Abstinence the path to avoid alcoholism

By Dan | January 6, 2009

Parents throughout Victoria and Canada are vehemently opposed to their children taking illicit drugs — but what about the most widely used, and deadliest drug of all?

There is a killer that lives among us every day — a killer called alcohol.

In recent years, it has been common practice for parents to condone underage drinking as long as it is done under their supervision; offering comments like, “Well, they are going to do it anyway, so I would rather they do it at home where they won’t get into trouble.”

As parents, we would think nothing of quitting smoking and removing cigarettes from our homes if we felt our actions would influence our children not to smoke. If we smoked marijuana, we would make sure our children did not see us, or smell it, so as to not influence them. But we firmly deny that setting an example with alcohol makes any difference at all.

We like to think that marijuana is the gateway to more harmful drugs like methamphetamines, but most people who try marijuana have used alcohol first.

In Canada, alcohol is a factor in about 6,000 deaths per year. The largest number of these alcohol-related deaths are from injuries resulting from falls, drunk-driving collisions, assaults and drowning, according to a report released in March 2008 by Graham L. Pollett, medical officer of health in Ontario.

Last week, the Office of the Provincial Health released its Alcohol Policy Review, which indicates that underage alcohol use is common in B.C., with 79 per cent of in-school youths reporting using alcohol at least once by age 17.

In 2003, a report published by the McCreary Centre Society, Healthy Youth Development; South Vancouver Island Region, states that nearly two thirds (63 per cent) of students in the region have had a drink. It also reports that 57 per cent of students in B.C. have tried alcohol, with 39 per cent of those youths at the age of 14 years and under, with an astonishing 74 per cent of 15- and 16-year-old students having used alcohol and an alarming 85 per cent of those 17 or older having tried alcohol.

Furthermore, the report states that over a third (37 per cent) of students in the region who have used alcohol first tried it before the age of 13, with a substantial number of students being frequent and heavy drinkers. The report goes on to say that 32 per cent of males and 26 per cent of females have engaged in binge drinking in the past month in the south Vancouver region alone. (Binge drinking is defined as having five or more alcoholic drinks in a couple of hours and is associated with a high rate of other risk behaviours).

It is time to wake up and take responsibility for what is happening to our youths. Alcohol abuse begins in the home. Parents are the most powerful influence when it comes to keeping teens away from alcohol and illicit drugs.

The Center for Addictions Research remarks, “It is important to emphasize that abstinence is a healthy lifestyle choice” (Following the Evidence: Preventing Harms from Substance Use in B.C., March 2006).

We have been taught to think that the key to appropriate drinking habits is teaching our children to “drink responsibly.” This idea is a fallacy. We cannot teach anyone to drink responsibly; what we are actually doing is teaching them to drink. No one starts drinking to become an alcoholic.

When we begin to drink alcohol, it is like playing Russian roulette — except instead of bullets, the empty chambers are moderate drinkers, and the loaded chamber is an alcoholic.

When we teach our children to “drink responsibly,” we are playing a dangerous game with their lives and their future. Is that alcoholic chamber destined for your child? This is a question that should be at the forefront of our drinking habits.

The only way to combat this problem is to set an example for others. Peer pressure and other outside-influence risk factors are still out there, for even the non-drinking family, but we increase the odds and place our children at an even higher risk if we ourselves set the example of having even an occasional drink.

In order to teach zero tolerance to our children, we must first be willing to apply it to ourselves as parents. Alcoholics come from moderate drinkers and not from those who abstain.

It is not freedom to drink we need, but freedom from drink.

Chaun Stirling is a staff member of the Independent Press, Forsyth, Montana and is founder of the Big Horn County Crime Prevention Council. Michael Farrell of Victoria, B.C., is editor and publisher of The Manual of Temperance and has been an active advocate of abstinence from alcohol for over a decade.

source: Times Colonist

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How much alcohol can you drink before killing yourself?

By Dan | January 5, 2009

Police in Little Compton, Rhode Island responded to a call of driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent. The suspect was at his mother’s home. When police arrived at the home, the man, 39-year-old Jonathan M. Holmes was extremely unsteady on his feet, seemingly drunk. On the way to the stationhouse Mr. Holmes slumped over and became unresponsive. At the hospital his blood alcohol level was measured at 0.578.

