Free Alcohology app v2.0 released for those questioning alcohol use

(News Release)

(Burlington, WI – Jan. 22, 2016) The updated Alcohology app version 2.0 is free, and ad-free, effective Jan. 21, 2016. The Android app includes 70 video vignettes supporting the fact that sobriety is a better thing to have than to lack. Alcohology looks at alcohol’s role in health issues from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to cancer to dementia, plus has sobriety-saving hints in its mini-features. The app is geared toward those new to sobriety and those in pre-contemplation: Thinking about the choice not to drink, but need evidence that what causes problems is one.

The app update – available only for Android devices and not designed for Apple IOS at this time – is timed to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the platform as well as the Dry January initiative. Dry January began in the United Kingdom three years ago, with Alcohology Books author and app creator, Scott Stevens, being among the first to pick up the theme in 2013 in the United States.

Stevens describes the app as serving two roles. “First, for the alcoholic and non-alcoholic alike, it shows what the toxin and known carcinogen does to you instead of what it does for you, or what  you think it does for you. There’s a gulf of misinformation about alcohol’s short- and long-term health consequences.” He describes observational-studies as “widely reported wishful thinking discredited by evidence-based science.”

The main goal for the app, in Stevens’ view, is to help those considering abstinence, and those in early sobriety. “There is a constellation of motivators that will get a person to seriously consider his or her drinking choice. The health damage, especially the link to cancer, is one point in that constellation. It’s an eye-opener.”

The app can be found in the GooglePlay store or by typing in the shortened URLhttp://bit.ly/1K08gtR. Among the Alcohology app’s vignettes:

Six Sobriety-Saving Tips
Binge Drinking vs. Daily Drinking Hazards
Breaking the Alcohol-Is-Heart-Healthy Myth
Alcohol Recovery Medications and the Quest for the Holy Grail
Four Signs of Alcohol-Related Liver Damage
Three Ways Alcohol Can Trigger Asthma

Each one- to two-minute segment covers one topic culled from evidence-based research. Video files and transcripts, which include citations of the scientific studies used, are found on the parent website, www.alcohologist.com.
Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of CBS Sports' Power Up Your Health featuring Scott Stevens.  Host Ed Forteau led a discussion on risky myths of about "healthy" drinking.  Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud and the first for Adding Fire to the Fuel also can be found on www.alcohologist.com. Download the FREE Alcohology app in the Google PlayStore today. Stevens also is the public relations officer with AddictedMinds.com.

Parents Who Host Lose the Most campaign encourages wiser parenting

The Parents Who Host Lose the Most campaign draws attention to the legal and health reasons for not defying common-sense parenting. Share the YouTube video or read the transcript. 


Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of CBS Sports' Power Up Your Health featuring Scott Stevens.  Host Ed Forteau led a discussion on the health risks and myths of health benefits of drinking.  Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  Download the FREE Alcohology app in the Google PlayStore today.

UM study: Alcohol detectors in all cars would cut impaired driving crash deaths 85 percent

Researchers at the University of Michigan Injury Center and the school's Transportation Research Institute studied the impact of installing alcohol ignition interlock devices in all newly purchased vehicles over a 15-year period. According to the March 19 UM news release, 85 percent of crash deaths attributable to alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes would be eliminated by the device.

The study authors conclude, “That would mean preventing more than 59,000 deaths. Another 1.25 million nonfatal injuries would also be prevented, as the nation would see a reduction of 84-89 percent. When it comes to dollars, all these lives saved and injuries prevented would save society $343 billion over 15 years. In fact, the cost of installing the devices would be recouped after just three years.”

This is the first study that models the impact of a universal policy installing alcohol interlocks on all new vehicles sold in the U.S. It was based on data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System and the National Automotive Sampling System's General Estimates System.

