to more subtle white matter abnormalities than traditional volumetric MRI methods.
Neuropsychology Review - Imaging the Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on the Structure of the Developing Human Brain
Prenatal alcohol exposure has numerous effects on the developing brain, including damage to selective brain structure. We review structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of brain abnormalities in subjects prenatally exposed to alcohol.
Seventh Space - Prevalence, predictors and perinatal outcomes of peri-conceptional alcohol exposure - retrospective cohort study in an urban obstetric population in Ireland
Evidence-based advice on alcohol consumption is required for pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence, predictors and perinatal outcomes associated with peri-conceptional alcohol consumption.
EVENTS AND MATERIALS
ADVANCE NOTICE Fifth National Biennial Conference on Adolescents and Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Social Justice - Moving Forward
April 18 - 21, 2012. This conference will provide a forum to share research, experience and practice in order to discuss how we can effectively sustain and enhance the lives of adolescents and adults with FASD, their families, service providers, and communities.
The 4th International Conference on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder The Power of Knowledge: Integrating Research, Policy, and Promising Practice Around the World
Click to the link to view videos of plenary speakers and their powerpoints.
CONTROVERSIAL. Huffington Post - Alcohol During Pregnancy: How Dangerous Is It Really?
The should-you-drink-during-pregnancy debate rages on, fueled by recent photos of pregnant actress Kate Hudson drinking what appears to be a glass of red wine while on vacation in Argentina
REACTION. “It should be between her and her doctor — not anybody else.”
The Huffington Post published an article last week called Alcohol During Pregnancy: How Dangerous Is It Really? (Catherine Pearson, April 11, 2011). The journalist interviews two physicians, Dr. Ricki Pollycove, an OBGYN and HuffPost Health contributor, and Dr. Amos Grunebaum, director of Obstetrics at Cornell University ’s Medical Center
Monday, April 25, 2011
Alcohol News - 17/2011
Focus-Fen (Sweden ) - Sweden
The Swedish government Tuesday launched a new comprehensive strategy to deal with alcohol, drugs, doping and tobacco problems together.
Monsters and Critics (Germany ) - Germany
The German government is considering introducing vehicle locks that prevent car engines from starting if the driver is inebriated, media reported Wednesday.
Reuters - Hung-over surgeons more error-prone
Surgeons might want to steer clear of alcohol the night before operating, according to a new report that shows a hangover fuels errors during simulated surgery.
HealthNews - Energy Drinks Mixed with Alcohol Can Cause Increased Impairment
Energy drinks, also called functional beverages, have been racking up space in the grocery beverage aisle for some time.
BBC News (France) - France
French riot police are outraged over plans to end a long-cherished tradition of drinking alcohol with their meals.
The majority of crimes committed throughout the state of Wyoming Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, at the 12-24 Club in Casper
TVNZ (New Zealand
There is growing pressure for the government to tighten up New Zealand
Yorkshire Post (UK ) - UK
British girls are the biggest teenage binge drinkers in the Western world – and they are getting drunk more often than boys.
Times of India (Germany
A team of scientists have developed a program to help children and young adults stay away from alcohol and substance abuse.
Daily Mail (UK
Thousands of people have been on incapacity benefit for more than a decade for minor ailments, alcohol addiction and obesity.
Independent Online (South Africa
War has been declared on anyone driving drunk in Gauteng
China Post (Taiwan ) - One in nine Taiwan
A total of 36 percent of Taiwan's elementary schoolchildren aged 10-12 have imbibed alcohol, 11 percent have skipped tutorial classes to buy it, and children living with single parents and those living with neither of their parents are more likely to buy it, according to a study published in the “Drug and Alcohol Dependence,” a journal headquartered in Amsterdam , the Netherlands
The Edinburgh Journal (Scotland
DentalPlans.com - Oral health problems are prevalent among people who use drugs, alcohol
Most people who struggle with drug or alcohol abuse also suffer from oral health conditions, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
Read more
Canadians drink enough beer annually to fill nearly 1,000 Olympic swimming pools, while total alcohol sales approach the $20-billion mark thanks in part to the continued rise in wine popularity and price increases for many products.
Times of India (India
PGI, Chandigarh, the only hospital equipped in the region to deal with cases of liver disease, has, in its report submitted to the department of medical education and research, Punjab, expressed concern over the increasing number of liver diseases in the state.
Food Consumer - Another Reason not to binge drink alcohol
A Loyola University Health System study has found another reason to not binge drink alcohol. Binge drinking, researchers found, could change the body's immune system response to bone injuries.
