News and Notes
2010; Wiley; Volume: 105; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03010.x
ISSN1360-0443
Tópico(s)Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
ResumoAddictionVolume 105, Issue 5 p. 942-945 Free Access News and Notes Compiled by Peter Miller, Jean O'Reilly and Molly Jarvis First published: 08 April 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03010.xAboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ADVOCACY BODY LAUNCHED A new coalition of health and community organisations from across Australia has been created to reduce alcohol-related harm. The National Alliance for Action on Alcohol (NAAA) comprises an initial 26 major organisations with a focus on public health and alcohol and will invite further membership from other organisations concerned to reduce alcohol problems. One in five Australians aged 14+ years drinks at short-term risky/high-risk levels at least once a month. This equates to more than 42 million occasions of risky or high-risk drinking in Australia each year. The cost to the Australian community from alcohol-related harm in 2004/05 was estimated to be more than $15 billion, including $3.5 billion in lost productivity in the workplace. On average, one in four hospitalisations of young people aged 15–24 occurs because of alcohol. ‘The majority of Australians say we have a national drinking problem and want to see more action to prevent alcohol-related illness, injury and death,' said Professor Mike Daube, Chair of the NAAA and President of the Public Health Association of Australia. Todd Harper, CEO of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and NAAA co-convenor said: ‘This is the first time such a broad group of health organisations has come together to pool their collective expertise around what needs to be done to address Australia's drinking problems’. Initial priorities for the NAAA will be: reforming alcohol taxation; buying-out by government of alcohol sponsorship in sports and the arts; increasing investment in prevention; strengthening the regulating of alcohol advertising; introducing health information labelling on alcohol products, including point-of-sale promotions; and tightening controls on the sale and supply of alcohol. ALCOHOL AND ENERGY DRINKS ADD UP TO HIGHER INTOXICATION LEVELS, INCREASED DRIVING RISK Combining alcohol with energy drinks that contain caffeine may create a dangerous mix, according to University of Florida research. In a study of college-aged adults exiting bars, patrons who consumed energy drinks mixed with alcohol had a threefold increased risk of leaving a bar highly intoxicated and were four times more likely to intend to drive after drinking than bar patrons who drank alcohol only. ‘Previous laboratory research suggests that when caffeine is mixed with alcohol it overcomes the sedating effects of alcohol and people may perceive that they are less intoxicated than they really are,’ said the study's lead researcher Dennis Thombs, an associate professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions' Department of Behavioral Science and Community Health. ‘This may lead people to drink more or make uninformed judgments about whether they are safe to drive’. Data for the study were collected in 2008 from more than 800 randomly selected patrons exiting bars in a college bar district between the hours of 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Bar patrons who reported drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks - 6.5% of study participants - were three times more likely to be intoxicated than drinkers who consumed alcohol only. The average breath-alcohol concentration reading for those who mixed alcohol and energy drinks was 0.109, well above the legal driving limit of 0.08. Consumers of energy drink cocktails also left bars later at night, drank for longer periods of time, ingested more grams of ethanol and were four times more likely to express an intention to drive within the hour than patrons who drank alcohol only. Source: University of Florida Health Science Center, http://news.health.ufl.edu/news/story.aspx?ID=5508 CARLSBERG, STELLA ARTOIS AND BECKS TO BE SHAMED OVER WARNING LABELS The London Evening Standard has reported that the alcohol giants behind Carlsberg, Stella Artois and Becks are to be ‘named and shamed’ by the UK Government over their failure to adopt health warning labels. The move has been prompted by research showing the firms, who invest millions in UK sports sponsorship, are the worst offenders in the industry. As seen in almost every country around the world, while a voluntary system of ‘safe drinking’ labels was agreed between ministers and the drinks industry three years ago, only a tiny percentage of advertising actually meets the agreed standard. A UK Government-commissioned report has shown that just 15% comply with the code. Of great concern was that most failed to provide adequate warnings for pregnant women. The Royal College of Physicians described drinks makers' failure to adopt health labels as ‘scandalous’ and called for mandatory codes to be introduced. At the same time, brewers have pointed to their membership of front bodies such as the Portman Group and Drinkaware as signs of corporate responsibility—a claim which appears to have little validity in the face of this research and one which highlights the public relations function of such bodies by companies who cannot adhere to their own codes. Source: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23805237-carlsberg-stella-artois-and-becks-to-be-shamed-over-warning-labels.do PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE MEDICINE EDITORS ANNOUNCE NEW POLICY ON TOBACCO PAPERS In a February 2010 editorial, the PLoS Medicine editors announce that they will no longer consider papers for which support for the study or the researchers is provided – in whole or in part – by a tobacco company. They cite partial motivation from a recently published study. The study, using internal tobacco company documents unsealed through litigation, provides further evidence of the already well-documented strategy of deception used by the tobacco industry to further its commercial activities 1. The editors go on to say ‘Tobacco interests in research cannot have a health aim—if they did, tobacco companies would be better off shutting down business—and therefore health research sponsored by tobacco companies is essentially advertising. Publication is part of tobacco company marketing, and we believe it would be irresponsible to act as part of the machinery that enhances the reputation of an industry producing health-harming products’. Source: The PLoS Medicine Editors (2010) A New Policy on Tobacco Papers. PLoS Med 7(2): e1000237. