Drinking

Menstuff® has compiled information and books on the issue of drinking. Almost 23% of 12 to 20 year olds participated in binge drinking at least once in the past month. Source: Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration, 2004

Want a referral to substance abuse treatment 24/7/365 call 1-800-662-HELP. It's run by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.


Potential life career for early drinkers.

Start Talking Before They Start Drinking
Kids who drink before age 15 are 5 times more likely to have alcohol problems when they're adults. To leaarn more, go to www.stopalcoholabuse.gov or call 1.800.729.6686

1. 2.

1. My name is Emily, and in seven years I'll be an alcoholic. I'tt start drinking in eighth grade, and I'll do some things I don't really want to do. So by the time my parents talk to me about it, alcohol won't be my only problem.

2. My name is Tyler and in nine years I'll be an alcoholic. I'll start drinking in middle school, just at parties. But my parents won't start talking to me about it until high school. And by then, I'll already be in some trouble. The thing is, my parents won't even see it coming.
Also check out "How to Talk to Your Kids about Alcohol & Drugs: www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/talktoyourkids.html#alcohol

Please watch this 81 minute film (Cactus 3) especially if you think the drinking age should be lowered to 18!

Having a Super Bowl Party?

Are You an Alcoholic?
Do I have a Drug or Alcohol Problem?
'Drunkorexia' prevalent among college students, study finds
Alcohol: Myths + Truths
Self Assessment Program for alcohol problems
Many College Students Prefer Wi-Fi to Beer, Study Claims
Coping with an Alcoholic Parent
The Breathalyzer's Booze-Pushing Cousin
Characteristics of Underage Drinking
Consequences of underage drinking
Alcohol advertising and promotion
Parental Party Pledge
The Dangers of Drinking and Driving
Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free
Everclear Alcohol Incident at Drake University May Lead to Ban in Iowa
Parents Who Host Lose the Most: Sample letter to the editor (669 words)
Immediate License Suspensions for DUI Called Effective
Young Men Most Likely to Buy Alcohol for Underage Youth, Study Finds
Fight the Stigma of Alcohol
Parental Drinking Stunts Brain Growth in Alcoholic Kids
The Endorsement: Not Drinking
Students' definition of binge drinking depends on habits
Communication may curb binge drinking
Ways Parents Can Make A Difference
Talking With Kids About Tough Issues
Teen Drinking
Binge Drinking
Hazing
Budweiser Formula Evolved to Encourage Greater Consumption
Drunkeness Triples College Kids' Auto Injury Risk
"How Many Drinks Did They Have?" Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)
What is an Alcohol Problem?
Skip the whole milk. Pass on soda. Drink beer?
Estimator
Chart
Drinking Too Much
Drunk Girls on MySpace
Alcohol Memorials
Choices
Alcopops
Beer
Attend a Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking Near You
Expert Tips on Avoiding -- or Treating -- Morning-After Head Pain
Drunk Driving Statistics & Facts
Newsbytes

Resources: Drugs & Alcohol Recovery

 

Alcohol: Myths + Truths


Think you know everything about alcohol? Here are some common myths debunked.

MYTH: Everyone drinks.
TRUTH: Not true. Although 31% of teens said they've drank alcohol in the past month that still leaves 69% who did not! If you choose not to drink, you're definitely not alone.

MYTH: Alcohol gives you energy.
TRUTH: This statement is false. Alcohol is a depressant, and can actually make you sleepy. It slows down your motor skills which control the way you think, speak, move and react.

MYTH: Beer before liquor, never been sicker - liquor before beer, you're in the clear.
TRUTH: This is an old urban legend used to explain why people get sick when they drink - but it's just not true. Your blood alcohol content (also known as BAC, the percentage of alcohol in your blood) is what determines how drunk you are. It doesn't matter what type of alcohol you chose to consume - a drink is a drink, and too much of any combination can make you sick.

MYTH: I can sober up quickly if I need to.
TRUTH: If you think that taking a shower, drinking 10 cups of coffee or eating a loaf of bread will help you sober up - think again. The only thing your body needs is time — depending on your weight, it takes about three hours to eliminate every two drinks you've had that night.

MYTH: Driving with someone who drank can be safe, because they drive extra carefully so they don't get pulled over.
TRUTH: YIKES! Drinking and driving is extremely dangerous. Each year, approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking and about 1,900 of these deaths are from motor vehicle crashes (NIAAA). In 2002, alcohol was involved in 41% of all fatal crashes (NIDA). A person might think he's in control, but alcohol slows down reaction time which makes driving a car one of the worst decisions one can make — even if you've had only a little bit to drink.

MYTH: Everyone who gets drunk acts the same.
TRUTH: Nope. There are lots of factors that affect the body's reactions to alcohol, including weight, age, gender, body chemistry, genetics, amount of food and alcohol consumed — the list can go on. The way one person reacts can be vastly different from how another person reacts. You can't predict how alcohol will affect you.

