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  • Discussion on Parliamentary Enquiry Suggestion to Clampdown on Parents who Supply Alcohol

    Most adults would agree that alcohol can be seriously damaging to young people, to their health, safety and wellbeing. Many parents choose to forbid their children from drinking alcohol at all but there are many that choose to provide alcohol to their kids so that they can “control” the amount they consume, rather than have them just sneaking around drinking with their friends with the possibility of them abusing it even more. Obviously there are those that don’t limit the amount of alcohol they provide for their kids and don’t teach them to be responsible drinkers, which is where the problem comes in.

    In fact according to a NSW parliamentary committee, parents or guardians who do not behave responsibly when it comes to giving alcohol to minors should be forced into counselling in the hopes that this will make them more responsible when providing alcohol to minors.

    It is not expected to be met with much criticism because most people agree that many adults aren’t cautious enough about providing alcohol to minors, which is breeding a problem.

    The clampdown on parents has been pushed by the committee and others who believe that in order to tackle a problem of this magnitude it is vital that parents also be dealt with. Alcohol abuse among young people is growing, this is obvious from statistics and the number of minors being checked into rehabilitation centres. Also many adult users began their unhealthy relationship with alcohol at a young age.

    At the moment, parents and guardians are legally permitted to supply alcohol to their children as well as children placed in their care as long as their parents give consent.

    Read what this excerpt from an article on TheHerald.com.au had to say:

    The parliamentary committee wants to add the mild proviso that any such supply be made “in a manner that is consistent with responsible supervision”. Relevant factors would be the child’s age, whether the adult or child was drunk, whether the child was drinking alcohol with food, the amount and type of alcohol and the time over which it was supplied.

    Fair enough, but debate on such a minor legal tweak shouldn’t be allowed to overshadow much bigger and more important questions in the overall alcohol debate.

    Newcastle Community Drug Action Team chair Tony Brown has correctly noted, for example, the large volume of unregulated online liquor promotions that are directed at teenagers.

    Read more: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1775920/editorial-children-drinking-alcohol/?cs=303

    According to the team the saturation of the Aussie alcohol market has led the alcohol industry seeking other opportunities for sales growth, to look to the youth market. Alcohol companies understand that market growth is limited and requires them to “groom” the younger generation to become drinkers, it is the only untapped or underdeveloped market at the moment.

    The post goes on to explain:

    If policymakers are genuinely concerned about this possibility then they should by all means consider enforcing greater accountability for parents and guardians. But tackling liquor advertising and promotion and considering other factors such as price and availability would bring a bigger dividend for the effort involved.

    Read more: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1775920/editorial-children-drinking-alcohol/?cs=303

     

  • Day Dedicated to Alcoholic Drink Sparks Concerns in Ireland

    Although “Arthur’s Day” is over the controversy it caused still remains. Ask anyone who has visited Ireland what they think of when you mention the place and most of them will say bars and pubs but that nation’s love of pubs and alcohol has sparked national controversy because of an unofficial holiday which was started by Guinness. Are holidays being invented by alcohol companies just to give people an excuse to get drunk?

    Last Thursday, the Guinness sponsored Arthur’s Day celebrations commemorated the birthday of the 18th century founder of Ireland’s favourite pub drink. The celebrations were spread across the globe in countries like Malaysia and Jamaica and featured concerts in 815 pubs and clubs across Ireland.

    The day dedicated to Guinness was launched in 2009 in an effort to make money for struggling pubs during the financial crisis. The day is characterised by drinks specials, guest appearances by popular musicians paid for by Guinness’s parent company.

    The following excerpt from an article on News.com.au explains more about the holiday:

    Launched in 2009, Guinness says the annual festivities provide a needed tonic for a 7,500-strong Irish pub network struggling to maintain profits in the face of a five-year debt crisis that has ravaged employment and incomes.

    Many pubs are offering free pints of the dark brown stout at 5:59pm. – a reference to the founding of Guinness in 1759 – followed by the appearance of a band or singer, among them internationally popular acts, many kept secret until that moment. All entertainers are paid by Guinness’ British parent, Diageo.

