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Tag: Alcohol

  • Warning not to Drink Excessively

    Many people associate the holidays with drinking and doing so in excess but it is also the time of year when the most road accidents, violent assaults and alcohol related hospital admissions take place so drinkers need to drink responsibly and moderately to avoid becoming another statistic.

    Now as the festive season is in full swing, there has been a call from Tasmania’s Alcohol and Drug Service Clinical Director, Dr Adrian Reynolds to rethink the advertising of alcohol. He says that hospital staff and families are the ones who suffer and are left picking up the pieces when people’s excessive drinking leads to serious injuries.

    The doctor also stated:

    “Advertising and promotion is of concern,” Dr Reynolds said.

    “I think we need to do something about that and we do have evidence of other things to reduce access, reducing closing times for example.”

    Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-22/the-cost-of-excessive-festive-cheer/5171382

    Dr Reynolds has urged the community to think about what is shaping this dangerous drinking behaviour.

    Sadly the doctor is not alone in his concern as doctors around the country have warned that beds are being taken up by alcohol patients which is disrupting the treatment of other patients with “real” medical issues.

    In Victoria around 30,000 people are hospitalised a year due to alcohol and related implications. According to data compiled by the organisation Turning Point, most of those hospitalised are due to excessive alcohol consumption. It seems as though the number of people being hospitalised each year because of alcohol is growing steadily.

    This issue has reminded me about the importance of Responsible Service of Alcohol because so many of these alcohol fuelled incidents causing people to be admitted into hospital are due to people going out to entertainment districts and getting drunk. As RSA staff we should never be turning a blind eye to the implications of our actions.

    Not only is getting unduly intoxicated a risk to the public but the intoxicated person themselves are more at risk of becoming the victim of a violent attack, as statistics have proven.

    Licensees are the ones most responsible for the behaviour that happens in their venues and their first priority is to ensure that everyone employed to work in the venue, regardless of position are in possession of an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate. Management, security staff, waitrons, bartenders and anyone working at the venue must complete RSA training and keep their proof of doing so on the premises.

    But completing the course is only one part of it, management and staff of licensed venues must ensure that they are enforcing the principles taught by the RSA training, particularly those pertaining to underage drinkers and unduly intoxicated patrons.

     

     

  • National Research Shows Aussies want Alcohol out of Sport

    According to a national research study released by The Salvation Army recently, most Australians want alcohol out of sporting events. In other words most Aussies would prefer not to see alcohol advertising during sporting events but would rather have it phased out of sport completely.

    The Salvation Army commissioned the Roy Morgan run survey of 1001 Australians which revealed that almost all believe that alcohol and sport are too closely linked in Oz at the moment.

    The research was commissioned as part of Alcohol Awareness Week in November. The Salvation Army sees harmful affects of alcohol on the community through their counselling services and programs and according to them this survey proves that the community shares the same concerns.

    Illwarra sporting, academics and charity representatives have welcomed the research findings that prove that at least 67 per cent of those surveyed felt that alcohol advertising needed to be phased out like tobacco advertising was in the past.

    The following excerpt from TheHerald.com.au explains further:

    Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed felt that, just like tobacco advertising was phased out, it was time to phase out alcohol sponsorship of sport.

    And 70 per cent of people said that the amount of alcohol advertising people under 25 saw encouraged them to drink more.

    University of Wollongong academic Professor Sandra Jones said the findings of the national survey mirrored that of research undertaken by the university, and other institutions.

    ‘‘We know from good solid evidence from longitudinal studies over a number of years that the more young people are exposed to alcohol advertising, the earlier they start drinking, the more they drink and the more alcohol-related harm they experience,’’ Prof Jones said.

    ‘‘Having so much alcohol advertising during televised sport is a big contributor to young people taking up drinking and drinking at harmful levels in Australia.’’

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1853637/aussies-want-alcohol-ads-out-of-sport-study/?cs=2452

    The post goes on to express the view of Professor Jones, The director of the Centre for Health Initiatives who believes that alcohol advertising is not restricted to television, with the promotion brands, liquor outlets and clubs occuring through sports sponsorship as well.

    She explained that alcohol is being too closely associated with alcohol which is sending a clear message to young people that drinking and sport do go together. It is implied that if you watch sports, you drink alcohol and if you participate in sports you will drink alcohol and that if you are a sporting fanatic, your will drink alcohol.

