Alcohol Related Disorders

Before Spring Break: Explain the Science of Why Girls Can’t Drink Alcohol Like Boys

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:18:00 +0000

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Spring break is here and many teenage girls may be tempted to take their first drink. The Science Inside Alcohol Project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science suggests that parents, teachers and caregivers help girls delay that first drink by telling them what scientific research shows regarding their ability to handle alcohol compared to boys.

There’s reason to worry. The number of teens who use alcohol rose 11% from 2008 to 2009, according to a new report from the Partnership for...

Students play 'drunken dodgeball' as part of SADD event [Sentinel and Enterprise, Fitchburg, Mass.]

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:02:00 +0000

Mar. 17--Oakmont Students Against Destructive Decisions knew in order to get students to sit down and listen to speakers about drug abuse they needed an incentive, according to Kaylie Gage, senior president of SADD.

What did SADD come up with? "Drunken goggle" dodgeball and free pizza, said Gage. However, not at the same time, as that probably wouldn't have ended well.

By sandwiching an informative session concerning the negative effects of drug and substance abuse between free pizza and a "drunken goggle" dodgeball tournament, school officials are getting through to students, according to David Hamolsky, a guest speaker and substance abuse therapist from LUK, Inc. in Fitchburg.

"It was a great idea," said Hamolsky. "You have two great incentives to get kids to come to the event and in between you put a quick informative session about drug abuse, and the kids are energized to learn and be here. ... I know...

Babies get a clean start [Lake County Record Bee, Lakeport, Calif.]

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:09:00 +0000

Mar. 13--LAKE COUNTY -- New Beginnings, the sole provider of perinatal alcohol and other drug abuse treatment in Lake County, is struggling financially to meet the needs of the area. A fundraising effort called the "Million Dollar Baby Drive" is being launched in effort to raise awareness and much-needed funds as well as to celebrate the successes of the program.

New Beginnings' mission is to provide an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard with the belief that respect and encouragement can be the catalyst necessary for transformation. Its drug rehabilitation program provides a safe, nurturing and trusting environment for substance-affected individuals to help them begin their journey on the road to recovery.

"New Beginnings, formerly known as DAAC (Drug Abuse Alternative Center), has been in operation since 1994. We are Lake County's sole provider licensed perinatal alcohol and drug facility. Our residential home has been open since 1994, too," Janet Thomson, outreach...

In fight against DWIs, 2 counties focus on cause: Alcohol-related crashes are down in Anoka and ...

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:38:00 +0000

Mar. 13--For 25 years, Mike Blair drank "from sunup to sundown" nearly every day. He didn't find a way out until his fourth drunken driving arrest, in 2006.

Blair was sitting in a Ramsey County jail cell when he was offered a choice: He could spend another six months in jail and lose his license for a year, or he could enroll in DWI Court, an intense program aimed at changing the behavior of drunken drivers.

It was a risky proposition. Blair would have to remain sober for at least 13 months and live under almost constant supervision. If he quit, he faced a year in jail. But if he followed through, he could get by with just 17 days of community service -- chores like picking up garbage on the street.

"This seemed like a better alternative to what I was doing. ... They saved my life," said Blair, 54.

The problem...

Brain mechanism offers insight into alcohol cravings and relapse

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Washington, Mar 11 (ANI): US researchers have provided an insight into the molecular mechanisms associated with addiction and relapse.

Published by Cell Press in the March 11 issue of the journal Neuron, the study uncovers a crucial mechanism that facilitates motivation for alcohol after extended abstinence and opens new avenues for potential therapeutic intervention.

"Animal paradigms can model crucial aspects of human addiction, and these paradigms will help elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive drug-seeking behaviors and, as a consequence, facilitate the development of novel therapeutic interventions for addiction," explains lead study author Dr. F. Woodward Hopf from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California,...

Hair Alcohol Test Kit to Help in Third of Care Cases

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:35:00 +0000

LONDON, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The recent surge in Local Authority child care applications has prompted a substance abuse testing lab to produce a kit explaining to lawyers how hair alcohol testing works.