    “It’s really a musical treasure hunt. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year,” said David Doolan, a 28-year-old software engineer who plans to follow tweeted tipoffs as musical acts turn up in Dublin pubs.

    He’s caught parts of impromptu performances by Tom Jones, Mumford & Sons and Stereophonics in past festivities.

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/travel/guiness-fuelled-holiday-sparks-health-woes-in-ireland/story-e6frfq7r-1226727943363

    This year however the holiday has been marred by protests that Arthur’s Day is exacerbating the problem of alcoholism in Ireland. Alcohol problems are a huge issue for the Irish, with problems associated with alcoholism costing the economy 3.7 billion Euros (Aus $5.3 billion) every year, this comes from hung over workers, an alarmingly high rate of liver disease, late night violence and vandalism and hospital admissions.

    The article on News.com.au quoted some of the critics of the holiday:

    “They shouldn’t call it Arthur’s Day. They should call it Vomit Day,” said Aisling Fitzsimons, a 50-year-old manager of a convenience store who says she has to hose down the sidewalk outside most weekends.

    Two performers who definitely aren’t playing are Irish folk singer Christy Moore and the Celtic rock band The Waterboys. Both have penned anti-Arthur’s Day songs that harness an Irish sense of unease of being played for fools by a brewing behemoth.

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/travel/guiness-fuelled-holiday-sparks-health-woes-in-ireland/story-e6frfq7r-1226727943363

    Diageo, the giant behind Guinness has been criticised for inventing a pseudo-national holiday with the purpose of marketing alcoholic products to young people which some fear are fuelling alcohol problems in the country.

     

     

  • ACT Police Minister calls for Alcohol Crime Squad Reinstatement

    The Police Commissioner, Simon Corbell has called for the reinstatement of the crime squad and has also described changes to the policing of alcohol crime in the territory as “sensible”, saying that licensed venues will continue to pay higher fees to help fund the services.

    The Attorney-General has promised that the amalgamation of an alcohol crime squad with the city beats police will not reduce efforts to tackle alcohol-related crime.

    The opposition have asked that the government reinstate an alcohol crime task force which was amalgamated with the city beat police to fill in due to the lack of officers patrolling at night, when most alcohol fuelled incidents occur.

    The Canberra Liberals will also call for at least $15 million that was cut from the ACT Police’s budget. The money is required to employ more police for the currently understaffed city beat. In addition to the calls from extra beat police, there will also be a call for legislation to provide additional protection for police who are assaulted in the line of duty.

    Reports have surfaced which claim that police chiefs have been having to work with seriously low numbers of beat police even though written complaints from officers have been coming in at least once a month for the past 2 years.

    Police management have this month responded by merging the beats squad with the alcohol crime squad. The alcohol crime squad was established in 2010 under new liquor laws and are being funded in part by pubs and clubs through higher fees which licensees have to pay under a risk-based licensing scheme. The following excerpt from CanberraTimes.com.au explains:

    The alcohol task force was set up to curb alcohol-related violence. Funding the squad led the fees for some venues to rise to more than $10,000 under a risk-based licensing scheme.

    Mr Corbell told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday he was informed of the amalgamation about a week ago. The Attorney-General said the move would not reduce police resources targeting alcohol-related crime.

    ”Madam Speaker, the decision is one which is a sensible one on the part of the chief police officer,” Mr Corbell said.

    ”The chief police officer is seeking to deploy his resources in the most effective way possible.

    ”Of course it makes sense that particularly on a Friday or Saturday night the alcohol crime targeting team, which is in operation often in the Civic area, will work with and co-operate with the city beats team.

    ”This does not result in any reduction in the capability of the new dedicated combined team to focus on alcohol-related crime and violence, and those activities will continue, I’m advised, unchanged.”

    Under questioning from the opposition, Mr Corbell said the new structure would not mean a reduction in or refund of fees for licensees.

    Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/hanson-to-call-for-reinstating-alcohol-crime-squad-20130917-2txlk.html#ixzz2fAsycbdL

    Clubs ACT are not happy with both the ACT government and police management, claiming that pubs and clubs were not informed about the changes, some even calling the changes deceitful.

     

     

  • Darwin’s Compulsory Rehab Patients may Face Jail

    The controversial mandatory alcohol rehabilitation program in the Northern Territory will be housed in the low security wing of Darwin’s Berrimah prison.

    The Alcohol Rehabilitation Minister, Robyn Lambley and Correctional Services Minister, John Elferink recently announced that the Darwin Alcohol Treatment Service which has suffered some security issues recently with patients escaping, will be moved from the medi-hotel on the grounds of the Royal Darwin Hospital to the Berrimah prison. The move will happen as soon as the new Darwin Correctional Precinct’s construction is completed in the middle of next year.

    The following excerpt from a post on www.abc.net.au explains:

    Mrs Lambley said the jail accommodation, currently used to detain low-security offenders, will provide patients undergoing compulsory treatment with a safe, secure and modern facility.

    “The new accommodation will ensure that people who are receiving treatment will get the help they need … to turn their lives around,” she said.

    Three weeks ago, Mrs Lambley talked to ABC radio’s Julia Christensen about the need for greater security at the medi-hotel where problem drunks are now being housed.

    One man had escaped from the facility three times.

    Mrs Lambley was asked if the erection of electric fences at the medi-hotel was being considered.

    “I think that’s a ridiculous proposal, Julia,” she replied.

    “We are not setting up a prison for these people.

    Of course, we are looking into making it more secure but we are not going to turn it into a prison.”

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-21/compulsory-alcohol-rehab-patients-to-be-housed-at-berrimah-jail/4902784

    According to Mrs Lambley the new location is ideal because it has a large piece of land and at the moment holds 32 prisoners which means that it can fit 100 beds which is the number of patients to be housed in the centre. It also has great visibility, so there is improved safety and security.

    Not everyone approves of the 90 day mandatory alcohol rehab program and have condemned holding people against their will without being convicted of a criminal offence but being treated similar to a prisoner. However Lambley has defended the program and said that positive results are already being seen in the state.

    The post goes on to explain:

    “Since 1 July, 216 people have been taken into protective custody for the second time, 85 are now on their third strike, and, of these, 36 have been referred for assessment and treatment,” she said.

    “To qualify for Alcohol Mandatory Treatment a person must be taken into protective custody three times in two months.”

    Mr Elferink said low-security prisoners will be among the first to be transferred from Berrimah jail to the new Darwin Correctional Precinct, making the current low-security accommodation available.

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-21/compulsory-alcohol-rehab-patients-to-be-housed-at-berrimah-jail/4902784

    Mr Elferink went on to explain that a “custodial approach” was necessary to tackle problem drinkers however the reality is that in order to do this a certain level of security is necessary to prevent “destructive behaviour”. He explained that the approach is similar to that which we have been employing for mental health patients for years so security will be of an appropriate level not a prison.

     

  • Beware of Alcohol Poisoning Risk when visiting Bali

    While holiday makers are excited to be making their way to their Sumer holiday destinations Australian doctors are warning visitors to the island of Bali to be very vigilant when it comes to consumption of alcohol.

    Australian doctors have embarked on training Indonesian doctors to identify methanol in people who may have consumed the deadly chemical.

    Bali is one of the places that has been the source of alcohol poisoning of tourists with many fatal results. People in Bali are making alcohol illegally at home and this alcohol is being cheaply and incorrectly made and laced with methanol. This alcohol is then sold to unsuspecting tourists.

    Methanol is used in jet fuel and as radiator coolant and is deadly when consumed.

    Bali is a favourite tourist destination for one million Aussies and these tourists need to be aware of the risk of methanol poisoning which doctors fear is increasing. Methanol ingested is absolutely deadly, most sufferers do not survive.