The Bristol Phoenix story goes on to say the Little Compton Police believe that to be the highest level recorded in Rhode Island and it’s believed to reach lethal limits. That’s a safe assumption to say the least.

I’m not sure anyone can say what the highest limit is but it’s safe to say this BAC of 0.578 could certainly be lethal. It’s surprising that it wasn’t lethal. As for the highest level I found a story from Sofia, Bulgaria in which a 25-year old driver after drinking 20 liters of beer was measured to have a BAC of 0.851. That story states a lethal limit is 0.40. Rutgers University’s Center for Alcohol Studies concludes the LD to be between 0.40 and 0.50%. It’s different for every individual and depends on the situation. This range has been determined from examining those who have died from alcohol poisoning.

How Much is Too Much?

Scientists use the term “lethal dose” (LD) to describe the dose (or in the case of alcohol, the concentration) that produces death in half the population (LD:50). Most authorities agree that blood alcohol concentrations in the 0.40 - 0.50% range meet the requirements for the LD:50. The blood alcohol concentration is the percentage of alcohol in the blood that results after alcohol is absorbed from the stomach into the blood supply. Obviously, studies of lethal dosage cannot be tested empirically in the laboratory, so the LD:50 for alcohol is estimated from post-mortem cases in which alcohol poisoning was found to be the primary cause of death. However, there are documented cases of fatal overdoses from alcohol at blood alcohol concentrations lower than 0.40%. To place this in perspective, a 100-pound woman or man who consumed 9-10 standard drinks, respectively, in less than an hour would be in the LD:50 range. A 200-pound man would have to consume about 5-6 drinks per hour for 4 hours to reach the LD:50. Although such high rates of consumption are atypical of most situations, participating in drinking “games” or club “initiations” often involves highly unregulated alcohol consumption. Impaired judgment from intoxication, coupled with large amounts of alcohol, is a potentially fatal combination.

How do you recognize the symptoms of an alcohol LD?

Symptoms of alcohol poisoning start with nausea and progress to vomiting. The person will then pass out, be difficult or impossible to awaken, not be responsive to painful stimuli (such as pinching), have slow shallow breathing and the reflexes are absent. It’s the slow and shallow breathing that should concern everyone present. Think of what most by-standers say triggered their panic that the person is in trouble - “Suddenly they stopped breathing!”

What is the most important step in saving the life of a young person with a LD of alcohol?

Act and act quickly. Don’t hesitate, because the problems can escalate if the person dies. It’s as simple as putting aside all of the parental, peer and legal implications and dialing 911.

Action Plan
The most difficult part of saving someone from an alcohol overdose does not occur in the Emergency Room, nor does it involve a complex medical treatment. The most difficult aspect of an overdose case is making the decision to do something. Fear of possible legal implications (e.g., for underage drinkers), embarrassment, or not having the information to make a decision can also be fatal.

If someone who has been drinking heavily persists in falling asleep, waken him or her. If the person does not respond easily, it is time to call the police emergency number (911) and ask for assistance. Do not assume that your friend will sleep it off or would prefer not to be disturbed. Getting the person home and in bed is not a solution, and may actually place the drinker at risk, because he or she is no longer being observed. If you reasonably believe that other drugs were also ingested, be sure to tell the ambulance personnel. Alcohol in combination with other drugs accounts for about a third of all drug overdose cases in the US.

What kills you? Most likely it’s respiratory arrest.

As a teenager it’s normal to experiment with limits. But remember, alcohol can be fatal. Life is a long road that requires all the brain cells you were born with. The object is to preserve them not to destroy them. When you drink do it sensibly.

Can it happen to just teens and young adults? As lawyers can we always believe initial reports of alcohol poisoning as the cause of death? You would think that trained EMT’s and rescue professionals would never get caught up in this sort of ritual and what appears, at least from this report to cover up the true cause of death. We are all human and are subject to lapses of judgment. Just know that as teenagers this can happen to you, to a friend or someone you meet at a party.

source: InjuryBoard Des Moines

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Teen drinking not going away

By Dan | January 4, 2009

Four ordinary kids sat around a table at a local youth center after being posed one simple question. It was the question asked of many in the under-21 crowd, and they gave the same answer given by a majority of their peers.

“I drink. I’m not going to lie,” said a 16-year-old.