Care application orders increased by 46% between April and December last year*, with the number of children going through the procedure reaching almost 800 in some months. This increase directly correlates with the number of Hair Alcohol Test requests that Trimega Laboratories has received, rising from 250 a month to an average of 482 in the same timeframe.

Trimega's 'Hair Alcohol Testing Information Kit' is aimed specifically at family law practitioners who can take advantage of the continuous professional development (CPD) course included in the kit. This course takes the form of a podcast by the 4 Brick Court barrister -- Jacqui Gilliat -- who specialises in children's law and edits the Bloody Relations blog.

Other...

Paramedics: Man on trial for death of Sen. ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:52:00 +0000

Mar. 10--A Monroe County man reeked of alcohol and was so intoxicated he didn't feel any pain despite suffering severe injuries following a violent crash that killed former Sen. James Rhoades in 2008, paramedics testified today.

Paramedics also said Thomas Senavitis was so delirious, or drunk, he kept asking paramedics to locate his wife, whom Senavitis said was in his pickup when it collided with Rhoades' Cadillac on Oct. 17, 2008, on Route 209 near Brodheadsville. Despite a search, the wife was never located.

Senavitis, charged with vehicular homicide, sat glumly as three witnesses relayed the horrific crash that claimed the life of Rhoades, a Republican State Senator who was driving to Pleasant Valley High School with his wife Mary Edith to accept an award at a football game.

Rhoades and his wife were seriously injured but remained conscious immediately following the crash while Senavitis was pinned underneath the dashboard of his...

Examining alcohol use disorders through gene networks instead of individual genes

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Multiple genetic, environmental and behavioral factors contribute to alcohol use disorders (AUDs). A person's level of response (LR) to alcohol can indicate a person's risk for developing AUDs. A new study has looked at "gene networks" instead of individual genes to confirm the influence of glutamate receptor signaling genes on a person's LR (see also Alcoholism ).

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are influenced by multiple genetic, environmental and behavioral factors, which makes it difficult to find individual genetic markers to help identify those at risk of developing AUDs. This study examined how a person's level of response (LR) to alcohol, which is closely linked to the development of AUDs, is related to "gene sets" rather than individual genes. Findings show that glutamate receptor signaling genes that enable brain cells to respond to chemicals, and then to communicate that response, are involved in a person's LR.

Results will be published in the...

Genome-wide study of alcohol dependence points to chromosome 11

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Both genetic and environmental factors affect susceptibility to alcohol dependence (AD). To date, researchers have identified several genes associated with AD. Findings from a new genome-wide association study support an association between AD and a cluster of genes on chromosome 11 (see also Alcoholism ).

Alcohol dependence (AD) is a complex disease for which both genetic and environmental factors affect susceptibility. Previous research had identified several genes associated with AD through linkage analysis or candidate-gene approaches. Findings from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) support an association between AD and a cluster of genes on chromosome 11.

Results will be published in the May 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

"Previous studies have looked at one or a few genes at a time, choosing the genes based upon hypotheses about possible mechanisms underlying differences in risk for alcoholism," explained Howard J. Edenberg, Distinguished Professor...

Increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations in alcohol may reduce negative side effects

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Oxygen for ethanol oxidation is normally supplied through breathing, the stomach, and the skin. A new study has found that increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations in alcohol may help to reduce alcohol-related side effects and accidents (see also Alcoholism ).

Oxygen for ethanol oxidation is supplied through breathing, the stomach, and the skin. There is a great deal of genetic and environmental variability in the pharmacokinetics of alcohol absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination. A new study has found that increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations in alcohol may help to reduce alcohol-related side effects and accidents.

Results will be published in the May 2010 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

"Ethanol is oxidized to acetaldehyde, then further oxidized to water and carbon dioxide in the body after consumption," explained Kwang-il Kwon, a professor in the college of pharmacy at Chungnam National University and corresponding author for the...

Moderate drinking before trauma leads to more flashbacks

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:15:00 +0000

People who have drunk a moderate amount of alcohol before a traumatic event report more flashbacks than those who have had no alcohol, according to new research at UCL (University College London) (see also University College London ).

The results may give new insight into why some individuals develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a traumatic event and others do not.