MYTH: Alcohol makes sex better.
TRUTH: Wrong again. Alcohol can make people feel less uncomfortable in a social situation. But the reality is that alcohol can actually keep guys from getting or keeping an erection, and it can lower girls' sex drives, too. More importantly, alcohol can affect your decision-making ability: You might put yourself in a risky situation; you might think you're ready to have sex when you're not or you might forget to use a condom — which can result in pregnancy and/or contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

MYTH: If I drink too much, the worst thing that can happen is I get my stomach pumped.
TRUTH: No way. If alcohol is drunk excessively, it can lead to alcohol poisoning which can cause death. Also, drinking excessive alcohol can cause vomiting. When drunk and unconscious, a person may inhale fluids that have been vomited, resulting in death by asphyxiation. Long-term, heavy use of alcohol can lead to addiction (alcoholism), and can even cause a heart attack or stroke.

MYTH: Talk to me about drugs - that's a bigger issue than alcohol.
TRUTH: Both drugs and alcohol are serious problems among teens. Alcohol kills young people just like cocaine, heroin and other serious illegal drugs. Also, according to recent studies, nearly one-half (47%) of persons who began drinking before age 14 were alcohol dependent at some point in their lifetime.

MYTH: Alcohol isn't harmful to my body.
TRUTH: Again, this statement is wrong. Large amounts of alcohol can take its toll on your body, causing disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting as well as a dreaded hangover. Heavy drinking can inhibit the firing of nerve cells that control breathing, a condition known as respiratory depression — a condition that can be fatal.

MYTH: My friends will think I'm weird if I don't drink.
TRUTH: Friends are you friends no matter what - and they won't give up your friendship over something as silly as a beer. Also, keep in mind that most people are usually too focused on themselves to care what others are — or aren't — doing.

MYTH: My parents drink - so what's the big deal if I do?
TRUTH: Actually, it's scientifically proven to be a big deal. According to new research by A. Thomas McLellan, Ph.D., teens who drink and take drugs may be at greater risk than previously thought. His research suggests that the brain is not fully formed until age 24. Using drugs and alcohol during this important time as your brain develops might have negative long-term effects on brain functions such as memory.
Sources: NIAAA, NESARC and www.thecoolspot.gov and www.drugfree.org/Teen/alcohol_myths_truths.html

Self Assessment Program for alcohol problems.


At the end of the anonymous screening you will receive an immediate result that can be printed and taken to a clinician for further evaluation. A screening test is not a substitute for a complete evaluation but it can help you learn if your symptoms are consistent with an alcohol problem and how to access help.

This program is designed for individuals aged 17 and above. The online screening is completely anonymous. We do not collect any unique identifying information such as name, email address or IP address. Neither SMH nor the sponsoring organization can view your individual results. For more information see the SMH privacy policy.
Source: www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/welcome.asp

Many College Students Prefer Wi-Fi to Beer, Study Claims


The vast majority of college students have been found -- in a recent survey -- to highly value Wi-Fi, according to an article we found on Propeller.com and TechnologyExpert.

Conducted by Wakefield Research, the study found that 90-percent of college students characterize Wi-Fi access as indispensable to their education. Close to 60-percent of them claimed that the availability of free wireless would determine whether or not they would attend a certain school.

While these numbers are slightly surprising, one statistic is truly mind-boggling. According to this survey, a staggering 48-percent of students would sooner give up beer than give up Wi-Fi. Upon reading this figure, we were given no choice but to seriously doubt the integrity of this report; it was, after all, commissioned by an organization called the Wi-Fi Alliance.

But, what if the study is right? Could it possibly be that college students today are more intent on studying than partying? What are the youth of our country coming to?

Our fears were somewhat allayed, though, when we saw that over half of these kids check MySpace and Facebook in class. That, at least, will truly prepare them for the workforce.
Source: www.switched.com/2008/10/07/many-college-students-prefer-wi-fi-to-beer-study-claims/?icid=200100397x1210888595x1200661685

The Breathalyzer's Booze-Pushing Cousin


Device promises no hangovers, but anti-booze activists just say no

Remember that contraption that promised to deliver alcohol's buzz without the carbs or hangover?

Well, they're flying off the shelves — and not necessarily because of sales. Legislators in North Carolina banned the machines last week, following the lead of several other states who already have closed up shop on Alcohol Without Liquid machines.

The Rev. Mark Creech fought for the law and said, "Imagine what would happen if users could fast track the mind-altering effects of alcohol and, at the same time, sidestep the hangover."

AWOL machines, available in the U.S. since 2004, make alcohol vanish into vapor, which you can then breath in, sending it into your blood through your lungs similar to how cigarettes deliver nicotine.

AWOL is approved and in use in Europe and Asia where health officials don't see any serious differences from regular drinking. Still, lawmakers and anti-booze advocates here are trying to keep the vaporizers out of American hands because of concerns about alcohol abuse.

The machine's American distributors tout two rather significant benefits: no carbs and no hangover.

The carbs bit makes sense since you use 80-proof liquors, which are low-carb even if you drink them. Remember, however, that alcohol, even in its purest form, contains significant calories.

And the evidence for booze vapors being free from drinking's famous Sunday-morning punishment seems largely anecdotal.