It’s the same line nearly 75 percent of all students have given at some point or another, according to national SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) statistics, and it’s also what’s made alcohol the No. 1 substance-abuse problem in Indiana.

But kids don’t drink to feed an addiction or a craving as some adults do. It’s more the need the feel cool and accepted. For this reason, it has left the community, especially schools, with what could be an insurmountable task.

“The stakes are even higher now. … Kids tell us they’re not drinking to experience it. They’re drinking to get wasted,” said Lisa Hutcheson, director of the Indiana Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. “It starts early. You really can’t wait until middle school or high school to educate, or you’ll lose kids.”

As these four teens explained, by the time they were 12, they knew how to get alcohol.

“You’re at a party … and you say, ‘Hey, who’s 21?’” said one of the four, a 16-year-old.

But that’s just one of many ways. For some, it’s provided by older friends at parties or by their parents or other family members in their homes. Some obtain fake IDs and buy it themselves. As the four described what they had done or observed from friends, not one had a hint of remorse in his or her voice.

“It’s all right as long as they don’t act stupid,” the 16-year-old said about his friends who drink. But is it?

Earlier in the school year, members of the South Side High School cheerleading squad discovered there were consequences when four were suspended for consuming alcohol at a football game and another was expelled for supplying the drinks, according to e-mails sent between district administrators.

“Their brains aren’t developed enough to see the consequences of their actions,” said Shiloh Arp, Northrop High School SADD adviser.

Schools aren’t sitting by idly, though, waiting for the problem to worsen. In fact, as the problem has increased in the state over the last 10 to 15 years, according to Hutcheson, schools have gotten smarter about how best to attack the issue.

At Northrop, SADD has taken an “in-your-face” approach to alcohol awareness. Last year, it was a mock crash with graphic images of dying students. This year it’s going to be a mock trial, where a student faces charges of drunken driving.

“We’re just trying to get kids aware. We try to use shock therapy,” Arp said, adding she is now getting parents to sign a pledge to host alcohol- and drug-free parties in their homes. “The more that we talk to them about the effects, then they’ll be less likely to go out and drive drunk.”

At Carroll High School, Sam DiPrimio, assistant principal and head of discipline, said he relies on students to find the offenders.

“We have a lot of people who are about doing the right thing,” he said.

Ultimately, no one had a fix for this growing problem and neither the rules nor the consequences were enough to deter kids. As Hutcheson explained, “there’s no overall cure.” Small-scale interventions will work maybe for one or two kids, but the larger issue has to be attacked head-on before change can be achieved, she explained.

“I think underage drinking is a community problem,” Hutcheson said. “It’s always going to be here … (but) everyone needs to be involved in the solution or we won’t make progress.”

source: News-Sentinel

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Canadians spend millions drinking just to sleep

By Dan | January 3, 2009

Canadians are spending hundreds of millions of dollars every year self-medicating their insomnia with alcohol, a new study suggests.

“We were very surprised to see that so many people use alcohol as a way to promote sleep, particularly because it has more detrimental than beneficial effects on sleep,” says Charles Morin, a professor of psychology at Laval University and one of the authors of the study, published this week in the journal Sleep.

Overall, eight per cent of the sample reported using alcohol as a sleep aid. Among people with insomnia, 28 per cent reported self-medicating with alcohol.

The study, one of the first in Canada to put numbers to the societal and economic burden of insomnia, estimates the total annual costs of the sleep disorder in Quebec alone is $6.5 billion.

“We know insomnia is a very prevalent problem, it has a very negative impact on people’s quality of life,” Mr. Morin said. “If we can show that it’s 10 times more costly not to treat insomnia because of its impact on absenteeism from work and reduced productivity than it is to treat it, why aren’t we treating it more often?”

Part of the problem is that so few people seek help. Mr. Morin says some people take sleeping pills, “but there are many more who self-medicate with over-the-counter products or, worse, with alcohol.”

“Why do people do that? Is it because they’re scared of using prescribed sleeping pills because of the stigma associated with it, or because they don’t know there are other treatment options available?”

The research found the money spent on the use of booze as a sleep aid far exceeds costs associated with visits to doctors and the use of prescription pills and over-the-counter products from antihistamines to herbal teas.

“The idea that schnapps before your bedtime is good for your sleep might have been right about 100 years ago, as long as it was the occasional schnapps,” said Dr. Adam Moscovitch, medical director of the Canadian Sleep Institute and associate clinical professor at the University of Calgary.

