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Alcohol facts

31 January 2012

This is the first in a two part series on drugs and behavior by Sammy Trick, Andrea Rognlien, Karina Johnson, Karlee McCoy, students at Concordia College for Psychology 324.

The following are snippets of information pertaining to the risk factors for potential alcoholism, information about alcohol consumption, and the categories of alcohol consumption. There are many facts out there about alcohol, but did you know:

It takes 30 minutes for the body to feel the effects of alcohol. Alcohol is eliminated slowly through the body. The liver can process about 1 ounce of alcohol in one hour. One standard drink is eliminated in one hour. Individuals with a higher risk of alcoholism may exhibit a higher tolerance to the effects of alcohol. That is, at a BAC where others may stop drinking due to feelings of intoxication, these persons are likely to continue consuming alcohol.

Since men and women metabolize alcohol differently, their advised behaviors of alcohol intake differ slightly.

Moderate drinking for women is no more than 1 drink per day and for men no more than 2 drinks per day. Binge drinking for women, is defined as 4 or more drinks on one occasion and for men is defined as 5 or more drinks on one occasion. Heavy drinking for women is categorized as, on average consuming more than 1 drink per day and for men on average, consuming more than 2 drinks per day.

Alcohol is a peripheral dilator which causes the blood vessels near the skin to enlarge. This may cause the feeling of warmth. However, it actually causes the body to lose heat more quickly.

Beginning alcohol use at a younger age increases the likelihood of an alcohol-related problem later in life. Scientific evidence has shown that the likelihood or risk of developing alcoholism has been correlated with both genetic factors, such as family history, and environmental factors. Some people exhibit unhealthy drinking habits in response to life stressors. A tolerance to the effects of alcohol may develop due to consistent excessive drinking from a young age. This can lead to harsh effects on the body later in life. A general tolerance to the effects of alcohol (not developed from excessive drinking) has been correlated with alcoholism risk later in life.

Children of alcoholics are about four times more likely than the general population to develop alcohol problems.

One can assess individual risk factors for possible alcoholism based on family history, alcohol tolerance and environmental factors. Those identifying themselves as having risk factors for alcoholism are encouraged to explore prevention approaches such as abstinence from the consumption of alcohol.

Concordia College
901 8th St. S.
Moorhead, MN 56562
United States
(218) 299-4000

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Alcohol and Drug Recovery Hub launched in the south east

30 January 2012

A new one stop shop for people affected by alcohol and drugs in the south east of the city will be launched by Kenny MacAskill, MSP today, Friday 20th January 2012.

The South East Recovery Hub will provide harm reduction advice, medical treatments, counselling and other support for those on their recovery journey.

The hub brings together alcohol and drug services provided by NHS Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council and voluntary sector agencies for people trying to cope with and overcome problems caused or affected by their own or someone else’s alcohol or drug use.

It joins up the work of the NHS, council, Castle Project, CREW 2000, Simpson House, Edinburgh & Lothian Council on Alcohol (ELCA), Voice of Carers Across Lothian (VOCAL) and Discover Recovery to tackle the negative impact of alcohol and drugs in the south east of the city.

Service users will benefit from a single point of access and standardised assessment for all alcohol and drug services in the south east of the city.

Peter Gabbitas, Chair of the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership, said:

“Such a multi-agency partnership approach brings together​ a wide and diverse pool of professionals. This offers the public access a comprehensive range of services in one place, where service users can receive treatment and advice, such as detoxication and peer support at the same time.

“This new way of working also removes waiting times for appointments and makes the services much easier to access.”

Kenny MacAskill, MSP said:

“As MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, I was delighted to be invited to launch the Alcohol and Drug Recovery Hub in my constituency. The Hub offers an extensive range​ of services and I have no doubt that many will benefit from the valuable support on offer. I wish all involved the very best and look forward to working with the centre in the future.”

All services provided at the hub will be accessed through a drop-in that will be open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm.

The hub will be located on Craigmillar Castle Road and is accessible from Craigmillar and Niddrie, areas that face greater challenges around alcohol and drugs.

It was developed following a three day modernisation event, commissioned by the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership, engaging all service providers in the area. ​

NHS Lothian
Waverley Gate
2-4 Waterloo Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3EG

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Partnerships theme of the day at Drinkaware Annual Alcohol Conference

29 January 2012

Alcohol education charity Drinkaware held its second conference in Westminster on Thursday 19 January, bringing together representatives from the public health community and industry to discuss alcohol issues and behaviour change.