The Endorsement: Not Drinking


Whenever I've had a rough week, my buddy Bill will say, "You need to watch me drink a martini.” And he's right. We head to one of his haunts, I sip a club soda while he slurps a Chopin, and, sure enough, I start to relax. Bill orders another. I order dinner. Bill starts working the first girl he sees, saying something like, "Come on, baby, just lemme touch your ankle,” and gradually the bar fills in around us, people growing louder, laughing and lying and shouting their deepest secrets, and all at once I feel as if everything is going to be fine.

Though I quit drinking fifteen years ago, I still enjoy the company of drinkers, and I still believe in the pleasures a bar can provide, particularly for the nondrinker. Secondhand smoke is deadly, but secondhand drinking is fun, and it's a lack of fun that often undoes the sobriety novice. Newly sober people need to redouble their efforts to find fun in each day. For instance, if I'd given up bars along with booze, I'd have been elsewhere the night a barfly tapped Bill's arm and asked, "Remember me?” "No—should I?” Bill said. "Yeah,” the guy said. "You should. You fucked my wife.”

Fun.

Not just any bar will do for the nondrinker. When you're as sober as a judge, you're more judgmental. I'm as picky about bars as I am about people, and I avoid certain ones for the same reasons—too loud, too sketchy, too smelly. Right after I stopped drinking, however, I frequented a loud, sketchy, smelly dive called Duffy's, because no one there noticed that I wasn't drinking. No one at Duffy's noticed anything but the glass directly before him. The bar was as dark as a sewer, two deep with zombies, and there was always a kung-fu movie blaring on the TV. My friend Joe and I would smoke cigars, stare at a runty guy we called Thalidomide Boy, and hurl trivia questions at a Napoleonic polymath dressed all in black whom we anointed World's Smartest Man, and soon it wasn't just the patrons who didn't notice I wasn't drinking. I stopped noticing.

I quit drinking when I wanted to, not when I had to, so bars don't tempt me or haunt me as they might someone else. They comfort me, and I know a few recovering alcoholics who feel likewise—including bartenders. Sam Malone was archetype, not aberration. No matter who you are, after you give up hangovers you still need hangouts, and isn't that the point of Alcoholics Anonymous? Doesn't the AA meeting look from afar like a barroom? Everyone sitting around, telling their story, amid billows of cigarette smoke. Add a kung-fu movie and you've got Duffy's.

There's an Edward Hopper painting: Corner Saloon. It's a gin mill on a New York street, door thrown wide open, blurry figures in dark coats rushing past. The grimy air, the bleak street, the wan despair of it all chills you and makes you fix your gaze on that door. You can't help but feel that on the other side lies something better, something that might change your whole outlook, or at least make you laugh. And I promise you, there is. Even if it's just Joe and World's Smartest Man trying to name McGovern's running mate or the surprisingly large number of Cy Young winners who've been arrested or the parts of the human body that have three letters—eye, ear, leg, et cetera. (There are ten in all, and if you can name them in under an hour, you're a genius.)
Source: By J.R. Moehringer, www.esquire.com/features/articles/2006/060511_mfe_best_bars_not_drinking.html?par=msn_h|esq|emb|

Ways Parents Can Make A Difference

Things you can do as a parent:

Source: www.gdcada.org/coalitions/aloud/pardif.htm

NCAA Schools Urged to End Beer Ads on Broadcasts


The Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV urged the colleges and universities sending teams to the NCAA men's basketball tournament to commit to ending beer advertising on college sports games. Of 64 tournament schools, 10 support an end to beer ads on college sports programming.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/announcements/2006/ncaa-schools-urged-to-end.html

Students Pledge Month of Alcohol Abstinence


At Waterville High School in Waterville, Maine, four hundred students and teachers declared that they would abstain from alcohol use for the next thirty days, the Morning Sentinel reported on March 31.

They wore purple shirts printed with their pledge and the slogan, "Is there a problem?"

"We think it's pretty obvious that there is a problem," said Kim Landry, one of four students who organized the awareness event as part of a community service class.

The event also included a film about student and teacher perceptions of students' alcohol use. While survey results indicate that 41 percent of students at Waterville High School had used alcohol in the past month, most students overestimated their peers' alcohol use by 40 or 50 percent.

The Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey, conducted by the Prevention Coalition of Greater Waterville Communities for Children and Youth in 2004, also indicated that 60 percent of students had used alcohol before, and nearly 16 percent had engaged in binge drinking in the past two weeks.

Nonetheless, Waterville's student alcohol use remains slightly below the statewide average.

Waterville Public School System's recently adopted substance use policy is less punitive than some, focusing on keeping students alcohol- and drug-free, but in school.

"Suspending kids does not help the substance abuse issue," said Cyndi Desroisers, project director. "In fact, they end up causing mroe damage in the community when they are suspended."
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/communitystories/2006/students-pledge-month-of.html

Fight the Stigma of Alcohol


April is National Alcohol Awareness Month. Talk with your kids about the risk.

Source: www.ncadd.org/programs/awareness/alcfacts02.html

Communication may curb binge drinking


College-bound teens who talk about drinking and its consequences with their mothers may be less likely to suffer the penalties of binge drinking once they get on campus, results of a new study suggest.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/newsfulltext.cfm?ID=46146&src=n49

Students' definition of binge drinking depends on habits


How much is too much alcohol? If you ask a US college student, the answer might depend on how much the student drinks.