Though the injury prevention benefit was apparent for all ages, drivers who are closest to the legal drinking age would likely be the most significant beneficiaries of alcohol interlocks. Among drivers ages 21 to 29 years, about 481,000 deaths and injuries would be prevented, nearly 35 percent of total deaths and injuries for all age groups. Drivers under 21 who engaged in drinking while driving would also benefit substantially, with nearly 195,000 deaths and impaired driving ("drunk driving") injuries potentially prevented.

"It is often difficult to penetrate these age groups with effective public health interventions and policies to prevent drinking and driving," said lead author Patrick Carter, assistant professor at the medical school. "By capitalizing on recent technological advancements that make alcohol-detecting sensors seamless to the driver and applying such technology more broadly to all newly built vehicles, we can actually have a substantial injury prevention impact among traditionally hard-to-reach high-risk populations."

The research was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the univeristy's Injury Center.

In 2012, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended a passive alcohol detector for all cars (see related story). "Technology is the game-changer in reducing alcohol-related crashes on our nation's roadways," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, NTSB chairman, in a statement posted on the NTSB web site. "Achieving zero alcohol-impaired driving-related deaths is possible only if society is willing to separate the impaired driver from the driving task."

Critics worry that such systems have not yet been perfected and that they may not distinguish the driver's breath from that of a passenger, among other concerns.

The book, What the Early Worm Gets first made a call for this passive type of detection in 2010. “Some Americans will balk at this as an intrusion. If we, as a country, say preventing intoxicated driving deaths is a priority, mandating this safety equipment the way seatbelts and airbags are required is a no brainer. If we say 'hands off MY booze just test the bad guys,' drinking and driving deaths are no priority... 3/4 of impaired drivers who cause death or injury have no prior convictions.

“This is a put-up-or-shut-up moment for communities that claim keeping the streets free of impaired drivers is a prime concern. The only reason the detectors won't entirely eradicate mixing gasoline and alcohol is that the legal limit to which they'll be set is .08 BAC while motor skills, reaction time and judgment begin to be impaired at .02.”

(See entire article)

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of CBS Sports' Power Up Your Health featuring Scott Stevens.  Host Ed Forteau led a discussion on the health risks and myths of health benefits of drinking.  Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  Download the FREE Alcohology app in the Google PlayStore today.

Behind enemy (head)lines: The real point of drug-hazards study is NOT pot safety

The argument over which is safer misses the point.

scottchan, FreeDigitalPhotos, used with permission

An accurate headline for the widely circulated Feb. 23 Scientific Reports study showing comparative risks of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and other illicit drugs would read 'Yes, alcohol really is that dangerous.' However, the material of the study has instead become cannon fodder for those who wish to see marijuana legalized. Which wasn't the point of the effort.

The other drugs involved in the study were heroin, cocaine, tobacco, ecstasy, and methamphetamine. Only the danger of the substance was used to determine their findings. Researchers did not take any other factors into account. “Much of the harm from drug use is not inherently related to consumption, but is heavily influenced by the environmental conditions of drug use,” the researchers stated in their study.

The narrative of the study aims to give a relative probability of dying from ANY of the drugs. According to the book, Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud, quantitatively, alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death and illness in the United States, claiming at least 89,000 deaths a year, and by the author's estimate, the number is significantly underexaggerated. Qualitatively, it causes more than 60 diseases aside from the disease of alcoholism. It creates complications for more than 200 different medical conditions from osteoarthritis to the common cold.

The new study does not reveal new information about how lethal the toxin and known carcinogen, alcohol, can be to otherwise healthy human tissue. Alcohol – and its metabolite, acetaldehyde (30 times more volatile than alcohol) – is the most dangerous drug, illicit or otherwise. The study merely announces the fact that the dangers of alcohol are exponentially higher than the dangers of marijuana, not that marijuana is safe, as pro-cannabis forces would claim.

A rattlesnake's venom is less toxic than an Inland Taipan's. So, which would you like to bite you today? It may be a good thing that meth users aren't as well financed, otherwise we would see a headline from the tweakers that 'Meth is safer than alcohol' as a conclusion to the study.

