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Monday, July 25, 2011

Alcohol News - 30/2011

Baltic Times (Lithuania) - Alcohol advertising supporters and foes to face off in bid to overturn law this fall
Since regaining its independence in 1990, Lithuania has been struggling under tremendous alcohol damage, catapulting the country onto the top of EU countries in booze consumption and among the leaders in alcohol-related suicides, psychoses and car accidents.
Belfast Telegraph (Ireland) - Minister backs alcohol pricing move
Setting minimum prices for alcohol could help cut the near £700 million wasted each year tackling its misuse, the health minister has said. Edwin Poots said the Stormont Executive is still considering its options on the abuse of alcohol.
Sky News (UK) - Fake Alcohol 'Is Putting Lives At Risk'
Fake alcohol for sale in shops, bars and clubs is putting lives at risk as counterfeiters try to make money, Sky News has found.
NPR (Russia) - Russian Law Aims At Curbing Appetite For Alcohol
Beer is marketed in Russia as a healthy alternative to vodka. And it's working. Beer sales are up more than 40 percent in the last decade. Now President Dmitri Medvedev has signed a bill aimed at curbing the use of alcohol.
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Drinkwise 'used' by alcohol companies
Controversial new research argues the industry-funded DrinkWise organisation is being used as a puppet by alcohol companies to boost profits.
The Moscow Times (Russia) - Selling Alcohol to Minors Now Carries Jail Time
Selling alcohol to underage customers could result in a prison sentence under a raft of laws aimed at protecting children that President Dmitry Medvedev signed Thursday.
Herald Sun (Australia) - Transient binge drinkers dying too young
TRANSIENT Aboriginal binge drinkers are dying young in Third World squalor in South Australia more than 20 years after a royal commission called for urgent action on alcohol addiction.
Medscape (USA) - ACOG Calls for Alcohol Screen Annually and at Prenatal Visit
Women should be screened for alcohol use at least annually and during the first trimester of pregnancy, according to new recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
Daily Nation (Kenya) - Traders ask court to scrap new alcohol law
Two businessmen have asked the High Court to strike down the Muthutho law. Mr Simon Mukura Kibe and Mr Gilvasio Mutoma Kinoti filed an application under a certificate of urgency, saying the Alcoholic Drinks Control Regulation infringed on their rights and freedoms.
7thSpace Interactive (South Africa) - South Africa: Motsoaledi set to drive ban on alcohol ads
Despite being criticized for his call to ban alcohol adverts, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has vowed not to back down until his mission is fulfilled.
The Voice of Russia (Ecuador) - Ecuador mulls extension of alcohol ban
Ecuador considers an extension of a temporary nationwide ban on the sale of alcohol after 25 people died from drinking tainted liquor.
The Guardian (France) - France's young binge drinkers upset cafe society with their 'British boozing'
Midnight on the Left Bank and the cafes and bars on Place St-Michel are, on the surface at least, unchanged from the 1920s, when Ernest Hemingway immortalised one in the opening chapter of A Moveable Feast.
GhanaWeb (Ghana) - Alcoholism is Dangerous, Kills and Devastates Homes – Bitter Experience
How unfortunate it is for one to begin the journey that will lead them to the sunset of their life by towing that path of gratuitous alcoholism?
Irish Times (Ireland) - Alcohol-related fatalities
With over 4,000 alcohol-related deaths in a five-year period, mostly among people in the prime of their life, the serious threat to public health posed by alcohol is yet again all too apparent.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

