Alcohol Help

Commenting on the introduction of the Alcohol Bill to the Scottish Parliament, Alcohol Concern Director of Policy and Communications, Nicolay Sorensen, commented on measures in the Bill to introduce a minimum price per unit of alcohol:

“This is a sensible and effective measure to cut alcohol harm in Scotland, and to start to turn the tide of a heavy drinking culture across the UK. There is now compelling evidence – and great support – for similar action on cheap alcohol in England and Wales.

“There is no longer any doubt that the price of alcohol has a massive effect on drinking levels. A minimum price for alcohol will cut crimes, cut hospital admissions and save lives. It will reduce the pressure on health and policing services. Contrary to popular belief, evidence shows it will not greatly punish moderate drinkers or the pub trade.

“Alcohol misuse is no less a problem for England and Wales than it is for Scotland, but again Scotland is leading the way in putting the health of its people first. The UK Government needs to take urgent action to do the same.

Alcohol Concern

Older adults who have alcohol dependence problems drink significantly more than do younger adults who have similar problems, a new study has found.

The findings suggest that older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance for alcohol and need to drink even more than younger abusers to achieve the effects they seek.

Researchers at Ohio State University found that adults over age 60 who have alcohol dependence drink more than 40 alcoholic drinks a week on average, compared to between 25 and 35 drinks a week on average for those in younger age groups with similar problems.

In addition, older people with alcohol dependence have more binge drinking episodes per month than do their younger counterparts.

"A combination of high levels of drinking and the physiological effects of aging are particularly problematic for older adults," said Linda Ginzer, co-author of the study and a doctoral student in social work at Ohio State.

Ginzer, who conducted the research as part of her dissertation, did the study with Virginia Richardson, professor of social work at Ohio State.

They presented their results November 20 in Atlanta at a meeting of the Gerontological Society of America.

The researchers used data collected in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. This was a national survey of more than 43,000 people collected in 2000-01 under the direction of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Research has shown that Americans generally tend to drink less alcohol as they age. But these findings suggest that for certain groups of older adults — those with alcohol problems — alcohol use actually increases, Ginzer said.

For this study, the researchers used the survey results to classify heavy drinkers by age categories.

Two categories were of particular interest to the researchers. Those in the alcohol abuse category were those who showed mainly social-related problems related to their alcohol use, including legal issues, and engaging in physically hazardous activities such as driving after drinking. Those in the alcohol dependence category showed evidence of physiological problems related to their alcohol use, such as increasing drinking and continued use even after physical or psychological problems were apparent.

While adults over age 60 were less likely than other groups to be in the abuse or dependence categories, those who were in those categories tended to have higher drinking levels than did younger problem drinkers.

For one, older problem drinkers drank more each week than did others. In addition, older people in the dependence category had significantly more alcohol binges each month than did younger people in the same category. Binges were defined as men having five or more drinks in a day, or women having four or more drinks in a day.

Those over age 60 in the alcohol dependence category averaged 19 binges per month, while younger age groups in the same category averaged 13 to 15 monthly binges.

"More often than not, we think of binge drinking as occurring among college students or those in their 20s," Richardson said.

"But the fact is, binge drinking occurs among older people as well, and it is in fact worse among those who have problems with alcohol. It is something that clinicians and researchers need to consider."

Overall, binge drinking was greater among all adults who were in the alcohol abuse category than it was among other adults who reported drinking seven or more drinks a week, but did not fall into the problem categories.

"That suggests binge drinking may be a better measure of problem drinking than just the total amount of drinks someone has per week," Ginzer said.
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Ohio State University – Science Daily

Alcohol Concern today expressed disappointment as the Government neglected measures to improve public health in the Queen’s Speech. The national agency on alcohol misuse has been calling for the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol and other measures to reduce high levels of alcohol consumption.

The Queen’s Speech, which took place this morning as Parliament re-opened for the final session before a General Election, included proposed legislation on banking, anti-social behaviour and high speed rail. However, there was no legislation put forward to tackle current public health concerns, including alcohol misuse.

Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Don Shenker said:

With direct alcohol deaths set to reach almost 100,000 over the next ten years, we need urgent action to lower the whole country’s level of alcohol consumption.

If and when the mandatory code for alcohol sales is brought in, there will be no adoption of minimum price a hugely effective step towards protecting public health.

