Report: The Annual Catastrophe of Alcohol in California

From the Marin Institute. Landmark study: Marin Institute has conducted a landmark research study, estimating the total annual cost of alcohol problems in the state of California. The results include deaths, incidents, and economic costs to individuals and to society. We calculated the annual costs to the health care and criminal justice systems, the lost productivity from deaths, illness, and injury, and the reduced quality of life. Our findings indicate that moderate-to-high alcohol consumption in California requires serious andimmediate attention.
Read the complete report here.

MHSA Prevention & Early Intervention Planning Begins

Stanislaus County's MHSA Prevention & Early Intervention planning begins. Visit the planning website at www.stanislausmhsa.com for more information. 

From alcohol to smoking, valley's diagnosis remains not so good, study say

From the Modesto Bee. Although the numbers have dropped in recent years, the hard drinking and two-packs-a-day cigarette habit are threatening the health of many valley residents, says a study released Thursday.

Central Valley residents outpace the rest of the state in alcohol and tobacco use. They also are more likely to die from heart attacks, strokes or cancer, health conditions often tied to smoking and alcohol abuse, says a Great Valley Center study on the health status of the Central Valley.

Excessive drinking in the valley has declined since 2003, when almost 30 percent of residents told a statewide survey they had at least one heavy drinking episode in the past month.

Read the complete article here.

Police, teens step up against underage drinking

From the Modesto Bee. Remember the warm summer nights you used to spend during school break sharing beers with friends under the open sky deep in a field so no one would spot the party?

Those days are over.

Not only are law enforcement officers stepping up efforts to crack down on teen drinking and those who enable it, teens themselves want to quell a problem that can continue to dog them in adulthood.

Read the complete story here.