City Journalist Directory (UK ) - Drinking at Home Problems in the North of England
Drinking at home has become a problem in and around Yorkshire in the North of England, but alcohol knows no barriers it has entered the homes of lawyers, doctors, bankers and many more professionals. In other words if you embrace alcohol you will soon find a receptive booze supplier, alcohol will never fail to deliver that ‘just one more drink’ and now many rural areas of Yorkshire are beset with people with ‘drink problems’ and alcoholism.
New York Times (China
than the average resident of Iran
The Guardian (Russia ) - Russia
Drink-related deaths among men in hard-pressed rural areas exacerbate the decline in the nation's population.
BIZcommunity.com (South Africa
South African media's indecision to support alcohol advertising ban could be linked to the fact that media companies stand to lose huge revenues if the legislation were to come into effect, one media analyst charged this week.
The Northern Echo (UK
A NORTH-EAST academic with a worldwide reputation in her field has criticised the Government for failing to back a cheap and effective method of curbing heavy drinking.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Alcohol News - 16/2011
The Nordic Page (Norway) - Youth Want Alcohol Limit
Young people would actually like parents to set limits for alcohol consumption. This comes from a new survey done for the Health Directorate.
Drugs.com (Denmark) - Alcoholic Parents May Predispose Kids to Drinking Problem
Children of parents with an alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at increased risk for the same type of problem, says a new study from Denmark.
TIME - A Bad Mix: Why Alcohol and Energy Drinks Are Dangerous
Mixing alcohol with other substances is never really a good idea, and pairing it with energy drinks may be especially hazardous.
BusinessWeek - Problem Drinking May Make Hospital Infections More Deadly
Hospital patients with alcohol use disorders who develop health care-associated infections are more likely to die from the infections, have longer hospital stays and higher hospital costs than those without alcohol disorders, a new study finds.
Daily News & Analysis - Certain Genes Could Add to Alcoholism Risk
People with certain variations in a gene called GABRA2 have an increased risk for alcoholism, a new study has found.
EurekAlert - Researchers link alcohol-dependence impulsivity to brain anomalies
Researchers already know that alcohol dependence (AD) is strongly associated with impaired impulse control or, more precisely, the inability to choose large, delayed rewards rather than smaller but more immediate rewards. Findings from a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural basis of impulsive choice among individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) suggest that impulsive choice in AD may be the result of functional anomalies in widely distributed but interconnected brain regions that are involved in cognitive and emotional control.
ThirdAge (Russia) - Alcohol Deaths in Russia Rise After Program Abandoned, Study Finds
Alcohol deaths in Russia increased when the anti-alcohol campaign started in 1985 was abandoned in 1988, which U.S. researchers say accounts for almost half the mortality rate from 1990 to 1994.
ABC Online (Australia) - Doctors attack Government over alcohol policies
Some of the Northern Territory's most senior doctors have attacked the NT Government over the way it is dealing with alcohol problems.
International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics - Premature birth risk 'linked to drinking during pregnancy'
Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy are more likely to give birth prematurely or have a miscarriage, a new study has revealed.
AngolaPress (Angola) - Youth Ministry warns on alcohol use
The Angola Ministry of Youth and Sports will promote at the end of the current month throughout the country, an awareness campaign on the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs.
Park Rapids Enterprise (USA) - An Issue of Influence: Alcohol, drugs can lead to domestic abuse
Native American elders teach that children are gifts from the Creator and it is the family, community, school, and tribe’s responsibility to nurture, protect and guide them.
Medscape - Gastric Cancer Linked to Gene Variant, Heavy Beer Drinking
A genetic variant might predispose heavy beer drinkers to a higher risk for gastric cancer, according to the results of a new study.
New York Times (Russia) - Moscow’s Drinking Problem
IN an effort to reduce both its sky-high alcoholism rate and its budget gap, Russia recently announced plans to quadruple the tax on the country’s eternal vice, vodka, over the next three years.
Royal Gazette (Bermuda) - Alcohol is a $100m 'un-policed' industry: CADA
Alcohol is a $100 million dollar industry “largely un-policed” in Bermuda, according to the anti-drinking and driving organisation CADA.
The Guardian (UK) - White cider is becoming like heroin among alcoholics, says report
Super-strength ciders are becoming popular among heavy drinkers as tax breaks to protect the industry make them a cheaper fix.
Morning Advertiser (EU) - Serve Legal to address Euro conference on underage drinking
Test purchasing company Serve Legal is to address a major European conference on tackling underage drinking today.
NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Four million drink to get drunk: study
MORE than four million Australians say they drink alcohol with the aim of getting drunk, a new study has found. And about half of those people try to get drunk at least once a week.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Alcohol News 15/2011
BMJ (EU) - Alcohol attributable burden of incidence of cancer in eight European countries based on results from prospective cohort study
In western Europe, an important proportion of cases of cancer can be attributable to alcohol consumption, especially consumption higher than the recommended upper limits. These data support current political efforts to reduce or to abstain from alcohol consumption to reduce the incidence of cancer.