When the dialogue has digressed to the point of comparing one drug's safety to another, the conversation is akin to choosing on which side of the Titanic to place a deck chair. Where the research falls short of being a true call to expand legalization of marijuana, it should instead serve as a warning that the status-quo of alcohol policy may need to be addressed.

Pro-cannabis and pro-alcohol forces both miss the forest by bumping into trees like this study...  another cliche, but sometimes the cliches get it right. When you take the emotion out of the dialogue and stick to evidence-based -- not observational -- studies, the overwhelming preoponderance of research, including the new study, shows neither drug extends life or improves health.

(see full article)

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of CBS Sports' Power Up Your Health featuring Scott Stevens.  Host Ed Forteau led a discussion on the health risks and myths of health benefits of drinking.  Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  Download the FREE Alcohology app in the Google PlayStore today.

Listen to the Life Changing Insights with Dr. Alan Simberg segment on alcoholism

Life Changing Insights with Dr. Alan Simberg featured Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud and author Scott Stevens during a 12/2 segment.  Dr. Simberg led a discussion on the health risks and myths of health benefits of drinking.  A replay is available on the homepage of www.alcohologist.com and also at BlogTalkRadio.

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of CBS Sports' Power Up Your Health featuring Scott Stevens.  Host Ed Forteau led a discussion on the health risks and myths of health benefits of drinking.  Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  Download the FREE Alcohology app in the Google PlayStore today.

Impaired Driving Awareness Month: 53 feet to safety

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a sponsor of the National Impaired Driving Awareness Month campaign, along with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and the Governors’ Highway Safety Association. New Year's Day is the deadliest on the roads: The second-deadliest is Thanksgiving Day. In between, the daily average is 45 impaired driving related deaths. The rest of the year daily average? Twenty eight per day.

In the United States the NHTSA tallied 10,322 people killed in alcohol-related collisions, representing a third of 2012 traffic deaths. One out of every 10 arrests for all crimes in the U.S. were for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Operating While Impaired (OWI), accounting for 1 out of every 80 licensed drivers. The death toll is higher than the previous year, despite tougher penalties, safer cars and more enforcement.
Four more facts:

• In 2012, 29.1 million people admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol - that’s more than the population of Texas – according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• Intoxicated driving involvement in fatal crashes was 4.5 times higher at night than during the day (36 versus 8 percent) – according to the NHTSA.
• Nine of 10 drinking and driving incidents happen after drinking with family, friends or co-workers – common during the holidays. “There is almost always somebody around who could be part of the solution,” says DrinkingAndDriving.org.
• Highway alcohol-related deaths are 100 percent preventable. Passive alcohol detectors can measure a driver's BAC before starting the vehicle and render it unable to start. If the driver is intoxicated, he isn't driving. Critics claim the technology has not been perfected. However, the technology already exists for the non-invasive technique (see related examiner article), although the public appetite for the device does not. The idea was suggested four years ago in the book What the Early Worm Gets as the way to conclusively eliminate all drinking and driving accidents.

“Our goal is to get to zero deaths because each alcohol-impaired death is preventable,” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Deborah Hersman said. “They can and should be prevented. The tools exist. What is needed is the will.”

Drunk or buzzed driving is the act of operating or driving a motor vehicle while motor skills are impaired under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In the United States, the point of impairment is pegged at .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). However, studies have demonstrated that motor-skill impairment begins at much lower BACs. Reaction time is 1/5 of a second for an unimpaired driver. With alcohol in the system, reaction time is slowed to 4/5 of a second at .06 BAC. At 60 mph, a second means 88 feet. A fifth of a second is 17.5 feet, 4/5 of a second is 70.4 feet. The family minivan slamming on the brakes in front of an impaired driver is 53 feet closer, reaction-time wise, compared to an unimpaired driver.

