Don’t admit if you did inhale
PARENTS who believe honesty is the best policy may be getting it wrong when it comes to their past exploits with substance use, researchers say.
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Alcohol
The following articles have the tag Alcohol
GP who drank with patients spared
A GP who allegedly inappropriately prescribed restricted substances, made comments of a sexual nature to his receptionist, and went drinking with patients at his local bar has avoided being deregistered.
Unborn babies at risk as more women drinking and drug-taking
WOMEN are catching up to men in the way they abuse drugs and alcohol and are increasingly endangering their unborn babies.
Curb alcohol industry lure: AMA
DOCTORS have called on the federal government to clamp down on what the AMA claims are blatant efforts by the alcohol industry to lure young Australians into “early and potentially harmful drinking patterns”.
Police protection for unborn
THE Queensland Police Union has called for tougher laws to send risk-taking pregnant women into safe houses in an effort to monitor their behaviour.
Mixing alcohol with diet drinks increases drunkenness
PEOPLE who use diet soft drink as a mixer with alcohol are liable to become more intoxicated than those using full-sugar beverages, researchers warn.
Australians drinking less often
ON THE eve of Australia Day, a new survey has revealed Australians are drinking less often but still appear to have a "she'll be right" attitude towards their own habits.
Curb the festive feast and live longer?
BEFORE tucking into turkey over Christmas people should be aware that too much over-indulgence could shave hours off your life expectancy
Spike in drug-treatment seekers
A NSW drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre has experienced a spike in the number of people seeking treatment for amphetamine-type stimulants.
Novel approach to rural alcohol problems finds success
RISKY consumption of alcohol and related harms can be curbed through whole-of-community intervention, a groundbreaking NSW research program has shown.
Antidepressant use in pregnancy low
CLINICIANS need to be aware that women being treated for antenatal depression are more likely to be using other medications as well as smoke and drink alcohol more frequently.
Alcohol promotion on the web flying ‘under the radar’: AMA
ALCOHOL industry self-regulation of advertising to young people has failed, with Facebook and other social media sites enabling harmful “under the radar” promotion to young people, the AMA has warned.
Construction workers' high alcohol and drug use rings alarms
MANY Australian construction workers are putting their health and safety at risk by drinking heavily and using illicit drugs, a national survey shows.
Teen risk factors lead to higher BP
TEENAGERS do not get away with unfavourable lifestyle behaviours such as alcohol consumption, high salt intake and a lack of exercise, a WA analysis of blood pressure levels has shown.
Government slammed over attempt to block alcohol labels
A MELBOURNE law school academic has blasted Australia’s attempts to block Thailand from introducing graphic alcohol warning labels, suggesting the government is only objecting for the sake of the Australian wine industry.
Alcohol problems may follow obesity surgery
Bariatric surgery to treat obesity may increase patients' risk for alcohol use disorders, according to the largest study to demonstrate the potential link.
Moderate alcohol could benefit non-alcohol fatty liver disease
PEOPLE with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who drink moderate amounts of alcohol are half as likely as non-drinking patients to progress to more serious liver disease, research suggests.
Fury over claim alcohol warnings could prompt abortions
THE Winemakers Federation of Australia has sparked outrage by suggesting warnings about the risk of drinking while pregnant could prompt expectant mothers to seek unnecessary terminations.
Kids' exposure to alcohol advertising flouts guidelines
AUSTRALIAN researchers have questioned children’s high level of exposure to alcohol ads on TV.
Alcohol advertisers to be ‘named and shamed’
IN WHAT has been heralded as a world first, a new national health body has been established to “name and shame” irresponsible alcohol advertising.
Alcohol harm is not understood by most
AN AUSTRALIAN study has shown poor awareness of low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines, adding fuel to the debate over their effectiveness.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder poorly tracked and understood
CASES of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) should be mandatorily recorded, a leading researcher says.
Cannabis doubles risk of car crashes
DRIVING under the influence of cannabis almost doubles the risk of having a crash, a meta-analysis has shown.
Junk food, alcohol advertising should be targeted like smoking
THE Gillard government is being urged to crack down on junk food and alcohol advertising now that it has taken on big tobacco by legislating for plain packaging of cigarettes.
