Alcohol Help

As the holidays arrive, a group of researchers has identified the precise mechanisms by which binge drinking contributes to clogs in arteries that lead to heart attack and stroke, according to a study published today in the journal Atherosclerosis. The works adds to a growing body of evidence that drinking patterns matter as much, if not more, to risk for cardiovascular disease than the total amount consumed.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), going on a ‘binge’ means having five or more drinks for men, and four or more drinks for women, in two hours. Many studies suggest that an irregular pattern of heavy drinking brings about a two-fold increase in risk for a fatal heart attack, even as moderate drinking has been shown to reduce risk (the red wine effect). About 65 percent of Americans drink alcohol, with 15 percent reporting binge patterns in a national survey of problem drinkers.

Alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, which is mostly converted into acetaldehyde once in the human system at ‘binge’ levels, with the levels of acetaldehyde remaining high for many hours after the binge has ended. The current study clarified for the first time that binge levels of acetaldehyde cause an important type of immune cell, the monocyte, to become better able to stick to blood vessel walls, an important step in initiating atherosclerotic disease. Clarifying these mechanisms promises to empower the design of new treatments to counter the effects when combined with lifestyle change, researchers said.

In the past, experts believed that atherosclerosis developed when too much cholesterol clogged arteries with fatty deposits called plaques. When blood vessels became completely blocked, heart attacks occurred. Now most believe that the reaction of the body’s immune system, more than the build-up itself, creates heart attack risk. Vessel walls mistake fatty deposits for intruders, akin to bacteria, and call for help from the immune system. Among other cell types, monocytes arrive with the goal of preventing infection, but end up causing inflammation that drives blood vessel blockage.

"Factors like binge-drinking have been linked to increased risk for heart disease, and the newer inflammatory model is beginning to explain how," said John Cullen, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center. "One of our experiments found that acetaldehyde, at levels found in the blood after binge drinking, increased the number of monocytes that can adhere to cells lining blood vessels by 700 percent," said Cullen, who led the study.

Health psychologists argue that motivating people to stop binging depends upon their belief that it is harming them. Thus, the authors of the current study hope the results empower public health campaigns that discourage binge drinking.

Study Details

In between infections and injuries, dormant monocytes ride along with the bloodstream until they "realize" they are passing by part of a blood vessel wall close to the site of an injury or infection, or in the case of atherosclerosis, the site of cholesterol buildup. At this point, adhesion molecules on the monocyte surfaces unfold and grab onto key proteins on the surface of blood vessel wall cells, resisting the surrounding blood flow.

Whey they arrive on the scene, monocytes send out tethers, like anchors that snag the vessel wall. Once the monocyte swings close to the wall on its tether, it can then roll along the wall, getting stickier and sticker until it sticks in place permanently. Without this step, a major part of the immune component of atherosclerosis could not get underway.

In the current study, the team examined the effects of acetaldehyde on the ability of monocytes to home in on, tether to and roll along cells lining blood vessel walls. Researchers made cultures of the cells lining blood vessels (e.g. human umbilical venous endothelial cells (HUVEC)), and of two types of monocytes that stick to those vessel-lining cells when activated (e.g. primary blood monocytes (PBM) and THP-1 monocytes). The team then treated all cell cultures with acetaldehyde at varying doses (0.1󈞅 µM) known to correlate with binge drinking for six hours.

Specifically, the current study found that acetaldehyde stimulated monocyte adhesion through its effect on three important proteins, CCR2, P-selectin, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα).

Several studies provide compelling evidence for a direct role of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) receptor called chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) in the rush of monocytes to blood vessel walls as part of atherosclerosis. CCR2 is a receptor, a protein that occurs on the surfaces of monocytes that links up with MCP-1 as part of the signal that brings monocytes homing in on diseased blood vessel walls. The current study found that the addition of acetaldehyde to monocytes increased by more that twofold the number of cells with CCR2 expressed on their surfaces.

