Posted by fredjoiners on March 19, 2009
The British chief medical officer has called for the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol as figures reveal a rise in the hospitalisation of young people for mental disorders related to alcohol.
The Liberal Democrats obtained figures showing that more than 1,000 under-14s, including 44 under-10s, were admitted to hospital last year in England for mental and behavioural disorders related to alcohol. More than 5,000 14- to 17-year olds were admitted, a 30 per cent increase from five years ago.
Liberal Democrat Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster, said: “These astronomical figures show once again that binge drinking is out of control in this country. It’s particularly shocking that so many of these admissions relate to children under the age of 10. It is now imperative that parents and schools get the resources they need to educate children from a very young age about the dangers of alcohol.”
Chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson’s report on the state of public health, published yesterday, calls for a minimum pricing of 50p per unit to be introduced to reduce the consumption of alcohol. The report also calls for “passive drinking” to be highlighted as a key issue. “Passive drinking” is when children and others are harmed by other people’s drinking, in cases ranging from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, affecting more than 6,000 babies a year, to child protection cases, a quarter of which involve alcohol.
More information at; Children & Young People Now is the official publication for members of the National Children’s Bureau and The National Youth Agency.
Posted in Policy, alcohol, alcoholism | 2 Comments »
Posted by fredjoiners on March 18, 2009
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) thinks the UK chief medical officer’s proposal to increase alcohol prices to curb binge drinking is a good idea.
In England, the debate to increase prices per unit of alcohol was sparked after the Scottish Government announced plans to regulate prices.
President of the AMA Dr Rosanna Capolingua says increasing prices means teenagers are unable to afford the drinks.
She says a similar scheme in Australia would benefit the health of the wider population.
Full story at ABC Rural
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Posted in Australia, Britain, alcohol, alcoholism | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on March 18, 2009
College Men Unimpressed by Female Binge Drinkers
Some college women may drink excessively to gain the attention of men, but new research from Loyola Marymount University suggests that drunk women are not as attractive to men as women believe.
Science Daily reported March 11 that the majority (71 percent) of women surveyed overestimated — by an average of one-and-a-half drinks — the number of alcohol beverages men wanted their female friends, dates, or girlfriends to drink.
Researchers surveyed 3,616 college students (ages 18-25) at Loyola Marymount University and the University of Washington, and asked women questions about their perceptions of what college men want women to drink, as well as the relationship between drinking and sexual attraction. The researchers then compared the women’s answers with men’s actual preferences.
Women who overestimated men’s preferences were more likely to drink excessively, according to the study.
"There is a great, and risky, disconnect here between the sexes," said lead researcher Joseph LaBrie, who teaches at Loyola Marymount. "While not all women may be drinking simply to get a guy’s attention, this may help explain why more women are drinking at dangerous levels."
The results were published in the March 2009 journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
From Join Together Online
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Posted in Emotions, Families, Health, Recovery, Relapse, Research reports, Sexuality, alcohol, alcoholism, disease, men, women | Tagged: college, drink, Loyolafemale, psychology | Leave a Comment »
Posted by fredjoiners on March 17, 2009
New Website Offers Tools to Assess and Address Drinking Risks
The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has created a new website called "Rethinking Drinking," designed to help users define their drinking patterns and develop strategies and options for dealing with alcohol-related problems, the Wall Street Journal reported March 10.
"Most people don’t know what ‘drink responsibly’ means — they think it means not getting tanked," says Mark Willenbring, director of treatment and recovery research at NIAAA. The new website is part of a broader effort to increase understanding of the array of alcohol-related disorders and redefine the way terms like "abuse" and "dependence" are used.
The website utilizes an interactive form that allows users to enter daily and weekly drinking amounts to determine how their consumption compares with national averages. The site has a drink-size chart and a content calculator to aid in determining what comprises a "standard" drink.
The NIAAA considers the consumption of no more than four standard-size alcoholic drinks a day for a man or no more than three for a woman as placing individuals at low risk for serious alcohol problems. The weekly "low-risk" limit is no more than 14 drinks for a man or seven for a woman.
More daily or weekly consumption creates a higher risk of abuse or dependence. Very few Americans exceed the weekly limits without exceeding the daily limitations, Willenbring said.
"Rethinking Drinking" presents options and strategies to the user — from "space and pace" (no more than one drink per hour) strategies to "avoiding triggers" (understanding the external situations that may provoke drinking). The site uses an "urge tracker" to monitor events surrounding the urge to drink, along with a section on "refusal skills" for coping with social situations.
The site also features a downloadable print version that Willenbring said will serve as a resource for those who counsel people concerned about their drinking habits.
From Join Together Online Rethinking Drinking
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Posted in Brain, Families, Health, Policy, Recovery, Research reports, Youth, alcohol, alcoholism, disease, men, women | Tagged: drinking, NIAAA | 3 Comments »
Posted by fredjoiners on March 15, 2009
Back from the brink and ready to rock
After a two-decade battle with addiction, Guns and Roses member Adler has managed to put together six months of clean time, he told The Daily Times this week — and that makes the past six months a rebirth of sorts.
"Making it one day is a long time, and I’ve made it, like, six months," he said, voice filled with jubilation and the enthusiasm of newfound sobriety. "The last time I did anything goofy like that was on the show ("Sober House," a VH-1 reality show spin-off of "Celebrity Rehab," both of which featured Adler), when I got arrested (last summer). I’ve been so lucky, and I’ve got a great team of people around me; I’ve got my best friend Slash back in my life; and I’m happier than ever.
"It’s like I’m seeing things for the first time. To have survived everything I went through — a stroke, the band — and get a second chance at life, it’s crazy. And I’m so grateful I did those two shows. As much as I despised rehab and the whole AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) crap, it works!"
"I just wanted to give myself a chance to get better than I was yesterday. That first few weeks were the toughest, because once the drugs wear off, all of the emotions come out. The hardest part to get through was that first month."
Full story at The Daily Times
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Posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, Emotions, Health, Recovery, Recovery books, Recovery stories, alcohol, alcoholism, disease, spiritual, treatment | Tagged: Guns and Roses, Steven Adler | 1 Comment »