Published online today in the journal Biological Psychiatry, researchers also found that those who drank a large amount of alcohol before a traumatic event did not report an increase in the number of flashbacks.

"Many people who experience a personally traumatic event such as rape or a road traffic accident have consumed alcohol beforehand. For the first time, this research gives us an idea of how being under the influence of alcohol might contribute to our wellbeing later on," said James Bisby, from UCL's Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, who...

Researchers from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provide details of new ...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Scientists discuss in 'Suppression of alcohol preference by naltrexone in the rhesus macaque: a critical role of genetic variation at the micro-opioid receptor gene locus' new findings in naltrexone. "The role of a nonsynonymous A118G polymorphism of the human micro-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) for alcohol reward and therapeutic efficacy of naltrexone remains controversial. A functionally equivalent OPRM1 C77G polymorphism in rhesus macaques allows this to be addressed under controlled experimental conditions," researchers in the United States report (see also Naltrexone Therapy ).

"Twenty-one rhesus macaques (13 female rhesus macaques, 8 male rhesus macaques) were genotyped for OPRM1 C77G and studied during 1-hour sessions for preference between an aspartame-sweetened alcohol solution (8.4% vol/vol) and a nonalcoholic control fluid in a baseline session followed by naltrexone (1 mg/kg) and vehicle treatment in a counterbalanced within-subject design. Mixed-model analysis of variance controlling for baseline and sex showed a highly significant (p=.003) interaction between genotype...

We need to tackle alcohol abuse among students [BC-ALCOHOL-ABUSE-PROGRESSIVE:MCT]

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:09:00 +0000

We've got to do more to save our young people from alcohol abuse. It's a killer.

More than 1,800 college students die each year from alcohol, and 500,000 students are injured by it, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

By day, these students have curious, textured, challenging minds. By night, too many are getting black-out drunk, mixing shots with potent drugs, and randomly hooking up.

The students say, "That's what we aim for: black-out drunk." And they often mix alcohol with prescription drugs.

What can be done? Campus administrators know there is no single solution to the puzzle. But there are a lot of different pieces.

_Reflection is a piece.

Ask students what they seek to gain from drinking. If it's to be more socially at ease, suggest that the same goal can be achieved with fewer drinks. Emphasize side benefits, like saving money by drinking less and avoiding a hangover...

Study: Women who drink moderately gain fewer pounds in midlife than abstainers ...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:47:00 +0000

LOS ANGELES _ Women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol don't gain as much weight in midlife as those who abstain, according to a study released Monday. However, the authors as well as alcohol abuse experts were quick to say that drinking should not be heralded as a new diet nor a path to better health.

The study, to be published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, is the first to find that alcohol may curb weight gain in women. Previous research suggested that moderate drinking has no effect on women's weight and contributes to weight gain in men.

Typically, alcohol consumption is not advised for people trying to watch their weight or lose weight. A five-ounce glass of wine contains 125 calories while a 12-ounce regular beer contains 150 calories.

In the study, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston examined data from 19,220 women enrolled in the long-running...

Miss. high court to hear arguments on alcohol ban [Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, ...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:19:00 +0000

Mar. 8--JACKSON -- Pike County and the owners of inner tube rental companies will square off before the Mississippi Supreme Court on March 30 in an ongoing dispute over a ban of sale of alcohol on heavily used stretches of the Bogue Chitto River and Topisaw Creek.

The county enacted the ban in 2008 after local authorities and residents complained of numerous instances of public drunkenness, fighting, nudity and underage drinking among floating enthusiasts along the popular waterways.

Ronnie Perry of Gator's Tubing and Wendy Ryals of Dogwood Tube Rental challenged the county ordinance, arguing their businesses were hurt by the ban.

In defending the ordinance, the county cited hundreds of arrests made on the river for alcohol-related offenses, along with numerous injuries and several fatalities. Law enforcement officials contended problems virtually ceased since the ban was enacted.

Circuit Judge David Strong upheld the alcohol ban in August 2008.

Supervisors said they had wide...

