Binge Drinking News and Research

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Alcohol-related liver disease rising among young Britons

According to latest National Health Service (NHS) figures the number of people under 30 admitted to hospital in the past decade has risen by more than 50 per cent. 351 people aged 30 and under were admitted to an English hospital with alcohol related liver disease in 2009/10, up from 230 in 2000/01. That is still only a small fraction of the 14,500 people aged 31 or over who were admitted for alcohol-related liver problems in the last year.

26 Jan 2011

Alcohol statistics in Australia: Beer low wine high

New statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistic (ABS) on alcohol and wine consumption released on Tuesday show beer consumption is now at its lowest level in 61 years. It is making up less than half of all the pure alcohol consumed in Australia.

19 Jan 2011

Binge drinking associated with adverse health risks

Binge drinking, an activity that many young people engage in, has associated adverse health risks and we need to do a better job of controlling overall alcohol usage, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

19 Jan 2011

Australian drug survey reveals teenage drug use trends

According to the latest national drug survey, ‘2008 Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug Survey’, more school students use the drug ecstasy, but fewer of them smoke. The report came out this Tuesday.

18 Jan 2011

Beer cheers for health: Study look at beer, Mediterranean diet and heart

A new study shows that people who drink moderate amounts of beer, ale or lager reduce their risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. The study involved 1,249 volunteers over 57 years old who combined a Mediterranean diet (fish, olive oil, and fruits and vegetables) with exercise and up to a pint of beer a day. People, who drank beer in moderation, had a lower body fat content.

17 Jan 2011

Amount of alcohol and pattern of consumption affect risk of cognitive impairment

Previous research regarding the association between alcohol consumption and dementia or cognitive impairment in later life suggests that mild to moderate alcohol consumption might be protective of dementia. However, most of the research has been conducted on subjects already rather elderly at the start of the follow-up. A new study published in the December issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease addresses this problem with a follow-up of more than two decades.

11 Jan 2011

Behavioural changes suggested for preventing binge drinking

Richard Thaler, a professor at Chicago University, and a key adviser to the British Prime Minister on behavioural economics has suggested that large group of drinkers should forgo the long-standing tradition where each one has to buy a drink for the entire party in order to stop binge drinking. This is a part of the “nudge policy.”

5 Jan 2011

Tips to prevent a hangover

Dr. Andrew Yacht, director of the division of general medicine and vice chair of medicine for education at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City said, “Alcohol clearly causes hangovers, but why it causes hangovers isn’t very well understood…Part of the suspected cause is dehydration and an electrolyte and hormonal imbalance. Some of the symptoms may be caused by low blood sugar. Or, it may be that the direct toxic effects of alcohol are causing the symptoms.”

2 Jan 2011

Alcohol worries

Festival season usually means excessive and binge drinking leading to accidents and other health concerns say experts. With the outrage of anti-alcohol groups laws may be tightened but many experts feel that it is not the alcohol that needs to be focused on but the people who over-indulge.

28 Dec 2010

CAMY reports 71% increase in youth exposure to alcohol ads

Youth exposure to alcohol advertising on U.S. television increased 71 percent between 2001 and 2009, according to a report released today by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

16 Dec 2010

CADCA applauds Senators for introducing STOP Act

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) applauds Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), for today introducing the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act Reauthorization, legislation designed to prevent underage drinking.

15 Dec 2010

Lowering legal drinking age would be ineffective in reducing binge drinking in colleges

Although presidents at some U.S. colleges have argued that lowering the minimum legal drinking age could help curb binge drinking on campuses, a new study in the January issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs suggests such a measure would be ineffective.

13 Dec 2010

Alcohol drinking pattern impacts coronary heart disease

A fascinating study published in the BMJ shows that although the French drink more than the Northern Irish each week, as they drink daily, rather than more on less occasions, the French suffered from considerably less coronary heart disease than the Northern Irish.

3 Dec 2010

Teen brain responds differently to drugs than adult

New research released today shows teenagers respond differently to drugs than adults and explores the long-lasting effects of drug use on brain development. One study shows people who start using drugs at a young age have greater cognitive shortfalls, including mental flexibility. Animal studies also suggest adolescents are more susceptible to lower doses of cocaine, are willing to work more for a cocaine "fix" than adults, and are at risk of developing compromised stress responses.

17 Nov 2010

Teenage binge drinking could cause mental health problems in adulthood: Study

Binge-drinking teenagers may be putting themselves at higher risk in adulthood for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, Loyola University Health System researchers report.

16 Nov 2010

Light alcohol consumption benefits post-coronary bypass patients

Light to moderate alcohol consumption (about two to three drinks daily) among male coronary artery bypass patients was associated with 25 percent fewer subsequent cardiovascular procedures, heart attacks, strokes and death compared to non-drinkers, in a study presented at the American Heart's Association's Scientific Sessions 2010.

15 Nov 2010

Community-wide prevention strategy helps reduce student drinking

Heavy drinking among college students results in over 1800 deaths each year, as well as 590,000 unintentional injuries, almost 700,000 assaults and more than 97,000 victims of sexual assaults. In a new study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers report on the results of the Safer California Universities study, a successful community-wide prevention strategy targeted at off-campus settings. This is one of the first studies to focus on the total environment rather than on prevention aimed at individuals.

12 Nov 2010

Female veterans less likely to engage in binge drinking

According to a new spotlight by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), female veterans aged 20-39 are far less likely to engage in binge drinking or the use of substances such as cigarettes and illicit drugs than male veterans of the same age group.

12 Nov 2010

Multi-tiered effort reduces drinking on college campuses

A multi-tiered effort designed to stem binge drinking at a large university and to change the drinking culture among its students produced notable results during the 2.5 years of an Indiana University study.

11 Nov 2010

Hypernetworking and hypertexting bad for kids in more ways than one: Study

According to a new study adolescents who text excessively or who are hooked on social networking sites are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors like smoking and binge drinking than their peers who are not similar users. Scientists at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine surveyed 4,257 high school students from an urban county in the Midwest to look at the health effects of communications technology usage.

9 Nov 2010