Alcohol Consumption

Even Light Alcohol Consumption Not a Health Benefit

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Several years ago a study came out stating that alcohol was good for your health. The studies showed that drinking in moderation could be good for your heart. However, a new study was conducted showing that this is not true. Alcohol is not good for your health. According to the new study, one drink a day that contains alcohol could increase the risk of heart disease.

The study looked at information taken from 260,000 people. The outcome of the study was that even those that do not consume much alcohol could cut their risk for heart disease by cutting down on the amount of alcohol they drink. “The best thing to do is to reduce consumption to reduce blood pressure and risk of heart disease” said Juan Casas, professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and also the lead author of the study. Casas hopes that the study will influence policy makers now that they know that alcohol does not carry any health benefits. He explained that when people thought that there might be some healthy components to drinking in moderation it was hard to decide how much was too much. Now that the results are in and alcohol only does harm to people, policy makers can adjust laws accordingly.

The study looked at people that carried a variant of the alcohol dehydrogenase 1B gene. This gene causes unpleasant side effects when drinking; therefore these people tend to drink less. When researchers studied these people they found that they have a 10% lower risk of coronary heart disease, they have lower blood pressure and a lower body mass index.

Casas explained that previous studies, stating that consuming alcohol in moderate amounts was healthy for one’s heart, did not take into effect the lifestyle of those who didn’t consume alcohol. Casas points out that those who do not drink, or rarely drink, are more likely to participate in physical activity and lead generally healthier lives. Casas also said that the previous studies included those individuals who didn’t drink because of health reasons. That would falsely indicate that people who do not drink are unhealthy.

Lawmakers are currently reviewing the guidelines on how much to drink, they are taking this study into account.

Homeless Alcoholics Commonly Start Drinking as Children

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A new study at Bellevue Hospital in New York City has shed light on the life of a homeless alcoholic and found that they typically begin drinking as children. 100% of the patients enrolled in the study began drinking at a young age, becoming alcohol-dependent soon after.

“For people who have homes and jobs, it is difficult to imagine the level of despair these people experience day in and day out, or the all-consuming focus on getting the next drink that overrides even the most basic human survival instinct,” said study author Dr. Ryan McCormack of New York University School of Medicine.

McCormack, along with his team, interviewed 20 alcohol-dependent, homeless patients who had four or more annual visits to Bellevue Hospital’s emergency department for two consecutive years. Most end up in the ER because of public intoxication.

Of the 20 patients, 13 reported abuse in their childhood homes, 13 had alcoholic parents, 19 left home by age 18, one was married, and none of the patients had jobs. The three interviewees who were military veterans said that military life amplified their alcohol use.

All 20 patients cited their alcoholism as the primary reason for living on the street. According to the report, 11 had definitive psychiatric diagnoses in the mood, psychotic, or anxiety spectrums. Every patient had entered detoxification programs in the past.

The researchers added that within a year of being interviewed for the study, one quarter of the patients had died as a direct result of their alcoholism. Alcohol-attributed causes of death included liver or lung cancer, vehicular trauma, assault, and hypothermia, noted the report.

“As their capacity to envision a future diminishes, they increasingly lose motivation for personal recovery,” said McCormack. “An alcoholic is first a human being. We hypothesize that more accessible, lower-barrier, patient-centered interventions that support alcohol harm reduction and quality of life improvement can be translated into the emergency department setting and this population.”

Man Arrested for Giving Alcohol to Children

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A Rhode Island father was accused of getting his ten year old daughter and her three friends drunk. Parents of one of the friends sent their daughter to the hospital after she came home extremely intoxicated. They then called the police to notify them that Paul White had provided their daughter with alcohol. The couple was concerned because White also has a ten year old daughter in the home that was drinking.

When police arrived at the home they found White’s ten year old daughter under the influence of alcohol. She was unable to stand and her speech was very slurred. Emergency responders had to take her out of the home on a stretcher. Investigators found empty bottles of alcohol strewn about the home and a bucket filled with vomit.

White was immediately taken into custody and held on a $1,000 bail. Upon exiting his home in handcuffs, his neighbors cheered that he was being arrested. He is forbidden from communicating with anyone under the age of 18 until after his trial. Police suspect that White purchased alcohol for the children earlier in the day and then went back to the liquor store to purchase more alcohol for the children later in the evening. They are also concerned that White poured vodka shots for the children.

White claims that he had no idea that the children were drinking. He states that they got into the alcohol when he was not looking. Investigators are still looking into the incident, and a pre-trial conference is scheduled for July 1, 2014.

White’s daughter is currently in the care of Child Protective Services and will remain so until after the trial. Parents of the daughter’s friends hope that White never gets custody back of the minor child. They are concerned that he will let her consume alcohol again and this time she may not survive. The amount of alcohol that she had appeared to consume prior to emergency services arriving was extensive.