P-selectin is a cell adhesion molecule (CAM) that, upon receiving the right signal, quickly rises to the surface of the cells lining blood vessels (endothelial cells) to help monocytes grab them. The team found a 40 percent increase in endothelial cells showing P-selectin on their surfaces when exposed to acetaldehyde, and a 50 percent increase in the density of P-selectins expressed on the surface of each cell.

The study also found that the genetic expression of TNFα, an important driver of several aspects of inflammation in blood vessels, in endothelial cells increased by about 2.5 fold in the presence of acetaldehyde (10µM). Given the above results, it is not surprising that the addition of acetaldehyde increased the overall adhesion of primary blood monocyte to endothelial cells by approximately 250 percent for 0.1 µM acetaldehyde, and 700 percent for 25µM acetaldehyde, when compared to controls.

When endothelial cells were subjected to a technique that shut down the genes that code for both P-selectin and TNFα prior to the addition of acetaldehyde, the ability of acetaldehyde to cause increased monocyte adhesion was reduced by 90 percent. These results argue strongly that acetaldehyde has its effects on monocytes primarily through these proteins.

Along with Cullen, the work was led in Rochester by Eileen Redmond, David Morrow, Sreenath Kundimi and Carol Miller-Graziano within in the Department of Surgery at the Medical Center. The work was supported in part by grants from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health.

"Our study demonstrates for the first time that physiologically relevant concentrations of acetaldehyde can initiate several key steps involved in the monocyte recruitment cascade, specifically through P-selectin, CCR2 and TNFα," Cullen said. "We hypothesize that, following alcohol consumption, there is a delicate equilibrium between the effects of alcohol and its metabolite, acetaldehyde, on blood vessel walls. Further studies are underway to confirm that these actions of acetaldehyde underlie, in part, the detrimental effects of binge drinking on cardiovascular disease. "

University of Rochester Medical Center

Richards House, Manchester
For adults with alcohol problems

About us:

Richards House offers registered beds and supported housing as well as key working and group work for adults with alcohol problems. There are also 8 supported housing beds at other locations in Manchester.

Referrals accepted from any source / will refer on.

Contact Details:

Richards House
PO Box 30
23 Townley Street
Middleton
Manchester
M24 1AW

Telephone: 0161 653 4662

According to the latest alcohol statistics, half of all driving fatalities in the U.S. involve alcohol, and until we take some sort of action, the death toll is going to keep rising.

At Cliffside Malibu, a full service residential alcohol treatment center in the Los Angeles area, a team of highly trained experts are ready to take action with the new and effective alcohol rehab programs. They are highly qualified professionals and support each individual with customized programs for any kind of addiction.

Cliffside Malibu has a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. It is the privacy as well as state of the art, luxurious sanctuary, that attracts the elite to this alcohol rehab center, as well as an extended care facility. The treatment not only includes detox, but group therapy if required, individual therapy, depression and anxiety treatments, and much more.

Alcoholism is not only a physical disease but a psychological disease as well. For a true addiction treatment, a good night’s sleep is key to the healing process. Cliffside Malibu is an alcohol rehab center that prides itself on their outlook on treating someone with an addiction. The exceptional staff understands that each individual, although suffering from the same "type" of disease, needs unique treatment. This treatment center is much more than just group sessions. The staff caters to each individuals needs.

Alcoholism is serious disease that affects people from all walks of life. Not only do your blue collar workers suffer from this disease, but celebrities that we know and love, sports figures, musicians and politicians also succumb to this as well. Instead of looking down on these people, we need to respect them and give them full credit that despite the world watching them, they were able to admit not only to others, but most importantly themselves that they have a problem. And moved forward by taking action and getting the help that they need.

Cliffside Malibu did not become one of the top leaders in addiction treatment overnight. They also do not focus solely on Alcoholism. At Cliffside they understand that many times one addiction can lead to others, and they offer treatment for drug addictions as well. There are people that come in with multiple addictions, and Cliffside does not treat these people any different. Each individual undergoes through an evaluation process by one of the staff members, and based on their evaluation will begin their healing process in whatever way they see fit.

There are many negative thoughts out there in regards to addiction rehabilitation centers. At Cliffside Malibu, they offer luxurious beds for that good nights sleep. On top of the highly trained, doctors, therapists, psychologists, etc they have their own chefs that prepare fresh meals every day. This secluded rehabilitation center is top of the line, and goes to extreme lengths to make sure that each individual finds their path to sobriety.

