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Archive of entries posted on January 2010

Teens who drink with parents may still develop alcohol problems

Parents who try to teach responsible drinking by letting their teenagers have alcohol at home may be well intentioned, but they may also be wrong, according to a new study in the latest issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

In a study of 428 Dutch families, researchers found that the more teenagers were allowed to drink at home, the more they drank outside of home as well. What’s more, teens who drank under their parents’ watch or on their own had an elevated risk of developing alcohol-related problems.

Drinking problems included trouble with school work, missed school days and getting into fights with other people, among other issues.

The findings, say the researchers, put into question the advice of some experts who recommend that parents drink with their teenage children to teach them how to drink responsibly — with the aim of limiting their drinking outside of the home.

That advice is common in the Netherlands, where the study was conducted, but it is based more on experts’ reasoning than on scientific evidence, according to Dr. Haske van der Vorst, the lead researcher on the study.

"The idea is generally based on common sense," says van der Vorst, of Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands. "For example, the thinking is that if parents show good behavior — here, modest drinking — then the child will copy it. Another assumption is that parents can control their child’s drinking by drinking with the child."

But the current findings suggest that is not the case.

Based on this and earlier studies, van der Vorst says, "I would advise parents to prohibit their child from drinking, in any setting or on any occasion."

The study included 428 families with two children between the ages of 13 and 15. Parents and teens completed questionnaires on drinking habits at the outset and again one and two years later.

The researchers found that, in general, the more teens drank at home, the more they tended to drink elsewhere; the reverse was also true, with out-of-home drinking leading to more drinking at home. In addition, teens who drank more often, whether in or out of the home, tended to score higher on a measure of problem drinking two years later.

The findings, according to van der Vorst, suggest that teen drinking begets more drinking — and, in some cases, alcohol problems — regardless of where and with whom they drink.

"If parents want to reduce the risk that their child will become a heavy drinker or problem drinker in adolescence," she says, "they should try to postpone the age at which their child starts drinking."

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs

Chorley: Inward House

Inward House, Chorley
Inward House is a 29 bed residential alcohol rehabilitation project for male and female service user

About us:

Alcohol Treatment is an enabling process which recognises the importance of self-help. Fundamental to the residential programme is the strong belief that the individual has the capacity to overcome those determining factors, which may have shaped their life prior to accessing support.

Whilst in alcohol treatment clients will be given the opportunity to share previous experiences in a safe and mutually supportive environment. Throughout the course of the treatment programme, the approach is to encourage clients to address their substance misuse and associated problems by accepting some form of responsibility for their actions, establish new values, define and adapt to new boundaries and develop a network of support.

Inward House recognises the damage which is caused to individuals, their families and communities through the abuse or misuse of alcohol and other substances. Inward House provides residential and community based services which are designed to support and empower every client in moving towards:

Recovery, including abstinence from illegal and problematic substance use
Restoring healthy, mutually supportive relationships with their family, friends and communities
Returning to society and the community without recourse to substance misuse or offending
Helping to develop safer communities and enhance the lives of the people who live in them by contributing to a reduction in crime and substance misuse

An approach that emphasises and supports an individual’s potential for alcohol recovery; the resident is central to their own recovery. Recovery can be seen as a personal journey requiring hope, a secure base, supportive relationships, empowerment, social inclusion, coping skills & meaning.

Our programme is designed to allow residents the time to reflect on how to overcome their addiction or dependency, and take responsibility for decisions. Residents will be supported in addressing their motivation to change and concerns they may have regarding this. Through a series of group work and one to one sessions, residents will be encouraged to think about their dependence and behaviours, and how this has impacted upon their level of personal and social functioning.

The alcohol programme will also address areas relating to the impact their substance use has upon emotional stability, family relationships, friendships, finances, social interactions, physical health and work.

Inward House Projects also offer a comprehensive alcohol aftercare, through care and resettlement package, and may be able to assist residents who wish to re locate at the end of their programme. Our resettlement team start working with clients within their first week in residential treatment.
All residents are also eligible to receive 12 months aftercare support.