FASD News - 29/2011

NEWS and ARTICLES
The West Australian (Australia) - Booze and pregnancy warnings 'misleading'
The alcohol industry has had to review its health warnings for pregnant women only days after they were unveiled after a Perth expert on foetal-alcohol syndrome complained about the warnings.
7thSpace Interactive - Attitudes and behaviour predict women's intention to drink alcohol during pregnancy: the challenge for health professionals
To explore women's alcohol consumption in pregnancy, and potential predictors of alcohol consumption in pregnancy including: demographic characteristics; and women's knowledge and attitudes regarding alcohol consumption in pregnancy and its effects on the fetus.
MedPage Today (USA) - Screen All Women for Alcohol Use, ACOG Says
Pregnant or not, all women seeing their ob/gyn should be screened for alcohol use to identify at-risk drinking and alcohol dependence, according to the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG).
The Virtual Medical Centre - Heavy drinking in pregnancy can increase risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and size for age
Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and small size for gestational age, confirms a study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
Abilene Reporter-News (Australia) - Light drinking OK for moms-to-be, study says, but Abilene docs doubtful
From the land Down Under comes a report that pregnant women may want to toast, literally. But some local medical professionals say moms-to-be should hold off on raising that glass.
Mirror.co.uk (UK) - Booze destroyed Kiera's life before she was born - then killed her mum
Kiera Roebuck is seven, but alcohol has already destroyed her life. In fact, it ruined almost every chance she had of a normal life before she was even born.
PennLive.com - Children's Health: Making poor choices during pregnancy can negatively impact baby
Smoking. Drinking alcohol. Abusing drugs. Failing to get appropriate prenatal care. All these poor choices on the part of moms can negatively impact their children.
7thSpace Interactive - Fetal alcohol exposure leads to abnormal olfactory bulb development and impaired odor discrimination in adult mice
Children whose mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy exhibit widespread brain abnormalities and a complex array of behavioral disturbances. Here, we used a mouse model of fetal alcohol exposure to investigate relationships between brain abnormalities and specific behavioral alterations during adulthood.
Winnipeg Free Press (Canada) - Cop turns candidate over FASD
Const. Gerard Allard, a 24-year veteran of the Winnipeg Police Service who has spent most of his career in the downtown and North End, said fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is clogging the court and correctional systems and the current approach is not working. That's why he's decided to run for the Liberals in St. James, a riding now held by the NDP.

COMING UP and RESOURCES
Eurocare - Protecting the unborn baby from alcohol, 7 September 2011, European Parliament, Brussels
This event is jointly organized by European Alcohol Policy Alliance (Eurocare) and the Polish State Agency for Prevention of Alcohol-Related Problems (PARPA) to mark International Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Day.
Second SAF France international FASD Colloquium (December 2011)
Here both French and FASD experts from around the world will meet to share common interests and goals related to the early recognition and treatment of FASD children and adolescents. Deadline for the Abstract Submission: September  9, 2011.
Fifth National Biennial Conference on Adolescents and Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder „It's a Matter of Justice“
Social Justice – Moving Forward is now accepting abstracts.  This magnificent conference will be held on April 18 – 21, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver, British Columbia.
New website of Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - http://www.mofas.org/
The 12th FACE Research Roundtable will be held on September 13, 2011 at the Stanhope Beach Resort & Conference Centre, York, PEI
Speakers at the 12th Annual FACE Research Roundtable will describe new research into how to capitalize on the brain’s plasticity to improve cognitive capacity, impulse control, emotional processing and social understanding. Winners of the 2011 Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research (CFFAR) grants will be announced.
July 29, 2011 - 2011 12th Annual FACE Poster Competition - Call for Abstracts
The 12th FACE Research Roundtable will be held on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at the Stanhope Resort and Conference Centre in York, PEI (20 minutes from Charlottetown), and as in the past, it will feature the annual FACE Poster Competition. We invite poster submissions on all topics of medical and social science research related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