Lab research indicates at 0.02 to 0.05 BAC, the ability to see or locate moving lights correctly is reduced as is reaction time and the ability to judge distance. A 2014 study demonstrated crash risk increases 42 percent after just a single drink. (See Crash risk jumps at 0.01 BAC) Even if not obviously impaired, at 0.05 BAC drivers are twice as likely to have a crash as before they started drinking...At 0.08 BAC drivers are five times more likely to have a crash than before they started drinking. Over .08, the crash likelihood jumps to 10 times that of a sober driver.

Enveloped in the push to legalize marijuana today is the illusion that driving “high” is somehow safer. It's still illegal to drive under the influence of any drug, not just alcohol, even in states where marijuana isn't illegal to possess or consume. Smoking or ingesting weed impairs judgment and motor coordination and slows reaction time, and a stoned person has an increased chance of being involved in and being responsible for an accident. Research from the NHTSA indicates that when drivers are killed in motor vehicle crashes, drugs other than alcohol are involved about 18 percent of the time. That means that one in six drivers killed in traffic mishaps are under the influence of drugs other than alcohol.

Another 2010 study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that of all drivers involved in auto crashes, 6.8 percent tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The same survey found that 21 percent of those drivers also were above the legal BAC level.

--See full article

www.alcohologist.com

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of the Bringing Inspiration To Earth show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Scott Stevens on Health Media Now and one at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  

Wine not? Thanksgiving alcohol widening waistlines as much as turkey

Many Americans worry about the food coma or the extra calories from that green Jello stuff or slab of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day. Put down the extra glass of wine and save yourself about 200 calories. If you drink a glass of wine before dinner, another glass with dinner and a sweet wine for dessert, that’s more than 400 calories in addition to the meal. If three beers help that dry turkey seem more palatable, that will add an extra 450 calories to the diet.

Alcoholic beverages are considered “food” because they do have calories, but they are mostly empty calories, contributing to the waistline more than they contribute to energy or overall health. The 2007-2010 survey found that on average, 100 calories came from alcoholic drinks.

Pilsener or lager beer usually comes in at around 148 calories in 12 ounces. Drinking light beer, offers about a third fewer, at around 99 calories per 12 ounces. Dry wine contains fewer calories than sweet: 106 calories for five ounces of dry wine and champagnes… double it for five ounces of sweeter wines. If you drink a glass of wine before dinner, another glass with dinner and a sweet wine for dessert, that’s more than 400 calories in addition to the meal.

Liquor calories depend on the proof for whiskey, tequila, gin, rum and vodka. Eighty proof contains 97 calories per shot (1.5 ounces). One hundred proof has 124 calories. How you mix the hard liquors will add calories faster. A whiskey sour will have 122 calories and a gin and tonic has 171 calories, a pina colada, 262 calories, and a large margarita can have as many as 400 calories.

However, by avoiding the alcohol for the holiday gathering, hosts and hostesses do their guests an additional favor aside from helping them manage their waistlines. Alcohol usage spikes throughout the holiday season and so do alcohol-related traffic crashes. Nine of 10 drinking and driving incidents happen after drinking with family, friends or co-workers – common during the holidays. “There is almost always somebody around who could be part of the solution,” says DrinkingAndDriving.org.

An average of 45 motorists die in drinking and driving crashes each day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Thanksgiving Day is considered second only to New Year’s when it comes to traffic deaths. Drinking violations increase an average of 54 percent on Thanksgiving. (See related examiner article)

Alcohol use among adults is not the only issue around Thanksgiving Day. Indiana University indicates some grown-ups may feel inclined to “bend the rules” when it comes to minors and drinking alcohol. Adults, including visitors to the home such as uncles, grandparents and older cousins, may bend youth alcohol prohibitions during the holiday season as a treat or gesture of affection setting up a dangerous precedent for future use, with or without parental supervision.