    She says that as tobacco advertising in sport was banned sending the message that tobacco and sports do not go hand in hand, the banning of alcohol advertising and promotion in sport should have a similar effect.

    The post then went on to quote the chairman of Football South Coast, Eddy de Gabriele who was also pleased with the research findings,

    Football South Coast chairman Eddy de Gabriele also welcomed the survey.

    ‘‘Why is it that tobacco advertising was banned, but not alcohol – they are both drugs,’’ he said.

    ‘‘It’s a good thing to follow sport, but if it’s tied in with alcohol advertising, then it sends the wrong message that drinking alcohol must be a good thing too.

    ‘‘We have got 18,000 players from five years old all the way up to our league teams, and we needed to send a consistent message to our players of all ages that we don’t promote alcohol or smoking through sponsorship of any kind.’’

    Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1853637/aussies-want-alcohol-ads-out-of-sport-study/?cs=2452

     

     

     

     

  • British Study Claims Alcohol more dangerous than Heroine

    A controversial new study originating in the UK claims that alcohol is more dangerous than heroine and causes more harm.

    Alcohol is even more harmful than heroin and crack according to the study published in the British medical journal, The Lancet.

    The experts involved in the study examined a variety of social, physical and psychological problems that associated with drugs and alcohol and the results showed that alcohol caused the most harm to others. Illicit drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine are the most harmful to individual users.

    The study took into consideration twenty drugs and scored them on 16 criteria, including the harms drugs do to the user and the harms they do to others. The drugs were each given a score out of 100 points and alcohol proved to be the most dangerous with 72 points out of 100. Heroine came in second with 55 points and crack cocaine came in third with 54 points.

    According to the study cocaine and tobacco are equally harmful and the least harmful drugs are LSD and ecstasy.

    The report was made more controversial by the fact that it’s co-author was Professor David Nutt who last year claimed that riding a horse was more dangerous than taking ecstasy.

    There are millions of people who have alcohol problems, in the UK and Oz but because alcohol is legal and easy to access, most people don’t realise that it can lead to addiction when abused and can affect their health and safety. One addiction experts explains:

    But because alcohol is legal and easy to access, many people don’t think it is a problem for them, says addiction expert Dr. Jeffrey Parsons, chair of the psychology department at Hunter College.

    “It is legal and socially sanctioned, so it does not carry the same stigma and issues that illegal drugs do,”he says. “But the negative health consequences of alcohol are even greater than with many illegal drugs.”

    Drinkers tend to equate “legal” with “safe,” but that’s not necessarily the case, says Lebanon Valley College psychology professor Lou Manza. “In the general public’s mind, because you can go and buy alcohol in the store, it is okay,”he said.

    Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/alcohol-harmful-heroin-crack-study-article-1.455003#ixzz2sr8GmRT8

    Experts explain that the one major difference between alcohol and illicit drugs is that there is a “safe level” for most people when it comes to alcohol but even one hit of an illicit drug can be dangerous. Men shouldn’t have more 2 drinks daily and women should stick to one a day if they wish to avoid harm, but keep in mind that you shouldn’t drink every day. The following excerpt explains:

    “It’s not the same with nicotine,” Levounis says. “We have not been able to find a low threshold under which smoking cigarettes is safe. There’s no such thing.”

    Alcohol dependence tends to be masked more often than dependence upon other drugs, Parsons says. “With alcohol, someone can feel like a law abiding citizen despite the fact that they’re abusing a drug,” he told The News.

    Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/alcohol-harmful-heroin-crack-study-article-1.455003#ixzz2sr8GmRT8

     

  • Liquor Stores Association says No Link between Outlet Density and rate of Domestic Violence

    According to the Liquor Stores Association of NSW (LSA NSW) the claims by anti-alcohol advocates that the density of alcohol outlets is contributing to crimes like domestic abuse are false.

    The LSA NSW lashed out after the NSW Greens MP John Kaye recently made what they described as unsubstantiated claims that the number of bottle shops correlates to more domestic violence. The LSA said this statement is incorrect and unfounded.