RESEARCH
Prevalence of Children with Severe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Communities Near Rome, Italy: New Estimated Rates Are Higher than Previous Estimates
These rates are substantially higher than previous estimates of FAS and overall FASD for the general populations of Western Europe and the U. S., and raise questions as to the total impact of FASD on mental deficit in mainstream populations of Western Europe and the United States where the majority are middle class and are not believed to be characterized by heavy episodic drinking.
BMC Pediatrics (Canada) - The epidemiology of alcohol utilization during pregnancy: an analysis of the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey (MES)
A number of important factors associated with maternal alcohol utilization during pregnancy have been identified, indicating areas where increased focus may serve to reduce maternal and pediatric morbidity and mortality.
Canadian Journal of Sociology – The Shift From Victim To Deviant Identity For Those Diagnosed With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
This work is theoretically grounded in Rose’s work on psy-identities and Hacking’s concept of a looping effect, which suggests that the way an individual and their associates make sense of an identity manipulates the identity itself.
Nuclear Clusterin Is Associated with Neuronal Apoptosis in the Developing Rat Brain upon Ethanol Exposure
This study shows that nClu plays a pro-apoptotic role in ethanol-induced cell death in the developing brain, providing new insights for development of FASD.
Alcohol Exposure In Utero Leads to Enhanced Prepubertal Mammary Development and Alterations in Mammary IGF and Estradiol Systems
Exposure to alcohol during fetal development increases susceptibility to mammary cancer in adult rats. This study determined if early changes in mammary morphology and the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)/estradiol axis are involved in the mechanisms that underlie this increased susceptibility.
Pregnancy, Alcohol Intake, and Intimate Partner Violence among Men and Women Attending Drinking Establishments in a Cape Town, South Africa Township
The highest rates of fetal alcohol syndrome worldwide can be found in South Africa. Particularly in impoverished townships in the Western Cape, pregnant women live in environments where alcohol intake during pregnancy has become normalized and interpersonal violence (IPV) is reported at high rates. For the current study we sought to examine how pregnancy, for both men and women, is related to alcohol use behaviors and IPV.
Women's Alcohol Consumption and Risk for Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies in Russia
Alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEP) are the direct cause of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This study examines drinking patterns among pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing age in Russia, a country with one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world.
Dose–response relationship between alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy and the risks of low birthweight, preterm birth and small for gestational age (SGA)—a systematic review and meta-analyses
Dose–response relationship indicates that heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risks of all three outcomes whereas light to moderate alcohol consumption shows no effect. Preventive measures during antenatal consultations should be initiated.

IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Gazeta.pl (Poland) - "Ma FAS, ludzie nie rozumieją". 200 tysięcy osób wspiera chłopca na Facebooku
Ponad 200 tys. osób zapisało się do Facebookowej grupy wspierającej rodziców ośmioletniego Kamila chorego na FAS - płodowy zespół alkoholowy. Jej popularność jest szansą na zmianę sytuacji chorych dzieci i ich rodzin.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Alcohol News - 29/2011

