Excessive Alcohol Consumption Costs U.S. $2 Per Drink

The costs to society from excessive drinking add up to $2 per drink, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The costs include lost work productivity, medical expenses and property damage from car crashes.

The CDC conducted a study that calculated the excess costs of heavy drinking and binge drinking, USA Today reports. The researchers defined heavy drinking as having an average of more than one alcoholic drink per day for women, an average of more than two alcoholic drinks per day for men, and any drinking by pregnant women or underage youth. Binge drinking was defined as having four or five alcoholic drinks on one occasion.

They estimated excessive drinking cost society nearly $224 billion—or about $1.90 per drink—in 2006, most of it related to binge drinking. Losses in workplace productivity accounted for 72 percent of the total cost, while health care expenses accounted for 11 percent.

The study will appear in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“This research captures the reality that binge drinking means binge spending and, left unchecked, the burdensome cost of excessive drinking will only go up,” CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, said in a news release. “Unfortunately the hangover is being passed on to all of us in the workplace and the health and criminal justice systems. The cure is responsible individual behavior combined with the successful policies we used to decrease smoking in the United States.”

Technology Shows Promise in Substance Use Prevention and Treatment

Computer programs and applications for cell phones and other mobile devices are increasingly popular as tools for prevention and treatment of substance use disorders.

These technology-based interventions can be used either as an adjunct to traditional treatment, or in some cases as a stand-alone therapy, according to Lisa A. Marsch, PhD, Director of the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at the Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center.

She is heading up several projects focused on developing and evaluating interactive, computer-based systems that deliver evidence-based interventions. “There are many psychosocial behaviors that are effective in treating substance use disorders, but there are challenges to finding the resources to deliver them, because of many reasons including staff training and turnover, and time constraints,” she says. “Using technology can improve substance abuse prevention and treatment in a way that is cost-effective and increases reach to new target audiences, including the many people with substance use disorders who are not in treatment. We are not trying to replace highly trained clinicians, but they are not always available.”

Her research has demonstrated that technology-based interventions can be as effective as science-based interventions delivered by highly trained clinicians. “We want to expand clinicians’ toolbox, so they can have more tools that can be accessed in a wide array of settings by diverse populations, either as a stand-alone or as a supplement to other models of care.”

Technology-based interventions can be made available in locations that may have limited resources for substance abuse treatment, including prisons and schools, Dr. Marsch notes.

One web-based program Dr. Marsch is testing is called Therapeutic Education System (TES), a self-directed interactive intervention for people with substance use disorders. TES is being studied in a multi-site clinical trial, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, as an adjunct to community-based, outpatient substance abuse treatment. It is also being tested in prisons and in methadone treatment centers, among other settings.

The program provides immediate feedback and requires participants to demonstrate mastery of the information and skills being learned. TES includes interactive video-based computer simulations of real-world experiences, to allow program users to imagine “what if” scenarios and possible behavioral choices.

For example, a video on learning skills to refuse drugs shows a young woman who tells a group of friends she doesn’t want the drugs they offer her. The program points out the young woman said the right things but did not have convincing body language. It instructs the user to watch the video again, this time paying particular attention to her body language. “Say no. Make continuous eye contact,” the program advises.

Technology-based interventions can also be delivered via mobile devices to individuals in drug treatment. In a pilot study, Dr. Marsch found that offering a behavioral intervention via a mobile phone app to clients in a methadone treatment center along with standard methadone treatment, led to significantly decreased opioid use. Using the app also helped patients stay in treatment longer. “They used the program on their mobile devices when they felt most at risk, any time of day or night,” she said.

She has also developed several substance abuse multimedia prevention programs for children and teens. Delivering substance abuse prevention and treatment interventions through technology can be a cost-effective way to reach this age group, Dr. Marsch concluded in a study published in 2007. One computer game for elementary school students in grades 3-5, called “Head On: Making Good Choices,” is designed to build up protective factors against drug use and other risky behavior.

Topics include how to establish and maintain healthy relationships, general decision-making skills, and consequences of substance use. Dr. Marsch studied the effectiveness of the program by comparing it to a life skills training course, delivered by educators, and to a control group that received no intervention. She found children who participated in the Head On group, for 15 sessions during the school year, had significantly greater knowledge about drug use compared with the other groups. Another version of the program, “Head On: Substance Abuse Prevention,” is designed for grades 6-8.

“If you develop these programs well, you can get reliably good outcomes,” Dr. Marsch says. “We’ve seen this in populations ranging from elementary school children to injection-heroin users.

