drinking

Alcohol-Related Sleep Disturbances Can Last Long After a Person Stops Drinking

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Most people know that drunken sleep is the worst sleep. Even if excessive alcohol consumption causes one to “pass out,” it is seriously detrimental to sleep quality. A study published early this year determined that the more a person drank, the faster they were able to fall asleep. Then, despite the amount of alcohol consumed, the participants experienced deep sleep during the first half of the night. However, researchers also found that sleep disruption, or waking after falling asleep, increased during the second half of the night.

Now, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are looking at how this alcohol-related sleep disruption actually happens. According to an article published in the online journal, Behavioral Brain Research, this disruption of the sleep cycle can occur in people who are actively drinking, suffering from withdrawal, or even when fully abstaining.

“Sleep-wake disturbances can last for months, or even years, after someone stops drinking, which indicates that chronic alcohol abuse could cause long-term negative effects on sleep,” said the article’s senior author, Subial Datta, BUSM professor of psychiatry and neurology.

The article explains how chronic alcohol use leads to dysfunction of cholinergic cells (cells that synthesize neurotransmitter acetylcholine) in an area of the brain stem involved in regulating many aspects of sleep. The disruption in the normal sleep cycle occurs as the activity of chemicals that excite neurons in the brain increases.

The article goes on to mention that although significant progress has been made in identifying the health risks of alcohol abuse and addiction, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that lead to sleep-wake disorders related to alcohol are poorly understood. As a result, Datta notes that more research is needed to identify exactly how these neurological changes are happening so that scientists may be able to create medications to treat alcohol-related sleep disorders in the future.

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.”

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.

New Survey Shows 20 Percent of Teens Think It’s OK for Designated Driver to Drink

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A disturbing trend that appears to be emerging among teenagers is that that one in five teens believe it’s okay for their designated driver to drink and use drugs, as long as they’re not “too impaired.” This mindset is extremely dangerous, which unfortunately costs lives of not only some of the teens involved, but potentially also to innocent people on the road.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), About 18 percent of fatal crashes involving 16 – 20 yr-olds included impaired drivers. Overall, more than 30 percent of the total deaths (about 10,000 lives lost) are alcohol-related each year.

Bloomberg reports that the information from the survey was provided by Liberty Mutual Holding. David Melton, managing director for global safety at Liberty Mutual, told Bloomberg that teens ““seem to think that unless they’re really falling-down drunk, that it’s OK for them to drive.”

Teens today are bombarded with a pop culture attitude that “partying” as much as possible is good. Reality show after reality show aimed at young people include drunk, obnoxious and irresponsible behavior that is popularized and even glamorized. Additionally, music in multiple genres today are heavily-laden with references about drinking, from pop and country to hip-hop and more.

In order to reverse trends such as the one mentioned in the survey, a full cultural shift must take place into one that doesn’t condone such behavior.

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.