    This post from Yahoo explains,

    Dr Mark Monaghan is a toxicologist at Fremantle Hospital and has travelled to Bali with the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre to run toxicology workshops this week with 300 Indonesian medical staff at the Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar.

    He says it’s impossible for drinkers to know they’re consuming methanol.

    “You get intoxicated the same way, you won’t notice while you’re drinking it, (but) you’ll certainly notice when you’re getting sick from it,” he says.

    And it doesn’t take much – half a millilitre per kilo for the drinker, which equates to 30 or 40mls, or about half a glass.

    “It’s absolutely lethal,” Dr Monaghan says.

    “You can end up with a permanent brain injury if you don’t die, or blindness.”

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/19220481/bali-schoolies-face-methanol-menace/

    Early this year in January a 19 year old holiday maker in Lombok died after drinking methanol laced alcohol which he thought was vodka and lime. And again last week another young traveller returned from Bali to Oz with severe visual problems after drinking alcohol laced with methanol. Visual impairment is one of the first signs of alcohol poisoning and sufferers usually go blind.

    Medical professionals in Oz have urged the Indonesian government to act. Indonesians need to be educated about just how dangerous methanol is. Indonesians are making alcohol illegally in an effort to make money because the taxes on imported spirits are extremely high.

    The following excerpt from the post explains how methanol poisoning needs to be dealt with:

    The treatment for methanol poisoning is surprisingly counter-intuitive – victims need to be given ethanol, or more alcohol, as it’s metabolised by the body before methanol and stops the formation of formic acid, which causes blindness.

    But because ethanol slows the metabolism of methanol, it can be two or three days before symptoms of poisoning occur, which is why it’s hard to know just how many cases there are, with many going unreported or unattributed.

    And Ms Brown says convincing hospitals in predominantly Muslim areas such as Lombok to keep ethanol on hand to treat those poisoned can be a challenge.

    “There’s a cultural resistance to admitting there’s a problem,” she says.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/19220481/bali-schoolies-face-methanol-menace/

    The risk for Australians is that many of those going to Bali on holiday are young people who find the allure of cheap alcohol too tempting to pass up, especially when they are trying to have fun on a budget.

    Young people going on holiday need to be educated about this problem. They should only buy alcohol from “safe” sources such as their hotel restaurant or bar. Also if alcohol seems too cheap, it may be home made and methanol laced so do not buy it, it can cause brain damage, loss of eyesight and most commonly death.

     

  • Are Women More likely to Suffer from Alcohol Blues?

    It is generally accepted that women are the more emotional sex but now research shows that they may be more emotional drinkers as well.

    According to research conducted at the University of Southern Denmark, there are happy drinkers, miserable drinkers, tearful drinkers and even angry drinkers. And it could all be determined by your gender. Women have a tendency to be emotional after drinking than men.

    The research shows that women and men react differently at the end of a booze filled night. Men tend to be happier after drinking all night while women peak at a certain point before they start getting emotional.

    Researchers conducted the study on 230 high school students who were given alcohol and monitored to see how the alcohol content affected their mood.

    This post from British website metro.co.uk explains further:

    And your sex could well determine which you tend to be at the end of the night. Alcohol can put a smile on young men’s face all night – while ladies peak at a certain point before they get tired and emotional.

    Researchers in Denmark threw a party for 230 high-school students to examine how their blood alcohol content affected their mood. The revellers, aged 15 to 20, were checked for their cheerfulness, sluggishness and how easily they were distracted.

    Prof Marie Eliasen, of the University of Southern Denmark, said: ‘We found that low to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with increased cheerfulness among adolescents attending high-school parties. Extensive alcohol consumption leading to high BACs was associated with decreased cheerfulness among girls, while this was not found for boys.’

    Source: http://metro.co.uk/2013/10/18/why-women-are-more-likely-to-be-hit-by-booze-blues-4150334/

    Researchers weren’t as clear on what the possible cause of these emotional differences between girls and boys could be but they speculated that it could be because boys may have been more exposed to alcohol in their lives and may have built up a higher tolerance to alcohol than girls which may translate to girls being more emotional.