California Governor Signs Bills Expanding Access to Syringes for Drug Users

California Governor Jerry Brown signed two bills that increase access to sterile syringes. The bills are designed to reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among people who use drugs.

The first bill allows people to purchase syringes at pharmacies without a prescription. According to the Los Angeles Times, buying syringes without a prescription is legal in most states.

The second bill allows California to authorize needle exchange programs in areas that are considered at high risk for the spread of disease. The bill will allow a needle exchange program in Fresno to operate legally. The program continued to run even after county supervisors decided not to legalize the operation in September. The program, which has been running for 15 years, exchanges up to 10,000 needles a week.

In a statement, Governor Brown said he believes the bill “can reduce the spread of communicable diseases and the suffering they can cause and, at the same time, respect public safety and local preference.

21 Dead From Bootleg Alcohol In Ecuador Town

QUITO, Ecuador — Authorities in Ecuador have banned the sale of alcohol in a community where 21 people have died after drinking bootleg liquor.

Public Health Minister David Chiriboga says 103 others have been treated for intoxication from adulterated alcohol in the coastal municipality of Urdaneta in Los Rios province, where eight were initially reported dead.

Chiriboga says police have seized 28 containers each with 55 gallons of alcohol contaminated with methanol. Methyl alcohol is a toxic substance sometimes used to illegally produce cheap liquor.

The health minister said Sunday that a law prohibiting the sale or consumption of alcohol has been in effect since Saturday in the area. The owner of the alcohol is being sought by police.

Now pregnant women are told: ‘It IS safe to drink daily glass of wine’

By FIONA MacRAE

Last updated at 23:16 10 October 2007

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The NICE draft says women should drink no more than 1.5 units of alcohol a day

Confusion over whether women can safely drink during pregnancy deepened yesterday with new guidance stating that a small glass of wine a day is okay.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said that women can drink up to 1.5 units of alcohol a day without harming their unborn baby.

This contradicts Department of Health advice that mothers-to-be should not drink at all and will leave women wondering which set of ‘official’ guidelines to follow.

In a draft document, NICE, which devises public health guidance for the Government, said the evidence behind the Department of Health’s call for abstinence is ‘unclear’.

After reviewing a series of studies on drinking in pregnancy, the NICE advisers, who include doctors and midwives, said that other than possibly increasing the risk of miscarriage, it appeared small amounts of alcohol did not harm the unborn baby.

Instead of cutting out alcohol altogether, pregnant women should limit their intake to 1.5 units a day and, if possible, avoid it in the first three months of pregnancy.

A small glass of wine counts as one unit, as does half a pint of ordinary strength lager, while a bottle of alcopop counts as 1.5 units.

A NICE spokesman said it was anticipated the Department of Health would issue ‘clear advice’ on the issue when the final version of the NICE guidance is issued next March.

However, the Department of Health said its advice to avoid alcohol all together was ‘straightforward’ and ‘simple’.

A spokesman said: ‘Although there is scientific uncertainty about the precise impact of excess alcohol on unborn babies, we believed the time was right to introduce a strong, consistent and precautionary approach.

‘Our advice is simple: avoid alcohol if you are pregnant or trying to conceive.’

Doctors said the mixed messages could only confuse pregnant women.

Dr David Williams, consultant obstetric physician at the Institute for Women’s Health at University College London Hospitals, described the Department of Health’s message of abstinence as ‘draconian’.

He said: ‘I think the NICE advice is accurate according to the data we have got ? a total ban is not a good thing. Most claim research shows that even very small amounts of alcohol can damage the health of the unborn child.

Dangers include foetal alcohol syndrome, which affects around 100 babies a year and causes low birth weight, flattened features, heart and kidney abnormalities, deafness and brain damage.

In addition, as many as 7,000 British babies a year are affected by the less serious foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which causes attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity and poor co-ordination.

The British Medical Association advises that pregnant women who drink as little as a small glass of wine a day should be counselled over their consumption.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that abstinence is the ‘safest option’.

And Andrew Shennan, professor of obstetrics for the baby charity Tommy’s, said: ‘The message from the Government provides a simple guideline for women to follow, insofar as no alcohol means no risk.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-486780/Now-pregnant-women-told-It-IS-safe-drink-daily-glass-wine.html#ixzz1RoVL4C6X

What do you think? Is it safe for women to drink while pregnant?