“When you knock yourself out as a way of dealing with it, if you can’t shut your mind off in any other way, then alcohol has a very negative effect on your sleep. It deprives you of any of the deep stages of sleep and, once it wears off, it has a rebound effect. So your problem becomes much worse.”

Of the $6.5 billion estimated annual costs associated with insomnia in Quebec, the biggest indirect cost by far — $5 billion — was reduced productivity.

The highest direct cost — $339.8 million — was money spent on alcohol to help sleep. By comparison, an estimated $16.5 million was spent on prescription drugs, and $1.8 million for over-the-counter products.

The study involved Quebec only, but the researchers are doing a similar study throughout Canada. “I expect we will get pretty much the same results,” Mr. Morin says.

The study, based on a random sample of 948 adults, distinguished between those people who drink at the end of the day, and those who use booze specifically to help them sleep, meaning they drink before bedtime or in the middle of the night.

The worrisome thing is that insomnia is becoming more common, sleep researchers say.

True insomnia is a significant sleep disturbance lasting for at least a month. People have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, waking too early or “waking up and feeling like you were run over by a truck,” Dr. Moscovitch says.

According to the study, between six and 10 per cent of the population meets diagnostic criteria for “insomnia syndrome,” and about a third show symptoms “at any given moment.”

Canadians today live in a stressed society with multiple pressures balancing work and family responsibilities. “One of the things we cut corners on is our sleep,” Dr. Moscovitch said.

source: Ottawa Citizen

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Protection for Smokers

By Dan | January 2, 2009

The new Congress can secure an early victory by giving the FDA authority over tobacco.

EVEN BARACK Obama — he of the compulsive exercise regimen and workout- video-worthy physique — hasn’t been able to escape the clutches of nicotine. The president-elect, whose struggle to give up cigarettes is well documented, still sneaks an occasional smoke. That cigarettes can ensnare someone as disciplined as Mr. Obama speaks to their potency. It is inconceivable, then, that the most deadly product legally sold in the United States is exempt from federal regulation. (Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration oversees dog food, perfume and, yes, nicotine gum.) The new Congress should pass legislation that would give the FDA authority to regulate Big Tobacco.

For too long, cigarette makers have decided what’s safe for consumers. Their concern for the health of smokers — or lack thereof — has led them to disguise the dangers of their products with labels such as “light” and “low tar,” and to lure young smokers by peddling candy-flavored cigarettes. The proposed legislation would eliminate such misleading labels and severely curtail Big Tobacco’s ability to market to youths. The legislation would also require tobacco companies to disclose the ingredients in their products and place larger warning labels on cigarette packs. Most significant, it would give the FDA the latitude to take further steps to curb addiction, such as requiring the removal of harmful additives.

Opponents say that the legislation would overburden the FDA and trick smokers into thinking that cigarettes are approved by the agency. In fact, the bill would impose a fee on cigarette makers to fund a separate center within the FDA to oversee Big Tobacco. The bill would also prohibit cigarette makers from claiming that their products are “FDA-approved.” Some critics say the bill is racially biased because it doesn’t ban menthol-flavored cigarettes, which are preferred by about three-fourths of African American smokers. But the legislation wouldn’t prevent the FDA from taking such action, and its restrictions on marketing would only help stamp out the popularity of flavored cigarettes.

The proposed economic stimulus bill will be Congress’s top priority, but legislation regulating Big Tobacco shouldn’t be far behind. The threat of a filibuster by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and of a veto by President Bush, prevented the legislation from passing last year. But with Mr. Obama in the White House, and a strong Democratic majority in the Senate, there are fewer obstacles — and no excuses. By regulating tobacco, the new Congress can secure an early, bipartisan victory that would help set the tone for the rest of the session.

source:  The Washington Post

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It’s easy to fall off the wagon during the holidays

By Dan | January 1, 2009

Holiday time is party time, and no holiday is more associated with the drinking of alcohol than New Year’s Eve.

For some people, it is especially difficult to cope with party invitations at this time of year. Those who are newly sober, and trying desperately to resist the temptation to relapse, often wonder how to cope with this issue, as do their families and friends who wonder how to help them.

A few simple suggestions might help both to feel more at ease, and be more able to deal with the holiday season in a healthful and successful way.