    According to the Professor responsible for the research, alcohol education needs to move away from the normal scare tactics which are often used, to a way of having fun without drinking excessively.

    The post goes on to explain:

    The different reactions could possibly be explained by binge-drinking boys who had built up a better tolerance to alcohol than girls.

    Prof Eliasen said alcohol education should move away from scare tactics to promoting how to have fun without excessive drinking.

    Although some students had trouble focusing, most had low to moderate alcohol levels in their blood. This could be used ‘to challenge the idea the majority of adolescents drink in excess’, Prof Eliasen added. Her findings will be published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

    Source: http://metro.co.uk/2013/10/18/why-women-are-more-likely-to-be-hit-by-booze-blues-4150334/

    This research is particularly relevant for parents of teenagers who wish to understand their children better and encourages them to teach their teens to drink moderately and responsibly rather than forcing them to abstain completely.

     

  • Alcohol’s Assistance in Workplace Social Interaction

    One of the best factors about alcohol and the reason why most people begin to consume it in the first place is that it is a social lubricant and a relaxant. Not only is this beneficial when we are trying to unwind and socialise with our friends, but new research shows it may also have its benefits in the workplace.

    Although people often like to punt the negative effects of alcohol, new research has proven another positive benefit for drinking especially for young employees.

    According to the study, alcohol can be used for a social advantage in the workplace by young employees and their organisations.

    The study was conducted at the Victoria University of Wellington by Masters graduate Benjamin Walker and Dr Todd Bridgman.

    The researchers examined the influences on young people’s drinking behaviour and habits in a white collar environment by conducting involved in-depth interviews with these people.

    This excerpt from a post on www.Qt.com.au explains:

    Mr Walker said he was surprised to discover the extent to which alcohol featured in the workplace.

    “Alcohol is commonly used to facilitate team bonding and for presenting a friendly, informal image when networking with clients.

    “It’s the way the organisation celebrates success, as well as the way new employees are inducted into the organisation.

    “Laying on free alcohol has advantages for an organisation – by being seen as a ‘good mate’ for buying the drinks, the organisation builds up credit, with workers saying they felt compelled to ‘work harder’ during ordinary work time.”

    Source: http://www.qt.com.au/news/alcohol-can-help-workplace-research/2037744/

    According to Mr Walker many young employees felt that alcohol actually helped them with their career progression. In their opinion, alcohol is so central in our society that people can fell excluded if they aren’t a part of it, however because excessive drinking is discouraged, employees make sure they consume it in moderation.

    The researchers also discovered that while young people were drinking moderately on a regular basis when it came to functions and celebrations they were more likely to consume alcohol excessively.

    Dr Bridgman went on to explain the next steps for their research:

    While most respondents said they deliberately exerted a degree of self-control over their alcohol intake at Friday night drinks to preserve their reputation, significant celebratory functions, such as mid-year or Christmas functions or team-level celebrations, were more likely to lead to heavy drinking.

    Dr Bridgman said the study allowed researchers to gather valuable information about work-alcohol dynamics and start a conversation about the issues in an area that hasn’t received a lot of attention.

    “The next step would be to canvass a wider variety of organisations to test whether our findings can be generalised across the professional services sector and to add further information to our picture of how young people are drinking.”

    Source: http://www.qt.com.au/news/alcohol-can-help-workplace-research/2037744/

     

  • Alcohol Fuelled Violence Rate in Newcastle improves

    Newcastle’s bad night life reputation seems to have been shed, supposedly due to measures implemented to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence, according to Newcastle City local area commander Superintendent John Gralton.

    The city’s top cop said that it had finally shed the “bloodbath” after dark reputation when speaking at the Community Drug Action Team Conference at City Hall.

    The top cop also told the Newcastle Herald that the city’s police were now hunting for trouble rather than what they previously did when they were overwhelmed with the violence and prevalence of drunken misconduct.

    Superintendent John Gralton said that “Five years ago the city was described as a bloodbath after dark”.