Cliffside Malibu

At Snaresbrook Crown Court today, Captain Gonchar Volodymyr aged 53, was sentenced to two months in jail, and will be deported upon completion of the sentence after pleading guilty to being the Master of a ship whilst being over the alcohol limit.

On the 4th November 2008, Gonchar Volodymyr, a Ukrainian, was Master of the Cypriot registered chemical tanker; ‘Elousa Trikoukiotisa’ bound for London from Rostock in Northern Germany. The vessel was laden with Ammonium Nitrate in liquid form and had a crew of 15 on board. When the pilot boarded at the Sunk boarding area, he reported to the Port Authority that the Master appeared drunk.

Metropolitan Police officers boarded the vessel berthed at Dagenham Dock and administered a breath test which proved positive. The Captain was arrested and taken to Dagenham Police Station where a later breath test indicated 103 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit for seafarers is the 35, the same as for road users.

On passing sentence, Her Honour Judge J Hughes QC took into account Mr. Volodymyr’s previous good character and record. She noted that he had now lost his job and the effects of the sentence upon his career.

However she also noted the nature of cargo and that the navigation of vessel had been satisfactory, but that was down to Chief Officer who had taken over. It was also brought up in court that the Master had signed the ships documents stating no alcohol onboard but that he had said that it had been 8 hrs since his last drink.

Bryan Hopkins, Surveyor-in-Charge at the MCA’s Orpington Marine Office said,

"Although the limit is the same as for road drivers, I cannot emphasise the seriousness of this situation. Captain Volodymyr was in command of a vessel that had a strict no alcohol policy with 15 persons on board and carrying a dangerous cargo transiting one of the busiest shipping areas in the world. The Captain was relieved of his command by the ships owners following his arrest."

Maritime And Coastguard Agency

Urgent action is needed to prevent a ‘silent epidemic’ of alcohol-related dementia in the UK, psychiatrists have warned.

Writing in the November issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry, two London-based psychiatrists with a special interest in dementia discuss the potential impact of increasing alcohol consumption among young and middle-aged people.

Dr Susham Gupta, a specialist registrar in adult and old age psychiatry, and Dr James Warner, a consultant in older adults’ psychiatry, observe that attitudes towards alcohol have changed significantly over the last few decades. Not only has society taken a more relaxed attitude to drinking, but alcohol has become cheaper and more widely available.

The price of alcohol relative to average UK income has halved since the 1960s, while per capita consumption of alcohol has nearly doubled from less than six litres a year in the early 1960s to over 11.5 litres per year in 2000. If this trend continues, the UK will become Europe’s biggest per capita consumer of alcohol within a decade.

Previous research has shown that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to loss of brain tissue, and that binge drinking is associated with an increased risk of dementia.

Given the neurotoxic effects of alcohol – and the seemingly inexorable rise in heavy drinking – the authors of the paper conclude that we are likely to see a surge in cases of alcohol-related dementia in future generations.

This problem may be compounded by the fact that more people are using recreational drugs such as ecstasy, whose long-term effects on the brain are still unclear.

Dr Gupta and Dr Warner describe alcohol-related dementia as an “under-recognised problem”, and call for the development of new tools to help doctors assess the risks of alcohol-related cognitive impairment.

Better public education about heavy drinking and the risk of developing dementia is also needed, although Dr Gupta and Dr Warner acknowledge that awareness campaigns may be both “unpopular and ineffective”. “This might need similar legislation to that used in the fight against tobacco-related health problems,” they conclude.

British Journal of Psychiatry

* College students are known to engage in hazardous drinking, more so than young adults not attending college.
* No national studies of this issue have been conducted outside of North America.
* A new study of New Zealand undergraduate students has found that hazardous drinking is pervasive, and begins in high school.

Hazardous drinking among college students is a public-health concern, often exceeding that found among other young adults who are not attending college. There have been no national studies of this issue, however, outside of North America. This study examined hazardous drinking among undergraduate students in New Zealand, finding that binge drinking – as well as related health, social and legal problems – are pervasive.