IUP officials: Crackdown on alcohol abuse paying off [The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:31:00 +0000

Mar. 7--On Alex Cullison's first day as a student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania nearly five years ago, he went to a party.

"That was not my reason for coming here, but that was the reputation it was built on. IUP -- I Usually Party," said Cullison, 22, of Pittsburgh.

Around the same time, IUP's new president, Tony Atwater, began the President's Commission on Reducing Student Substance Abuse.

IUP officials said they've seen some positive changes. Fewer students are being arrested by campus police for liquor law violations, and fewer are facing university sanctions for alcohol-related violations.

But borough police Chief William Sutton said he's seen no shift in the problems caused by students using alcohol, from assaults to thefts to vandalism.

"I can't correlate IUP's efforts with the numbers we deal with," Sutton said. "We have volumes of cases that other places our size do not experience."

In January, 28 people, most of them...

Washington County trying to end cycle of drinking and drugs: Washington County launches new ...

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:14:00 +0000

Mar. 5--Again and again and again.

That's the pattern in chemical health abuse, where alcoholics and drug users often show up repeatedly in treatment programs at great cost to taxpayers.

Now, Washington County is investigating how to better help drinkers cork their bottles and drug users to just say no. The county will undertake a Legislature-designated pilot program -- the only one in the metro -- to attack every aspect of chemical abuse.

"It would be quite intense services, working on your sobriety and every aspect of your life," said Kathy Mickelson, who supervises the county's chemical health unit. "We just kind of walk them through the recovery process."

Many people who fall into chemical abuse are struggling with problems in their lives, such as bankruptcy, unemployment or mental illness. They tend to show up repeatedly in county programs -- sometimes they are sent by court order or by police or are referred...

Music Event Aims To Keep Youth Drug And Alcohol Safe During Spring Break

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Clean Break 2010, a music and activity festival featuring 20 different acts, takes place Saturday, March 6. It was started last year by Cumberland Heights Treatment Center to prevent underage drinking and drug abuse during one of the most vulnerable times of the year for high school and college age kids.

(PRWEB) March 4, 2010 -- Cumberland Heights, one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished alcohol and drug treatment centers, hosts Clean Break 2010, a music and activity festival created exclusively to encourage a clean and sober spring break among teens, this Saturday, March 6, at Rocketown.

More than 20 local and regional music acts including Jeffrey Steele are set to make appearances during the 8+hour event, which has a nominal cover charge of $5. Clean Break 2010 marks the second year for the event, which drew high school and college students from across Middle Tennessee and from...

Pre-trauma alcohol may be linked to PTSD

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:50:00 +0000

British researchers say moderate drinking before trauma may lead to more flashbacks.

Researchers at the University College London suggest people drinking a moderate amount of alcohol before a traumatic event report more flashbacks than those having no alcohol.

The researchers, led by James Bisby, had nearly 50 participants consume either alcohol or a placebo drink, perform a virtual reality task and watch a video of serious road accidents. The researchers observed a link between consuming alcohol and a reduction in contextual memory, but not in memories stored as "visual snapshots."

Bisby and colleagues said the study, published in Biological Psychiatry, may give...

Researchers from Alcohol Research Group describe findings in life sciences

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:20:00 +0000

Data detailed in 'Detecting alcohol-related problems in developing countries: a comparison of 2 screening measures in India' have been presented. "There is inadequate recognition of alcohol misuse as a public health issue in India. Information on screening measures is critical for prevention and early intervention efforts," investigators in the United States report (see also Life Sciences ).

"This study critically evaluated the full and shorter versions of the AUDIT and RAPS4-QF as screening measures for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in a community sample of male drinkers in Goa, India. Data from male drinking respondents in a population study on alcohol use patterns and sexual risk behaviors in randomly selected rural and urban areas of North Goa are reported. Overall, 39% (n=743) of the 1899 screened men, age 18 to 49, reported consuming alcohol in the last 12 months. These current drinkers were administered the screening measures as part of detailed interviews...

Senate panel removes DUI penalties from brain-injury bill [The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.]

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:52:00 +0000

Mar. 3--CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Advocates are questioning why state senators removed fees on drunken drivers in a proposal meant to generate funds for people with brain injuries.