see full article

www.alcohologist.com

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of the Bringing Inspiration To Earth show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Scott Stevens on Health Media Now and one at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  

Thanksgiving and New Year's Day are the two deadliest days on the road

Throughout the entire year, an average of 28 people are killed each day by intoxicated motorists: During the holidays, the average jumps to 45 per day. Thanksgiving presents a recipe ready-made for family tragedy as more people are on the road, and more of them are impaired.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a sponsor of the National Impaired Driving Awareness Month campaign, along with Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) and the Governors’ Highway Safety Association. In the United States the NHTSA tallied 10,873 people killed in alcohol-related collisions, representing a third of 2017 traffic deaths. One out of every 10 arrests for all crimes in the U.S. were for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Operating While Impaired (OWI), accounting for 1 out of every 80 licensed drivers. The death toll is higher than the previous year, despite tougher penalties, safer cars and more enforcement.

Four more facts:

• In 2017, 29.1 million people admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol - that’s more than the population of Texas – according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• Intoxicated driving involvement in fatal crashes was 4.5 times higher at night than during the day (36 versus 8 percent) – according to the NHTSA.
• Nine of 10 drinking and driving incidents happen after drinking with family, friends or co-workers – common during the holidays. “There is almost always somebody around who could be part of the solution,” says DrinkingAndDriving.org.
• Highway alcohol-related deaths are 100 percent preventable. Passive alcohol detectors can measure a driver's BAC before starting the vehicle and render it unable to start. If the driver is intoxicated, he isn't driving. Critics claim the technology has not been perfected. However, the technology already exists for the non-invasive technique, although the public appetite for the device does not. The idea was suggested four years ago in the book What the Early Worm Gets as the way to conclusively eliminate all drinking and driving accidents.

“Our goal is to get to zero deaths because each alcohol-impaired death is preventable,” National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Deborah Hersman said. “They can and should be prevented. The tools exist. What is needed is the will.”

Drunk or buzzed driving is the act of operating or driving a motor vehicle while motor skills are impaired under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In the United States, the point of impairment is pegged at .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). However, studies have demonstrated that motor-skill impairment begins at much lower BACs. Reaction time is 1/5 of a second for an unimpaired driver. With alcohol in the system, reaction time is slowed to 4/5 of a second at .06 BAC. At 60 mph, a second means 88 feet. A fifth of a second is 17.5 feet, 4/5 of a second is 70.4 feet. The family minivan slamming on the brakes in front of an impaired driver is 53 feet closer, reaction-time wise, compared to an unimpaired driver.

Lab research indicates at 0.02 to 0.05 BAC, the ability to see or locate moving lights correctly is reduced as is reaction time and the ability to judge distance. A 2014 study demonstrated crash risk increases 42 percent after just a single drink. (See Crash risk jumps at 0.01 BAC) Even if not obviously impaired, at 0.05 BAC drivers are twice as likely to have a crash as before they started drinking...At 0.08 BAC drivers are five times more likely to have a crash than before they started drinking. Over .08, the crash likelihood jumps to 10 times that of a sober driver.

www.alcohologist.com

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of the Bringing Inspiration To Earth show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Scott Stevens on Health Media Now and one at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  

The Sobriety :60 for Red Ribbon Week covers teen drinking risks

There isn't one, single, age group of people more affected by alcohol than young people. Why is this risky co-called 'rite of passage' a big deal? For centuries teens have been lured to that first drink by curiosity, kicks, or aping what they see at home. New studies identify a few things about the harm of the words, “what's one gonna hurt?” Watch episode #12 of The Sobriety :60 at http://youtu.be/HLdTL4BNWpA  for a minute (give or take) on teens' top drug of choice.