Sugar not as bad as alcohol: experts
AUSTRALIAN scientists have condemned calls for sugar to be targeted, like alcohol, with measures to curb its consumption.
Music sweetens alcohol notes
PONDER this if the Christmas or New Year party gets rowdy – loud music appears to make alcohol taste sweeter.
Boom in alcoholic energy drinks causing concern
DRINKING alcohol mixed with caffeine-containing energy drinks (AEDs) is now a “normalised phenomenon” in Australia, research suggests.
Alcohol damages female brains three times faster
WOMEN with alcohol dependency experience damage to serotonin brain function at three times the rate of male counterparts, a Swedish study has shown.
Drinking frequency linked to cancer risk
FREQUENT alcohol consumption increases women’s risk of cancer mortality by nearly a third, a study suggests. The research found high frequency drinking drives the increased risk of all-site cancers among women, whereas among men increased risk is linked to the quantity consumed, with more than three drinks on ‘drinking days’ raising risk by 24%. Pooled data from more than 324,000 US men and women, including more than 8000 cancer deaths, showed there was a mechanism between alcohol and cancer that could be used to counsel patients, addiction specialist Professor Jon Currie said. “GPs don’t have to ...
Long working hours increases alcohol problems
WORKING at least 50 hours a week increases the risk of alcohol-related problems threefold, a New Zealand study suggests. Researchers used data from men and women aged 25–30 years who were enrolled in 1977 in a birth cohort called the Christchurch Health and Development Study. The study found a significant association between longer working hours and drinking-related problems, lead author Dr Sheree Gibb (PhD), from the University of Otago, said. The longer the working hours, the worse the alcohol problem, including abuse and dependence, researchers found. Participants who worked 50 hours ...
Alcohol warnings mere PR: experts
PUBLIC HEALTH experts have slammed a voluntary industry scheme that will soon see popular beer, wine and spirit products carrying health warnings, saying the “overdue” measures will have little impact on Australia’s binge-drinking rates. The scheme, launched on 12 July by DrinkWise Australia, is aimed at convincing drinkers to ‘Get the facts’ about their alcohol consumption via the messages that will appear on product packaging. The messages will include slogans such as “Kids and alcohol don’t mix”, “Is your drinking harming yourself or others?” and “It is safest not to drink while pregnant”. While welcoming the ...
Warning labels on beer too lite, experts say
EXPERTS have slammed a voluntary industry scheme that will see popular beer, wine and spirit products soon carrying health warnings, saying the “overdue” measures will have little impact on binge-drinking rates. The scheme, launched today by the DrinkWise Australia Board, is aimed at convincing drinkers to ‘Get the facts’ about their alcohol consumption via the messages that will appear on product packaging. The messages will include slogans such as ‘Kids and alcohol don’t mix’, ‘Is your drinking harming yourself or others?’ and ‘It is safest not to drink while pregnant’. The latter message is also to ...
Drinking on the job common practice
ALMOST one in 10 Australian workers admit they usually drink alcohol at their job, while fewer than one in 100 say they usually use drugs at their workplace. Researchers used data from the 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), which polled over 23,000 Australian residents aged 12 and over on their use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. They found alcohol use was “widespread” in the workplace and most likely to occur higher up the management chain, while tradespeople and unskilled workers were more likely to use drugs at work. “Nearly one in 10 (8.7%) ...
Alcohol large part of life for Aussie men
MORE than half of Australian males from as young as 14 years are drinking alcohol either daily or weekly, an Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report says. In 2007, 58% of men surveyed were consuming alcohol either daily or weekly, with males aged 20–29 years most likely to be weekly drinkers and those over 60 most likely to drink alcohol daily, the report, The Health of Australia’s Males , found. Six per cent of the men surveyed drank alcohol at levels placing them at risk, and 4% at high risk, said the report, released ...
Alcohol link to cancer prompts advice to avoid alcohol entirely
ANY level of alcohol consumption increases a person’s cancer risk and the best approach is to “avoid alcohol altogether”, Cancer Council Australia (CCA) says in a new position statement. “For individuals who choose to drink alcohol, CCA recommends that they drink only within the National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines,” the document states. It says 5000 cancers, or 5% of all cancers, diagnosed in Australia annually were attributable to chronic alcohol use – chiefly cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus, plus bowel cancer in men and breast cancer in women. Studies pointing to ...