According to a report in the September issue of the Journal of American College Health, students who drink the most alcohol have a higher threshold for their definition of a drinking binge.

"Binge drinking is one more drink than what I have. That sums up the finding," Dr. Henry Wechsler, director of the College Alcohol Studies at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, and the study's lead author, told Reuters Health.

For example, students who abstained from alcohol defined a binge as five drinks in a row for a man and four drinks in a row for a woman, while students who were moderate drinkers defined a binge as six drinks for a man and five for a woman.

One third of students who drank heavily said a binge was 10 or more drinks for a man, the report indicates.

Similarly, students' drinking habits shaped their perceptions of alcohol problems on campus. Most students who abstained or drank moderately said alcohol abuse was a problem on campus, but fewer of binge drinkers agreed.

Most students, however, had accurate perceptions of the rate of drinking on their campus. The median student definition of binge drinking was six drinks for a man and five drinks for a woman--just one higher than researchers' definition of five or more drinks in a row for men and four or more drinks for women, at least once in a 2-week period.

"This tells us that the research definition and the study estimate are close and students are able to differentiate by gender," Wechsler said. "It is very important for women to realize that they are affected more by alcohol than men (are). Trying to keep up may put women in a dangerous situation."

According to Wechsler and co-author Meichun Kuo, the data can be used to develop programs to lower the rate of binge drinking on college campuses. In the past, interventions have been based on the theory that students' drinking habits are shaped by how much they think other students are drinking. Further, researchers generally believe that students overestimate binge drinking rates, which leads them to drink more.

However, the current study found that only 29% of students overestimated the rate of binge drinking compared with 47% of students who underestimated the rate of binge drinking on their campus.

These results suggest that colleges should have a variety of programs that also target the supply, pricing and marketing of alcohol, Wechsler said.

"Most college campuses have 30 to 50 bars within a mile of campus. These bars are competing for students by lowering prices and offering specials," he explained.

Results of the study are based on data from more than 14,000 students attending 119 colleges in 40 states in 1999.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/News/NewsFullText.cfm?ID=40933&storytype=ReutersNews

Budweiser Formula Evolved to Encourage Greater Consumption


Anheuser-Busch has tinkered with its products over the past half-century, decreasing the bitterness of its beers in a step that encourages consumers to drink more than one or two, the Wall Street Journal reported April 26.

Efforts to improve the "drinkability" of brands like Budweiser and Bud Light have centered on bitterness because research shows that a beer drinker's palate will become "fatigued" as they consume brews with a more bitter taste. Anheuser-Busch tests the drinkability of its beers by giving free, unlimited beer to test subjects at bars, then driving them home.

Company chairman August Busch III defines the essence of drinkability as, "'I want the next beer!'"

"You stop drinking because you know it's time to stop but you don't want to: That's drinkability," he said.

Busch tests his product daily to ensure that the drinkability standard is being met. "We've been tasting these beers for 50 years," he said. "If we can't sit down and drink three or four of them, then it's not right."

American brewers also have gradually reduced the amount of hops used in lagers to increase their "Everyman" appeal. Recently, however, brewers like Anheuser-Busch have been losing market share to fuller-bodied import and "craft" beers. Miller, whose beers have a somewhat stronger flavor than Budweiser, hammered its rival with commercials where panicked drinkers screamed, "I can't taste my beer!"

Anheuser-Busch recently increased the hops content of its flagship brands to make them stronger. "I told the growers of our desire to use more hops in our brewing for the purpose of delivering more amplitude and hop flavor in Budweiser," said Busch. The company also has been introducing its own specialty brews.

"I think you're seeing an increased consumer acceptance that bitter is a positive characteristic in beer," said Keith Lemke, vice president of the Siebel Institute of Technology, a brewing education center.

"Almost every brewer is constantly changing their beer," said Henry von Eichel, president and CEO of hops producer John I. Haas Inc. "But no one likes to talk about it."
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/budweiser-formula-evolved-to.html

Alcohol Memorials


The Partnership has created a new Memorial website, www.drugfree.org/memorials to give families and friends a special place to remember loved ones lost to drugs and alcohol. Our new site (which is not final and in a testing phase) allows visitors to share their story along with photos and memories and offers a reflecting-pool design, easy-to-use forms, and a tool for friends and family to leave tribute messages. Please tell others about this new site so we can reach as many kids and parents as possible.

Newsbytes



Urge the NBA to Ban Courtside Liquor Ads


The nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and dozens of health, youth advocacy, and other organizations are urging the National Basketball Association to reverse its decision to allow courtside hard-liquor advertisements and other alcohol promotions on team web sites, retail locations, and inside arenas. To increase revenue, team owners recently voted to lift the ban of these ads, which would add to the deluge of beer ads that already air on NBA telecasts. For the first time, the ads would promote drinking liquor to thousands of underaged fans and link professional basketball to drinking liquor, according to CSPI.

In a letter to NBA Commissioner David J. Stern, CSPI and dozens of other groups, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), and the Society for Adolescent Medicine, urged the NBA to reconsider its decision and ban all alcohol advertising, including beer, during its telecasts. Allowing liquor advertising is a break with a long-standing ban and part of an ominous trend toward expanding the advertising of all alcoholic beverages during programs that attract young and underage viewers.