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of the Bringing Inspiration To Earth show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Scott Stevens on Health Media Now and one at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  

Red Ribbon Week t-shirts now on sale

All new design.  The price of $15 includes USPS PRIORITY SHIPPING. $25 for TWO to the same address. White Fruit of the Loom 100 percent cotton t-shirt with "Alcohol IS a drug" logo. Adult sizes S-3X. Order athttp://www.alcohologist.com/how-to-order.php

Visit alcohologist.com for a replay of the Bringing Inspiration To Earth show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud also can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Scott Stevens on Health Media Now and one at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international author from the UK, among his works is the Alzheimer's book "Time to Let Go."  

Alcohol Awareness Month keys on most popular, deadliest, drug of choice

Coinciding with warmer spring days, baseball season and upcoming prom and graduation celebrations, April is recognized as Alcohol Awareness Month. Founded by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) since 1987, the observance aims to increase public awareness and understanding to reduce the stigma associated with alcohol use disorders – stigma that too often prevents individuals and families from seeking help. The 88,000 alcohol-related deaths in the United States every year are 100 percent preventable.

More than 21 million Americans suffer from alcohol-use disorders, such as the disease of alcoholism. The NCADD notes it isn't just those with the disease who suffer. “In addition, there are countless millions of individuals, family members and children who experience the devastating effects of the alcohol problem of someone in their life. In fact, 25 percent of U.S. children have been exposed to alcohol-use disorders in their family. The recovery book Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud estimates that every alcoholic directly impacts the lives of a minimum of eight other people.

The economic cost of alcoholism and alcohol abuse has recently been estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be $223.5 billion ($746 per person) or about $1.90 per drink. Researchers found the costs largely resulted from losses in workplace productivity, health care expenses and law enforcement or other criminal justice expenses related to excessive alcohol consumption. Only six percent of the estimate is attributed to motor vehicle crash costs from impaired driving.

“Mixing alcohol with gasoline while drinking and driving kills more than 10,000 per year, which is a year-over-year increase for the first time in years, but up to 75 percent of other crimes are committed by people under the influence of alcohol,” notes Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud. “And two hospital visits every minute are alcohol-related. It's pressing the health care system to a breaking point.”

Alcoholism places an enormous emotional, physical and financial burden on family members and children of the person who is addicted to alcohol. NCADD research states, “Three of four domestic abuse incidents are committed while one or both members are intoxicated and family members utilize health care twice as much as families without alcohol problems. Emotional and physical abuse often occurs as a result of parents or spouses losing control with family members because of alcohol.
Teens that experiment with alcohol before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent when they are older than those that wait until age 20. Which is why education and prevention are co critically important to reducing alcohol-related problems and alcoholism.

“Unfortunately, still too many of our children are drinking alcohol, at too early an age,” according to the NCADD. “Much of it goes unnoticed and unchecked by adults. Unconcerned or unaware of the health risks, lacking in other coping skills, and eager to find peer acceptance, many teens are involved in regular alcohol use, which puts them at greater risk for alcoholism, as well as related problems like drunk driving, sexual assault and other violence, and further drug use.”

Parents can help to reduce their child's risk of problem drinking by educating their kids and keeping a more watchful eye on them, especially as they enter middle schools. “We know that high levels of parental monitoring are associated with lower levels of both high school and eventually college drinking. Research has linked parents' disapproval of underage drinking to a lower risk of alcohol use, and that increased parent-child hostility has been tied to a greater likelihood of problem drinking,” says the NCADD. Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud states “waiting for the high-school years for alcohol-related health and safety messages – and parents leading by example – is way too late. They've already stepped out onto the street, the truck just hasn't hit them yet.”

For the 27th Anniversary of NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month, NCADD has chosen the theme, "Help for Today. Hope For Tomorrow.”
--
from examiner.com (See full article)
www.alcohologist.com

Scroll down for the replay of the Dr. Jeanette Gallagher show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus an interview with Scott Stevens on Health Media Now and one at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international historical fiction novelist from the UK.  
 

SAVE THE DATE:  Scott Stevens will be part of the opening night symposium for the REEL Recovery Film Festival San Francisco.