Those newly in recovery often feel pressure to attend family events, but experts say not to feel obligated to attend functions where alcohol is served if it is too soon after achieving sobriety, as the danger of relapse is often greatest at that time. If, as a newly sober person, you want to attend, there are some coping strategies you can implement, such as limiting the time you spend at the event, bringing a non-alcoholic beverage to share, such as sparkling grape juice or a fancy sparkling water, or even placing a slice of lime in your glass of cola or ginger ale so that others mistake it for an alcoholic drink and thus don’t pressure you to drink.

Wegman’s or Kedem’s grape juices are packaged like wine, so they make a nice gift to bring to a gathering, and have the added benefit of providing something festive that the teetotalers in the crowd can enjoy. Specialty bottled waters, such as Berg or Bling, are ridiculously expensive and probably no better than tap water, but for the right party they have a certain status, and can be a similarly appreciated gift.

Bringing a supportive friend to holiday events can also help, and when family and friends can be also be expected to be supportive, simply telling them that you are no longer drinking can be helpful too.

If, as a newly sober person, you feel that you will encounter saboteurs, or feel that you may not be able to cope with the presence of alcohol, it’s probably best to refuse the invitation, at least this year, and perhaps attend an Alkathon (AA meeting specially intended to provide support during the holiday party hours) instead.

Even at a party where you do feel comfortable, it’s best not to set your glass down, lest you accidentally mix it up with another person’s drink that turns out to have alcohol in it, or lest someone mistakenly “refreshes” it for you with something that you don’t want to consume.

Hosts can play a supportive role in not contributing to their guests feeling uncomfortable. They can ask “What would you like?” rather than pressuring someone to “Have a drink.” They can make certain that there are alternatives to alcohol, and that they are on separate tables to avoid confusion. They can label alcoholic and non-alcoholic punches and foods, and be aware that even items that are cooked with alcohol can present a problem for a person who has a drinking problem, as it is a fallacy that all the alcohol disappears in the cooking process.

With the liability issue that hosts now face if their guests leave the party and get into an alcohol related crash or other incident, perhaps it’s time to consider throwing a party that does not include alcohol. If the non-alcoholic libations and the foods are delicious enough, and the company is entertaining, welcoming and friendly, the absence of alcoholic beverages will not be that much of an issue.

And, hopefully, no one will wake up with a headache the next morning, or worse, find themselves back in the grip of a devastating addiction.

source: Gloucester Times

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Tips for staying sober on New Years

By Dan | December 31, 2008

New Year’s Eve celebrations can be synonymous with alcohol-fueled excess, or at least a champagne toast. But for those struggling with alcoholism, it’s a high-risk situation.

Bradford Health Services Addiction Treatment administrator Timothy Robinson and community representative Amanda Lewis suggest techniques for staying sober and socially comfortable at a party where alcohol is served.

HOW TO MAINTAIN SOBRIETY:

- If you haven’t told the host or friends, bring an in-the-know friend for support.

- Drive yourself. If you get uncomfortable or don’t think you’ll be able to withstand temptation, you can make an exit without asking someone else to take you home.

- Keep your nonalcoholic drink in your hand at all times. This will avoid an alcoholic top-off by an unknowing host.

- Don’t be self-conscious. “People don’t care whether or not you’re drinking,” Mr. Robinson said.

- Fake it. If you are concerned about social anxiety, camouflage with a piece of fruit on the side of your nonalcoholic beverage.

- Ready some excuses. If someone asks why you’re not drinking, think of your response in advance. You might say that you’re the designated driver or that you’re having health problems.

HOW TO AVOID EXCESS:

People often use the holidays as an excuse for substance abuse, Ms. Lewis said. Here are ways to avoid abuse if you do decide to imbibe tonight:

- Make sure you eat beforehand.

- Pace yourself. If you want to monitor yourself closely, you can even buy a breathalyzer. Remember that alcohol affects women more than men, and carbonated beverages can speed up alcohol absorption slightly.

- Black coffee and cold showers don’t work. Your liver will process an average of one ounce of alcohol per hour, and there’s no way to speed up the process.

source:  augustachronicle.com

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Understanding what alcohol does to your body

By Dan | December 30, 2008

The holiday season brings plenty of reasons to celebrate and with them the temptation to eat and, perhaps, drink a little more than is wise. As we all know but sometimes forget, drinking too much inevitably leads to headaches, loss of energy and generally feeling rotten. But there’s only one sure way to avoid a hangover, says Tyler Cymet, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and an emergency room physician at Northwest Hospital. And we know what it is, don’t we?