The Local.se (Sweden) - 'Allow Systembolaget home delivery: politician
Sweden's state-run alcohol retail monopoly Systembolaget should be authorised to expand their current e-commerce, to include a home delivery service, suggests MP Carl B Hamilton of the Liberal Party (Folkpartiet), in an opinion piece published in newspaper Dagens Nyheter.
Alcohol and Alcoholism (EU) - Heavy Episodic Drinking in Europe: A Cross Section Study in Primary Care in Six European 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 Disorder Identification test (at recruitment and 6 months) and risk factors for heavy episodic alcohol use at recruitment.
BBC News (Ecuador) - Ecuador bans alcohol after 21 die from bootleg liquor
Ecuador has banned the sale and consumption of alcohol for three days after 21 people died as a result of drinking adulterated liquor.
PsychCentral.com - Stress Influences Response to Alcohol
The relationship between stress and alcohol is complex and a subject of detailed investigation. For example, acute stress is thought to lead to alcohol consumption, yet the ways that acute stress can increase drinking are unclear.
DigitalJournal.com - Study: Drinking Alcohol May Cause Stress
Many people will have a drink of alcohol to help relax and unwind. A recent study showed that instead of making one relax, alcohol may add tension and stress.
The Guardian (France) - Lyon aims to reduce Le Binge Drinking
The French call it le binge drinking and consider it one of the more obnoxious imports from across the Channel.
The Daily Telegraph (Australia) - Alcopop tax hits home but more measures needed to stop alcohol abuse
THE controversial alcopops tax has worked to curb young people's drinking but sweeping changes are needed to our haphazard alcohol tax regime to tackle widespread abuse, a new report says.
Times of India - Wine ups risk of breast cancer death
Experts have earlier warned that alcohol consumption increases the risk of contracting breast cancer. Now for the first time, a new study has shown that it also raises the risk of a woman dying from it once she has.
IBNLive.com - Binge drinking affects female teens negatively
Heavy alcohol use has been linked with diminishing mental processes among both adults and adolescents, particularly in tasks of spatial working memory (SWM).
South Wales - Charity warns alcohol luring teenagers to sex nightmare
TEENAGERS are being groomed with alcohol and drawn into a world of sexual exploitation — and the problem is worse than previously thought — a Welsh charity has warned. Barnardo's Cymru believes it is dealing with the tip of the iceberg.
Mirror.co.uk (EU) - Western craving for fatty food and alcohol down to genetic ‘switch’ passed on by European ancestors, claim scientists
WESTERNERS crave fatty food and booze more than Asians because of a genetic “switch” passed down by our ancestors, scientists believe.
Times of India - Low doses of alcohol too affect heart
Moderate-to-high amounts of alcohol have been previously found to acutely impair the heart's left ventricular (LV) performance.
Business Insider (China) - Economic Boom In China Sends Booze Market Skyrocketing
China's unprecedented economic growth has led to increased disposable income, which has caused a rise in consumption and changes in eating and drinking habits.
MarketWatch - Dutch Parliament Approves New Sanctions for Retailers Caught Selling Alcohol to Minors
Teleconnect, Inc. (TLCO.PK) announces that it is strongly supporting the new law approved in Dutch Parliament imposing stiffer sanctions to commercial establishments caught selling alcohol to minors.
Irish Times (Ireland) - Deaths involving alcohol on the rise
ALCOHOL-RELATED deaths are increasing and young men are most likely to be the victims, a study by the Health Research Board has found.
Daily Mail - How much alcohol is REALLY safe? None, say cancer specialists
French researchers said most nations including the UK and U.S. set their drink limit guidelines to deal with short-term effects of alcohol and were not designed to prevent chronic diseases.
Irish Times (Ireland) - 'More of this country's young people are dying from alcohol than anything else'
Irish people are among the heaviest consumers of alcohol in Europe. One in four deaths of young men aged 15 to 34 is attributed to alcohol, and it is costing the health service millions each year. So what can we do about it?
Daily Mail (UK) - Obesity, heavy drinking and 'couch potato' lifestyle fuels 20% rise in cancer among the middle aged
Obesity, heavy drinking and a ‘couch potato’ lifestyle are fuelling soaring rates of cancer in the middle-aged, a report warns today. The numbers in their forties and fifties diagnosed with the illness has risen by a fifth in the last 30 years.
Novinite.com (Bulgaria) - Bulgarians Drink Like Fish- Experts
Bulgarians drink 3 to 5 times more hard liquor than the average for Europe, according to experts.
Food Product Design (USA) - California Moves To Ban Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks
The California State Assembly voted 49 to 26 on July 11 to pass legislation banning an the import, production, distribution or retail sale of caffeinated alcohol drinks. The bill now faces a procedural concurrence vote in the Senate before being sent to Gov. Brown for his consideration.
WA today (Australia) - Proposed liquor warning labels 'too soft': health experts
Health warnings to be printed on alcoholic products are nothing more than a public relation exercise and fall well short of having any real impact on Australian drinkers, according to a prominent health expert.

Friday, July 15, 2011

This is political will

Health minister of South Africa Aaron Motsoaledi commenting the decision to ban alcohol advertising: "No matter how financially powerful groups and institutions are, no matter how much money they make, I can stake my life that we are going to fight with our bare knuckles to achieve this."