The length of time taken to complete a programme will vary according to the individuals progress through the treatment levels, but will normally be between six and nine months. We also offer 3 month programmes, where this is assessed as appropriate to meet the needs of the service user.

Contact Details:

Inward House
Withnell House
Bury Lane
Withnell
Chorley
Lancashire
PR6 8BH

Telephone: 01254 833430

Recover From Alcoholism at a Christian Alcohol Rehab

When someone consumes alcohol, it may be due to a reason that is more internal rather than external. They may be going through inner turmoil that has to be addressed. Sometimes, it begins during a social gathering such as Happy Hour or party. To feel like one of the crowd, individuals will try to impress others by drinking in public and over doing it to some extent.

Drinking is also part of a lot of social and traditional cultures. For example, French Canadians love to drink red wine and do start drinking at an early age. Most of them drink in moderation, but there are others that don’t know how to control their traditional drinking habits.

Some people use drinking to bond socially and others will hide their addiction after the social bonding ends and they go home to be alone. People drink for different reasons and some of those reasons may be loneliness, death in the family, failed marriage, lousy job, illness and lack of finances.

The abuse of alcohol can be devastating and fatal in some cases. There are a lot of DUI cases that end in the death of others and the alcoholic. Jail time can become life changing for some who abuse alcohol and drive while drinking and some people may not learn their lesson. A Christian alcohol rehab sober recovery plan is essential in getting those people back on their feet.

Becoming dependent on alcohol is something that can be addictive and may start with a glass of wine, a can of beer or a shot of vodka. It can escalate into a daily habit where the individual cannot go a day without a drink or drinks. People who drink alcoholic beverage do so to get away from the realities of life. They are unable to solve issues in their lives and seek solace in drinking.

Sometimes, the individual wants to null the pain that they may feel emotionally and physically. The alcohol becomes medication for their body, mind and soul. The alcoholic begins to crave for more drinks and will consume high levels of alcohol. It spirals out of control and becomes an addiction.

The body becomes tolerant of the alcohol after many drinking binges and the person relies on the alcohol to function on a daily basis. Alcoholism is easier to spot than drug abuse because of the smell of the alcohol and the drunken state that someone who abuses alcohol may portray.

When the alcoholic cannot quit with discipline and self control, a Christian alcohol rehab sober recovery program is their best option. Of course, it is never easy to stay sober, but with professional help and support from family members, the alcoholic can recover and lead a normal life.

Intense treatment and therapy is sometimes the only way to prevent the individual from destroying their live even more. Finding out why the individual drinks may reveal some inner turmoil that existed far longer than it should. Alcoholics are human like any of us, but have problems facing their issues head on. They only need a little help to get back on track.

Transformations

Alcohol Treatment: Does It Work

To Find relief from alcohol abuse can be very difficult. Help is available to those who seek it.

There is no one single best approach when it comes to alcohol treatment. There has been a definite emphasis on group therapy because it is found to be one of the most effective forms of therapies in addiction recovery. Group therapies are in the form of support meetings and counseling where professionals address a group of addicts and show them how they can beat the addiction comprehensively.

Here are why group therapies are beneficial than one-to-one therapy:

1. The addict comes to know that he is not the only one who has problems. He is able to relate with other people and finds it easy and heart-warming to share his problems with others. Well, it doesn’t mean that the other person’s addiction may be same like yours, but you will definitely be able to draw parallels in behavior; these similarities will help you benefit from a common platform where each of you could learn from the other.

2. There is faster chance of recovery because as an addict you are actually seeing someone with a similar problem getting better. You are inspired to follow suit and begin to respond better to the treatment, medication and the motivation that is given to you in the alcohol rehab.

3. You begin to build on your social skills; your communication improves and you are able to vibe better with fellow recovering addict and the experts at the rehab centers.

People who have participated in group therapies for weeks and months, have recorded better results; according to a research conducted on how effectively alcohol treatments work. These therapy sessions are instrumental in getting the best out of the process.