Is alcohol something that people should avoid?

Alcohol is a drug that has specific effects and side effects that are dose-dependent. Any time you take a drug, you should know why you are taking it, what the desired effect is, and weigh that against the side effects of the drug.

But some people can drink alcohol and not have any effects at all. That is because the dose was low and not sufficient to cause noticeable effects.

What are some of the first noticeable effects?

Certain people are more sensitive to alcohol, and to certain types of alcohol. If you drink and you feel sweaty or feel warm and flush right away, then your body is not getting rid of the alcohol in as efficient a manner as you might like, and the alcohol that does this to you is more likely to have a more serious side effect, specifically hangovers or intoxication.

We also know that alcohols - such as brandies, fortified wines, grain alcohol - that are over 15 percent will have greater effects on the stomach, like swelling and will lead to a quicker and more serious effect.

What kinds of effects does alcohol have?

Alcohol will have effects on your muscles, your stomach and on the brain. After taking a therapeutic dose of alcohol (usually considered the equivalent of one shot of hard alcohol an hour) a person’s temperature drops, his heart speeds up a bit and he becomes less coordinated because of the brain fog and the changes in the muscles. People may feel warmer on the outside and colder on the inside as blood flow gets shunted to the superficial arteries and veins.

Why do people who drink typically get so clumsy?

Alcohol blocks the ability of the body to absorb calcium, magnesium and other minerals that muscles need to function. So muscle coordination already is off and, simultaneously, the brain is using alcohol instead of sugar as a fuel, which doesn’t let the body run as smoothly as it does when it is running on the right type of fuel (sugars).

Are hangovers a common side effect of drinking?

Hangover is the name given to the collection of symptoms people may see after overdosing on alcohol. The muscles and brain either did not have enough of a reserve to overcome the assault of alcohol on the brain and muscles, or the dose of alcohol was too high for the body to tolerate.

What is the hangover syndrome?

A hangover usually occurs from eight to 24 hours after drinking alcohol. It starts when the alcohol level hits zero (although it can happen sooner). And generally lasts from 24 to 36 hours.

Its symptoms typically are sore, achy muscles, a change in the pattern of a person’s bowel habits, lack of energy, headache, sensitivity to light and discomfort with food.

The alcohol lets you know when you are heading to a hangover: Alcohol makes you urinate more often leading to a loss of necessary nutrients coupled with a decreased ability to process and take in more minerals and other nutrients. If you are urinating a lot you are developing an electrolyte imbalance and that is when the muscles start to ache, you have no energy, headaches, sensitivity to light. And you are going to start getting light-headed or dizzy.

Once you’ve made the mistake of drinking too much alcohol, is there anything that can be done to alleviate a hangover?

We hear about drinking milk beforehand or caffeine afterward; we hear about IVs; we hear about taking Motrin before going out to prevent a hangover, but there is nothing [other than not drinking alcohol] that we really know about preventing or curing hangovers - it is all guesswork. And the treatments usually address one of the symptoms of a hangover and not the whole hangover syndrome. We know how alcohol works on the body and since you already know the root cause of a hangover, you know how to prevent a hangover.

source: Baltimore Sun

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Regular binge drinking can cause long-term brain damage

By Dan | December 29, 2008

Just a few sessions of heavy drinking can damage someone’s ability to pay attention, remember things and make good judgments, research shows.

Binge drinkers are known to be at increased risk of accidents, violence and engaging in unprotected sex. But the study is the first to identify brain damage as a danger of consuming more alcohol than official safe limits.

The research, to be published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, is significant because binge drinking is so widespread in the UK. Twenty-three per cent of men and 15% of women drink more than twice the government’s recommended daily limit. For men this means consuming more than eight units a day and for women more than six, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Binge drinkers aged between 18 and 24 are a key target of the government’s alcohol strategy because a minority of people in that age group cause the majority of alcohol-related crime and disorder.

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “We know large numbers of people in this country binge drink. This should be a wake-up call to the millions of people whose lifestyle means they get drunk regularly.”