Binge drinking linked to subtle cardiac injury
TRANSIENT myocardial changes can be detected by cardiac MRIs after an episode of binge drinking, concerning new research has revealed. A German study of 31 healthy volunteers found those who simulated binge-drinking episodes by consuming vodka over a four-hour period recorded a significant increase in median myocardial T2-signal intensity one day after the episode. Levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin were also increased among some of those in the bingeing cohort, suggesting subtle cardiac injury, the authors said. Three of those recording abnormal cardiac MRIs developed mild pericardial effusion. "This study demonstrated transient myocardial changes accompanied ...
Female beer drinkers at higher risk of psoriasis
FEMALE drinkers who prefer beer may need to reconsider their tipple of choice, now that research has confirmed they are at higher risk of developing psoriasis. A US cohort study in 82,869 women found those who drank light beer, white or red wine, or spirits were not at increased risk of psoriasis, but women who consumed five or more non-light beers per week had a 76% greater risk of self-reported psoriasis. Among a subset of patients with confirmed, rather than self-reported, psoriasis (1150 cases), the risk was more than twice that among those consuming five or more ...
Alcopops tax a bit of a fizzer
INTRODUCED to tackle teenage binge drinking, the ‘alcopops’ tax has had little impact on Australia’s alcohol consumption due to drinkers substituting with wine-based pre-mixed drinks instead. Associate Professor Chris Doran, a health economist from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), presented unpublished data on alcohol consumption trends at the recent NDARC Symposium in Sydney. The review found that since the introduction of a 70% tax hike on spirit-based pre-mixed drinks in April 2008, total alcohol consumption had decreased by one per cent. However, total alcohol sales had increased by 3% from $30.3 billion in ...
Greens push for health warnings on junk food, alcohol ads
ADVERTISEMENTS for junk food and alcohol would carry health information under a new proposal supported by the Australian Greens, AAP reports. The proposal is similar to legislation introduced in France where companies selling junk food and alcohol would have to choose either to include health information in their advertising or pay a tax of 1.5 per cent. “Australia should not allow junk food and alcohol companies to make billions at the expense of the health and well-being of Australians,” Greens leader Bob Brown said. On an annual basis, he said fast food companies ...
Moderate drinking-CV protection claims ‘premature’
THE widely-touted benefits of moderate alcohol consumption may be merely a factor of social and health status rather than an effect of alcohol itself. An evaluation of a range of characteristics, including cardiovascular risk factors and health status, among 149,773 French subjects confirmed that mild or moderate drinkers had a superior biological and clinical profile compared to never, low or high drinkers. However, it was impossible to disentangle the protective effects of drinking from their consistent association with higher social level and superior overall health status. Therefore, while measures such as lower BMI, fasting triglycerides and ...
Rethink needed on reducing alcohol-related harm
A REALLOCATION of resources committed to reducing alcohol-related harm could lead to 10 times greater health gains for the same level of investment, experts say. They say new research aimed at “identifying an optimal package of interventions that provided the best value for money in reducing alcohol-related harm” shows that the current focus on random breath testing (RBT) may not provide the most cost-effective option. While RBT was a cost-effective intervention, it was less so than (in order of cost-effectiveness) volumetric taxation, advertising bans, an increase in the minimum legal drinking age to 21 years, brief intervention ...
Alcohol-injury data ‘vastly’ understated
HOSPITAL data vastly underplay the role of alcohol in injuries, with many hospitals failing to properly record when patients were drunk, researchers say. As a result, current figures underestimate the burden of alcohol-related injuries by as much as 62%, according to a study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. The researchers call for changes in the use of International Statistical Classification of Disease (ICD) codes, saying it should be mandatory to use codes which define alcohol involvement by blood alcohol content and intoxication level. Reviewing data from 4373 injury-related admissions to 50 ...