    He went on to explain, according to a post on www.theherald.com.au

    “Now, anecdotally, my police are telling me there is far less violence in and around the city and the streets are calmer.

    “Whereas previously they wouldn’t have had time to stop someone urinating on the streets because they were too busy dealing with violence, they now tell me they are hunting for people (causing trouble) in the streets.”

    Superintendent Gralton highlighted figures released by Hunter New England population health director John Wiggers at the conference.

    These figures showed Newcastle had maintained a 33 per cent reduction in reported assaults since bringing forward pub and club closing times to 3am in 2008.

    “Since that time we’ve focused on consequence policing which means making sure someone receives a consequence for poor behaviour in the city,” Superintendent Gralton said, also crediting the group banning and scanning system in the city’s entertainment precinct and police and industry working closer together.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1780469/alcohol-bloodbath-over-conference/?cs=303

    The cop went on to explain that there has since been a significant reduction in malicious damage. He also explained that it is not the police’s intention to stop people from having fun but they want people to feel comfortable and safe when they go out. There has been a significant positive change in the city since the police stepped up their game and patrons in entertainment districts who are out to have a good time responsibly will benefit from this.

    During the conference an Associate Professor from Deakin University, Professor Peter Miller said that the decline in Newcastle’s booze filled violence was attributed to less people indulging in the dangerous practice of heavy pre-loading before hitting the town.

    According to a study which looked at evidence from Newcastle and Geelong, it was common for drinkers to consume a lot of alcohol before they left home so that they could get drunk while spending less money before even leaving home. Statistics showed that this quadrupled drinker’s chance of getting in brawls.

    The post went on to explain:

    “We conducted interviews with patrons and it showed changes in culture (in Newcastle) with declining levels of pre-drinking and people going out earlier,” he said.

    The lock-out and earlier closing times meant people had to be in the city earlier, so could not drink as much at home.

    The two-day conference will wrap up on Tuesda, with Dr Adrian Dunlop, the director of Hunter New England Health’s drug and alcohol clinical services, among the speakers.

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1780469/alcohol-bloodbath-over-conference/?cs=303

     

  • Alcohol Fuelled Patients Clog up Ambulance Services

    It appears the number of alcohol related call outs in Geelong has gotten out of control and is putting even more pressure on ambulances than any other region in Victoria, according to reports.

    According to an article on the Geelong Advertiser website, a report released by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre earlier this year revealed that over 200 call outs a month in regional Vic are as a result of alcohol abuse or misuse.

    According to the report paramedics in greater Geelong attended almost 500 alcohol fuelled incidents in 2011-2012. Most of these cases are from self-inflicted injuries caused by alcohol as is actually risking the lives of other people in the area because it is diverting lifesaving resources away from the people that really need it.

    The article had this to say about the report’s findings:

    Greater Geelong paramedics attended 497 alcohol-related incidents in 2011-12, more than doubling the workload of areas such as La Trobe (190), Ballarat (178), Greater Shepparton (153) and Greater Bendigo (148).

    The report, released by Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre in May this year, found ambulances attended more than 200 call-outs per month in regional Victoria due to alcohol abuse.

    Ambulance union state secretary Steve McGhie said self-inflicted cases were diverting lifesaving resources away from patients with genuine health issues.

    “Geelong should be concerned,” he said. “It’s something we have to address together.

    “People get angry about illicit drugs and its toll on the community but alcohol abuse is much worse.”

    The Surf Cost recorded 46 alcohol-related call-outs, Colac Otway 30, Golden Plains 10 and Queenscliff five.

    Read more: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/10/14/374443_news.html

    A spokesperson for the Minister for Mental Health, Mary Wooldridge said the situation is a major social problem, especially considering that it is likely to increase if it is not dealt with. In the past 10 years, the number of alcohol related ambulance attendances increased every year,

    The government is committed to tackling this problem by reducing the impact of alcohol and drug abuse in the community – this is the only way to alleviate the problem of alcohol related attendances wasting valuable medical resources.