Results will be published in the February 2009 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

"Previous studies in New Zealand, conducted at single universities, suggested a high prevalence of binge drinking and alcohol-related harms," said Kypros Kypri, senior research fellow at the University of Newcastle in Australia and corresponding author for the study. "But we wanted to be sure that this wasn’t a local phenomenon."

Jennie Connor, public health physician and senior lecturer in epidemiology at the University of Otago in New Zealand, added that this study shows that the "extreme" drinking patterns of university students are very widespread in New Zealand.

"A feature of New Zealand university students which may differ from other countries is the low proportion of abstainers from alcohol," she said. "This suggests that being a non-drinker may make a student a relative ‘outsider,’ whereas in colleges with higher proportions of non-drinkers there may be more options for a peer group that doesn’t drink much."

The researchers compiled web-survey responses from 2,548 undergraduates (1,542 females, 1,006 males) enrolled at five of New Zealand’s eight universities. Participants were asked to provide information on drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems during the preceding four weeks, and also complete "drinking diaries" for the preceding seven days.

"More than 80 percent of both men and women reported drinking alcohol in the seven days preceding the survey," said Kypri, "and 37 percent reported binge drinking in the seven days preceding the survey. There was also a high prevalence of alcohol-related problems, for example, 33 percent of students experienced blackouts in the preceding four weeks. The risk factors for binge drinking included being younger, starting to drink earlier, being a binge drinker in high school, and living with other students."

"In other words," said Connor, "the majority of New Zealand university students are drinking in a hazardous or harmful way, and this is as common in women as men. These levels of drinking were associated with frequent adverse events, including one in 10 students being exposed to a drunk-driving trip during the preceding four weeks."

"This prevalence of drinking is higher than those reported in the USA and Canada," said Kypri. "However, binge drinking levels are hard to compare across countries because of differing definitions."

"The characteristics of students that are most affected appear to be similar in the New Zealand and US studies," added Connor, "early initiation of drinking, heavy drinking at high school, and living in unsupervised environments."

Kypri recommends that priority status be given to the reduction of binge drinking in high school, given its strong association with later binge drinking. "It is not surprising that we should see continuity – what any person is drinking presently is the best predictor of future behaviour," he said. "This finding underlines the need for strategies to prevent and ameliorate drinking problems before young people arrive at university. New Zealand’s recent move to lower the minimum purchase age for alcohol from 20 to 18 years has probably made drinking among 15 -17 year-olds worse and therefore the job of universities all the more difficult."

Kypri called for a coordination of effort – by central government, local government, police, health authorities and universities – to reduce the availability and promotion of alcohol on and around campuses. He also recommended that universities implement early identification systems to address drinking problems among students as early as possible in their university careers.

"We need measures to restrict availability of alcohol to young people through regulation of supply, increasing price, and reducing high levels of alcohol promotion around campuses," said Connor. "Furthermore, this study provides evidence to support giving advice to families about the value of delaying initiation of drinking, becoming aware of the level of exposure young people have to a heavy-drinking peer culture, and how frequent adverse events are."

Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research

The state of Texas is now the largest user of a high-tech, alternative sentencing program that aims to shift the focus from "warehousing" offenders and sanctioning cars to battling what judges call the root cause of the DUI epidemic: the alcohol addiction.

Known as Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (CAM) Programs, the foundation is a high-tech anklet, worn 24/7, that actually tests an offender’s sweat every 30 minutes, around the clock, in order to measure for any alcohol consumption. The system, known as SCRAM (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor), is currently monitoring 1,300 DUI offenders each day in the state of Texas. More than 6,000 offenders have been monitored since Dallas and Tarrant County courts first began to use the system in late 2003. Today, 71 Texas counties have access to the technology, predominantly to monitor drunk drivers. Michigan, with the second largest daily number of SCRAM clients, currently monitors just under 900 offenders statewide each day.