"The NBA congratulates itself on its youth-outreach and community programs, yet it is poised to increase its profits by exposing young fans to more ads for rum, whiskey, vokda, and of course, beer," said Tracy Downs, manager of CSPI's Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV. "Granted, the league has some hefty salaries, but is that really a sufficient excuse to encourage young people to start drinking liquor earlier?"

With its Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA programs, the NBA has a strong relationship with young fans through summer camps, tournaments, skill clinics, and other activities. Promoting alcohol consumption during telecasts also contradicts the NBA's public relations and community-building activities, specifically the NBA CARES program, which addresses social issues in the United States and worldwide.

Alcohol plays a significant role in the four leading causes of death among peoples ages 10 to 24, including motor-vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. Studies link teens' exposure to alcohol advertising with more frequent and heavier drinking. Alcohol use by young people may cause long-term harm to their developing brains.

CSPI's Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV seeks to reduce youth exposure to alcohol advertising on televised college sports. Since 2005, 372 -- more than one-third -- NCAA-member colleges and 16 college athletic conferences have signed the campaign's pledge to help eliminate alcohol advertisements from college sports telecasts.

Source: www.jointogether.org/getinvolved/actionalerts/urge-the-nba-to-ban-courtside.html

Is a Nickel a Drink the Change We Need?


Thirty-nine states now face serious budget shortfalls. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a nickel a drink alcohol tax increase on wine, beer and distilled spirits to help alleviate budget woes.

The last beer tax increase in some states with budget deficits date as far back as the 1960s! Look up your state's budget shortfall and see how much money could be raised with a nickel a drink tax increase.

Should higher alcohol taxes be used to provide critical support to state programs that reduce alcohol-related problems?

Marin Institute invites you to add your comments to our blog.

Alcohol Industry Making the Move to Online Advertising


According to a recent report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY), the number of alcohol ads that young people see on TV and in print has declined since 2001. This may sound like good news, but in fact ad dollars are simply shifting to new media. Indeed, when it came to harnessing the web and other new media to reach Generation Y, 2007 was a big year for the nation's largest alcohol corporations.

After Bud TV, Anheuser-Busch's original "web channel," failed to deliver the hoped-for number of viewers, the King of Beers' marketing team has been piloting commercials elsewhere on the web -- such as on YouTube, style.com and askmen.com. The company has spent $8.9 million on internet advertising in the first nine months of 2007, more than double for the same period in 2006. But it doesn't stop there; A-B says it plans to boost its spending on ads and video designed to proliferate on numerous websites by 50 percent next year. Click here to read the rest of the article.

Many Kids Sip Alcohol Before Age 10, Study Finds


About 40 percent of children ages 8 to 10 have tried alcohol, often without the knowledge of their parents, according to a new study.

Most of the children said they had only tasted alcohol, not consumed an entire drink. But about one-third of parents whose children reported alcohol use had no idea they had done so. Click here to read the rest of the article.

College Drinking Games Lead to Higher Blood Alcohol Levels


The first on-the-scene study of college drinking behavior shows that parties with drinking games result in higher blood alcohol levels, while themed parties encourage college women to drink more heavily than men, new research suggests.

Previous studies of college drinking have relied largely on individual behavior and self-reports of drinking habits. Researchers at San Diego State University and the University of Michigan have determined that environment and party activities also affect drinking behavior. Click here to read the rest of the article. The study was published in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

To learn more about alcohol abuse, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Schedule Friday Morning Classes to Cut Students Drinking, Colleges Urged


Colleges should schedule early morning classes on Fridays to discourage students from starting their weekend partying on Thursday nights, researchers advise.

Colleges should schedule early morning classes on Fridays to discourage students from starting their weekend partying on Thursday nights, researchers advise.

HealthDay News reported June 27 that researchers found "significant relationships between the presence and timing of Friday classes and Thursday drinking" when surveying 3,341 students at a large Midwestern university.

"About half of the students with late or no Friday classes consumed at least one drink on Thursday, but only a third of students did so if they had Friday classes which met at 10 a.m. or earlier," said lead study author Phillip K. Wood of the University of Missouri at Columbia. "Approximately two-thirds of students who consumed some alcohol Thursday consumed a 'binge amount' if they had late or no Friday classes.

"The Friday-class effect was more pronounced for populations which we know to be at risk for higher levels of alcohol consumption: men, and members of or frequent participants in Greek activities," Wood added. "We also found strong evidence that Thursday, in addition to Friday and Saturday, is associated with high prevalence and levels of alcohol consumption across all four years of college."

The study appears in the July 2007 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Reference:

Wood, P.K., Sher, K.J., Rutledge, P.C. (2007) College Student Alcohol Consumption, Day of the Week, and Class Schedule. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 31(7): 1195-1207; doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00402.x
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2007/schedule-friday-morning.html

Powdered Alcohol Marketed to Youth


A group of Dutch students has invented a form of powdered alcohol that they say will appeal primarily to youth. Twenty-gram packets of Booze2Go are being sold for less than $2 in the Netherlands. When the powder is mixed with water, it yields a lime-flavored beverage with a 3-percent alcohol content. "Because the alcohol is not in liquid form, we can sell it to people below 16 under Dutch law. The product also may dodge alcohol taxes for the same reason. From jointogether.org

Adults Who Give Alcohol to Kids Could Lose Licenses


Adults in North Carolina caught providing alcohol to youths under age 21 could lose their driver's licenses under a measure being considered in the state legislature.