The original legislation (SB657) would boost fees for accident reports and impose $50 fees on DUI offenders. That money would help pay for services for West Virginians with traumatic brain injuries.

On Monday, the Senate Finance Committee removed the DUI penalties at Chairman Walt Helmick's request. The legislation still hikes accident-report fees from $20 to $30.

Helmick told the Gazette on Tuesday that in a bad economy, he doesn't want to raise fees on anyone, including drunk drivers.

"We just didn't think it was an appropriate thing to do," the Pocahontas County Democrat said. "I don't want to raise taxes or fees."

The full Senate is expected to vote on the bill Wednesday.

The DUI fines would raise about $190,000 a year, said Susan Perry, deputy secretary of...

U.S. teen alcohol, drug abuse on upswing

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:24:00 +0000

The number of U.S. teens who say they used alcohol or drugs rose in 2009 compared with 2008, a survey indicates.

Thirty-nine percent of U.S. teens say they used alcohol in the past month in 2009, up from 35 percent in 2008, while ecstasy use indicated a 67 percent increase -- from 6 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009 -- and marijuana use went from 32 percent in 2008 to 38 percent in 2009, the study by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the MetLife Foundation says.

The data indicate a reverse in the sustained declines in substance abuse among teens from 1998-2008.

"We're very troubled by this upswing that has implications not just for parents, who are the main focus of the partnership's efforts, but for the country as a whole," Patricia Russo, chairwoman of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, said in a statement.

The percentage of teens...

FARRELL PARTIED WITH STRANGERS IN HELLRAISER YEARS

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:23:00 +0000

Mar 02, 2010 (WENN via COMTEX) -- COLIN FARRELL spent a fortune on hotel bills when he first hit the Hollywood big time - because he would invite 20 strangers to party with him.

Farrell took full advantage of his newfound fame after he was tipped as Hollywood's next big superstar following his role in 2002 hit Minority Report.

He became known for throwing rowdy parties in his hotel suites and often found himself drinking with people he'd never met.

It was then that Farrell realised it was time to give up the booze.

He says, "There was lot of parties in hotel rooms all around the world, because I had money and I was working on films, so I had a certain amount of recognition. It wasn't hard to find 20 strangers who wanted to go back to my hotel room till 8 o'clock in the morning, I often had rooms filled with...

PGA Tour file of John Daly details his many breakdowns: Golfer's troubled history includes ...

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:02:00 +0000

Mar. 2--The PGA Tour ordered John Daly to undergo counseling or enter alcohol rehabilitation centers seven times, once disciplined him for hitting golf shots off the top of a beer can during a pro-am and cited him 21 times for "failure to give best efforts," during Tour events.

Daly has also been accused of nearly hitting an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent after failing to stop his car at a security checkpoint at the 2005 U.S. Open in Pinehurst, N.C., and of launching golf balls over the heads of spectators who were sitting in the bleachers during a 1993 golf clinic, according to the PGA Tour's confidential personnel file on Daly.

Daly's file, now public record, provides an unprecedented look into his professional and personal life, and the Tour's efforts to get him help. Though Daly hasn't won a PGA Tour event since the 2004 Buick Invitational, he remains one of...

Former firefighter Billy Regan, known for daily five-mile trek, turned life around with ...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:57:00 +0000

Mar. 1--Billy Regan is a familiar figure to many in Scranton, known for treading the streets en route to The Steamtown Mall where he walks as part of a 26-year-old, five-miles-a-day routine.

He's become synonymous with the walks and is commonly greeted along the way by drivers honking horns and passersby and well-wishers who shout out, "Hey, Billy, good to see you."

Once at the mall, some admirers simply wave while others make complimentary remarks about Mr. Regan's physical appearance.

"It's so nice when I'm walking and everybody is beeping at me and saying nice things," he said.

A 65-year-old city native, Mr. Regan worked for 29 years as a Scranton firefighter.

Prior to that, he served four years in the Navy as a boatswain's mate and seaman with the responsibility of picking up downed American pilots and helping to facilitate other missions during the Vietnam conflict.

Through the fire

Mr. Regan is quick to point...