    According to the LSA NSW, the recent Report on the Statutory Review of the NSW Liquor Act 2007 proved that alcohol related domestic assaults were dropping despite the number of liquor licences increasing. The following excerpt from TheShout.com.au explains:

    Without quoting any evidence, NSW Greens MP John Kaye this week said that “increasing the number of bottle shops correlates to more domestic violence”, an argument that LSA NSW has labelled “just plain wrong”.

    “According to the November 2013 Report on the Statutory Review of the (NSW) Liquor Act 2007, the facts are that alcohol-related domestic assaults fell 12 per cent between 2008 and 2012, while the number of NSW Packaged Liquor Licences increased by 30.5 per cent in the same period,” the association said.

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2014/01/10/article/No-link-between-outlet-density-and-domestic-violence-Bottleshops/DOCFXLXEIP.html

    The statistics do seem to support the LSA NSW’s claims. According to the latest ABS data, the number of packaged liquor licensed in NSW has increased over the last half a decade and there was an overall drop in the total volume of pure alcohol sold for the second year in a row. During the same time per capita consumption also dropped. According to LSA NSW CEO Terry Mott the per capita consumption dropped by 5.4 per cent since 2008.

    The organisation went on to state:

    “No-one can disagree that it is a tragedy when any person (young or old) is killed or injured by the mindless actions of someone out on a night intending to inflict harm on others – however jumping to emotional and simplistic responses may not be the answer,” LSA NSW said.

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2014/01/10/article/No-link-between-outlet-density-and-domestic-violence-Bottleshops/DOCFXLXEIP.html

    The LSA NSW suggested sustained education programs to directly engage the community particularly those groups that are under high risk. This will over time result in the modification of people’s behaviours which will alter the problematic drinking culture. One of the problems that seem to be engrained in or culture is that people drink with the intention of getting drunk. The only way to tackle this is with a sustained effort aimed at educating the community, the LSA claims. The post goes on to explain:

    The association said that effective and sustained education programs to directly engage the community, especially those groups vulnerable to high risk drinking behaviours with the specific intent of modifying people’s behaviour over time, will help to create a cultural change for the healthy enjoyment of alcohol as opposed to ‘drinking to get drunk’.

    “This needs to also be complimented with a targeted Policing approach to enforce current legislation with those individuals who do go out with the intent of inflicting harm on others and also sentencing by the courts for those convicted in these cases, which is seen as appropriate by the community,” it said.

    Source: http://www.theshout.com.au/2014/01/10/article/No-link-between-outlet-density-and-domestic-violence-Bottleshops/DOCFXLXEIP.html

     

  • Examining What Determines Alcohol Behaviour

    I’ve always wondered why some people are more prone to alcohol abuse than others. Why is it that some of us can have a drink and not get addicted while others seem to be addicted from their very first glass?

    Well according to researchers from the UK, our drinking habits may be predetermined by a gene called Gabrb1 which they think regulates alcohol consumption. When that gene becomes mutated we may be more prone to alcohol abuse.

    Researchers in a joint research project between 5 UK based universities found that they could actually drive mice to drink.

    Students at Imperial College London, Newcastle University, UCL, University of Dundee, and University of Sussex found that a mutation in the Gabrb1 gene caused mice to drink enough alcohol in 1 hour to render them intoxicated and unable to move properly.

    The study which was published in the journal, Nature Communications revealed that Gabrb1 is the alcohol-regulating gene. The research showed that those mice with a mutated Gabrb1 gene preferred alcohol as their daily fluid intake over water whereas ordinary mice had no interest in alcohol but opted for normal water.

    The following excerpt explains the background for the research:

    The gene was isolated when researchers from the Imperial College London, supervised by Professor Howard Thomas, worked at the MRC Mammalian Genetics unit to randomly introduce subtle mutations into the mice’s genetic code. Afterwards, they tested the mice for alcohol preference.

    The researchers were then able to identify the Gabrb1 gene, and found that mice carrying one of two mutations in the gene preferred drinking alcohol (10% ethanol – close to the strength of wine) to ordinary water. This led the researchers to conclude that the mutated gene had a strong influence on the test subjects’ alcohol preference.

     In fact, the gene’s influence on the mice was strong enough to make them exert physical effort just to get to the alcohol, as the mice had to push a lever to gain access to the drink.

    Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/337619/scitech/science/mutant-genes-may-trigger-alcoholism-study-shows

    As the research shows, even a small change in the code of just one gene may have a profound impact on complex behaviours such as alcohol consumption. UK researchers then determined that the mutated Gabrb1 caused a receptor in the brain called GABAA to spontaneously activate even in the absence of its usual trigger, the inhibitory chemical messenger GABA.

    This research is most fascinating because of its implications for explaining alcoholism in human beings. The researchers also explained:

    According to Professor Thomas, previous studies had already shown that the GABA system has a hand in controlling human alcohol intake.

    “Our studies in mice show that a particular subunit of GABAA receptor has a significant effect and most importantly the existence of these mice has allowed our collaborative group to investigate the mechanism involved. This is important when we come to try to modify this process first in mice and then in man,” said Thomas.

    Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/337619/scitech/science/mutant-genes-may-trigger-alcoholism-study-shows

    It is expected that this research could be helpful in treating alcoholism in humans or even combating it altogether. If the future research shows a similar mechanism is present in humans as is present in mice, it could help researchers identify those people most at risk of becoming addicted to alcohol.

  • Booze Cruise Staff to Complete Responsible Service of Alcohol Training

    Staff on booze cruises are no different than those employed in pubs and bars and so aren’t exempt from Responsible Service of Alcohol rules, however senior police officials in NSW say these party boats on Sydney Harbour are operating as “pubs without rules”. Police say these party boats should be held to the same liquor laws and regulations as other licensed venues.

    Some of the boats operating on Sydney harbour carry up to 900 people and the manner in which some of them serve alcohol is becoming a problem to police in the area. According to one police officer, the boats get people intoxicated by serving them multiple shots and then “dump them” at wharves where they become a problem to local police with their menacing behaviour.

    The police officer was quoted as saying,

     “They can be a nightmare,’’ one senior police officer said. “Many go out for four and five hours at a time where people drink non-stop and then (they) turf them out at Darling Harbour and Circular Quay and then it’s our problem.’’

    Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057

    This article highlights an important issue – the need for Responsible Service of Alcohol training.

    RSA training applies not only to the employees of pubs, clubs and bars but also to those working on booze cruise party boats. Each boat’s employees must have a responsible service of alcohol certificate according to the law and although they currently are some slipping under the radar because of little policing on boats, authorities are likely to begin cracking down on these vessels as their fight against alcohol fuelled violence grows stronger, one officer suggests scanning customers getting on boats.

    Although most operators are abiding by RSA rules, there are some that are getting away with irresponsible practices, the following excerpt from the post on News.com.au explains:

    Most boats dock between 10pm and midnight but operators admit there are rogues in the business.

    “We have security guys on our vessels but there are a few operators out there who cater to the backpacker market and give a $50 all-you-can-drink package,’’ one employee of a well-known harbour vessel company said.

    “They are pretty much no-holds-barred and they don’t care what goes on.’’

    Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057

    It is likely that as government cracks down on alcohol fuelled violence in entertainment districts, party boats will also come under the spotlight.

    With the measures announced by government last week, included 3am last drinks calls and 1:30am lockouts, greater regulation of party boats were also announced.

    The following is a quote from a licensee who runs a harbour cruise and said that boats were safer than pubs and clubs,

     “We’re very wary we don’t want a volatile situation on a boat so it’s pretty much a code within the charter boat industry that we take exceptional control in alcohol usage,” he said.

    “I’m not interested in making an extra five, 10, 20 bucks out of a person when they’re going to create havoc and start spewing all over the boat and there’s no area to kick them off.”

    Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/harbour-party-fun-boats-face-new-controls/story-fnii5s3x-1226821950057

    If you or your venue is not complying with RSA laws it is vital that you do so before the government’s scrutiny of party boats hea

  • Man Six times over Alcohol Limit Crashes Car

    The consequences of drink driving can be severe even if they do not prove fatal, as they often do, you could be left paralysed, brain damaged or cause serious injury or death to others, sadly many people are ignoring the risks and choosing to drive while intoxicated. This irresponsible behaviour was the cause of crash which place at Clifton recently. A driver who was 6 times over the legal alcohol limit was injured in a crash.