Teens using energy drinks three times more likely to use alcohol, other drugs

A new study published in the Feb. 2014 Journal of Addiction Medicine found a strong correlation between the consumption of energy drinks and alcohol or other drug use among teens. The University of Michigan analysis of self-reported data from 8th-12th grade students concluded teens who consumed canned energy drinks or energy shots were three times more likely to smoke cigarettes and marijuana, and consume alcohol and amphetamines.

A follow-up report noted the youngest students had the highest consumption rate of energy drinks and shots compared with the 10th- and 12th-grade students in the study.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also has spoken out against consumption of energy drinks by minors, citing the negative effects of energy drinks on children and underage teens. "Rigorous review and analysis of the literature reveal that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents," the AAP stated.
Energy drinks often contain herbal ingredients, including botanical sources of caffeine, that contribute to the overall average of 80 to 140 mg of total caffeine content. The popular Red Bull energy drink, for example, has 80 mg of caffeine in a 10-ounce can.

While the Michigan researchers reported a higher risk of substance use in teens who drank energy drinks, they were cautious to state their findings don't mean the drinks cause substance use disorders – such as the disease of alcoholism – or that energy drinks were a gateway that directly lead to substance abuse. The study concluded, however, that there's a need for better education on the effects of energy drinks and the possibility that combining them with alcohol, trendy in teen drinking, may be a logical progression for thrill-seekers.

According to lead researcher Yvonne M. Terry-McElrath, "Education for parents and prevention efforts among adolescents should include education on the masking effects of caffeine in energy drinks on alcohol- and other substance-related impairments, and recognition that some groups (such as high sensation-seeking youth) may be particularly likely to consume energy drinks and to be substance users."

Lebanon recently issued a nationwide ban on energy drinks containing alcohol because of potentially severe health outcomes from the way energy drinks (stimulants) mask the warning signs of severe alcohol (depressant) poisoning. In 2012, a JAMA report warned of the health risks (see related examiner article), calling the combination not just risky, but "deadly."

(from examiner.com, see full article)
www.alcohologist.com

Scroll down for the replay of the Dr. Jeanette Gallagher show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus the interview with Scott Stevens at Christoph Fisher Books . Fisher is an acclaimed international historical fiction novelist from the UK. 
 

SAVE THE DATE:  Scott Stevens will be part of the opening night symposium for the REEL Recovery Film Festival San Francisco.

SATURDAY REWIND: Mixing alcohol and energy drinks harmful

There's been a lot of ink this week on the dangers of mixing energy drinks like Monster or Red Bull with alcohol: Red Bull and vodka has been a meat-market bar staple for more than a decade.
The warnings are not rocket science, because energy drinks are stimulant-loaded and alcohol is a depressant.  And the warnings are not new.  As this piece from the alcohol research news archive points out, JAMA gave physicians an official heads-up about the toxic mix a year ago.


Commentaries published December 19 (2012) online in the Journal of the American Medical Association JAMA suggest negative health effects from excessive consumption of caffeine, especially in conjunction with alcohol.

One commentary details the health effects of alcohol mixed with energy drinks, including premixed "alcopop" drinks, such as the 12-percent-alcohol Four Loko, and self-mixing of highly caffeinated energy drinks with various types of alcohol. (See the related article on alcopops .)

Citing surveys showing up to 56 percent of college students mixing energy drinks with alcohol, the authors established the potential for public health consequences for this recreational use of energy drinks, which often contain herbal ingredients, including botanical sources of caffeine that contribute to the overall average of 80 to 140 mg of total caffeine content. The popular Red Bull energy drink, for example, has 80 mg of caffeine in a 10-ounce can.

At issue are concerns the caffeine counters the sedating and intoxicating effects of alcohol, thereby impairing judgment relative to risky behavior. JAMA concluded the scientific evidence on the alcohol/energy drink combination’s effects "on perceived intoxication and sedation has been inconsistent," but noted mixing alcohol with energy drinks has been correlated to "increased risk for negative consequences of drinking."