A House committee heard testimony from the family of Steven George, a Raleigh youth who was killed in a drunk-driving crash. George's parents said that the risk of losing driving privileges would be more of a deterrent to young adults providing alcohol to underage friends than community service, the current penalty for the infraction.

"What really affects a lot of these younger people most? It's their driving privileges," said Steven George. "Start handing out (penalties) that hurt the most. Driving is a very big part of their lives."

But Rep. Bill Daughtridge felt that the proposal was a bit attenuated. "I think we're going off on a tangent here, taking away a driver's license from someone who may or may not be getting in a car," he said.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2007/adults-who-give-alcohol-to.html

Editor's Note: While the release seems to be directed at youth people providing alcohol for young people, we hope the statute includes any adult, and especially parents, who illegally provide alcohol for anyone under 21.

Sticky Solution Sought for Underage Drinking


Utah prevention agencies are distributing preprinted sticky notes that parents can slap on liquor bottles at home as a warning to children against underage drinking.

The notes, available free at the state's Parents Empowered website, are printed with the message, "At your age, drinking is dangerous. So are really angry parents." The stickers also can be affixed to liquor cabinets or refrigerators.

A different set of sticky notes are available at Utah state liquor stores, with no-drinking pledges intended to be signed by youths before they go out with friends.

"Research shows that parental disapproval is the No. 1 reason that underage children choose not to drink," said Utah Alcoholic Beverage Commission chairman Larry V. Lunt. "But it is not good enough for parents simply to tell youngsters, 'Do not drink.' The possibility of permanent damage is too great."
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2007/sticky-solution-sought-for.html

Area Police Chiefs and Dallas Mayor Laura Miller Announce A New Law Enforcement Campaign Targeting Individuals Furnishing Alcohol To Minors


The North Texas Police Chief’s Association, the Alliance on Underage Drinking (ALOUD), the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announces a new enforcement campaign titled “Parents Who Host, Lose the Most.” This campaign is the latest in zero tolerance enforcement of underage drinking laws that targets parents and teens that furnish alcohol to minors.

According to the Alcoholic Beverage Code (§106.06), a person commits an offense if they purchase an alcoholic beverage for, or gives, or with criminal negligence makes available an alcoholic beverage to a minor. An offense under this provision is a Class A Misdemeanor, and individuals adjudged guilty can be punishable by a fine up to $4000; confinement in jail for a term up to one year, or; both such fine and confinement.

A press conference will be held on Wednesday, April 3, 2002, at Dallas City Hall Plaza, detailing the new initiative. Attending will be Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, Dallas County District Attorney Bill Hill, the Administrator for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Rolando Garza, and several North Texas Area Police Chiefs.

Local police departments are working in partnership with ALOUD to launch a public awareness campaign in an attempt to reduce venues that serve alcoholic beverages to underage persons. Increased criminal penalties will be filed where clear evidence is found that adults and/or teens have furnished alcohol to minors.

“We hope to reduce the overall numbers of underage drinkers by placing more criminal responsibility on those who host the parties. Additionally we want to emphasize that teens can be charged with providing alcohol to other teens. Up until now, area law enforcement officers have been writing tickets (Class C Misdemeanor) for possession of alcohol or consumption of alcohol. Little has been done to address those who host the party to begin with,” says campaign spokesman Chief Darrell L. Fant of the Highland Park Department of Public Safety.

The campaign provides information about Texas laws and publicizes an anonymous toll-free number, 1-888-843-8222, which can be used to report violations of Texas’ underage drinking laws, including the provision of furnishing alcohol to minors.

“Too often parents look the other way when it comes to teen drinking, assuming it is a ‘rite of passage’. It is not unusual for well meaning parents to provide alcohol to their teen’s friends at home parties. We want to educate parents that providing alcohol to teens other than their own children is illegal and irresponsible,” says ALOUD Chairperson, Janet Harrison.

This enforcement campaign will commence as teens begin this year’s spring break, proms and graduations, which have traditionally been occasions where underage drinking occurs the most.
Source: www.gdcada.org/coalitions/aloud/release.htm

Ghostly Event Teaches Impact of Drunk Driving


Clinical nursing students at an Eastern Kentucky University public health class will be helping to implement the Ghost Out program to educate high school students on the dangers of impaired driving.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/communitystories/2006/ghostly-event-teaches-impact.html

Screening for Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Questionnaire Is Best


The results of this study confirm that a validated questionnaire is more sensitive, more specific, and cheaper than blood tests, and therefore is the best way to screen for unhealthy alcohol use.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2006/screening-for-unhealthy.html

Collaborative Launches Online Search for Workplace Alcohol Screening


Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems and Network of Employers for Traffic Safety have joined together to find promising workplace alcohol screening and intervention techniques.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/announcements/2006/collaborative-launches-online.html

Liquor Company Objects to Racing Sponsorship


Liquor company Pernod Ricard is threatening to withdraw from the industry alcohol-education group The Century Council, saying the group should not be involved in sponsorship of auto racing.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/liquor-company-objects-to.html

N.C. County Establishes Teen Drinking Hotline


Residents of Mecklenburg County, N.C., who are suspicious about a party that could involve teen drinking can now call a hotline to inform police.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/nc-county-establishes-teen.html

More Communities Target Parents Who Allow Underage Drinking


Parents in more U.S. communities are facing fines and other penalties for allowing underage youths to drink in their homes, according to participants at the annual National Leadership Conference in Baltimore, Md., the Associated Press reported.