    The man was subsequently charged after police received the results of the blood test which they administered on the man which demonstrated that he was well over the legal alcohol limit. The man’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.321 and the legal limit is 0.05 per cent.

    The article on www.warwickdailynews.com.au explains:

    BLOOD taken from a man who was injured in a crash at Clifton has revealed he was more than six times over the legal alcohol limit, according to police.

    Clifton police officer-in-charge Sergeant Guy Smidt said he charged the 45-year-old man on Tuesday after receiving the results of the blood test.

    Sgt Smidt said the man’s blood was sampled after the car he was driving ended up on the railway line in a single vehicle crash at the intersection of Clark St and Wiedman Rd about 3pm on December 1, last year.

    He said tests indicated the man had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.321.

    The man was charged with driving under the influence of liquor as well as driving a vehicle that was not fitted with an interlock device.

    Source: http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/crash-driver-six-times-over-limit/2134535/

    According to a police sergeant the reading was particularly high. He expressed his frustration that drivers are simply not getting the message when it comes to the dangers of drink driving.

    The culprit was transported to hospital for treatment after the crash. The man will appear in court on 19 February. The post goes on to explain:

    “It is an extremely high reading,” Sgt Smidt said.

    “We just can’t get the message through.”

    He said at the time of the incident, the man had been taken to Toowoomba Hospital for treatment to injuries to his lower spine and sternum.

    Source: http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/crash-driver-six-times-over-limit/2134535/

    Despite the fact that alcohol slows down your brain functions and causes drivers to react slower and affects decision making negatively too many drivers are making the wrong choices.

    Alcohol reduces your ability to judge your speed and distance, so you don’t notice how close other cars and objects are to you. It is important that before we even pick up a drink we should ensure we have a safe way home.

    But sadly, alcohol makes you more confident than you would be normally, leading you to think it is safe to drive and resulting in more dangerous and reckless driving behaviour.

  • Best Way to Tackle a Hangover this Holiday Season

    With Christmas and New Years behind us most of us will be getting back into the routine of normal life but chances are you may have one or two more soirees planned before this happens and after all that drinking you will probably need a few quick fixes to help to feel your best.

    Although we should be drinking responsibly enough to avoid a hangover, sometimes we tend to overdo it over the holidays so remember these tips to help you avoid that dreaded morning after feeling.

    Because dehydration is the cause of that horrible feeling you get when you’re hung-over it is important to drink plenty of water especially in-between drinks and before you go to bed.

    Instead of the unhealthy and heavy comfort food we crave, have a healthy pasta dish with protein, fat and anti-flammatory nutrients obtainable from garlic to clean the gut and keep the immune system healthy.

    Nutritionists also suggest eating full fat Greek yoghurt to help restore beneficial gut flora in the intestines which are disrupted by alcohol.

    Another excellent “super food” is coconut water which will not only hydrate your body but replenish lost electrolytes while milk thistle tablets will help to detox it. Charcoal supplements are also a good way of absorbing toxins from the gut.

    Remember that alcoholic drinks are high in calories, so if you don’t want to put on added pounds keep track of how many calories you’re not only eating but drinking as well.

    Vitamin B3 is a good way to start the recovery process as it will help break down the alcohol in the body and thereby help minimise the effect of the hangover the next day.

    When embarking on a heavy night of drinking, avoid greasy and fatty foods which are harder to metabolise and break down, they alcohol slows this process even more, causing your body to store more fat.

    According to a post on BrisbaneTimes.com.au which was compiled using the advice of nutritional experts and trainers, this is how you cure a hangover:

    Eat a avocado pasta dish (quinoa pasta, avocado, garlic, Greek yoghurt and parmesan cheese)

    Drink coconut water before during and after eating the dish

    Take milk thistle and Vitamin B before during and after the meal

    Take charcoal capsules to absorb toxins

    Take carnitine and hydroxycitric acid to burn fat

    Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/how-to-cure-a-christmas-hangover-20131223-2zuc9.html#ixzz2oZns8Ods

    Let’s not forget the importance of moderation over the silly season. Although most view it as the season for excess, drinking in excess over the holidays may seem like fun at the time but it can have dire consequences, more severe than just a hangover or some weight gain. Alcohol fuelled sicknesses, diseases, violence and road accidents are also a common part of the festive season, don’t let your new year’s fun be ruined by a tragedy caused by drinking too much.