‘Bath Salts’ Growing Drug Abuse Problem

Makers of the product call it ‘bath salts,’ but it’s anything but a soothing way to relax in the tub. Instead, these little packets of powder carrying names like Ivory Wave, Bliss, White Lightning, Hurricane Charlie and Vanilla Sky are akin to synthetic cocaine or methamphetamine – and very dangerous.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/Portals/0/prrel/BathSalts11811.pdf) issued a press release Jan. 18 raising the alarm about toxic substances marketed as ‘bath salts’ and said states are beginning to take action. The products cause increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia and delusions.

What ‘bath salts’ are

‘Bath salts’ contain powerful stimulants methedrone and methylenedioxypyrovalerone, also called MDPV, and there have been scattered reports across the country of drug-induced deaths accidental overdose or suicide.

How are these chemicals used? According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, most patients calling the poison centers have snorted the substances. In at least one instance, the substance was injected into the individual’s veins.

Chemicals still legal for sale in U.S.

The big difference between ‘bath salts’ and cocaine and methamphetamine, which are classified as controlled substances by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), is that this latest designer drug – marketed as something not for human consumption — is still legal to be sold in the U.S. The same chemicals in the so-called ‘bath salts’ have also been sold as plant food, pond scum cleaner, and insecticide.

MDPV and mephedrone, according to the DEA, are chemicals of concern, but the agency is currently studying them. The result is that they’re legal at the federal level and in states that haven’t yet specifically prohibited them.

States take action

That’s changing quickly – at least at the state level.

After Louisiana had more than 160 poison control cases – and at least three deaths – linked to the chemicals in ‘bath salts,’ Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal banned the chemical ingredients in the stimulants in an emergency executive order this month. The order will remain in effect for 120 days. In order to become permanent, the state Legislature will need to act.

On Wednesday, Florida became the latest state to enact a ban on MDPV, a ruling that stands for 90 days.

North Dakota instituted a ban in February 2010. The city of Huntington, West Virginia outlawed MDPV and mephedrone last December. Officials in Kentucky, Mississippi and other states are beginning to take similar steps, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Always on the hunt for ways to skirt laws, makers of these designer drugs try to stay one step ahead of laws on the books and enforcement to catch offenders. It’s a frequently noted problem. By the time laws catch up to the producers of such drugs, the perpetrators have switched the formulation and morphed the substance into something new.

The Los Angeles Times article noted that California hasn’t yet seen the critical mass of this problem like Louisiana. The California Poison Control System has only received one call on ‘bath salts.’

Parents urged to safeguard children

Still, this issue isn’t going to fade away anytime soon. People can easily buy these ‘bath salts’ at any age. They are available on the Internet for about $20. Parents should be especially cautious and monitor their children’s spending closely, especially if there have been any reports of ‘bath salts’ usage in the area, if the kids talk about the latest cool and cheap way to get high, or parents notice unusual behavior that could indicate drug use.

Poison control centers across the country are ready to answer questions about ‘bath salts’ or any other product that could pose harm to users. Contact the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222

States reassess medical marijuana laws after warnings

Several U.S. states have started reassessing their medical marijuana laws after stern warnings from the federal government that everyone from licensed growers to regulators could be subjected to prosecution.

• 

  By Jessica Brandi Lifland, for USA TODAY

  More than a dozen states have approved the medical use of marijuana, which is not legal under federal law. About half of those states regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.

The ominous-sounding letters from U.S. attorneys in recent weeks have directly injected the federal government back into a debate that has for years been progressing at the state level. Warnings in Washington state led Gov. Chris Gregoire to veto a proposal that would have created licensed marijuana dispensaries.

Gregoire, the chair of the National Governors Association, now says she wants to work with other states to push for changes to federal marijuana laws to resolve the legal disputes caused by what she described as prosecutors reinterpreting their own policies.

“The landscape is changing out there. They are suggesting they are not going to stand down,” Gregoire said.

The Department of Justice said two years ago that it would be an inefficient use of funds to target people who are in clear compliance with state law. But U.S. attorneys have said in their recent memos that they would consider civil or criminal penalties for those who run large-scale operations — even if they are acceptable under state law.

In a letter to Gregoire, Washington state’s two U.S. attorneys warned that even state employees could be subject to prosecution for their role in marijuana regulation. The letter does not specify how that would happen, but the implication is that state workers who are involved in approving and regulating the sale of an illegal drug are committing a crime.

No state workers have been charged federally for regulating medical marijuana laws, and legal experts say such a move would be extraordinary — if not unprecedented in recent history. Gregoire said she didn’t want to take the chance, arguing that it would be irresponsible for her to leave her workers vulnerable.