The purpose of the system, according to corrections officials, is to target the high-risk, repeat DUI offenders who are struggling with addiction. "These individuals aren’t driving drunk over and over because they want to break the law, they’re driving drunk because they have a drinking problem, and when they drink, bad things happen," says Mike Iiams, chairman and CEO of Denver-based Alcohol Monitoring Systems, which manufactures and markets SCRAM to courts in 46 states, including Texas. "Studies show that people drive intoxicated an average of 300 times before they actually get caught," says Iiams. "This isn’t just a criminal issue, and it’s not an automobile issue. This is an addiction issue."

According to retired Texas District Court Judge Vickers Cunningham, who first began to use SCRAM on high-risk offenders in his Dallas court in 2003, the system’s 24/7 testing protocol not only helped him to better manage offenders, it began to have a significant impact on the lives of offenders and their families. "It’s easy to lock people up and throw away the key. But all you have to do is look at the repeat offender statistics to know that just wasn’t working," says Cunningham, who now works for Dallas-based Recovery Healthcare, which manages the SCRAM program for courts in 50 Texas counties. "What I quickly began to find with alcohol-addicted offenders is that, when you effectively remove alcohol from the equation 24/7, they begin to become productive members of the community. They pay taxes, they work and they support their families. It changes lives."

Texas Programs Saving Tax Dollars

In 2007, citing exorbitant expenditures to build jails and prisons in Texas, with little corresponding improvement in recidivism rates or overcrowding, the Texas legislature approved a paradigm shift in the management of offenders, including the expansion of drug treatment and diversion programs that include alternative monitoring technologies such as SCRAM. The goal is to decrease spending and prison population growth rates, as well as recidivism, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of those convicted each year for drunk driving, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Also consistent with the legislature’s 2007 revamp of the state’s parole practices, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Parole Division conducted a successful pilot of the SCRAM System in April of this year, and officials are currently working to integrate the technology as a transitional tool for offender re-entry.

The average cost of the SCRAM System is $12 a day, and all or a significant portion of that cost is paid for by the offender. Compared to the average of $44 a day it costs to incarcerate an offender in Texas — at taxpayer expense — the cost savings of these programs to the state are extraordinary, notes Cunningham.

Early Results

Singled out in the most recent report, "One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008" from the PEW Center on the States, Texas is considered a forerunner in the integration of new criminal justice practices. According to the report, one year after instituting systemic changes, the Texas Legislative Budget Board predicts no increase in the state’s prison population for the next five years. In addition, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Texas also saw a decrease in alcohol-related traffic fatalities of nearly 5 percent in 2007.

Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc

Leigh Bank, Manchester
Residential care project for adults with substance misuse problems

About us:

Leigh Bank comprises a residential care project for adults with substance misuse problems. We also accept pregnant women and couples. The project is staffed Monday to Friday 8 am to midnight and Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 5pm with on- call operating outside these hours.

Referrals accepted from any source / will refer on

Contact Details:

Leigh Bank
4 Glebelands Road
Prestwich
Manchester
M25 1NE

Telephone: 0161 773 1523

Raising taxes on beer, wine and liquor immediately reduces the number of deaths from alcohol-related diseases such as liver disease, oral or breast cancers, and alcohol poisoning, according to a new study published in the online edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

In the first study of its kind to directly measure the effect of state alcohol tax changes on deaths from alcohol-related diseases, researchers found that raising alcohol taxes had two to four times the impact of other common prevention efforts such as school programs or media campaigns.

"The findings are quite astounding," said Alexander C. Wagenaar, PhD, with the University of Florida College of Medicine. "A simple adjustment of the tax rate resulted in a substantial drop in the death rate." The study was funded by the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Researchers reviewed two separate tax increases on alcoholic beverages in 1983 and 2002 in Alaska, and tracked the number of people who died from alcohol-related diseases in the state for years before and following the tax hikes.

Alaska is one of the first states to implement a noticeable tax increase, which is one of the reasons the authors decided to examine it. In 1983, Alaska’s tax on beer increased to 63 cents per gallon, compared to 46 cents in 1982, and increased to $1.20 in 2002.