Excess weight burdens drinkers with higher liver disease risk
THE risk of liver disease may be increased among regular alcohol drinkers if they are also overweight. UK data shows that among women consuming 2.5 drinks per day, almost twice as many of those who are obese will develop liver cirrhosis compared to those of normal weight. Around 17% of cirrhosis was attributable to excess body weight compared with 42% attributable to alcohol, the authors said. Meanwhile data from cohort studies of 10,000 Scottish men reveals a similar picture: among those drinking 15 or more units of alcohol per week, the relative rates of liver disease mortality ...
Sponsors score runs on the board during televised sporting events
FOOD and alcohol companies are enjoying a marketing free kick through the amount of coverage their logos receive during televised sporting events, Australian experts say. Researchers from the Curtin University of Technology, WA, calculated that between 44% and 74% of the game time during three recent cricket matches resulted in clear exposure of sponsors’ logos, and the uninterrupted screening of a logo lasted up to 75 seconds. Additional food and beverage marketing was incorporated through television advertisements and ground advertising. “Regulation of energy-dense food and alcohol advertising should be legislated, not voluntary,” the authors said. “Controls ...
Legal troubles linked to doctors’ health problems
DOCTORS who are embroiled in medico-legal matters are far more likely to experience poor mental health and consume more alcohol, according to a new study of nearly 3000 Australian medical practitioners. The research, published in the latest MJA , demonstrates an association between higher rates of psychiatric morbidities – including anxiety, depression and insomnia – and alcohol consumption. According to lead author Dr Louise Nash, a psychiatrist at the NSW Institute of Psychiatry, the study also raised questions over whether the concerning health outcomes were a cause or an effect of the medico-legal process. “This ...
Internet intervention curbs hazardous drinking
AN Internet-based intervention can effectively reduce drinking among university students with hazardous consumption levels, research shows. Among 2050 students whose drinking was considered hazardous (more than eight standard drinks per drinking occasion), those randomised to receive the intervention reduced their drinking frequency and consumption by 17% after one month. While their drinking frequency and volume had increased by six months, it was still less than those not randomised to the intervention. The intervention involved a 10-minute web-based motivational assessment, including an estimate of their spending on alcohol per month and year, health risks assessment, comparisons of ...
Resources boost needed for GPs to lead preventive health revolution
PRICE hikes on cigarettes and alcohol to improve population health have won broad support from the medical profession, but GP groups and academics say doctors will need far more support to take on preventive health. Released just one day after the draft National Primary Health Care Strategy , the 307-page National Preventative Health Strategy outlines a series of measures to tackle illness associated with obesity, alcohol and smoking. While much of the strategy focuses on population-wide health measures, GPs have also been asked to take a greater role in preventive ...
Alcohol and suicide attempts
The danger of drinking while feeling down. WHILE there have been improvements in suicide rates in recent years, it remains a significant public health problem for adolescents and young adults. During 2006, 1.3% of all deaths in Australia were due to suicide, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In relation to total deaths, the percentage of deaths from suicide varies according to different age groups and gender. In 2006, 21% of male deaths and 14% of female deaths among those aged 20-24 years were attributed to suicide. The peak ages for suicide among males is ...
The 'werewolf' syndrome
A middle-aged man is concerned about his hairy transformation.
Alcohol a risk for prostate cancer
REGULAR alcohol consumption increases the risk of prostate cancer, a meta-analysis shows, even at levels regarded as safe in recent NHMRC alcohol guidelines. US and Australian researchers found men who drank two or more standard drinks a day had about a 20% greater chance of developing prostate cancer. Previous studies had reported conflicting findings about the association, however when researchers pooled the results of 35 studies they found alcohol consumption was positively linked to the risk of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer risk increased with the level of alcohol intake, and at the same age that alcohol ...
Excessive alcohol increases prostate cancer risk
EXCESSIVE alcohol consumption increases the risk of prostate cancer, a new study shows, even at levels regarded as safe in recent NHMRC alcohol guidelines. US and Australian researchers found men who drank two or more standard drinks a day had about a 20% greater chance of developing prostate cancer. There had previously been conflicting findings about the association, however when researchers pooled the results of 35 studies they found alcohol consumption was positively linked to prostate cancer risk. They found that case control studies were more likely to find a relationship between the two, compared with ...