Letters with various cautions have also gone to officials in California, Colorado, Montana and Rhode Island. Federal authorities recently conducted a series of raids at grow operations in Montana, helping push lawmakers to put stricter limits on the industry. Federal raids also targeted at least two dispensaries in Spokane on Thursday, a day before Gregoire decided to veto the proposed law.

More than a dozen states have approved the medical use of marijuana, which is not legal under federal law. About half of those states regulate medical marijuana dispensaries.

The impact of the U.S. attorneys’ letters is growing. New Jersey is in the process of preparing to implement its new medical marijuana law, but Gov. Chris Christie’s administration doesn’t want to get operations fully up and running until it can get some clarity about the legal warnings issued in other states and how they might affect New Jersey workers and marijuana operators.

“Those letters raised serious questions about legal jeopardy,” said Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak. The state’s attorney general has officially asked U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder for guidance.

Gregoire said she is interested in working with other governors to push for a change in federal law to reclassify medical marijuana as a Schedule 2 substance, putting it on par with addictive but accepted drugs such as morphine or oxycodone.

Justice Department officials said in 2009 that, as a general rule, prosecutors should not focus federal resources “on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana.” A memo on the subject did leave open the possibility of federal prosecution even when people comply with state law, but Holder indicated that would not be policy.

“The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law,” Holder told reporters at the time.

The latest memos carry a more direct warning: “We maintain the authority to enforce (federal law) vigorously against individuals and organizations that participate in unlawful manufacturing and distribution activity involving marijuana, even if such activities are permitted under state law.”

Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said in a statement that prosecutors aren’t going to look the other way while significant drug-trafficking organizations try and shield their illegal efforts through the pretense that they are medical dispensaries.

“We will not tolerate drug traffickers who hide behind claims of compliance with state law to mask activities that are clearly illegal,” she said.

The federal comments have angered supporters of medical marijuana, who had believed that the Obama administration was honoring state laws. Ezra Eickmeyer, political director for the Washington Cannabis Association, said it appears prosecutors are operating under a more aggressive policy.

“Coming in and trying to strong-arm legislatures is way over the top,” Eickmeyer said. “We would have expected this sort of thing form the Bush administration, but not Obama.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Study Finds Binge Drinking Associated with Impaired Memory in College Students

Binge drinking appears to hamper young adults’ ability to perform simple language and memory tests, a new study shows. The research suggests that drinking large quantities of alcohol in a short period may have an effect on the region of the brain involved in learning.

CNN reports that the study involved 122 college students between the ages of 18 and 20, about half of whom said they were binge drinkers. The other half drank alcohol moderately. All of the students performed learning and memory tests. First, they read lists of words and tried to remember as many as they could. Then they heard two stories and tried to retell them as accurately as they could.

The binge drinkers, both male and female, remembered fewer words and remembered about 4 percent less information from the stories compared with the moderate drinkers. The researchers said the results do not prove that binge drinking causes memory impairment. Students who have memory and learning problems may be more inclined to binge drink, they noted.

However they say the findings indicate a clear association between binge drinking and problems performing tasks linked to the hippocampus, the region of the brain that is involved in learning and is susceptible to the effects of alcohol

Try with a Smile on your face…

When our children were little and we wanted them to do something, we would ask them to try. However, in our house trying was often never enough; unless you actually took some action and did something.  To assist us we had a little song we would sing to them, and eventually with them that went something like this, “Try with a smile on your face, try with a smile on your face, try with a smile, try a little while, try with a smile on your face.” Now this silly little song was not meant to be good, however,  it was effective.  What I think made it effective was requesting that they actually do something.  And, in this case the something was smile.

So the question for you today is, do you try with a smile on your face?  You know that it actually requires more muscles to frown than it does to smile?  It seems there is a debate in the medical field over exactly how many muscles it takes, but the point is, smiling takes less effort. 

In yoga and meditation it’s often recommended that you smile during your session to increase the sensation of pleasure that is communicated to your brain.  Smiling also tends to lift your mood and triggers your brain into releasing chemicals enhancing your disposition and counteracting many of the negative effects of stress and depression.  And, I’m certain that none of you have ever experienced either of these. :-) 

Smiling appreciates your face value making you more approachable and giving the impression of likability.  Individuals who smile more appear more confident, open and accepting, which for anyone in business is essential.  If you’re in human services, or education it’s vital.  If you want to engage in any family or social group, it increases your potential for interaction. And it’s free! 