Setting the tone for the day with his opening address, Minister for Crime and Antisocial Behaviour Reduction, Lord Henley, stressed the importance of partnerships and called upon the industry to take responsibility for the things it can change.

The Minister said: “We have made it clear that we will not tolerate the scale of alcohol related crime and disorder we have seen over the past decade. Through the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 we are taking action to rebalance licensing laws in favour of local communities. The new measures will increase the powers of licensing authorities and the police to deal with irresponsible premises.

“We all have a role to play, and partnership working will be at the heart of our cross government alcohol strategy to be published this year.”

The event catered for a hundred delegates, attended by representatives from Diageo, Marston’s and Booker, along with practitioners from The British Society of Gastroenterology, the Royal College of Nursing and other third sector organisations.

Chief Executive of the Portman Group, Henry Ashworth, took to the stage alongside Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Special Advisor on Alcohol to the Royal Collage of Physicians, to discuss alcohol priorities and solutions.

Areas of common ground emerged from the robust debate, with broad support for making lower alcohol choices easier. Henry Ashworth, who confirmed his appointment as industry co-chair of the Responsibility Deal alcohol network responded by openly inviting the public health community to rejoin the Responsibility Deal claiming a better chance of success by working together to reduce harm

Drinkaware Chief Executive, Chris Sorek, said: “The purpose of the event was to bring together both communities to have a constructive dialogue. We also wanted to highlight the impact our campaigns are starting to have and the ‘green shoots’ of change we’re seeing. For some this was a watershed moment. The potential of what can be achieved working in partnership is becoming more real, as is the willingness to work together”.

In 2011 visitors to the Drinkaware website (drinkaware.co.uk) increased by 37% and 108,000 people started monitoring their drinking online using MyDrinkaware. ‘Why Let The Good Times Go Bad?’, Drinkaware’s campaign aimed at young adult drinkers, obtained strong levels of awareness with 8 out of 10 drinkers adopting the tips on a night out, and 47,000 parents have engaged with Drinkaware for information about their kids and alcohol.

The event closed with a look forward to 2013. Chief Executive, Chris Sorek, called upon both the public health community and industry to open their internal and external channels of communication so Drinkaware can reach more people, more often and help it succeed in its mission of changing the culture around alcohol.

Drinkaware
Samuel House
6 St Albans St
London
SW1Y 4SQ
Tel: 020 7766 9900

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National Statistics which reveal an increase in alcohol-related deaths

29 January 2012

Responding to figures from the Office of National Statistics which reveal an increase in alcohol-related deaths, Chris Sorek, Chief Executive of alcohol education charity Drinkaware, says:

“Today’s statistics are a reminder about the long-term health impacts of regularly drinking over the government’s guideline.

“It is easy to forget that drinking – whether to excess in a short period of time or regularly having a few drinks at home – can potentially lead to both short and long-term health harms. This can range from weight gain to cancer, heart and liver disease.

“This is why it is essential that consumers become more aware of alcohol related health harms and change their behaviour towards drinking.

Drinkaware
Samuel House
6 St Albans St
London
SW1Y 4SQ
Tel: 020 7766 9900

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More men dying in the UK as a result of alcohol

29 January 2012

More people in the UK died from alcohol-related deaths in 2010 than in 2009 with the figure rising by 126 to 8,790 from 8,664. However, this increase was limited to males with the number of deaths rising from 5,690 in 2009 to 5,865 in 2010. The number of female alcohol related deaths fell over the same period. Within England and Wales, alcohol-related death rates were highest in the North of England and Wales in 2010.

During the last decade rates were highest for those aged 55-74 and lowest for those aged under 35, according to an Office for National Statistics (ONS) release Alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom, 2010.

In 2010:

• Males accounted for 67 per cent of all alcohol-related deaths in the UK

• Male alcohol-related death rates in the North East were 22.6 per 100,000 population, 21.3 per 100,000 in the North West and 18.9 per 100,000 in Wales.

• Alcohol-related death rates were lowest in the East of England, 11.7 per 100,00 population for males and 5.5 per 100,000 for females

Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major preventable cause of premature mortality with alcohol-related deaths accounting for almost 1.5 per cent of all deaths in England and Wales in 2010. In 2008 the Department of Health estimated that alcohol harm cost the National Health Service £2.7 billion each year at 2006/07 prices.

