Alcohol Related Services Act of 2009 (AB 1019)

From Marin Institute - The Alcohol Related Services Act (AB 1019) is a bill authored by Assembly Member Jim Beall (D - San Jose). The legislation establishes the Alcohol-Related Services Program (ARS) within the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.

WHY AN ALCOHOL FEE?

- Published research has shown that alcohol causes more than $38 billion in harm annually. Of this amount, approximately $8 billion is paid for by the California government (by both state and county agencies).
- The ARS Program is specifically designed to mitigate the enormous social and economic harm caused by alcohol sales in California. The bill would assess a mitigation fee (not a tax) on spirits, wine and beer, equivalent to 10 cents a drink for beer, wine, and spirits.
- Because the bill creates a fee program, only a majority vote of both houses is required, with the Governor’s signature. This mitigation fee, or charge for harm, will generate approximately $1.44 billion to pay for alcohol-related services in California.
- Currently, the alcohol industry bears no economic responsibility for the problems its products cause. California lags in charging for alcohol harm compared to the progress made in tobacco control over the last 40 years. Most of the fees will be paid by the heaviest alcohol producers, which are foreign corporations such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, SAB Miller, and Diageo.

For the complete story or to take action click here to visit the Marin Institute website.

Marin Institute Publishes New Guide For Regulating Alcohol Advertising

Critical Tool for Advocates and Policymakers to Protect Youth

From Marin Institute - Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, today released the country’s first guide to restricting out-of-home (OOH) alcohol advertising. The guide will help policymakers draft effective state and local laws to minimize youth exposure to ubiquitous alcohol advertising in the 21st Century.

“Decades of research and common sense tell us that the more often youth are exposed to alcohol ads, the more likely they are to drink,” stated Marin Institute’s Research and Policy Director Michele Simon. “Marin Institute’s new guide offers new tools to local and state advocates and lawmakers to enact legally-defensible policies to protect youth from harmful messages that lead to problem drinking.”

Out-of-home advertising encompasses traditional billboards, ads plastered on public transit vehicles, buildings and “street furniture” such as newspaper stands and kiosks, as well as new high-tech options like video display terminals, digital billboards, and ambient advertising. Spending on such advertising venues grew to over $8 billion dollars in 2008, with the alcohol industry being one of the largest purchasers.

To read the complete press release and to download a copy of the guide click here.

The NSDUH Report: Nonmedical Use of Adderall® among Full-Time College Students

Nearly 90% of the full-time college students who had used Adderall® nonmedically in the past year also were past month binge alcohol drinkers and more than half were heavy alcohol users.

From the Office of Applied Studies (OAS) - Among persons aged 18 to 22, full-time college students were twice as likely to use Adderall® nonmedically in the past year as those who had not been in college at all or were only part-time students.

Students under the legal drinking age who used Adderall® were also more likely to be binge drinkers or heavy drinkers than their underage counterparts who had not used Adderall® nonmedically.

For more interesting statistics from OAS and to read the National Survey on Drug Use and Health report click here.

To learn more about risks and consequences, signs and symptoms of the abuse of prescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin click here to visit Parents. The Anti Drug.

Why are college students abusing stimulant drugs? For some insight to this question click here to visit the website of University of Miami's student newspaper The Miami Hurricane or click here to read an interesting article from Canada's McLean's Magazine.

Report: Alcohol Laws Save Lives

It is estimated that zero-tolerance and purchase/possession laws save 732 lives each year.

From Join Together - Laws that prevent alcohol purchases and possession by youth are the most effective at preventing drunk-driving fatalities, according to a new report that also praises as effective license suspensions for underage alcohol offenses and zero-tolerance laws for drivers under 21 found with alcohol in their system.

HealthDay News reported April 6 that researcher James C. Fell of the Pacific Institute on Research and Evaluation estimated that zero-tolerance and purchase/possession laws save 732 lives each year, and that another 165 lives could be saved annually if all states adopted the most effective laws.

'Use-and-lose' laws cut alcohol-related traffic crashes by 5 percent, according to the study, which looked at national databases on drunk driving and six state laws aimed at reducing underage drinking and four other laws that addressed drunk driving in general.

To read the complete story visit Join Together here.