Source: Times LIVE

Monday, July 11, 2011

Alcohol News - 28/2011

Views and News from Norway (Norway) - Summer drunks keep police busy
Summertime in Norway is more than just long days, light nights and holiday relaxation. For the police, frequent summer partying can lead to a sharp rise in public disturbances and violence, especially on the weekends. This past weekend was no exception.
Helsinki Times (Finland) - The scourge of alcohol misuse
SINCE the days of prohibition in early twentieth century, Finland has experienced a love-hate relationship with alcohol. Despite high taxes, limited availability and restrictions on advertising alcohol, and regardless of claims that Finnish drinking habits are becoming more ‘European’ in style, health experts say that alcohol abuse remains one of the biggest problems facing the country.
The Local.se (Sweden) - Swedish teens drink less alcohol
The percentage of Swedish 15-year-olds who drink alcohol has dropped to the lowest level in decades.
Billings Gazette (USA) - Survey finds students are drinking less, but bullying more
Montana high school students say they are drinking alcohol less frequently and using seat belts more when driving, and they report being bullied more by fellow students, a survey released by the state Office of Public Instruction on Wednesday shows.
San Francisco Chronicle - Why are there ‘systematic errors’ in wine alcohol labels?
There’s a compelling study circulating on labeling wine alcohol levels. The study, primarily authored by UC Davis researchers, found “systematic errors” in reporting alcohol levels of wine using perhaps the most comprehensive data on the subject. Most recently it was cited by a Guardian article this week, which added some European perspective.
Fox News (USA) - Eating Under the Influence: Alcohol Can Make You Hungry
If you're dieting and frustrated because you're having trouble shedding the pounds listen up, there may be one very good reason why your diet doesn't work. Alcohol – even a little bit of it with a meal – could be culprit sabotaging your diet, Fox's Dari Alexander reported.
The Guardian - Wine alcohol strength 'systematically' understated on labeling
Study of 129,000 wines reveals some vintners deliberately - but legally - market wine as less alcoholic than it is. Wine drinkers suffering an unexpected hangover after what they thought was a moderate drink may have just found someone else to blame but themselves.
Times LIVE (South Africa) - Alcohol advertising ban 'no matter what'
The government is forging ahead with legislation that will crack down on alcohol advertising despite warnings of massive revenue and job losses.
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Cheap wines worry doctor
SURGEON John Crozier operates on some of the 1500 Australians sent to hospital every week as a result of alcohol and can't understand why wine should sell for as little as $2 a bottle.
New Zealand Herald - Movie drinking scenes boost alcohol use: study
Exposure to alcohol marketing and films with images of sexy drinking could entice people to drink twice as much as they normally would, a conference on alcohol harm heard yesterday.
The Australian (Australia) - Social costs of alcohol 'are vastly inflated'
THE alcohol and hospitality industries are countering the threat of increased taxation by promoting new academic research that claims the negative costs of alcohol to the community have been routinely exaggerated by at least $10 billion.
Bellingham Herald - Report examines how alcohol products skirt regulations in claiming health benefits
Marin Institute released a new study last week that raises concerns about the way alcoholic beverages are marketed as sexy and healthy. Marin, the alcohol industry watchdog, analyzes how the products are pushed in much the way organic or natural foods are being plugged, in "Questionable Health Claims by Alcohol Companies: From Protein Vodka to Weight-Loss Beer," by Michele Simon and Janna Brancolini, with research assistance from Ryan Treffers.
NHS Choices - Alcohol 'may damage a baby's DNA'
“Alcohol damages DNA of unborn children beyond repair,” The Independent reported today. The newspaper says that “scientists have identified the precise molecular mechanism” through which this damage happens.
BBC News (UK) - Baroness Newlove tackles underage drinking
The widow of a man who was murdered by youths he challenged outside their Warrington home is to lead a scheme that tackles underage drinking.
Demerara Waves (Guyana) - Guyana's health minister upbeat about alcohol controls
Guyana’s health minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy believes that a balance could be found between controls on alcohol use and the billion-dollar industry’s contributions to the region’s economy.
The Guardian (Scotland) - Scotland set to lead on minimum unit pricing for alcohol
The new Scottish National Party-controlled government in Holyrood may introduce the UK's first minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol, when it reintroduces a bill that fell in Scotland's previous parliament towards the end of this year.
NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Cigs war won: Now cancer campaigners set their sights on beer
HEALTH activists who believe even one alcoholic drink can cause cancer are lobbying MPs in Canberra today for limits on how much we consume and how much we pay for it.
Marketwire (Canada) - MADD Canada Challenges Myths about the 'Hard-Core' Drinking Driver
A MADD Canada statistical review of the blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of fatally-injured, alcohol-positive drivers dispels the myths that the category of drivers with the highest BAC levels is growing, and that these drivers are immune to general impaired driving countermeasures.
Times of Malta (Europe) - EU to introduce uniform food labelling for all states
All 27 EU member states will have to adhere to new rules on food labelling, giving consumers more information about the nutritional aspects of packaged food products.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