Take 18-year-old college student Danny Hummel, for example. He died of acute alcohol poisoning. Hummel's Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) exceeded .40, eight times the limit considered too impaired to drive. His family attorney reported he also had several energy drinks prior to drinking. Without the energy shots, the attorney claims, Hummel would have “puked or passed out” long before reaching such a lethal BAC.

The JAMA report acknowledges action by state and federal officials against energy drinks containing alcohol help increase awareness and help marketers of these products, and most young people will continue to mix energy drinks and alcohol. "Thus, it is important that policy makers, parents, university administrators, health care professionals and consumers of alcohol mixed energy drinks have accurate information regarding the drinks as a public health danger," they advised.

In addition to the commentaries, JAMA also published a Patient Page containing information on the energy drink market, including common ingredients, caffeine content of various known energy drink brands, and some health risks associated with energy drink use — increased heart rate, palpitations blood pressure, sleep disturbances, urine production and blood sugar.with the disease of alcoholism. (Related: What's the difference between alcohol abuse, alcoholism?)

-- from examiner.com (see full article)
www.alcohologist.com

Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud, plus the new radio interview replay is available at alcohologist.com... and please read the new interview with Scott Stevens at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international historical fiction novelist from the UK. 

Alcohol use creeps upward when Halloween falls closer to weekend

Spirits, of the alcohol type, are used more frequently when the spirits, of the ghostly type, are out on All Hallows' Eve according to an Oct. 25 report from Alcohol Monitoring Systems (AMS). What's even spookier is that the company monitors compliance for those ordered by courts to remain sober or face potential jail time.

AMS found that criminal offenders and those with pending cases who have their freedom only due to intense monitoring for absolute sobriety violated that condition around Halloween. Drinking violations rise nearly 30 percent when Halloween takes place on Friday or Saturday, compared to just five percent when it happens on a Monday.

This year the holiday falls on Thursday, and drinking rates are expected to rise approximately 25 percent. Drinking during the weekend before Halloween also is expected to jump by the same percentage.

AMS spokesperson Lou Sugo notes for these individuals monitored by his company's electronic anklet every 30 minutes, drinking is a violation, and the consequence often is arrest and jail, making the increase especially startling. "These individuals know they're going to be caught and face consequences. You can imagine the rate of drinking for those who aren't being monitored."

The study looked at data from more than 305,000 offenders monitored since 2003. Many monitored with the anklet are alcohol abusers or have the disease of alcoholism and have been charged with driving while intoxicated.

The AMS statistics mate up with data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The agency reports more than half of all national fatalities occurring on Halloween resulted from an alcohol-related crash. That's up from one-third of all accidents throughout the rest of the year. NHTSA is publicizing the data as part of their ongoing Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over awareness campaign. Officials caution that sobriety checkpoints will be prominent on Halloween, which has become one of the deadliest days of the year for drunk driving.

Sugo adds, "Drunk people generally make poor decisions, and deciding to get behind the wheel of a car is just one of the potential issues," he adds. Additional data compiled for the 2013 book Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud shows:

• Two hospital admissions each minute are attributable to alcohol directly, a 65 percent increase over five years
• 22 percent of the 12 million home-accident injuries in 2012 were alcohol-related
• 58 percent of fire fatalities have alcohol in their systems, which presumably kept them from fleeing safely
• 45 percent of drownings are alcohol-related
• 15.5 percent of occupational injuries are alcohol-related
• 76 percent of incarcerated men and women claim to have been under the influence while committing their offenses
• 56 percent of assault victims have alcohol in their bodies
• A drinker is at a two-and-a-half-times greater risk of a violent death

-- from examiner.com (see full article)
www.alcohologist.com


Also, please check out the author interview with Scott Stevens on "All That's Written" 10/11/13
www.alcohologist.com