Louisiana Considers Allowing Alcohol in Theaters

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A bill is currently on Governor Bobby Jindal’s desk. The bill is named Senate Bill 654 and has created quite a stir in Louisiana. The bill would allow movie theaters across the state to sell alcoholic beverages to its customers. While the bill made it through the Senate fairly easily, members of the House of Representatives are strongly divided over the passing of the bill.

The bill was not expected to pass the vote in the House of Representatives, but it managed to make it with just enough votes. Interestingly, State Representative Alan Seabaugh was not in attendance when the votes were being taken. Despite him not being present, his voting machine shows he voted for the bill. This indicates that someone used his voting machine to vote the bill through. Seabaugh has been vocal that he would never have voted for the bill to be passed. Due to this discrepancy, the legality of the bill’s passing is surely going to be called into question.

The public has gotten news of the bill and are letting Governor Jindal know that they are in opposition to its passing. Many church groups are rallying together to write letters to Jindal letting him know that they do not want their children in that sort of environment.

Movie theaters have long been a place where most parents feel comfortable dropping their children off to spend time with friends. Louisiana citizens are concerned that now that movie theaters are going to allow alcohol they will not be able to trust that their children will be safe. Many people are pointing out the obvious problem of the combination of a dark room and alcohol. Underage drinking isn’t usually a problem in movie theaters but may start to become a problem if the bill is passed by Governor Jindal.

Supporters of the bill liken this to drinking in restaurants. They indicate that no one is upset that alcohol is served at the same table where a child is seated in a restaurant. Those that oppose the bill point out those movie theaters are not restaurants and families should have an alcohol-free place to take their children. It is unclear whether or not Bobby Jindal is planning on approving the bill.

Scientists Explore Possible Cause Behind Alcohol Abuse

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For several years the popular theory behind alcoholism is that alcoholics have a delayed reaction to alcohol – therefore causing them to drink more. For instance, someone who drinks and feels the effects of the alcohol quickly is less likely to be an alcoholic. This way of thinking may be replaced with new findings from a six-year study.

In fact, scientists have noticed that those who feel the effects of alcohol quickly are more likely to become addicted. Andrea King, PhD, and a professor at the University of Chicago, points out that these new conclusions go against what we have typically believed about alcohol addiction in the past. And while alcohol is the most abuse drug in our society, it is surprising that we are still unsure of the cause of the addiction.

The study Dr. King and her team conducted consisted of 190 people that were not alcoholics. They were split into two groups. One group was given alcohol and the other was given a placebo. Those participants that were light drinkers felt more sedated, whereas those that were heavier drinkers felt more energy. Dr. King believes that feeling sedated is a defense that stops the person from binge drinking.

Additionally, these participants were followed up with six years later. Interviews with the participants supports the findings that the quicker the person feels the effects of alcohol the more likely they are to become addicted.

“There’s so much we don’t know about development of alcohol problems and becoming an alcoholic. We really wanted to look at how one’s response to alcohol may relate to these behaviors over time,” stated Dr. King.

These findings may be helpful to those who are struggling with addiction, or who notice that they are binge drinking. Binge drinking would consist of more than four drinks in a sitting. By being aware of some of the indicators of alcohol abuse we can target our preventative and educational efforts to those who seem to be participating in binge drinking.

Powdered Alcohol Makes a Brief Debut

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There has been a buzz this week surrounding the news of the supposed approval for sale of powdered alcohol called simply Palcohol. Reports surfaced that the substance was given the green light by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau earlier this month.

Then news hit again that the agency postponed that approval pending a possible labeling issue. If it does get ultimate approval, this will be the first and only product like it on the market. The Palcohol website chides news sources as promoting incorrect information and insists it was a small and easily fixable issue.

Palcohol was invented by a man named Mark Phillips and is being packaged and distributed by a company named Lipsmark. It is available in V for vodka and R for rum, as well as some mixed drink flavors. The concept is that it is distilled aclohol in powdered form, so that once you add 5 oz. of water to a packet it is the equivalent of one standard drink.

It is billed as being portable for adults on the go who want to be able to have alcohol available to them without having the hassle of lugging bottles around, but the form seems susceptible to being abused by young people. Lipsmark says on it’s site that it has added extra powder to the formula as a deterrent to snorting it, but non-descript powders can be easily masked by teens and the abuse potential still seems high.

Whether or not the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau winds up giving permanent approval for Palcohol remains to be seen. If it does, then new challenges will have to be met to help limit potential damage by this new substance. Although the substance is different, the synthesis of it presents similar problems to other powdered drugs and teens.