    The article goes on to explain:

    “The (whole-of-government strategy) plan includes initiatives to promote healthier attitudes to excessive drinking and drunk behaviour, as well as measures to effectively regulate alcohol supply with strengthened reforms to liquor licensing laws,” the spokesperson said.

    Labor secretary for health Wade Noonan said the report showed paramedics were being sent into dangerous situations and that people were left “dangerously exposed”.

    “The increase in alcohol and drug-related ambulance attendances is leading to some serious incidents involving our respected paramedics, including assaults,” he said.

    Source: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2013/10/14/374443_news.html

    As the spokesperson explained the huge alcohol related caseload is adding enormous pressure to the ambulance service which is already under stress. In fact the situation is so serious that one in four ambulances already failed to response to life-threatening emergencies within 15 minutes – the government’s target response time.

    A spokesperson for the Health Minister David Davis denied that the Ambulance service was failing to keep up with the high demand and cited a 13.7 per cent increase in ambulance shifts operating in the Geelong area. He says, the Geelong has more paramedics now than it’s ever had.

    What does this mean for RSA Staff?

    As RSA staff we have a duty to serve alcohol in a socially responsible manner so as not to contribute to the high number of alcohol related incidents tying up ambulances and other medical services, keeping them from seeing to patients with “real” non-self-inflicted problems. We can do this by completing the Responsible Service of Alcohol course and adhering to all RSA rules.

     

  • Study Finds Chronic Alcohol Use Shifts Brain’s Control of Behaviour

    A study conducted by scientists at the National Institutes of Health in the United States has confirmed what we have long suspected, that chronic alcohol use affects the way our brain’s function and control our behaviour.

    According to the study, which was conducted on mice, excessive alcohol use leads to brain adaptations that shift behaviour control away from an area of the brain involved in complex decision-making and towards the region responsible for habit formation.

    The research finally helps us explain why alcoholics and alcohol dependent people display drastic changes in behaviour and why they battle to break the habit of chronic alcohol use.

    Read what an excerpt from a post on www.nih.gov reported on the study,

    The brain’s prefrontal cortex is involved in decision-making and controlling emotion, while the dorsal striatum is thought to play a key role in motivation and habit formation. Past studies have shown that alcohol dependent individuals show problems with skills mediated by the prefrontal cortex such as impulse control. These same individuals often show exaggerated neural response in the dorsal striatum to alcohol-related cues.

    To investigate whether changes in the dorsal striatum might account for these observations, researchers led by Andrew Holmes, Ph.D., in the Laboratory of Behavioural and Genomic Neuroscience at NIAAA, measured changes in the brains of mice that were chronically exposed to alcohol vapours.

    He and his colleagues found profound changes in the dorsal striatum of these mice, including the expansion of neuronal dendrites, the branching projections of the nerve cell that conduct signals. Such changes are also seen with chronic exposure to drugs such as amphetamine. These structural changes were associated with changes in synaptic plasticity, the brain’s ability to change in response to experience, and reduced activity of endocannabinoid receptors, which are part of a signalling system that may play a role in sensation, mood, and memory.

    Read more at http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2013/niaaa-22.htm

    The research shows that these findings provide insight into how too much alcohol can affect learning and behavioural control at a neural level. According to a lead researcher, D Kenneth R Warren, the shift to increased striatal control over behaviour may be a critical step in the progression of alcoholism.

    The findings also suggest that chronic alcohol consumption may trigger a concerted set of adaptions in this area of the brain which produced a bias for striatal control over behaviour. The changes may be responsible for the changes in habits and compulsive behaviour displayed by alcoholics.

    This research also helps us understand how to treat alcoholism but suggesting that the best treatment may be one designed to normalize striatal function.

    The researchers also went on to explain that when it comes to drug abuse, the brain’s functions are simply impaired but are complexly adapted and deteriorate the functioning of some areas of the brain while amping up other areas.

    Yet more evidence that proves moderate alcohol consumption is best, not only for your immediate safety but for your health and brain functioning as well as to avoid developing dangerous alcohol habits.