The Government has today missed a vital opportunity to improve the nation’s public health and the quality of life of those who misuse alcohol.

Alcohol Concern

According to the Office of National Statistics , over a third of adults exceed the daily limits for regular drinking on at least one day a week, despite growing awareness of safe drinking levels. Combine this with longer winter evenings and the up and coming festive season and many people will be greeting the New Year with more than just a hangover.

With social drinking now an accepted part of our country’s way of life, more and more men and women are beginning to face the fact that their alcohol consumption is out of hand and that they are placing their long-term mental and physical health at risk. The Department of Health recommends that men and women should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units and 2-3 units respectively of alcohol daily; exceeding these recommended limits increases the risk of long term health problems and impacts on every facet of a person’s life, including their family and friends.

So, if you begin to be worried about drinking patterns that are getting out of control, what can you do about it? Sue Allchurch, Linwood Group’s director recommends the following: "As a first step, why not keep an alcohol diary for a week or two to see just how much alcohol you are actually consuming. It will very soon become apparent by doing a diary – and being as honest as you can be in it – if that ‘odd’ drink is a regular occurrence or not. Other signs of a growing alcohol problem are if you are able to answer ‘yes’ to any of the following: do you find yourself using alcohol to get through a difficult situation or overcome painful feelings? Do you find yourself getting annoyed if others tell you that you should be drinking less? Have you noticed yourself beginning to defend of hide your drinking from others? Do you find that your tolerance to alcohol has increased? If you are able to answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then it is time to accept that alcohol is becoming an unhealthy part of your life and that measures need to be taken to reduce your alcohol consumption."

If you don’t know where to begin in getting help with a drinking problem, then why not seek professional help? This could be booking an appointment with your GP to get help and advice, or it could be making a call to an approved treatment centre to talk through your issues and any possible treatment options. However, if you are worried about alcohol but don’t feel you are at a stage that requires medical help, then why not try some of these steps, to begin your journey to health:

1. First of all identify some people you trust and can tell them about your alcohol habits – cutting yourself off will only make it more difficult to overcome negative drinking patterns.

2. Write a list of the situations which lead you to drink and then take a long, hard look at the list and write out how you can avoid getting into these ‘risky’ situations in the future.

3. On a practical note, eat regularly and keep your body topped up with non-alcoholic fluids – you will feel less likely to want to drink on a full stomach and when you hydrated.

4. Vitamin vitality – if you have been drinking over a period of time then your body’s stores of Vitamin B will be depleted, so take a supplement and also increase your intake of Vitamin C to give your body the boost it needs to recover.

5. Alcohol is a depressant, and those struggling with alcohol related problems will also, in the majority of cases, be battling some form of depression as well. Alongside any medically prescribed drugs you might be taking for depression, remember to get plenty of exercise to encourage the release of endorphins – your body’s natural ‘feel good’ chemicals.

6. Think how you might go about keeping a positive mental attitude – this might include positive statements about yourself on the fridge door, or keeping the phone number of an encouraging person you know nearby, ready for you to call at low moments.

7. Most importantly, be gentle with yourself. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to ‘be fixed’ overnight, as there is no ‘quick fix’ to the negative behaviour and thought processes that led to your excessive drinking in the first place.

8. Remember, tackling an alcohol problem on your own is very difficult and you might need to seen expert advice and support.

Linwood Manor

Sunset Malibu, an exclusive alcohol treatment center on the California coast, has long been a transformational force in the field of alcohol rehabilitation and recovery. Now, Sunset is announcing its redoubled efforts in helping clients win the fight against addiction on their own terms.

Alcohol abuse is a personal problem. By the same token, substance abuse recovery must be a personal process. The most successful drug and alcohol treatment facilities are invariably those which help clients develop the skills and strength they need to heal themselves from the inside-out. In the end, there’s no simply no other credible foundation for meaningful and lasting wellness.

Those considerations, in turn, are at the heart of Sunset Malibu’s treatment philosophy.

With its world-class caregivers and elegant accommodations, Sunset Malibu is an unparalleled alcohol recovery destination. The center has always catered to upscale clients from every corner of the globe. Now Sunset is renewing its commitment to its core values, with the goal of delivering life-changing care to individuals who seek it. At Sunset Malibu, the client always comes first.