Group therapies are based on strategies that can overcome addictive behavior as a group. Since, people who take to addiction do so often due to peer pressure or in a group, the group therapy can also make the person so strong that he would have strong resolute not to be swayed by peer pressure or a group which could coax him to take to addiction again. In other words, the recovering addict begins to understand the value of good friends, the value of good life and the value of associating with good people.

A good instructor goes a long way in motivating a group and helping people to think cohesively and harmoniously. The difference between a good instructor and a bad one is the same as the difference between a good college professor and a boring one. No wonder, a good alcohol treatment center will pay special emphasis in having the right kind of instructor or professional to conduct group therapy.

There have been instances when group therapies have broken addictive behavior in such a way that people have not only experienced alcohol free life; they have also become good orators, thought leaders and communicators in life. So, if you have an addict in your family, make sure you take him to a reputed alcohol treatment center which has a good reputation for group therapy.

Transformations

Weighing Alcohol Abuse Treatment Options In California

Affluent addiction victims typically seek alcohol abuse treatment from elegant private rehab clinics. Unfortunately, that search is often impeded by a lack of transparency in the luxury rehabilitation industry.

Honest communication is the bedrock of alcohol abuse recovery. On the one hand, patients must accurately describe their personal histories to their caregivers. On the other hand, those caregivers must accurately describe their methods and abilities to their clients. In the end, anything but the most frank and earnest dialogue is a recipe for failure.

Unfortunately, those principles aren’t always put into practice.

There’s plenty of alcohol abuse treatment information on the Internet. But you can’t always believe what you read. In fact, many alcohol abuse treatment facilities make exaggerated or deceptive claims in their advertising brochures. As should go without saying, these institutions can’t be trusted to help patients achieve meaningful and lasting wellness.

Given the stakes in the fight against addiction, those sorts of failures can lead to disaster.

It’s no secret that alcohol abuse ruins lives. The good news here is that alcohol abuse treatment can help to solve the problem-but only if it’s administered by ethical and empathetic experts. LuxuryDrugRehab has proven itself capable of helping clients find the best support in the recovery process. As those clients have discovered, that sort of assistance can make all the difference in the world. "You found me a rehab center where for the first time I was able to get the help I needed in a quiet, private space with constant attention," reads one of the client testimonials. "All I could hear when I woke up in the morning was the sound of the ocean and the birds. It was exactly the kind of space I needed to heal."

LuxuryDrugRehab

Recovery Without Rehab. A Totally Different Way Of Overcoming Addiction.

The Step Aside Consultancy, Wiltshire’s Leading Independent Addiction Organisation and trail blazers in the addiction field, have developed a new & innovative programme for the new decade.

The Director and Founder, Thalia Shannon-Eyers says, “This has been extremely exciting to design and research. Recovery without Rehab is a ground breaking programme, it allows individuals to work at their own pace, completely focus on the addiction and most importantly not run the risk of losing employment.The feedback we have received thus far has been phenomenally positive, for example; K.M of London said " This programme is sensational, I have retained my family, friends, dignity and job. I now understand addiction and the continual support from The Step Aside treatment team is fantastic plus financially I have saved thousands."

Thalia goes onto say "This programme is absolutely unique, over 6 months individuals can ‘turn’ their lives around, understand addiction and regain self confidence and self worth, in the peace of their own home. We use a varied range of evidence based therapies, specifically, the 12 step philosophy. Our Relapse prevention programme is second to none and extremely successful. Recovery without Rehab ensures we remain at the cutting edge of the treatment of addiction, specifically alcoholism."

Our success rate is currently 53% which is phenomenal & proves our programme content works. We feel honoured and proud to support clients 100% on their exciting adventure of discovery into recovery.

Step Aside Consultancy

International Alcohol Luxury Rehab Announces its Friendly Dry Sky Program for All Active Air Carrier Pilots

International Alcohol Luxury Rehab Super Center announced today its new service called the Friendly Dry Sky Program aimed at reducing the number of pilots that fly while intoxicated. This program will offer its services to all Active Licensed Air Carrier Pilots for Free for all of 2010. Due to the rise in the number of pilots apprehended while flying under the influence of alcohol this year. The most recent publicized case was a United Air Line captain who was intoxicated when he landed at London Heathrow Airport. These incidents combined with other incidents around the world show a steep increase in alcohol abuse among the world’s airline captains. Obviously, there have to be many more cases that go unreported. This new program works to ensure the safety of the sky above everyone’s head around the world.