The Local (Sweden) - Most Swedes sober when losing their virginity: study
Three out of four Swedes are sober when they have sex for the first time, a new study shows. The findings come from a comprehensive study on the sexual habits of Swedes aged 15 to 29 and carried out by researchers at the University of Gothenburg.
ERR News (Estonia) - Scientists Discover Gene Influencing Alcohol Consumption
Scientists have discovered that those possessing the gene AUTS2 consume five percent less alcohol than those lacking the gene, researchers at the Genome Center of the University of Tartu confirmed.
Science Daily (Finland) - Effects of a Large Reduction in Alcohol Prices on Mortality in Finland
Does a reduction in the price of alcohol result in an increase in deaths due to alcohol? This was the subject of a study following a significant reduction in taxes in Finland in 2004 (30% for spirits, 3% for wine).
Helsinki Times (Finland) - Strict alcohol policy under the microscope
Policy makers and social researchers in Finland are re-examining the politics of alcohol and other drugs in an effort to determine whether the country’s strict measures are doing more harm than good.
Active (Denmark) - Copenhagen’s bars willingly sold alcohol to 15-year old Swedes
The work of young members of UNF, The Swedish Youth Temperance Association, reveals the actual strength of actions by the alcohol industry in the European Alcohol and Health Forum. Young UNF members from Sweden’s border regions to Denmark went to Copenhagen to conduct mystery shopping and the results give a clear signal: of in total 7 tested bars and pubs, Swedish minors were without problems able to buy alcohol 11 times. 4 out of these 7 places are part of a project of City of Copenhagen and the alcohol industry.
The Baltic Course (Latvia) - Saeima supports increasing excise tax on alcohol, gasoline and cigarettes in Latvia
Today, Latvian Saeima supported in principle in the first reading an increase in the excise tax on liquor, cigarettes and gasoline. According to the amendments, the excise duty for liquor will be increased from LVL 890 to LVL 940 per 100 liters of pure alcohol.
BusinessWeek (USA) - Only 1.2% of Alcohol Abusers Know They Need Help: Report
A new report reveals that 98.8 percent of the more than 7.4 million American adults aged 21 to 64 with untreated alcohol abuse disorders don't believe they need treatment.
U.S. News & World Report - Early Response to Alcohol May Predict Later Drinking Behavior
A young adult's early response to alcohol may predict future drinking problems, researchers say.
MyHealthNewsDaily - Heavy Beer Drinkers Increase Their Gastric Cancer Risk
People who drink two to three beers a day for many years have a 75 percent increased risk of gastric cancer, and those who have the gene variant called rs1230025 but aren't heavy drinkers have a 30 percent higher risk of gastric cancer, compared with people who drank less than a beer daily, the study showed.
The Guardian (UK) - Young drinkers need more help, say campaigners
Every Friday and Saturday night brings the same scene in the A&E unit of the Royal Sussex county hospital in Brighton: a handful of teenage drunks who need attention.
Telegraph.co.uk - Glass or two of wine a week 'could damage baby'
Pregnant women who drink as little as a glass of wine a week could be putting their babies at risk, according to new research which contracts recent studies indicating that an occasional tipple is harmless.
The Australian (Australia) - Discount alcohol serves nobody: Gooda
ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda has called for even tougher alcohol laws than those proposed for Alice Springs, including legislation to introduce a "floor price" on alcohol at the price of full-strength beer in a bid to stop discounting.
Morning Advertiser (Scotland) - Scottish MPs clash on minimum pricing
Scottish politicians have clashed once again about introducing a minimum price on alcohol. The Scottish National Party (SNP) has vowed to revive its failed campaign to introduce a minimum price for alcohol after Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dems voted against the proposals for a 45p minimum price in November last year.
UPI.com (Italy) - Study: Italian youth at alcohol risk
The country's Higher Health Institute released a report Thursday saying at-risk drinkers of both sexes under the age of 16 are on the rise, with 18.5 percent of males and 15.5 percent of females in that age bracket showing worrying drink patterns, ANSA reported.
ABC Online (Australia) - Pregnant women could face ban on buying alcohol
An Aboriginal corporation in Central Australia says it wants to be allowed to ban pregnant women from buying alcohol.
The Canadian Press (Thailand) - Booze-free safe zones set up to curb drunken violence during upcoming Thai New Year
Sixty alcohol-free "safety areas" will be designated nationwide during Thailand's traditional New Year celebrations to decrease violence and sexual assaults that result from drunken revelry, health authorities said Friday.