Gilmore, who is also the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance of key medical organisations and specialist alcohol charities, added: “We are all already aware of the immediate impacts of binge drinking: accidents, violence, admission to hospital and unwanted pregnancies. But this opens up the spectre that drinkers who binge regularly may be at risk of long-term brain damage.”

The study was undertaken by two experts in alcohol’s toxic effects on the brain: Professor Fulton Crews, director of the Bowles Centre for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina, and Dr Kim Nixon of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Kentucky.

They reviewed previous studies in which rats were used in experiments to examine the impact of binge drinking and then related those findings to humans. For four days in a row the rats were given the same amount of ethanol that someone imbibing 15 units of alcohol - about seven pints of normal-strength beer - would consume in one drinking session. Losses in key mental abilities were noted in the weeks after the experiment had ended.

“It is fair and credible to extrapolate the research findings from tests on rats to humans,” said Dr Jonathan Chick of the alcohol problems service at the Royal Edinburgh hospital, who is the chief editor of Alcohol and Alcoholism.

“From this research we can infer that humans who have a few heavy drinking sessions in a row may sometimes undergo subtle brain changes which make it harder to learn from mistakes and to learn new ways of tackling problems because their brain function has been subtly impaired.”

The research also suggests that loss of brain function in people under 20 brought on by binge drinking increases their chances of becoming alcoholics in later life, Chick added.

Alcohol-related brain damage is becoming a growing burden on the NHS as per capita alcohol consumption increases. Patients with the condition who do not die early need long-term care, which can cost £1,000 a week, for the rest of their lives.

The findings underlined the need for the NHS to do more to identify and help heavy drinkers early on, Gilmore said.

However, the study also found that binge drinkers who then abstained from alcohol did not suffer long-term brain damage.

source:  The Guardian

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Young ‘ignore alcohol campaigns’

By Dan | December 28, 2008

Health campaigns warning of the dangers of alcohol are being ignored by many young people who see binge drinking as acceptable, researchers say.

A study by Birmingham and Bath universities suggests the government must stop “demonising” young people in its attempts to promote safe drinking.

Researchers interviewed 89 people in England aged 18-25 over three years.

They say ministers will have to look again at health campaigns if they are to have any kind of significant impact.

‘Not successful’

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the study concluded young people did not see their own drinking cultures reflected in adverts which took a negative stance.

It said warnings not to drink more than two or three units of alcohol day are seen as unrealistic by many 18 to 25 year olds.

The young people did, however, identify with adverts which promoted alcohol as a fun, social habit.

The project found that alcohol played a significant part in forming a “group identity” and that drinking and alcohol-related stories played an “important role” in binding different social groups together.

Professor Christian Griffin, who led the research team, said the government had to take action.

She said: “Top of my list would have to be to stop demonising and making generalisations about young people and their drinking. We also need to listen and incorporate their views and perspectives.”

Shaping attitudes

The researchers carried out in-depth interviews for The Young People and Alcohol project in three unidentified locations in England.

These included a major city centre in the Midlands with a diverse population, a seaside town, and a small market town in the West Country with a more homogenous population and fewer places to drink.

The project focused on how adverts and other marketing practices shape people’s attitudes to drinking.

The research included the analysis of 216 alcohol adverts, both in print and broadcast form.

The team found that educational adverts which often advocated “safe levels” of alcohol consumption, such as this year’s Home Office £4m anti-binge-drinking campaign, were viewed as “laughably unrealistic”.

The TV images showed young people injuring themselves, being violent and smearing vomit in their hair.

However, adverts which highlighted that drinking was a “cool” habit and a form of “calculated hedonism” did appeal to and influence the audience.

The researchers noted that participants discussed the harm, risks and pleasures of drinking but this was set firmly within a culture of “drinking to excess”, which they described as a form of “fun”.

Professor Isabelle Szmigin, who assisted the study, told the BBC: “For young people, drinking is very much a part of their social life but we feel that a lot of the government literature tends to present a picture of it being an individual responsibility rather than a social one.

“Young people do engage with the idea of responsible drinking but far more from the social side. They ensure there are designated drivers; people looking out for each other and that their friends are safe.”

Ms Szmigin said shock tactic adverts did not always work and had risk of alienating the very people they were meant to target.