Liam Neeson Talks About Quitting Drinking

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neesongqActor Liam Neeson hits the cover of GQ Magazine and opens up about his life. One of the topics that came up was his drinking. While the 61 yr-old actor said he really only had one thing that he would drink, he said he was drinking too much after his wife died, and he decided it just wasn’t healthy.

Neeson was quoted as saying, “I was just — I was drinking too much. It started since my wife died. Pinot Noir: That’s all I drink. I was never into spirits or liquor, hard liquor. And I gave up the Guinness years ago, because it just past an age, it sticks to you, you know? So last year, I just thought — they’ve been throwing these action movies at me, and I thought, ‘Okay, let’s just change it a little bit.’ And it’s been great. I love it.”

Late last year Bradley Cooper was also on the cover of GQ and he talked about his decision to stop drinking as well. Both of these leading men commented on the benefits of their decision to stay sober and they both are also considered to be at peaks in their careers.

Many actors tend to get caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle that includes lots of parties and alcohol, and when you throw in difficult situations such as losing a loved one then it can often escalate the tendency to seek relief from substances.

Liam’s admission of his heavier drinking and subsequent cessation should serve as positive examples that people can recognize when something isn’t healthy in their life – such as substance abuse – and make changes accordingly.

Can Driving Regulations Reduce Underage Drinking?

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One of the biggest things in life that most teenagers look forward to is the ability to drive a care, legally, by themselves. The freedom of finally being able to go somewhere without having to rely on someone else can be exhilarating for a 16 yr old. So how can driving regulations possibly reduce the amount of underage alcohol consumption?

Several practices that were recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General are credited with lowering teenage drinking in recent years, as indicated by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The tactics have included restriction on young drivers being allwed to drive at night, and strict license suspension policies surrounding these regulations. In addition to the driving issue, additional areas of were partnerships between college campuses and the community, and routine screening by physicians to identify and counsel underage drinkers.

According to NIAAA acting director Kenneth Warren, Ph.D., “The downward trend in underage drinking and alcohol-related traffic deaths indicates that certain policies and programs put in place at the federal, state, and local levels have had an impact.”

Overeall alcohol use and heavy drinking have declined among 8th- 10th- and 12th-grade students. One study indicated that alcohol use among high school seniors dropped from more than 66 percent in 2007 down to 62 percent in 2013. While these aren’t dramatic results, it does show statistically valid improvement.

Of course laws and regulations alone cannot be the primary factors, but every little bit helps. Reducing underage drinking helps do cut down on traffic accidents, unwanted pregnancies, the spread of STDs and much more.

Study Shows Russians Who Drink More Vodka Have Shorter Life Expectancy

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russianvodkaRussia has been known for many things over the years, and one connection that has stood out consistently is vodka. However, the consumption of the distilled spirit has had its peaks and valleys during various political regimes and regulations. A new long-term study that examined mortality rates in Russian men found a correlation involving vodka consumption.

Published in the British medical journal The Lancet, researchers followed more than 150,000 people in Russia for over ten years. What they found was that Russian men who drank three or more half-liter bottles of vodka per week had significant risk of dying before the age of 55, compared to those who drank less than one bottle per week. The study was jointly funded by the British Heart Foundation, Cancer REsearch UK, WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer and the UK Medical Research Council.

According to news reports, lead researcher Dr. David Zaridze of the Russian Cencer Research Center of Moscow said, “High mortality absolutely is caused by hazardous alcohol consumption.” Much of the alcohol was consumed in binge-drinking episodes and patterns, which may also contribute to the high death rate. Some deaths were from conditions such as alcohol poisoning or cancer. Others were due to accidents, violence and even suicide.

Heavy alcohol consumption, whether in binge episodes or long-term drinking, can not only have seriously damaging health effects, but can also cost lives in other ways.

If you have a loved one with an alcohol problem, contact us to speak with a counselor who can help.

Poll Finds Most Teens Don’t Drink

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hsalcoholchartmaddMothers Against Drinking and Driving (MADD) and State Farm Insurance recently teemed up to conduct a survey of high school kids and alcohol consumption. Although only about 700 students were surveyed, more than three quarters of them from around the country said they did not consume alcohol. The numbers were fairly to those for 10th grade students across the country found by the Monitoring The Future Study. However, it is far from what was found for 12th grade students, where 42% of them said they had consumed alcohol within the past 30 days.

In the MADD survey, the top five reasons listed for teens not drinking were:

1. It’s illegal
2. Effect on health
3. Effect on grades
4. Parents don’t approve
5. Don’t want to be like others who drink

The findings for the poll were released to coincide with Red Ribbon Week, also known as national drug prevention week, which is October 23 – 31.