New Study Reveals Snapshot of a Binge Drinker

CDC Says Typical Binge Drinker is White, Young, Relatively Affluent Male

From Join Together - A new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that binge drinking is most common among whites, men, individuals aged 18-24, and those with an annual income of more than $50,000 annually, HealthDay News reported April 2.

CDC researchers studied data on about 63,000 Americans and found that 17.5 percent of binge drinkers were white, 24.3 percent were male, and 27.4 percent were between the ages of 18 and 24 (24.4 percent were ages 24-34).

To read the complete story in Join Together click here.

What defines binge drinking? What are the risks? To learn more click here.

For more information on binge drinking specifically in adolescents and college students visit SAMHSA here.

For a variety of scientific research news about binge drinking visit ScienceDaily.

Spring is in the Air: Underage Drinking Prevention in Stanislaus County

Programs take aim at teens:
Proms, grad nights can lead to drinking

From the Modesto Bee - Spring is when the weather gets warmer, the sun shines brighter and flowers blossom.

It's also a time for high school proms, senior trips and graduation, all occasions in which some teens celebrate with alcohol.

To combat the surge in teen drinking over the next few months, law enforcement and school officials have increased their efforts to educate students about the risks of underage drinking. High schools tackle the problem in a variety of ways, from guest speakers and health fairs to assemblies and the "Every 15 Minutes" program, where fake DUI deaths or car accidents are staged near campus.

To read the complete story in the Modesto Bee click here.

To learn more about what can be done by young people and their families to prevent risky behaviors during end of the school year celebrations visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (SAMHSA) Health Information Network here.

For information about countywide Party Patrol efforts visit BHRS' Crowd Project website.

States Looking at Alcohol in a New Light

From Marin Institute - Legislative bodies in numerous states have introduced bills regarding alcohol advertising, alcopops, and/or taxes on alcoholic beverages. Also, a few governors have included alcohol taxes in recent state budget proposals.

To find out more or to take action on important issues related to alcohol click here to visit the Marin Institute's website.

Current information for California can be found by visiting the California State Legislature's website.

Report: Treatment Admissions for Prescription Pain Killers on the Rise

Largest share of treatment admissions is still for alcohol abuse, but a significant decrease seen over the past decade

Released March 17, 2009 from SAMHSA - Treatment admissions for prescription pain killer misuse has risen dramatically over the past decade – from constituting 1 percent of all admissions in 1997 to now representing 5 percent, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) 2007 Highlights report also indicates that although alcohol-related admissions still account for the largest share (40 percent) of the 1.8 million treatment admissions occurring throughout the country during 2007, this reflects a reduction from 50 percent in 1997.

The TEDS 2007 Highlights report is the latest in a series of yearly reports, developed by SAMHSA, providing demographic and other information on substance abuse treatment admissions from state licensed treatment facilities (most of them publicly-funded) across the country. Although it does not include information on all treatment admissions, it is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind and provides a vast array of specialized data on the characteristics of substance abuse treatment in the United States.

To read the complete release in the SAMHSA Newsroom click here.

Is it an epidemic? Click here to learn more about prescription drug abuse.

Study: Alcohol Images Increase Consumption

"Money, not morality, is the principle of commerce and commercial nations." -Thomas Jefferson

From Marin Institute - There have been numerous studies evaluating the media’s influence and portrayal of alcoholic beverages. But until now, there has never been research conducted on whether alcohol in commercials, television or the movies have an actual effect on drinking behavior.

A new study published in Oxford Journals: Alcohol and Alcoholism shows that alcohol images directly influence drinking. Participants of the study increased alcohol consumption when watching films and commercials featuring alcohol.

The study’s findings are timely, considering Absolut Vodka’s recent ad which ran during the Grammy Awards, reaching a primetime audience of underage youth. Paris-based, global alcohol giant Pernod Ricard was the first to disregarded the long-established voluntary liquor ad ban on U.S. TV.

The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) maintains an up-to-date gallery of print and television alcohol advertising. To view the gallery click here.

To view CAMY's recent report "Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising on Television, 2001 to 2007" click here.

Shoulder Tap Operations: Think Twice About Buying Alcohol for Minors

25 arrested in Stanislaus County on suspicion of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

From the Modesto Bee - Authorities say some adults still are buying booze for minors, so more than 50 law enforcement officials hit the streets Saturday in Stanislaus County and 11 other Northern California counties in a coordinated effort to catch these people.