"The best addiction treatment is always empowering addiction treatment," said Sunset Malibu Program Director Dr. Georgina Smith. "Our exclusive treatment programs are specifically designed to help clients help themselves, with everything from personal nutritional counseling to professional depression treatment. We believe that our long record of success proves the soundness of our methods."

Unfortunately, that passion for personal empowerment is precisely what sets Sunset apart from its competitors.

Most alcohol rehab centers pay lip service to the importance of empowerment in their advertising brochures. But very few facilities live up to their own standards. The truth is that many clinics treat their clients like babies, by leading them to believe that rehabilitation is or should be a passive process. As should perhaps go without saying, those institutions rarely produce sustainable healing.

Under the circumstances, argues Taite, such shortcomings are inexcusable.

"You don’t get any second chances in the rehab process," Dr. Smith said. "You either get it right the first time or your client pays an unimaginable price. At Sunset Malibu, we understand exactly what’s at stake, and we do everything in our power to help our residents get where they need to go. We’d have no business offering our services if we weren’t committed to doing that much."

It’s no secret that alcohol addiction ruins lives. The good news here is that addiction treatment really can help to solve the problem. The clinical experts at Sunset Malibu have a long history of helping clients rebuild their lives from the ground-up. Now more than ever before, the center’s residents have reason to believe that tomorrow will be better than today.

Sunset Malibu

Reacting to the results of the DCSF summer crackdown tackling binge drinking among young people, Chris Sorek, Chief Executive Officer at Drinkaware, says:

“Binge drinking among young people needs to be tackled and it’s up to all of us to make sure it happens. Although not all young people drink, those that do are drinking earlier, more regularly and more often, putting themselves at risk.

“Tackling alcohol misuse among young people will need to involve a range of different approaches and education plays a key role. Giving young people and their parents information about the effects of alcohol will help them to avoid short and long term health conditions such as liver damage, some cancers and depression.

“Young people, parents, health professionals, youth workers, charities and the Government all need to work together to try to protect youngsters from the negative effects of alcohol misuse.”

Drinkaware

Reacting, to new figures from the Alcohol & Health Research Unit at the University of the West of England, which predicts tens of thousands of people will die from alcohol-related causes by 2019, Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of Drinkaware, says:

“The large majority of adults drink, which can make it easy to forget that misusing alcohol can cause serious health risks and even death. Recognising that so many people could die as a result of excessive drinking shows how important it is for people to know the effect alcohol can have on their health and wellbeing.

“When it comes to alcohol, some adults mistakenly think they don’t drink to excess, but regularly drinking over the daily unit guidelines can increase the chances of developing liver disease, some cancers and infertility.

Drinkaware

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Alcohol charity Drinkaware is using an international women’s netball fixture to target female drinkers. Tapping into the popularity of the most-played female sport in the UK, the charity’s logo will be advertised on the perimeter of the court for international games featuring England, Australia and New Zealand, broadcast on Sky Sports on Wednesday 14th October and Friday 16th October.

Approximately half a million viewers are expected to tune in to watch the netball games during the eight hours of coverage, giving Drinkaware a unique opportunity to reach a predominantly female audience. One third of women drink more than the recommended daily guidelines and around one in 14 women drink every day(1), putting them at increased risk of liver damage, breast cancer and infertility.

Chris Sorek, CEO of Drinkaware, says: “Alcohol has become a greater part of women’s lives over the past half century. Whether you’re talking about teenage girls binge drinking illicitly, women in their 20s and 30s drinking as part of their busy social lives and careers, or older women drinking more at home, women need to know the impact alcohol misuse can have on their lives.

“Alcohol affects women differently from men, which is why Drinkaware is targeting women to ensure they know the facts and can then make informed decisions about their drinking. Worryingly, seven out of 10 women don’t know the daily unit guidelines(2).

“Professional netballers will know the importance of exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle which is why we’ve tapped into a sporting event to help reach women. Keeping track of what they’re drinking and looking after themselves will help women to stay healthy and avoid risking infertility and other serious health conditions, like liver disease and depression.”

Drinkaware advises women to stay within 2-3 units of alcohol each day, the equivalent of a 175ml glass of wine or three single vodkas. For more information or to download a factsheet on women and alcohol visit www.drinkaware.co.uk. The charity has purchased two 10ft X 2’6ft advertising banners at the netball fixtures.

Drinkaware