NEWS FROM PARTICIPATING STATES
Kansas – A news article in the Kansas City Star dated April 6, 2009, reported that the University of Kansas is reviewing its policies that prohibit the release of student records to parents under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This review was prompted by the death of a 19 year old student who had previously been kicked out of a university residence hall for repeated alcohol related offenses. Before his death, the student’s father unsuccessfully attempted to obtain information about his son’s violations.
Missouri – An Associated Press article dated April 1, 2009, reported that a mother and friend face felony child-endangerment charges for serving alcohol to 13- and 14-year old girls at a birthday party. Two youth were taken to a hospital for possible alcohol poisoning after passing out. For more information on this case that has shocked the Kansas City community, click here.
Montana – An Associated Press article dated April 1, 2009, and picked up by KPVI News 6 (Missoula) reported on a new University of Montana (UM) study that says alcohol abuse costs the state's economy more than half a billion dollars per year in medical costs, lost wages, and productivity, as well as other public and private spending. To view the UM Bureau of Business and Economic Research report on the cost of alcohol abuse, click here. The report highlighted several interesting data including:
- Overall consumption of alcohol per person of drinking age in Montana has historically been 15 to 20 percent higher than the national average (page 4);
- According to the Center for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS), in 2005 more than a third of high school students in Montana experienced a binge drinking episode, consuming five or more drinks within a couple of hours within the last 30 days, a higher percentage than any other state in the country (page 5).
Wyoming – In support of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) “Reach Out Now - Teach-In” program,
First Lady Nancy Freudenthal joined local prevention experts in Fremont County on April 2 and 3 to teach fourth and fifth graders about the dangers of alcohol and underage drinking. According to a press release about the event, First Lady Freudenthal said, “Most fourth and fifth graders in Wyoming are not using alcohol, but it is a decision many face. In the United States, more than 10 million young people ages 12 to 20 are underage drinkers. Far too many children are beginning to drink at a dangerously early age. This Teach-In is an important step in helping our kids get a clear and consistent message at home and at school that underage
drinking is dangerous, illegal, and unacceptable.” For more underage drinking prevention efforts, visit the First Lady’s website at http://www.wfli.org/.
NEW RESOURCE FOR PHYSICIANS AIMED AT ENABLING BRIEF INTERVENTIONS FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE
A news advisory from the National Institutes of Health dated April 6, 2009, announced that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will release their new Physicians’ Outreach Initiative (NIDAMED) during an event at the National Press Club on April 20, 2009. In sync with research that supports the value of screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment in medical settings, NIDA has developed an online screening tool and quick reference guide that will enable medical professionals to screen their patients for substance use. Among the distinguished speakers at the event will be Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., Acting United States Surgeon General; and Michael Maves, M.D., M.B.A., Executive Vice President & CEO, American Medical Association
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC) REPORT ON THE SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN BINGE DRINKING
The topic of the April 3 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) [58(12); 301-304] was “Sociodemographic Differences in Binge Drinking Among Adults --- 14 States, 2004.” The report used data from the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey, the most recent data available on binge drinking prevalence, frequency, and intensity (i.e., the number of drinks consumed per binge episode). The results of the analysis indicate that the prevalence of binge drinking during the preceding 30 days was highest among men, 18-24 year-olds and 25-34 year-olds. When adjusted for sex and age, the prevalence was highest among non-Hispanic whites and persons with household incomes >$50,000. Age- and sex-adjusted data also indicated that the average number of binge drinking episodes was highest among binge drinkers with household incomes <$25,000 (4.9 episodes), and the average number of drinks per binge episode was highest among non-Hispanic blacks (8.4 drinks) and Hispanics (8.1 drinks). According to the report, “these findings underscore the need to implement effective population-based prevention strategies (e.g., increasing alcohol excise taxes) and develop effective interventions targeted at groups at higher risk.”
PUBLIC LINKS ALCOPOPS TO UNDERAGE DRINKING, ACCORDING TO A NEW POLL
An article from the University of Michigan’s Health System newsletter reported on findings from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Researchers found that 92% of adults polled support warning labels, and 84% support marketing restrictions for flavored alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, 52 % of adults believe definitely or probably that alcopops encourage underage drinking. The Director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health noted, "We also found in this poll that about 75-percent of adults in the United States are concerned underage drinking is a problem.” The report in the newsletter provides more data on public opinion about alcopops, information for parents, and information on the methodology of the study.
SCOTLAND OFFICIALS ADDRESS THE HUMAN COST OF ALCOHOL USE
The human costs associated with alcohol use in Scotland were highlighted in an article published in Medical News Today on April 2, 2009, following the release of a report published by the British Medical Association. In the report, The Human Cost of Alcohol Misuse, data were provided about the rise in chronic disease, death, and morbidity associated with alcohol consumption. For example, there has been a 400% rise in alcohol-related liver disease since 1996. In regard to underage drinking, the deputy chairman of the BMA’s UK Board of Science said, “We continue to see children as young as 13 or 14 in our community hospital unconscious as a consequence of alcohol which has become the obligatory social lubricant for almost every event. The cost of all of this on the individuals concerned and on friends and families that surround them are incalculable."
NEWS FROM THE VOICE OF AMERICA ABOUT ALCOHOL ON CAMPUS
A Special English Report from the Voice of America titled, Studying in the US: Alcohol on Campus, discussed the variance of policies about alcohol use on college campuses in America. Among the policies discussed was a requirement by colleges and universities to report legal violations by international students to the Department of Homeland Security. According to the article, international students should be advised that these violations, even minor ones, can have a lasting impact on their records. [Note: The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/About/index.cfm.]
|