The officials participated in an undercover sting called a "shoulder tap," in which underage decoys stood outside stores and randomly asked adults to buy them a six-pack.

The entire operation, coordinated by Modesto police, was the largest ever such sting in Northern California, with officials from 17 law enforcement agencies working on the same day, said Modesto police Detective James Rokaitis.

For the complete story in the Modesto Bee click here.

Why is 21 the legal drinking age? Find out more here.

"Support 21 Act of 2009" (H.R. 1028)

From Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) - On February 12, 2009 Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) and Mary Bono Mack (CA-45) introduced the "Support 21 Act of 2009" (H.R. 1028), legislation to advance the nation’s efforts to prevent and reduce underage alcohol use and its devastating consequences. Representatives DeLauro (CT-3) and Wamp (TN-3) are also original co-sponsors. We congratulate the sponsors for their efforts to address this important youth health and safety concern, and urge support for the bill.

Alcohol is the nation’s number one youth drug problem, causing 5,000 deaths per year among persons under 21. Confronting alcohol problems requires a commitment to a comprehensive national prevention strategy. The "Support 21 Act of 2009" will build on the success of the "Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act," enacted in 2006, to strengthen the ability of government and communities around the nation to help construct and implement that needed national strategy.

For the complete story and video of the bill being introduced on the house floor visit CSPI here.

To view the document in The Library of Congress click here.

In An Absolut World: Vodka Ads on Network TV

From Marin Institute - Disregarding the long-established voluntary ban on liquor ads on TV, Absolut Vodka and its owner, French corporate giant Pernod Ricard, have opened the alcohol advertising floodgates by running an ad on CBS during the Grammy Awards on February 8, 2009.

This dangerous move by Pernod Ricard and CBS places profits ahead of public health and sets into motion the dismantling of a system of self-regulation created by an industry already known for egregious advertising.

The 30-second Absolut spot was the first spirits commercial to appear on a national broadcast TV show, running in 15 of the largest media markets on CBS and affiliate local stations. Determined to push media boundaries, Pernod Ricard reached a primetime audience of underage youth who tuned in to watch their favorite teen idols on the popular music awards show.

How does advertising impact young people? To learn more about the effects of alcohol advertising and marketing on youth visit The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth.

Drinking Raises Cancer Risk for Middle-Age Women

Even one drink a day poses danger, large study finds

Research involving more than a million middle-age women finds that even moderate drinking raises risks for breast, liver and other cancers.

"Even relatively low levels of drinking -- on the order of one alcoholic drink per day -- increase a woman's risk of developing cancer," said lead researcher Naomi Allen, from the cancer epidemiology unit at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. "Because a high proportion of women drink low amounts of alcohol regularly and because most of the increased risk is for breast cancer, the risk among women associated with drinking alcohol is of particular importance."

To view the complete story in the U.S. News and World Report click here.

The report is published in the Feb. 24 online edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

CBS News' 60 Minutes: Drinking Age Debate

The Debate On Lowering The Drinking Age
60 Minutes: Some Say Age Should Be Lowered To 18, But MADD And Others Strongly Disagree

February 22, 2009 (CBS) - Last fall, a group of over 100 college presidents - including the heads of Dartmouth, Virginia Tech and Duke - signed a declaration stating that the 21-year-old drinking age is not working, and fireworks went off. But the college presidents got what they wanted: a national debate about the drinking age. When the age was raised to 21 in the mid-1980s, the goal was to reduce highway fatalities. But everyone knows that the 21 age limit hasn't stopped minors from drinking.

And now some experts believe it's actually contributing to an increase in extreme drinking.

Lesley Stahl examines the debate over lowering the drinking age to 18, a controversial idea embraced by some people and roundly criticized by others.

View the CBS News video of Lesley Stahl's report here.
Read the complete CBS news story here.

Alcohol: A Women's Health Issue

From NIAAA. Alcohol presents yet another health challenge for women. Even in small amounts, alcohol affects women differently than men. In some ways, heavy drinking is much more risky for women than it is for men.
With any health issue, accurate information is key. There are times and ways to drink that are safer than others. Every woman is different. No amount of drinking is 100 percent safe, 100 percent of the time, for every woman. With this in mind, it’s important to know how alcohol can affect a woman’s health and safety. How much is to Much? Read the complete report here.