"The word is out that if you are going to have a home party you are going to get a citation if it's an underage-drinking party," said Dan Hicks of the Ventura County (Calif.) Behavioral Health Department. The county recently passed a civil-host liability law that hits parents with fines of up to $1,000 for knowingly hosting youth drinking parties. In Long Beach, N.Y., the city council recently made it a crime for adults to serve alcohol to underage drinkers, with penalties including fines of $250 and up to 15 days in jail.

Supporters of the laws acknowledge that enforcement is difficult, so they're hoping that publicizing the penalties will serve as a deterrent. "You want them to be thinking before the party's planned, before things start happening," Hicks said.

Most of the laws have been passed on the local, rather than state, level. "Those are where the action is lately, because communities realize they need to tailor these laws to local concerns," said Stacy Seatta of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, which studies youth drinking.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/more-communities-target.html

Mass. Launches New Recovery High School


This fall will mark the launch of the Northshore Recovery High School, a state-subsidized school designed for students who have had problems with drugs and alcohol.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/communitystories/2006/mass-launches-new-recovery.html

Trends in American Drinking


Americans are drinking alcohol more often, and beer is back on top as the beverage of choice, according to a new Gallup Poll.
Source: www.webmd.com/content/article/125/116113.htm

Mixer-Nixers: Top 10 Drinking Dangers


When the good times start to roll, there's more to staying safe than handing over your car keys and avoiding prescription medications. In fact, there are some serious drinking dangers that can turn your happy hour into a trip to the emergency room if you mix your favorite cocktail with something risky -- or something ordinary for that matter.
Source: www.webmd.com/content/Article/125/116048.htm?printing=true

Is Alcohol a Truth Serum?


A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts. Is there any truth to this old saying?
Source: www.webmd.com/content/article/126/116198.htm

Web Surveys May Be Reliable in Estimating Secondary Effects of Substance Use in College Population
Web surveys can effectively collect data on consequences associated with substance use by college students, according to a study of students attending a large Midwestern public university in 2001.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2006/web-surveys-may-be-reliable.html

Is She Drinking?


An estimated 4.5 million tween and teen girls drank alcohol last year, but most moms say they never knew about it. Sixteen percent of 13- to 16-year-olds admitted they drink with friends, while only five percent of moms think their daughter is drinking, according to a survey of mother-daughter pairs by the Century Council, a group of leading alcohol producers. Thirty percent of 16- to 18-year-old girls drank, but just nine percent of the mothers were aware.

Try exploring www.girlsanddrinking.org with your daughter, and start getting real honest about drinking. When girls and adults share the truth on why and how they drink, girls get great guidance for better choices.
Source: Daughters, May/June, 2006

Tell the FTC to Get Tough on Alcohol Marketing


The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plans to issue a new report examining alcohol industry marketing practices. Tell the FTC that you want to see a strong report that holds the alcohol industry accountable.
Source: members.jointogether.org/campaign/ftc

'Thoughtful' Beer Ads from Miller?


A new series of beer ads from Miller depict men talking about manhood rather than featuring comely blonds or party-hearty young men.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/thoughtful-beer-ads-from.html

FASD May Cause Sleep Disruptions, Study Says


Prenatal alcohol exposure may disrupt the circadian rhythms of children later diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome disorders, contributing to sleep disruptions and other problems, researchers say.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/research/summaries/2006/fasd-may-cause-sleep.html

Budweiser Formula Evolved to Encourage Greater Consumption


Anheuser-Busch has tinkered with its products over the past half-century, decreasing the bitterness of its beers in a step that encourages consumers to drink more than one or two.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/budweiser-formula-evolved-to.html

Murder Doesn't Deter Young Women from Partying


Cell phones, a comfort level with strangers born of anonymous Internet communications, and role models like the ladies from "Sex in the City" have given young women a sense of security while out drinking that hasn't been seriously dented by the brutal murder of one of their contemporaries.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/murder-doesnt-deter-young.html

Fact Sheet: Beer Consumption and Taxes


This fact sheet contains information on public opinion as well as beer use in the adolescent and general population.
Source: www.cspinet.org/booze/beertax.htm

N.J. Parents Advocate for Nickel Tax Increase to Fund Treatment


The Parents to Parents Coalition (P2P), a group advocating for New Jersey to raise its alcohol tax by a nickel a drink to provide more funds for addiction treatment, recently took its case to Gov. Jon Corzine, the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported.

Members of the group -- many of whom have lost children to drug overdoses -- came to Rowan University for a Corzine budget speech. They presented Corzine with one of the glass jugs that they are using to collect nickels as part of the campaign.