FASD News - 27/2011

The Independent - Alcohol damages DNA of unborn children beyond repair, says study
Scientist have identified the precise molecular mechanism leading to the breakdown of the body's natural defences that protect DNA against harm from excessive alcohol.
Journal Times (USA) - A look at the law: Fetal alcohol syndrome brochure handed out with marriage license
State law requires that when people apply for a marriage license in Wisconsin or apply to become a part of the state's domestic partnership registry, county officials must hand out a pamphlet on fetal alcohol syndrome.
Canada Views (Canada) - GOVERNMENT FUNDS FASD AWARENESS AND PREVENTION
Agencies that promote awareness and prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the province are receiving $165,000 in funding from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA).
Hattiesburg American (USA) - Officials: Alcohol a danger for fetus
State mental health officials are reinvigorating the "None for Nine" campaign, which focuses on educating women to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy.
CBC.ca - More than light alcohol consumption in pregnancy has risk
Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and other complications, a new study confirms. The more heavily a pregnant woman drank each day, the higher the risk of those complications, according to the report, which was published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, that reviewed 36 previous studies.
TopNews United States - Avoid Alcohol During Pregnancy, Claims CAMH
A new study done by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), confirms the fact that heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy adds to the danger of many complications including the low birth weight preterm birth.
SAObserver (USA) - Educational film features Bastion
Six Grade 4 students from the school’s French immersion program were filmed in French and English last Friday for a Ministry of Education Provincial Outreach Program for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (POPFASD).

ACTION
Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine (USA) - F.A.S.T.Ride Motorcycle Event in Chicago's Western Suburbs to Fight Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) costs the state of Illinois nearly $400 million every year. The total cost of dealing with FASD disorders across the country comes to more than $6 billion.
Australia - Calling on the Federal Government to accept FASD as a Registered Disabiliy
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is currently not recognised as a disability by the Australian Government. As a result, individuals living with FASD are not provided with the same level of support and care that is available to those with more visible, familiar disabilities. This failure has human rights implications.

RESEARCH
Medscape - Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy and Risk of Placental Abruption and Placenta Previa
Mothers who consumed alcohol during pregnancy were at elevated risk of experiencing placental abruption, but not placenta previa. Our findings underscore the need for screening and behavioral counseling interventions to combat alcohol use by pregnant women and women of childbearing age.
Nature.com - Fancd2 counteracts the toxic effects of naturally produced aldehydes in mice
Acetaldehyde-mediated DNA damage may critically contribute to the genesis of fetal alcohol syndrome in fetuses, as well as to abnormal development, haematopoietic failure and cancer predisposition in Fanconi anaemia patients.
7thSpace Interactive - Fetal alcohol exposure leads to abnormal olfactory bulb development and impaired odor discrimination in adult mice
Children whose mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy exhibit widespread brain abnormalities and a complex array of behavioral disturbances. Here, we used a mouse model of fetal alcohol exposure to investigate relationships between brain abnormalities and specific behavioral alterations during adulthood.
American Physiological Society - Daily ethanol exposure during late ovine pregnancy: physiological effects in the mother and fetus in the apparent absence of overt fetal cerebral dysmorphology
We conclude that daily EtOH exposure during the third trimester-equivalent of ovine pregnancy has modest physiological effects on the fetus and no gross effects on fetal white matter development.
The FASEB Journal - Strain-specific vulnerability to alcohol exposure in utero via hippocampal parent-of-origin expression of deiodinase-III
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is thought to be the most prevalent nongenetic cause of a wide range of neurodevelopmental deficits. Insufficient thyroid hormone levels are one mechanism that hampers development of the alcohol-exposed brain, and we hypothesized that altered dosage of the imprinted thyroid hormone-inactivating gene deiodinase-III (Dio3) is responsible.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Alcohol News - 27/2011