International Alcohol Rehab wanted to take the fore front in the world by offering complete inpatient rehab services to all the world’s Air Carrier Pilots. This will give any captain out there the opportunity to seek treatment and still keep their aviation career. Airline captains will have no excuses for not seeking treatment should more incidents occur. Armando Diaz Esquire of International Alcohol Rehab says "we must work to keep the world’s sky safe and free from alcohol". You can have a flight taking off from Caracas Venezuela scheduled to land in Washington DC with a drunk pilot could pose a grave threat to the entire eastern seaboard.

This is a serious threat to everyone both in the air and on the ground. This new program gives any pilot in the world the opportunity to become alcohol free. In turn, making the sky’s safer for everyone around the globe. Please take note with all the recent incidents not one other rehab facility in the world stood up to offer assistance to the airline captains. No one offered how to address this critical alcohol problem on a global scale. International Alcohol Rehab once again shows why they are world leader in Alcohol treatment"

International Alcohol Rehab is a luxury center located in the Republic of Panama. International Alcohol Rehab’s unique location affords it the opportunity to offer this program to the worlds airline pilots. Giving these vital airline pilots easy access to rehab services. Panama also extends the pilot anonymity as a patient not to affect their aviation career. This new holistic approach available only in Panama will all but virtually cure these airline pilots. This will in turn allow these experienced professionals to return to work a better, wiser and safer pilot.

International Alcohol recovery center is nonprofit organization and provides both luxury and low cost free in patient rehab services.

International Drug & Alcohol Rehab

Local solutions already exist in fight against irresponsible drinking

Moves to curb irresponsible drinking have led to a call for a ‘revisit of existing solutions’, particularly in preventing sales of alcohol to young people.

The call comes from LBRO (Local Better Regulation Office), the public body responsible for better local regulation, which conducted a study into preventing underage sales of alcohol.

The study, which involved five police forces and 11 local councils, highlighted a number of initiatives which were successful due to partnership working between the relevant organisations and in particular engaging businesses which see themselves as part of the community and want to be part of the solution.

LBRO Chairman Clive Grace said: "Recent announcements have focused on the availability of cheap alcohol but most people recognise that the problem of irresponsible drinking, and the resulting crime and antisocial behaviour is a wider and more complex social problem.

"While there is no single ‘silver bullet’ to cure these ills, we think these examples of best practice by local authorities and police forces are worth revisiting, and have important lessons that could be applied across the UK."

"According to a TSI survey, over a quarter of 14 to 17-year-olds are able to purchase alcohol for themselves. Initiatives such as the ones identified in the study can lead to a reduction in anti-social behaviour and can make communities better places to live particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings. This is why LBRO is keen to take its work forward with local authorities to find the best ways to reduce the problem."

Case Study 1

Lancashire County Council recognised that around half of the districts within the county were worse than the national average for health issues linked to alcohol. Lancashire looked to educating retailers and the general population with various initiatives including consulting with over 2000 young people to inform them of their alcohol awareness campaigns. In a successful project considered effective by 80 per cent of local licensees, Lancashire is targeting those who buy alcohol and pass it on to underage young people through their Campaign Against Proxy Sales (CAPS).

Case Study 2

Brighton and Hove is an area with a thriving night-time economy and a high concentration of licensed premises. It has a high youth population and has suffered from problems such as street drinking and alcohol misuse. The city council has set out to change the culture of the night-time economy by encouraging activities where alcohol is not central to the event. Their focus has been around business support with 84 per cent of licensees stating it as an effective method. Trading Standards offer advice and support to licensees through business support visits, helping them consider the location of alcohol in the premises, building up staff confidence to challenge and refuse sales and generally raising awareness of underage issues.