"Alaska was cognizant of its alcohol problems and decided do something meaningful. We are now benefiting from the results of their unique experiment which shows what other states could gain if they were to implement a similar tax increase," Wagenaar said.

Compared to all other states and factoring in nationwide trends—due to improved health care and other factors—the authors discovered that the 1983 tax increase was immediately followed by a 29 percent reduction in deaths (23 deaths averted per year), and the 2002 tax increase reduced the number of deaths by 11 percent (an additional 21 deaths averted per year). In addition, the authors found that the impact of the tax increase did not quickly dissipate, but remained over the long-term.

"The bottom line is that when we see an intervention that can reduce the death rate of any chronic disease such as cancer or heart disease by a few percent across the whole population, we consider it an important success," Wagenaar said. "In this case, the death rate for alcohol-related diseases dropped suddenly by at least 11 percent and at minimal cost."

One of the biggest problems with alcohol taxes in general, he said, is the way that alcoholic beverages are currently taxed in most states and at the federal level. Most states implement tax rates on beer, wine and spirits by the gallon. As a result, the real dollar amount drops over the long term since the taxes are not adjusted for inflation each year. While many states and the federal government have made minor adjustments to their tax rates, nationwide the average real dollar tax amount on alcohol has dropped substantially since the 1950s.

Burness Communications

Binge drinkers arrested for alcohol related offences in nine police force areas across the country will be compelled to face up to the consequences of their drinking, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell announced today.

The Home Office is providing an additional £1 million to police and drug and alcohol teams for the roll-out of nine new alcohol arrest referral projects.

Under the scheme, offenders arrested for alcohol-related offences are referred to alcohol specialists who, over one or two sessions, assess the offender’s drinking behaviour, the health risks to the individual and provide help and advice on reducing their alcohol consumption. Those with more complex alcohol misuse problems, and who are given a conditional caution, can be referred to more in-depth advice sessions. If they do not attend these advice sessions, they can be prosecuted for the original offence.

The new pilots, backed by local police and alcohol reduction charities, will take place in north-east Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Cleveland, Bristol, Swindon, Leicestershire and Rutland, Stoke on Trent, Cumbria and Islington.

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:

"Most people enjoy drinking sensibly but those who drink excessively and cause trouble should expect to face up to the consequences.

"The alcohol arrest referral sessions are not an easy option. They aim to cut re-offending and so make our towns and city centres more pleasant places by making offenders realise their mistakes. Working with police and industry the Government will continue to do all it can to help ensure people can enjoy alcohol in a way that is safe, sensible and social."

A typical alcohol referral could involve the following:

* An adult has been binge drinking. They are arrested for being drunk and disorderly and taken into custody;
* Police in the custody suite judge that alcohol played a part in the fact that the person committed the offence and that they might benefit from advice about safer drinking;
* A resident alcohol specialist gives the person advice about unit strengths, the effects of alcohol on the body and strategies for reducing the risk of offending.

These nine new pilots will build on four existing referral projects funded by the Home Office in Liverpool, Manchester, Cheshire and Ealing. The nine new additional projects will allow for a more effective evaluation of how these interventions combat alcohol-related crime and disorder. They will also consider the impact this can have on re-offending rates. In Gloucestershire, the re-offending rate for those who attended two sessions was halved in the following year. If the projects prove successful after the first year, more money will be provided until April 2010.

Mike Craik, ACPO lead Chief Constable for Alcohol Licensing and Chief Constable of Northumbria Police said:

"The importance of early intervention to break persistent offenders out of the cycle of drink-fuelled offending cannot be overstated. ACPO welcomes this new initiative and the compelling initial evidence from Gloucestershire. This trial will be an important step in terms of crime prevention and the compulsory attendance of offenders will, I am sure, maximise our chances of making a real difference."

Inspector Katherine Barber, Strategic Drugs & Alcohol lead for Cleveland Police:

"The alcohol arrest referral pilot has been enthusiastically welcomed by the Police in Cleveland who see first hand the devastation caused by alcohol-related crime. This innovative scheme gives the opportunity for real practical help and support at the time the offender needs it. In many circumstances already we have seen interventions having a very positive effect on individuals’ motivation to change."

Home Office