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000237 Reference 1 Smith K. E., Fooks G., Collin J., Weishaar H., Mandal S., Gilmore A. B. (2010) “Working the System”—British American Tobacco's Influence on the European Union Treaty and its Implications for Policy: An Analysis of Internal Tobacco Industry Documents. PLoS Med 2010; 7: e202. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000202 CrossrefWeb of Science®Google Scholar DRUG USE IN NEW ZEALAND Key findings about drug use (other than alcohol and tobacco) for recreational purposes in the New Zealand adult population have been released. These findings are from the 2007/08 New Zealand Alcohol and Drug Use Survey 1. A publication about alcohol use by New Zealand adults was released in 2009. The survey was carried out from August 2007 to April 2008. The prevalence of having ever used drugs for recreational purposes was highest for cannabis (46.4%), Benzylpiperazine (BZP) (13.5%), LSD and other synthetic hallucinogens (7.3%), amphetamines (7.2%), kava (6.3%) and ecstasy (6.2%). The prevalence of having used drugs for recreational purposes in the last 12 months was highest for cannabis (14.6%), BZP party pills (5.6%) and ecstasy (2.6%). The report showed that one in six (16.6%) New Zealanders aged 16–64 years had used drugs recreationally in the past year. Although some population groups—in particular men, people in younger age groups, and those of European/other or Maori ethnicity—were more likely to have used any drugs in the past year, the survey found that drug use is relatively common in many parts of society. In a related piece of news, the most significant review of New Zealand's drug law has begun. An independent law advisory body, the Law Commission, released an issues paper, ‘Controlling and Regulating Drugs’. Their paper traces the history of drug policy and regulation in New Zealand, and reviews the current approach to drug control and regulation. It makes some preliminary proposals for how New Zealand's drug laws can be updated to put in place a modern and evidence-based statute. The Commission said current drug law: ‘no longer provides a coherent and effective legislative framework for responding to the misuse of psychoactive drugs. [. . .] The Act is now outdated and does not reflect current knowledge and understanding about drug use and related health, social and economic harms’. For the full report and to make a submission, visit: http://www.talklaw.co.nz. For additional information on the review of the Misuse of Drugs Act (1975), visit: http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/ProjectIssuesPaper.aspx?ProjectID=143. Reference 1 http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/pagesmh/9841/$File/drug-use-in-nz-2007-08.pdf Google Scholar FIRST RESULTS IN UNITED STATES IN 20 YEARS FROM CLINICAL TRIALS OF SMOKED CANNABIS Researchers from the University of California's Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR) have found ‘reasonable evidence that cannabis is a promising treatment’ for some specific, pain-related medical conditions. Their findings, presented to the California legislature and public, are included in a report available on the CMCR web site at http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu. The study focused on illnesses where current medical treatment does not provide adequate relief or coverage of symptoms. The study's authors believe that these findings provide a strong, science-based context in which policy makers and the public can begin discussing the place of cannabis in medical care. The researchers have completed five scientific clinical trials, with more in progress. These studies showed that cannabis can be helpful in easing pain in selected syndromes caused by injury or diseases of the nervous system and possibly for painful muscle spasms due to multiple sclerosis. Source: http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/health/02-18MarijuanaTherapeuticValue.asp METHADONE NOW AVAILABLE IN AFGHANISTAN On 23 February 2010, the first patients in Kabul, Afghanistan received methadone within the Médecins du Monde Harm Reduction Programme. More than two years after the National Consensus Conference on OST was held with the participation of the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, a comprehensive range of harm reduction services has now been made available in Afghanistan. Source: International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), Médecins du Monde: http://medecinsdumonde.org/gb/International/Afghanistan WEIGHT WATCHERS ENDORSES A WINE FOR DIETERS Weight Watchers has endorsed the Balance wine range by McWilliam's Wines. The McWilliam's Balance range contains 8.5% alcohol, making it lower in alcohol and calories than regular table wine. A 150ml glass of wine equals one Weight Watchers point and one standard drink. ‘We're really pleased to have this endorsement from Weight Watchers,’ said McWilliam's winemaker, Jim Brayne. ‘It's fulfilling to know that we're giving people who like to enjoy a glass of wine a lower kilojoule and lower alcohol option. Our alignment with Weight Watchers is about making dining out and entertaining easier’. Source: Amy Looker, ‘Weight Watchers Endorses McWilliam's Balance Range,’The Shout. Available at: http://www.theshout.com.au/2010/01/18/article/Weight-Watchers-Endorses-McWilliams-Balance-Range/OGSHLCNOWZ BEER WITH 32% STRENGTH LAUNCHED The BBC reports that a controversial Scottish brewery launched what it says is the world's strongest beer—with 32% alcohol content—called ‘Tactical Nuclear Penguin’. The brewery, BrewDog of Fraserburgh, was previously branded irresponsible when it produced an 18.2% beer called Tokyo. Health groups have called the product a cynical marketing ploy. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/8380412.stm CONFERENCES AND EVENTS National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers Annual Conference, 22–25 May 2010, La Cantera Resort, San Antonio, Texas, USA. Website: http://www.naatp.org/conferences/annualconference.php The American Psychiatric Association's 2010 Annual Meeting, 22–26 May 2010, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Website: http://www.neworleanscvb.com/mini/index.cfm/minisiteID/47/hit/1/ Association for Psychological Science 22cd Annual Convention, 27–10 May 2010, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Website: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/convention/ 36th Annual Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society, 31 May–4 June 2010, Lausanne, Switzerland. Website: http://www.kbs2010.ch/ The Society for Prevention Research (SPR) 18th Annual Meeting: Cells to Society: Prevention at All Levels, 1–4 June 2010, Denver, Colorado, USA. The International Program and the Prevention Research Branch of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) will host the 3rd Annual NIDA International SPR Poster Session at this event. Website: http://www.preventionresearch.org/meeting.php Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP) 2010 World Congress, 6–10 June 2010, Hong Kong, China. Website: http://www.cinp2010.com National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) International Forum: Drug Policy, Research, and the Public Good, 11–15 June 2010, Fairmont Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Website: http://international.drugabuse.gov/information/intl_forum_2010.html The College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) 72cd Annual Meeting, 12–17 June 2010, The Fairmont Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. Website: http://www.cpdd.vcu.edu/ 2010 UK National Smoking Cessation Conference, 14–15 June 2010, Radisson Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland. Website: http://www.uknscc.org/2010_UKNSCC/intro.html Inaugural National Indigenous Drug & Alcohol Conference (NIDAC 2010), 16–18 June 2010, Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, South Australia. Website: http://www.nidaconference.com.au/ 4th European Alcohol Policy Conference, 16–18 June 2010, Brussels, Belgium. Website: http://www.eurocare.org/press/upcoming_events/4th_european_alcohol_policy_conference_16_18_june_2010_brussels The International Narcotics Research Conference, 11–16 July 2010, Hilton Hotel, Malmö, Sweden. Website: http://www.inrcworld.org/2010/2010mtg.htm The International AIDS Society's 18th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2010), 18–23 July 2010, Vienna, Austria. Website: http://www.aids2010.org/ Translational Research in Methamphetamine Addiction Conference, 19–21 July 2010, Chico Hot Springs and Day Spa, Pray, Montana, USA. Website: http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/neurosciences/TRMA2010/ The 20th Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society, 24–27 July 2010, Scandic Star, Lund, Sweden. Website: http://www.cannabinoidsociety.org/SYMPOSIUM.2010/index.html International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ISBRA) 2010 Congress, 13–16 September 2010, Paris, France. Website: http://www.isbra2010paris.org/ International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) Annual Meeting, 30 September–3 October 2010, Hotel Josef, Prague, Czech Republic The International Society of Addiction Medicine 12th Annual Meeting, 4–7 October 2010, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. Website: http://www.isam2010.medicina.unimib.it/ Congrès International Francophone d'Addictologie—Prévenir et Traiter les Addictions Sans Drogue : Un Defi Societal, 6–8 October 2010, Nantes Cité Internationale des Congrès, Nantes, France. Website: http://www.crje.fr/congres_2010_annonce.html The American Association of for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence National Conference, 23–27 October 2010, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Website: http://www.aatod.org/2010chicago.html Addictions 2010. The New Frontier in Addiction Treatment: Evidence-Based Policy and Practice, 28–31 October 2010, Sheraton National, Arlington, VA, USA. Website: http://www.addictions-conference.elsevier.com Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA) 34th Annual National Conference, 4–6 November 2010, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Website: http://www.amersa.org, or contact Doreen Baeder at doreen@amersa.org. American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, 6–10 November 2010, Denver, Colorado, USA. Website: http://www.apha.org/meetings/ 53rd International Council on Alcohol and Addictions (ICAA) Conference on Dependencies, 7–12 November 2010, Cancún, Mexico. Website: http://www.icaa.ch/mexico2010.html Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, 13–17 November, San Diego, California, USA. Website: http://www.sfn.org/am2010/ Alcohol Policy Conference Series #15: Policies for Reducing Problems Associated with Alcohol Availability. 5–7 December 2010, Washington Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, DC, USA. A thematic meeting of the Kettil Bruun Society, organized by the Silver Gate Group. Website: http://www.silvergategroup.com/ap15/index.htm News and Notes welcomes contributions from its readers. Send your material to Peter Miller, News and Notes Editor, Addiction, National Addiction Centre PO48, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF. Fax +44 (0)20 7848 5966; e-mail molly@addictionjournal.org Conference entries should be sent to Jean O'Reilly at jean@addictionjournal.org. Subject to editorial review, we will be glad to print, free of charge, details of your conference or event, up to 75 words and one entry only. Please send your notification three months before you wish the entry to appear. Volume105, Issue5May 2010Pages 942-945 ReferencesRelatedInformation
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