There is widespread interest in the ONS release of these statistics since it allows health administrations to monitor alcohol-related deaths and develop policies to protect the health of the public. Charitable organisations, such as Drinkaware, Alcohol in Moderation and Addaction use the statistics to educate people about the risks associated with alcohol consumption and to target support services to vulnerable groups and to inform public opinion and policy.
The causes of death defined as alcohol-related are listed in full in the bulletin and include alcohol dependence, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.
Also released today by ONS is Suicide rates in the United Kingdom,2006 to 2010 which reports that in 2010 there were 5,608 suicides in people aged 15 years and over in the UK, 67 fewer than the 5,675 recorded in 2009. The statistics also reveal that in 2010::

• There were 4,231 suicides among men (17.0 per 100,000 population)

• There were 1,377 suicides among women (5.3 per 100,000 population)

• The highest suicide rates were in those aged 45-74, at 17.7 per 100,000 for men and 6.0 per 100,000 for women.

Within England and Wales, the highest suicide rate for males in 2010 was in Wales at 19.3 per 100,000. This was 4.2 per 100,000 higher than the rate for England at 15.1 per 100,000. Across the Regions of England, the highest suicide rates for males and females in 2010 were in the South West, North East and North West, although regional rates can fluctuate year on year.

The National Statistics definition of suicide includes deaths given an underlying cause of intentional self-harm or an injury or poisoning of undetermined intent. Suicide statistics provide an indicator of mental health and are important for monitoring trends in deaths resulting from intentional (and probable) self-harm. The statistics are widely used to inform policy, planning and research in both public and private sectors and they enable policymakers and support services to target their resources most effectively.

Office for National Statistics
Government Buildings
Cardiff Road, Newport
NP10 8XG

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Glasgow: Glasgow Alcohol Service for Young People

28 January 2012

Glasgow Alcohol Service for Young People: Glasgow
The Alcohol Service for Glasgow young people is a confidential service for young people age 12 to 18


About us:

The Glasgow service is available to young people who are concerned about their own alcohol or drug use or that of a parent or carer.

The aim of The Alcohol Service for Glasgow young people is to decrease harm and increase safety of young people in East Renfrewshire who are at increased risk associated with alcohol or drug use.

The service will provide Glasgow young people with someone to talk to in confidence who can offer advice and support as well as accurate and balanced information.

A support worker will meet with the young person in order to find out what support is required and to ensure that the drug & alcohol service for young people is the appropriate agency to help.

If you are a young person who would like support you can contact The Drug & Alcohol Service.

Please note that if you are a parent/carer or other agency who wishes to refer a young person to the Glasgow Alcohol Service for Young People we would ask that you talk through your concerns with the young person and consider with them the benefits of a referral. We will be unable to proceed with a referral without the consent of a young person. Please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns about this.

What is available?

# Provide Glasgow young people with someone they can talk to in private about alcohol or drug concerns

# Offer young people accurate and balanced information allowing them to make informed choices

# Offer advice on how to decrease risks associated with alcohol or drug use and minimise risk of harm

# Support young Glasgow people through the process of making positive changes to their alcohol or drug use

# Provide young people with information on alternative ways to spend their leisure time

# Support young people in areas of employment/training, housing, school and family issues and health (sexual, physical and mental)

# Sign post young people to appropriate alternative Glasgow agencies were necessary

# Provide young people with a friendly, safe environment where they can discuss alcohol or drug issues without fear of judgement


Contact Details:

Glasgow Alcohol Service for Young People
St Andrews House
113 Cross Arthurlie Street
Barrhead
Glasgow
East Renfrewshire
G78 1EE

Telephone: 0141 577 3368

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Alcohol Ban At City Store Stays

28 January 2012

Magistrates have upheld a ban on alcohol being sold from a Peterborough convenience store in the ‘Operation CAN-do’ area of the city where a ten-year focus on crime is underway.

Samira Majid, the licensee of the B Stop in Lincoln Road, appealed against a decision made by the Peterborough City Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee in September to revoke her license.

Peterborough Magistrates Court heard how the city council put the ban in place after contraband goods were found at the store which is also know as News ‘n’ Booze.