Local Better Regulation Office

‘Government Still Reluctant To Take Effective Action’

Commenting on Government measures announced today, Don Shenker, Chief Executive of Alcohol Concern, said:

“These measures are long overdue – for too long, the industry has failed to regulate itself. This new code will help people make healthy choices while further protecting communities from crime.

“But tinkering around the issue of price is not the decisive action the country needs. We need a minimum price per unit of alcohol to eradicate irresponsible sales in supermarkets as well as pubs and bars."

“The country’s alcohol misuse has reached a level the Government should be ashamed of. Giving the alcohol industry the upper hand is a catastrophe for the nation’s health.

“With thousands of avoidable deaths and billions of pounds cost to the NHS, it beggars belief that the government is still reluctant to take more effective action.

Alcohol Concern

Government reveals tough new powers to tackle alcohol crime

A ban on irresponsible promotions including “all you can drink for £10” deals plus a compulsory requirement to check under 18s for ID are among the final conditions of a proposed mandatory code for alcohol retailers, Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.

Following a nationwide consultation, that generated more than 7,000 responses, the government is today setting out five mandatory conditions to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder, which costs the UK an estimated £8 billion to £13 billion a year.

The conditions will be applied to all alcohol retailers to ensure consistent good practice and crack down on problem premises where irresponsible drinking could put individuals at risk and lead to crime and anti-social behaviour.

The proposed conditions are:

* Banning irresponsible promotions such as “all you can drink for £10” offers, women drink free deals and speed drinking competitions. These promotions encourage people to drink quickly or irresponsibly and could lead to crime or antisocial behaviour.

* Banning “dentist’s chairs” where drink is poured directly into the mouths of customers making it impossible for them to control the amount they are drinking.

* Ensuring free tap water is available for customers – allowing people to space out their drinks and reduce the risks of becoming dangerously drunk.

* Ensuring all those who sell alcohol have an age verification policy in place requiring them to check the ID of anyone who looks under 18 to prevent underage drinking which can lead to anti-social behaviour and put young people at risk of harm.

* Ensuring that all on trade premises make available small measures of beers, wine and spirits to customers so customers have the choice between a single or double measure of spirits and a large or small glass of wine.

Any premises that breach the mandatory code or any secondary conditions that have been imposed will face a range of possible sanctions including losing their licence, having additional tough conditions imposed on their licence or, on summary conviction a maximum £20,000 fine and/or six months imprisonment.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

“Alcohol-related crime costs the UK billions of pounds every year and while the vast majority of retailers are responsible, a minority continue to run irresponsible promotions which fuel the excessive drinking that leads to alcohol-related crime and disorder.

“These practices have a real impact on society not to mention the lives of those who just want to enjoy a good night out. The government and the industry have a duty to act, this mandatory code will allow us to take action against an issue which affects us all.

“We have consulted extensively with the public and the alcohol industry to ensure that these conditions will only target the most irresponsible practices that most people agree should not happen anywhere.”

The code will be introduced in two stages. The first three conditions covering irresponsible promotions, the “dentist’s chair” and ensuring free tap water is available will come into effect on 6 April 2010.

The remaining conditions on age verification policies and ensuring smaller measures are available will come into effect in 1 October 2010 to give retailers time to prepare.

In addition to the mandatory code tough new powers for local councillors will come into effect on 29 January 2010. These will make it quicker and easier for them to tackle problem premises by calling for a review to restrict or remove their licence without having to wait for the police or local residents to complain.

Secretary of State for Health, Andy Burnham said:

“Public concern about alcohol misuse is growing – it affects people’s health and costs the NHS over £2.5 billion every year.

“Reducing alcohol related hospital admissions and helping those who regularly drink too much or are dependent on alcohol are focus of our work.

“The steps being announced today will ban the worst types of irresponsible price promotions and ensure people can choose to drink small measures of alcohol to help them drink less on a night out."
The Identity and Passport Service is currently drawing up plans to issue identity cards to young people living in Greater London. The cards are already providing a secure and convenient way for young people to prove their age when buying age-restricted goods and are an additional tool to help retailers fulfil their obligations under the code.

So far more than 2,500 cards have been issued to people living and working in Manchester and the North West with more than 16,000 requests for application packs.

Home Office