Stockholm News (Sweden) - Swedes drink less alcohol
The alcohol consumption in Sweden was 13% lower in 2010 compared with 2004 when the consumption peaked. This development has come as a surprise for many researchers since the import restrictions for private use was liberalized in 2004.
http://www.stockholmnews.com/ (Sweden) - Few want lower tax on alcohol
According to a survey made by the SOM-institute in Gothenburg, only 20% want lower tax on alcohol. Six years ago, their number was 57% reports news agency TT.
WebMD (USA) - Nearly Half of U.S. Teens Smoke, Drink Alcohol, or Use Drugs
Nearly half of all American high school students smoke, drink alcohol, or use illicit drugs, according to a new report. And one in four who started using these substances before they turned 18 may become addicts.
USA Today (USA) - Report: July 4 weekend dangerous for male underage drinking
Underage males are twice as likely to go to the emergency room for an alcohol-related visit over the Independence Day weekend, a new study shows.
Irish Independent (Ireland) - Smokers and drinkers pay higher price than anywhere else in EU
HAVING a smoke and a drink is dearer in Ireland than anywhere in Europe. New figures also show that food and soft drinks are 20pc more expensive here than in the other 26 European Union states.
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) - Alcohol industry upset over link in plain packaging ads
WHILE Australian anti-smoking campaigns are broadcast around the world, the latest advertising efforts of the tobacco industry have angered a potential ally against government regulation - the wine industry.
BBC News (UK) - New task force to tackle Glasgow's booze culture
A multi-agency task force has been set up to tackle disorder and anti-social fallout from Glasgow's "booze culture".
BBC News (Northern Ireland) - Alcohol link to increased suicide rate in NI
Alcohol abuse is a major factor contributing to people taking their own lives, according to the findings of an inquiry.
Scottish Daily Record (Scotland) - Nicola Sturgeon: SNP will make war on cheap alcohol top priority in 2012
HEALTH secretary Nicola Sturgeon yesterday vowed to drive through minimum pricing for drink within a year.
TopNews New Zealand - Study Links Memory Blackouts with Alcohol Related Injuries
A recent study conducted by the U. S. and Canadian researchers has found that college students who experience more memory blackouts are at a higher risk of suffering from injuries. Memory blackout is an inability to recall events when a person is under the influence of alcohol. It’s not related to any other type of memory loss.
TVNZ (New Zealand) - Push to ask patients more about their drinking
Patients' drinking habits would come under closer scrutiny during GP visits if an alcohol screening programme becomes a reality.
Manila Bulletin (Philippines) - Congress to fix alcohol taxation with adverse ruling from WTO
Congress is going to fix the excise tax on imported spirits as the World Trade Organization (WTO) is set to release the official report of the case filed by EU and the US against the Philippines over discriminatory treatment on imported liquor.
Montreal Gazette - Binge drinking can damage young brains, study says
Young binge drinkers could be doing serious damage - to their brains. New research by scientists at the University of Cincinnati (UC) has shown that too much alcohol can harm brain cells in still-growing brains.
PR Newswire - Drink beer to lose weight? Muscle-up with a vodka tonic? Latest Deceptive and Dangerous Marketing Trend by Big Alcohol
Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, released a new study today: Questionable Health Claims by Alcohol Companies: From Protein Vodka to Weight-Loss Beer. The report analyzes Big Alcohol's latest marketing scheme to jump on the healthy product bandwagon made popular by the food industry. But, the report concludes, when it comes to alcoholic beverages, such marketing messages are "legally tenuous, morally unsound, and potentially dangerous."
Medscape - Elderly Are Society's 'Invisible Addicts,' Report Says
Not enough is being done to identify and fight substance abuse in the elderly, according to a new report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) in the United Kingdom.
Wigan Today (UK) - Drinking ourselves to death
A new report by the Centre for Public Health has shown 53 women were killed by alcohol abuse in 2006/08 – a staggering 26%rise compared with 2005/07.
HealthCanal.com (Canada) - Health data can help address alcohol-related harm in youth
Using ambulance, hospital and other routinely collected health data can provide a more comprehensive, dynamic picture of trends in alcohol use among young people, according to a new report involving CAMH collaboration.
Scotland Courier (Scotland) - Alcohol Focus Scotland says it's time for society to shun excessive drinking
The social acceptability of excessive drinking must be challenged to prevent the harmful effects it has on individuals and communities, a leading charity says.
The Island.lk (Sri Lanka) - Alcohol policy in Sri Lanka needs a rethink
In recent years there have been a number of developments in alcohol policies the world over. A noteworthy aspect in these is that the greatest public support is given to policy measures that are not seen as intruding on the moderate or occasional drinker and do not penalize the alcohol industry.
London South East (UK) - Church of England reviews alcohol investment policy
The Church of England could threaten to pull its investments from British-listed supermarkets that fail to meet its minimum ethical standards on the sale of alcohol, in an attempt to stem the sale of cheap alcohol and reduce binge drinking.
Read more