Hide or seek help?
Impaired GPs are being driven underground by the system, and mandatory reporting may worsen the problem. Dr Ginni Mansberg reports. IT TAKES a lot for someone to head to their GP and admit to a problem with drugs or alcohol. It’s even harder when you’re a doctor confessing to a colleague. This difficulty is being seen in the statistics. According to Cheryl Wile, a psychologist with the Victorian Doctors Health Program (VDHP), there has been a decrease in reported substance abuse problems in that state. And it’s a story she hears repeated consistently when ...
NHMRC clarifies alcohol limits with new guidelines
FOLLOWING months of controversy, the expert committee behind new Australian alcohol guidelines has refused to bow to public pressure and is still recommending adults consume no more than two standard drinks per day. Previous advice to have at least two alcohol-free days per week and different daily intake levels for men and women, as listed in the previous (2001) guidelines, has been removed. When the draft version of the NHMRC-endorsed guidelines was released in late 2007, there was an outcry over the prescriptive nature of the recommendations. The final version, adjusted after more than 100 public ...
Beer drinking linked to AMD
MODERATE to heavy beer drinkers have a six-fold increased risk of developing late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared to non-drinkers, Australian research shows. The greatest risk was in men with an intake of four standard drinks per day (equivalent to 40 g of alcohol per day). The study of more than 6700 adults aged 58-69 years found the positive association between alcohol consumption and AMD remained after adjusting for other risk factors, including cigarette smoking. Dr Elaine Chong, ophthalmology registrar and research fellow at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, told the 40th annual scientific congress ...
Study shows benefits of drinking in pregnancy but advice unchanged
DRINKING small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy may confer a lower risk of behavioural and cognitive problems in children, controversial new British research reveals. However, the findings will not alter Australian advice, an expert says. A study of 18,553 UK households found mothers who drank lightly – not more than one to two units per week or per occasion – had children with higher scores on a validated questionnaire of behavioural strengths and difficulties at three years of age compared to abstinent or heavier-drinking mothers. Boys born to light-drinking mothers, compared with those born to abstainers, ...
Teen drinking
Are Australians seeing a skewed picture when it comes to teen alcohol consumption? Rada Rouse reports. DEBATE around the alcopop tax and current affairs reports on badly behaved partygoers have made “teenage binge drinking” a well-worn phrase in the media. But what is the evidence of increased consumption, and increased harm? At the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) conference in Brisbane last month, results from a population-based cohort study provided some new evidence of clinical harm from teen drinking. The study followed 1000 teens for 10 years, finding a prevalence of alcohol use ...
New controversy over alcohol in pregnancy
NEW advice from obstetricians has reignited debate on alcohol intake during pregnancy, ahead of revised NHMRC alcohol guidelines due for release later this month. After being rebuffed by the NHMRC, despite requesting participation in the review, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) has issued its own policy statement as part of a raft of new recommendations on topics such as cosmetic vaginal procedures and water births. Declining to join calls for abstinence in pregnancy, the college suggested clinicians could counsel pregnant women that it was “preferable... to avoid or ...
The plethoric face
A 55-year-old man with rosacea presents with facial erythema and telangiectasias. He is perturbed by the flushed appearance and the perception that he drinks too much. How can this man be helped? THE PROBLEM Facial telangiectasias (FT) are commonly idiopathic where small red or purple vessels are present on the cheeks, around the nose (alar groove) and the chin. These vessels are post-capillary venules rather than true capillaries and are usually less than 1 mm in diameter. Apart from being a cosmetic concern, the vessels often worsen skin flushing and ...
Controlling rosacea
A common condition that requires lifestyle changes as part of its management. CASE HISTORY A 70-year-old Caucasian man presented with a 15-year history of recurrent facial blushing mostly localised over his cheeks and nose. Previously, these symptoms had been short lived, but he now had persisting facial flush associated with painful pimples and grittiness around the eyes. On examination, there was widespread facial erythema overlapping with multiple papules over his cheeks, nose and forehead ( pictured ). Several small telangiectasia and generalised sun damage were noted on his face. His ...