The court was told:

In November 2010, officers from HMRC seized a total of 6.3 litres of spirits on which the duty had not been paid.
In April 2011, 28.5 litres of wine, on which the duty had not been paid, were seized as part of an Operation CAN-do focus by the city council’s Trading Standards team, Cambridgeshire Police and HMRC.
In August 2011, 140 Jin Ling cigarettes – which cannot be sold legally in this country – were found on the premises.

Magistrates heard how the raids took place while Mohammed Shafiq was managing the shop.

Majid told the court she was unaware of the purchases made by Mr Shafiq.

Colin Myles, representing the city council said Majid was the premises licence holder and could not pass “the burden or the responsibility” to anyone else.

Magistrates said they were satisfied that due to Majid’s inability to produce invoices or receipts, duty had not been paid any goods that were seized.

The court dismissed the appeal and awarded costs of £884.80 to Peterborough City Council.

Councillor Peter Hiller, Cabinet member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Planning, said: “I hope this case sends out a clear message to other licensed premises, and deters them from taking part in similar activities.

“Bargain-priced tobacco and alcohol can often seem very attractive to consumers. However, the truth is these goods have often been smuggled into this country or illegally manufactured by amateurs. The consumer has no idea where these goods have been produced and, as they are unlicensed and unregulated, they could also have serious health implications. Peterborough City Council recognises the seriousness of these offences and will take appropriate action.”

Peterborough City Council
Town Hall, Bridge Street
Peterborough, PE1 1HF
(01733) 747474

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Posted in  Peterborough (PE).
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Parents Reminded of Alcohol Impact

27 January 2012

News item from Chesterfield Community Safety Partnership

Parents are playing a significant role in contributing to underage drinking and problems associated with it, according to Chesterfield Community Safety Partnership’s Violence, Alcohol harm and Licensing (VAL) group.

At its most recent meeting a number of cases of underage drinking were discussed where the young people involved had either been bought alcohol to drink by their parents before going out or where adults had turned a blind eye to them drinking alcohol at home with friends.

And the potential dangers of such action have been highlighted by incidents in recent weeks including one where a 14-year-old was found lying on the pavement suffering from hypothermia and another in which the teenager concerned was so drunk she did not know where she was or what had happened.

Joe Tomlinson, Community Safety Officer with the Partnership, says: “Everyone – parents, older relatives, members of the public and shopkeepers – has a responsibility in helping to reduce underage drinking and the problems to which it can lead.

“Organisations that are members of our VAL – including the police and council – continually take calls about young people drinking or causing problems as a result of drinking. In spite of this many adults in the areas from which the calls come are contributing to the problems by buying alcohol or allowing the young people in their care to drink it.”

The VAL group is now planning to increase activities that it feels will help tackle the issue including using a range of mediums to remind parents of the effect allowing under-18s to drink alcohol can have.

In addition to the awareness-raising, Trading Standards Officers will continue to visit off-licence premises and police will be keeping an eye out for adults buying alcohol for under-age drinkers. This, known as proxy purchasing, is an offence and carries an on the spot fine of £80 or, if it goes to court, a fine of up to £1,000.

Trevor Durham, Licensing Manager for Chesterfield Borough Council and Chair of the VAL says: “Young people are being blamed for the issues, and while it is them drinking they are, in effect, being aided and abetted by adults. We hope that by reminding adults of their responsibilities we will impact on this issue.

“Our advice is quite simple, if a person is under the age of 18 they should not drink any alcohol.

Parents seeking advice on ways to talk about alcohol with young people can telephone the Partnership on 01246 345345 to request a copy of the “Your Kids and Alcohol” leaflet.

Chesterfield Borough Council
Town Hall
Rose Hill
Chesterfield;
Derbyshire
S40 1LP

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Health Minister launches new Strategy to address Alcohol and Drug Misuse

27 January 2012

Northern Ireland Health Minister Edwin Poots has outlined his commitment to addressing the issue of alcohol misuse at the first ever formal North/South Conference on alcohol misuse.

The Minister launched a new five-year strategy to prevent and address the harm related to alcohol and drug misuse in Northern Ireland, the New Strategic Direction for Alcohol and Drugs.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Poots said: “There is no doubt that alcohol misuse is one of the main threats to public health in Northern Ireland. Research has shown that it costs Northern Ireland up to £900 million every year, and almost £250 million of these costs are borne by the Health and Social Care sector. If we do not take significant and robust action, the costs to Northern Ireland, and the health and social care system in particular, will continue to grow.