She said future government policies on alcohol-related harm needed to tackle cheap prices, how drinks were marketed but without being “heavy-handed” and recognising the role of alcohol as a “social glue”.

Alcohol Concern said effective health campaigns needed to focus on the implications of heavy drinking for younger people.

Spokesman Nicolay Sorensen said: “Whilst they are not going to be thinking about their liver or kidneys, they are more likely to think about whether they will be a victim of crime or engage in risky sex, which they are likely to regret down the line.”

The government has said the aim of its recent campaign against binge drinking was to encourage people to “think twice about the serious consequences”.

Launching the series of advertisements in June, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “Binge drinking is not only damaging to health but it makes individuals vulnerable to harm.

“People who are drunk are much more likely to be involved in an accident or assault, be charged with a criminal offence, contract a sexually transmitted disease or have an unplanned pregnancy.”

source:  BBC News

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Topics: Alcohol, Alcohol Addiction, society, teenagers | No Comments »

Over-age drinking

By Dan | December 27, 2008

December is the booziest month of the year, as Canadians increase their alcohol intake by about 35 per cent. That’s a lot of eggnog.

That puts us even higher than the Italians, who drink about 30 per cent more than their monthly average in December, according to figures from a British think tank. At least we’re still behind the Britons, who tip their glasses 41 per cent more often.

It’s expected that moderation will give way to indulgence during the holidays. Who doesn’t spend a bit too much money, eat a few too many desserts and drink a tad too much wine? But there is a segment of the population, medical researchers warn, that might want to go easy on the Christmas spirits.

Drinking among the elderly has become a significant problem. Some doctors believe it’s more than a problem, calling it a “silent epidemic.” There are many theories why people begin drinking heavily later in life. They may be depressed, grieving the deaths of loved ones or suffering physical pain. Some drink because they are lonely. This social isolation is also why the problem goes largely unnoticed.

Alcohol abuse is easy to hide if you have limited interaction with other people. If you no longer work, there is no boss to notice slipping performance and erratic behaviour at the office. If you no longer drive, there is no car for police officers to spot oscillating about the yellow line on the road back from the pub. If your spouse has died and your children live far away, there is no one to recognize that the collection of empty bottles on your kitchen counter has become alarmingly extensive.

Unfortunately, the people best positioned to detect the problem — doctors — often ignore it, too. Professional bodies such as the American Medical Association have implored physicians to ask elderly patients about their drinking habits. Yet few do. Many doctors assume seniors are non-drinkers, are too embarrassed to ask questions about alcohol (doing so could appear disrespectful), or avoid detecting the problem because they don’t know how to treat it.

Alcohol abuse among the elderly is going to become an even greater problem as baby boomers, who drink more than previous generations, move into their retirement years. Although studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption has some health benefits, such as a reduced risk of acquiring a cardiovascular disease or diabetes, there are age-related risks to drinking even small amounts.

As we age, our bodies become less tolerant of alcohol and the stuff lingers in our bloodstream longer. People aged 65 and older are also on more medications than ever before, and alcohol can react with certain drugs and cause other complications.

That doesn’t mean older people can’t enjoy a nip. It just means they should be aware that a moderate amount of alcohol for a 70-year-old is not the same as that for a 40-year-old — something best learned before a tumble down stairs.

For seniors with drinking problems, the good news is that treatment is effective regardless of age. Aging societies like Canada need to be sensitive to age-related health hazards, and, sadly, alcohol abuse could be one of them.

source:  Ottawa Citizen

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10 easy steps to safe drinking

By Dan | December 26, 2008

With the holiday festivities in full gear, many people will most likely become victims or causalities of careless drinking.
No one can claim that drinking too much alcohol is good for your health - especially as you get older. For some people, careless drinking has put them in a situation where they have been advised by the doctors never to drink alcohol again- if they love their lives anyway.

But there is a good and a bad way to drink alcohol.
Take the better - or least worst - route to drinking alcohol and you can neutralise its worst effects for both yourself and other people.

So - kick start a healthy New Year by following these proven ten tips for safer alcohol consumption.

1. Choose your best time to drink
Every time you take a sip of wine your body reacts as if it’s being poisoned. Which, of course, it is. A group of enzymes (alcohol dehydrogenase) swing into action to get the alcohol toxin out of your system as quickly as possible.
If you’re reasonably healthy, your body can get as much as 98%