Be well,

John    

 www.krigerconsulting.com 

Middletown fire that killed four might have been caused by ‘improper disposal’ of cigarettes or matches

Middletown fire that killed four might have been caused by ‘improper disposal’ of cigarettes or matches

Published: Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 12:05 PM     Updated: Tuesday, April 19, 2011, 2:54 PM

MIDDLETOWN — A six-alarm blaze that killed four people in a Middletown home early this morning may have been caused by the “improper disposal” of cigarettes or matches, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

The fire erupted inside of a two-story home on Statesir Place around 3 a.m., according to Monmouth County’s First Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni, claiming the lives of four of the five residents inside.

Stephen Banovich, 63, managed to escape the fire moments before it engulfed the structure, killing his wife, daughter and two others, Gramiccioni said.

The victims have been identified as Sheridan Banovich, 63, Deidre Banovich, 23, Anthony Cadalzo, 25, and Denise DuSold, 60, according to Gramiccioni.

Cadalzo was apparently Diedre’s boyfriend, Gramiccioni said, and DuSold was Sheridan’s “sister or sister-in-law,” he said.

While authorities are still working to determine an exact cause, Gramiccioni said that his office is “unable to rule out the improper disposal of a cigarette or lighting materials,” as a catalyst for the blaze. The fire apparently started inside of a metal waste paper basket in a spare bedroom on the home’s first floor, before rapidly spreading through the building.

The fire was reported via a 9-1-1 call to Middletown police at 3:06 a.m., according to Gramiccioni, and emergency crews spent the next hour battling the raging blaze, eventually darkening the flames around 4 a.m.

• Four adults die in Middletown house fire

Ted and Carol Magee, who live across the street and down a few houses, said they were awakened by screams around 3 a.m.

“I opened the bedroom window and saw the whole front of the house on fire,” Carol Magee said.

Ted Magee said he watched in horror as the lone survivor, Stephen Banovich, paced back and forth in front of the smoldering structure, desperately searching for a way inside.

“There was smoke. He couldn’t get in,” said Magee, a longtime neighbor who lives across the street.

Kristen Dressler, 32, who lives across the street, said she and several other neighbors were awoken by the blaze as Banovich stood in the street, watching the fire rip through his home around 3:30 a.m.

“There was just nothing we could do,” she said.

Magee, who said he’d done some work on the house, was bringing clothing to the surviving family member.

“Seeing them brought out of the house in body bags was really rough,” he said. “They’re good people.”

Added his wife: “This is so devastating.”

Six fire companies and three first aid companies battled the blaze early this morning, Gramiccioni said. The Prosecutor’s Office and Middletown Police are investigating the blaze.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month:

Alcohol Facts You’ll Never Hear from Big Booze

National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) account for nearly 40% of this

amount. In the 2005-2006 election cycle, the NBWA’s political action committee

(PAC) is the second largest of all PACs, next to the National Association of

Realtors.

year in lost productivity and earnings due to alcohol-related illness, premature

death, and crime.

about 25% of all alcohol-related deaths. One-quarter of all emergency room

admissions, one-third of all suicides, and more than half of all homicides and

incidents of domestic violence are alcohol-related.

it the nation’s third leading cause of preventable death after smoking and obesity.

esophagus, throat, and larynx (voice box), as well as liver cirrhosis, immune

system problems, brain damage, and heart problems.

drinking prior to or at the time of the abuse.

20% of recipients took $10,000 or more).

Certain Genes Amplify Impact of Drugs on Brain

March 23, 2011

Research Summary

People with a specific genetic makeup experience greater loss of brain function when dependent on drugs, HealthDay reported March 8.

Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory used MRI scans and genotyping to study 40 men addicted to cocaine and compared them with 42 men who were not substance-dependent. They found that cocaine users with a specific genotype had fewer neurons in areas of the brain related to self-control, learning, memory, and decision-making.

In addition, they found that long-term concurrent use of alcohol contributed to further losses of gray matter. According to the study abstract, this was “likely to further impair executive function and learning in cocaine addiction.” Stopping substance use might stop such losses, the researchers said.

“This research shows that genes can influence the severity of addiction,” said Nelly Alia-Klein, Ph.D., who co-authored the study. “The results suggest that addicted individuals with low MAOA [monoamine oxidase A] genotype may need a different kind of treatment than other addicted individuals who carry the high MAOA genotype.”

According to Klein, it would be premature to change treatment approaches yet. “Only males were part of this study, and therefore it is important for future studies to examine these genetic and brain effects in females as well,” she said. “Also, further studies will have to be done to track these gene-brain behavior patterns throughout a life span that influence the volume of the brain’s neurons.”

The study, titled “Gene x Disease Interaction on Orbitofrontal Gray Matter in Cocaine Addiction,” appeared in the March 2011 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.