“Therefore, I am pleased today to launch our revised strategy to prevent and address the harms related to alcohol and drug misuse in Northern Ireland, known as the “New Strategic Direction for Alcohol and Drugs – Phase 2.”

The Minister continued: “The NSD Phase 2 sets out outcomes across five main areas: prevention and early intervention; harm reduction; treatment and support; law and criminal justice; and monitoring, evaluation and research.

“I am committed to ensuring that it is implemented as fully and effectively as possible.

“Alcohol remains our favourite drug, and we face similar problems on both sides of the border. Therefore I believe today’s conference is the perfect opportunity to launch the NSD Phase 2 and for us to collaborate most effectively to reinforce the work already underway in each jurisdiction.”

The conference brought together, for the first time, the policymakers and agencies from both jurisdictions to explore some of the common issues in relation to the alcohol culture on both parts of the island, setting the scene for a collaborative approach for tackling issues relating to alcohol misuse.

At the conference, expert contributions came from Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, who chairs the UK Alcohol Health Alliance and also the European Alcohol and Health Forum Science Group; Dr Peter Anderson, an international public health consultant and expert on alcohol policy, and Dr Fiona Measham, a renowned researcher in the fields of drug and alcohol use, gender, licensed leisure and the relationship between crime and culture. John Waters also led a session on Ireland’s Alcohol Culture.

The Minister of Health in the Republic of Ireland, Dr James Reilly, jointly opened the conference with Minister Poots, stating: “This conference has set the scene for a longer term, all-island collaborative approach for tackling issues relating to alcohol abuse. The areas we would like progress on a North South basis are measures to reduce the availability of cheap alcohol and treatment and rehabilitation of those affected by alcohol misuse. Alcohol use and misuse is an area where both jurisdictions can achieve a lot together – especially in dealing with the challenges that alcohol presents for young adults.

Alcohol is associated with many aspects of Irish social and cultural life, it is part of our custom for sociability, relaxation and enjoyment. However we must recognise that alcohol is associated with 2,000 beds being occupied every night in Irish acute hospitals and annually costs the healthcare system €1.2 billion”.

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, one of the Key note speakers at the conference said: “I welcome this cross-Ireland initiative. The health harms we are seeing in both the UK and Ireland are so great that we urgently need effective coalitions between partners such as this. These allow mutual learning and the development of shared objectives. The Westminster Government will learn much from exciting initiatives around policy areas such as minimum unit price and a lower drink driving limit.”

Northern Ireland Executive

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Police concerned intoxicated taxi driver found behind the wheel at midday checkpoint

27 January 2012

Extremely disappointed is the reaction of Waikato Police after a taxi driver was found intoxicated behind the wheel of her cab in the Coromandel today.

Waikato Highway Patrol supervisor, Sergeant Paul Scoble, said the arrest of a professional driver was all the more concerning given responsible people often relied on taxi drivers to get them home safely after they have been drinking.

“The woman was stopped in her company vehicle by a Traffic Alcohol Group checkpoint near Tairua shortly before lunch. With alcohol detected on her breath the woman was subjected to a n evidential breath test and returned a result of 568mgms.

“This result shows drink drivers don’t discriminate in terms of a preferred time of day to put other motorists’ lives at risk and it’s tantamount to a betrayal of the trust placed on cabbies by members of the public to provide a safe, reliable and sober service.”

Mr Scoble said staff manning the checkpoint said a number of drivers had complained how pointless it was setting up alcohol checkpoints during daylight hours but today’s result showed there is a genuine risk.

“This latest arrest follows a number last year where drivers were found intoxicated behind the wheel during the day. A number of drivers said the officers should be out catching burglars instead of picking on motorists but as a mater of fact about the same time the woman was being processed a man was also arrested in relation to thefts ex-car.

“Irregular, frequent checkpoints on our roads not only act as a deterrent to drink drivers they are also very effective in disrupting criminal activity. Not everyone who drives is a criminal but most criminals drive and we know from experience that impromptu vehicle stops are a very effective deterrent.”

New Zealand Police
Police National Headquarters
PO Box 3017
Wellington
New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 474 9499

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Posted in  New Zealand.
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