Irish Times (Ireland) - Health warnings to be put on alcoholic drink cans, bottles
THE GOVERNMENT is preparing legislation that could see manufacturers of wines, beers and spirits forced to print stark warnings of the dangers of over-consumption of alcohol on bottles, cans and all promotional material.
NDTV.com - Gastric bypass patients take longer to process alcohol
Gastric bypass patients take longer to process alcohol, which could put some at risk for overdrinking. Gastric bypass surgery - an operation in which the surgeon staples a large section of the stomach, leaving only a tiny pouch - is used to help severely obese people lose weight.
Herald Scotland (Scotland) - Anger as court agrees garage alcohol sales
Campaigners have attacked a landmark judgment that will allow motorists to buy alcohol as they fill up their cars with fuel in towns and cities across Scotland.
The Guardian (Poland) - Debunking Polish stereotypes: A nation of vodkaholics
The history of vodka is inseparable from the history of Poland. Asking where exactly it originated is the easiest way of stirring up a fight between a Pole and a Russian. Suffice to say that the distillation of grain alcohol started somewhere in north-eastern Europe in the 8th or 9th century and that the word vodka ("little water") began to be used in Poland in the 15th century.
Whitman Pioneer (UK) - The public house culture of Britain encourages excessive drinking
One of the most significant differences, at least in terms of my day-to-day life, between the UK and the United States is that the drinking age in the UK is 18 as opposed to the United States’ 21.
Superbike Magazine (EU) – European Drink Driving Statistics
Drink-drivers are one of a biker’s worst enemies, especially at christmas when they go together like Morecambe and Wise. But who are the worst in Europe? The boozy French? Crazy Polacks? You might be surprised...
Read more
Monday, April 4, 2011
Alcohol News - 14/2011
Life through my Lens (Denmark
No one in Denmark
Stockholm News (Sweden ) - Expect more licensed premises in Stockholm
Since the Swedish alcohol law was changed at the new year, the number of applications for a liquor license has increased substantially in Stockholm
Baltic News Network (Latvia
Today, March 29, the government of Latvia
Herald Sun (Australia ) - Welfare linked to Northern Territory
THE severe beating of a woman in Alice Springs is a poignant but all too common symbol of a town in crisis. For months local business owners and residents have been speaking out against the sharp increase in alcohol-fuelled violence and crime in the Red Centre.
BCM (Russia ) - Vladimir Putin speaks 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 duties and, accordingly, the price of alcohol would be unacceptable. He criticized the initiative of the Ministry of Finance to raise excise taxes on alcohol and said that a surge of prices on alcohol products will not resolve the problem of alcoholism, but will only promote using substitutes, increase the demand for counterfeit products and lead to the resurgence and growth of moonshine making.
WalesOnline (Wales
The true cost of Wales’ problem has been laid out in an academic study commissioned by the Assembly Government.Around £73m is spent treating and combating obesity each year while between £69.9m and £73.3m is spent dealing with excessive alcohol consumption.
New Zealand Herald (New Zealand
It's nicknamed the "breakfast beer" but alcohol watchdogs are hoping a new Kiwi brew to be launched early on a weekday morning is nothing but a fizzer.
Irish Independent (Ireland
I met a woman a few months ago who was employed in the addiction industry in America
Huffington Post (USA
Times may change, but some things stay the same -- and on college campuses, it's the presence of alcohol. New findings have emerged, however, in how alcohol consumption effects students.
The Independent (UK
A bid to impose a total ban on alcohol advertising on television has been launched in Parliament. The legislation, proposed by GP and Tory MP Sarah Wollaston, would also prevent alcohol brands being used to sponsor sporting and cultural events.
EurekAlert - Bad mix: Heavy beer drinking and a gene variant increases gastric cancer risk
Heavy beer drinkers who have a specific genetic variant in the cluster of three genes that metabolize alcohol are at significantly higher risk of developing non-cardia gastric cancer, according to research presented at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held here April 2-6.
Mail & Guardian Online (South Africa
If the government gets its way, the alcohol industry could be in for a massive overhaul. But whether the strict new regulations being proposed will be implemented effectively and result in less harmful drinking remains to be seen.
swissinfo.ch (Switzerland
Swiss schoolchildren’s consumption of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis has remained stable in the past four years, despite prevention measures, nationwide figures reveal.
Adolescents represent the majority of people who binge drink. This may come as a surprise to some, but recent surveys indicate that episodes of heavy alcohol drinking within the previous two weeks are reported by 12 percent of 8th graders, 22 percent of 10th graders, 28 percent of 12th grade seniors and 44 percent of college students.
The Portugal News (Portugal
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Come for the beer, stay for the sex change?
We’re used to beer advertising implying that a particular brand will make a man more attractive to women, but this bizarre Russian social marketing campaign claims that too much beer will turn a man into a woman:
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