The proposed tax increase could raise $10 million for treatment, they said, roughly doubling current state spending.

"I'm tired of burying people we should be treating," says Joni Whelan, CEO of the SODAT (Services to Overcome Drug Abuse Among Teenagers) treatment program.

So far, the Just a Nickel campaign has not attracted any legislative support. But the P2P members continue to collect their nickels -- which they say will be used to fund treatment until the state takes action.
Source: www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2006/nj-parents-advocate-for.html

This drunk driving jerk was dressed to kill


Meet Kevin Rutkowski. The 23-year-old Wisconsin nitwit was arrested Saturday night and charged with vehicular homicide in connection with a crash on Interstate 39. Police officers estimated that an inebriated Rutkowski was driving about 100 mph before he slammed his car into a truck driven by David Heffernan. The 57-year-old victim was ejected from his vehicle after it crossed the median and flipped over. When Marathon County Sheriff's deputies arrested Rutkowski, who fled the accident scene, he was, remarkably, wearing a t-shirt with the phrase "I can't be drunk...I'm still drinking." Below you'll find a copy of Rutkowski's booking photo. Charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and hit and run resulting in death, Rutkowski is being held in lieu of $50,000 cash bond. He is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court on May 28 for a preliminary hearing.
Source: www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/rutkowski1.html

Resource:

Center for Science in the Public Interest: Alcohol Policies Project
1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20009-5728
Phone: 202.332.9110
Website: www.cspinet.org/booze

Everclear Alcohol Incident at Drake University May Lead to Ban in Iowa


What started as a typical Saturday night for a Drake University student turned into a life-threatening nightmare when he drank so much of a potent liquor called Everclear that his blood-alcohol content hit .50, six times the legal limit of .08.

Nathan Erickson, a freshman pledge of Drake University's Phi Delta Theta fraternity, spent the evening of Nov. 7, 2009, drinking 151-proof Everclear at an unofficial frat house referred to as "The Carter." Early Sunday he was found passed out on the couch by Alexander Timm, a Phi Delta Theta resident, who was returning home from a night of bartending.

Erickson was taken to a Des Moines, Iowa, hospital where he made a full recovery, and was back in class a week later. Erickson's lawyer told me that though Erickson was not punished by Drake or charged with any crime, he now hopes to "put his head down, get back into his studies and be a normal student."

Usually, underage drinking violations are dealt with in a low-key manner by campus security at private colleges such as Drake. Students found to be in violation of alcohol laws might be given a paper to write and a meeting with the dean of students. But the events of this particular weekend of college partying have led to a state-wide discussion on what needs to be done to control underage binge-drinking, and specifically, whether Everclear should be made illegal in Iowa.

Since Erickson was still a pledge of the fraternity, the event was considered hazing. Soon after the incident, three Phi Delta Theta members were suspended, two were arrested and charged with serious misdemeanors, and the entire Drake chapter was suspended for four years. Now, further measures are being taken in an effort to crack down on the problem.

Everclear was made illegal in Iowa in its 190-proof form a few months ago, but is still readily available in its 151-proof form. The state is considering taking it off the shelf in all forms because so many young Iowans have had close calls with it. Iowa's Alcoholic Beverages Division Administrator Lynn Walding told me that many have been voicing opinions that there is no legitimate purpose for the beverage and that it is too difficult to consume responsibly. One unit of Everclear is comparable to drinking 14 beers.

"The danger is how quickly that can elevate someone to a state of intoxication," said Walding. "Someone who doesn't have experience with alcohol can quickly find themselves in a dangerous situation. If you drink half a bottle of Everclear, that can be lethal. What we are seeing, and what we have heard of, are young people, often underage, who don't have that familiarity with alcohol to know any better." Although many Iowans are adamant supporters of a ban, public opinion has been leaning two-to-one in favor of personal responsibility.

Those against the ban believe that consumers will just make the drive out of state to purchase the product. Some say it should not be made illegal because while it's sold as a drink ingredient, with a price of around $15, it offers a cheap alternative to sterilization materials for laboratories. One unidentified person commented to the Iowa ABD that being able to buy undenatured alcohol from local liquor stores is more convenient and cheaper than going to scientific supply houses, where the cost can be three to 10 times higher. Still others think it should not be banned because when mixed with other non-alcoholic beverages, it can provide for a one-of-a-kind taste.

I contacted Luxco, the maker of Everclear, and asked if a ban could mean cutbacks in their Iowa offices. The state manager declined to comment , other than to say that Luxco would send a representative to a public forum scheduled for Jan. 26 at Drake University, during which a commission from the IABD will discuss its thoughts.

Though the IABD will make the final decision as to the future of Everclear, the commission is also taking suggestions from the public at the Iowa ABD Web site. Walding said that IABD members would be in touch with other states for advice about the potential ban as well, just as they spoke with Vermont administrators about their ban on 190-proof Everclear before enacting similar measures.
Source: www.politicsdaily.com/2010/01/08/everclear-alcohol-incident-at-drake-university-may-lead-to-ban-i/?icid=main|htmlws-sb-n|dl1|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicsdaily.com%2F2010%2F01%2F08%2Feverclear-alcohol-incident-at-drake-university-may-lead-to-ban-i%2F

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