  • Researchers want Community Defender Office to help Fight Bars and Alcohol Shops

    According to a group made up of medical and research groups established in NSW to review alcohol fuelled misconduct and its impact on communities, a community defender’s office is called for in order to protect residents and communities from alcohol fuelled problems stemming from “unwanted” bars and pubs in the area.

    A community defender’s office should be established under the liquor law so that residents, schools and hospitals can fight a flood of unwanted bars and bottle shops, an alliance of medical and research groups claim.

    According to an article on Smh.com.au the number of active liquor licences in NSW increased by 13 per cent between 2008 and 2011. Councils across Sydney complain that the community is locked out of decision-making and does not have the resources to fight applications from companies with money and resources at their disposal.

    The following excerpt from www.Smh.com.au explains further:

    The NSW Alcohol Policy Alliance, which includes the NSW Police Association, Australian Medical Association and hospital and surgeon groups, has called for a defender’s office to be funded through the introduction of annual licence fees for pubs and clubs.

    A report to be released on Thursday at a forum at NSW Parliament has found the community impact statements lodged by liquor licence applicants are often misleading while spot checks by the regulator have revealed many pubs and hotels don’t tell communities – giving them no chance to object.

    A community defender’s office would notify communities of a new licence application, help prepare affidavits and gather data needed to challenge a new licence under complex rules.

    ”NSW communities are demanding a say in liquor licensing decisions but are increasingly frustrated at being locked out by a process that is unfairly weighted in favour of the alcohol industry,” said Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/push-for-help-fighting-bars-bottle-shops-20131019-2vtja.html#ixzz2iKdVFFSl

    As one member of the community, Kandy Tagg explained, liquor licences arent the problem but the concern is that more big bars bring more drinking, more violence and noise and subsequently more disruption for the community.

    The Fairfield City Council explained that it is extremely difficult for the community to challenge a licence proposal because they often dont have the means to do so and sometimes they arent even aware of the applications.

    It is important that in areas where there is a high density of bars, pubs and licenced premises that Responsible service of alcohol regulations are strictly adhered to because often it is the only defence against the alcohol fuelled problems that communities are so fearful of.

    The post on Smh.com.au goes on to explain:

    Applicants were only required to provide the location of nearby schools, churches and hospitals, not the views of these groups. The only way a community discovered an application had been lodged was if they happened to see an A4 piece of paper stuck on a building, she said.

    Manly Council uses its planning powers to alert community groups if a development application for a new pub or restaurant is received. Any objections go to an independent panel. Cr Griffin said the NSW government should adopt the same approach for liquor licences.

    Residents on Thursday took objections to a restaurant Justin Hemmes plans to open on the Manly wharf to an independent hearing. It ruled the project could proceed but must address noise and environmental concerns.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/push-for-help-fighting-bars-bottle-shops-20131019-2vtja.html#ixzz2iKdVFFSl

     

     

  • Study Disproves Theory that Alcohol leads to Depression

    According to a group of Western Australian scientists, alcohol consumption does not lead to depression as previously assumed.

    The scientists discovered that there was no truth to theory that alcohol causes people to become depressed.

    The discovery was made following a study of 3873 elderly men conducted over a period of 3 years as part of a long running men’s health study and the findings have been eye-opening especially in debunking some old myths such as the myth that drinking alcohol causes depression.

    This post from www.perthnow.com.au explains:

    A study of 3873 elderly men has shown no truth to the long-held belief alcohol causes people to become depressed, University of Western Australia school of psychiatry and clinical neurosciences professor Osvaldo Almeida said.

    The study was conducted over three years as part of the long-running Health in Men Study.

    “We found (as expected) that this particular genetic variant was associated with reduced alcohol use, but it had no association with depression whatsoever,” he said.

    Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/alcohol-and-depression-not-linked-wa-study/story-fnhocxo3-1226717903594

    The researchers came to the conclusion that alcohol doesn’t cause depression in older men. There are often people who suffer from alcoholism and the effects of these addictions may lead them to become depressed but alcohol in itself doesn’t cause depression, as we previously thought.

    Even though this study shows that alcohol consumption does not directly lead to depression in drinkers, we should not take this as an opportunity to binge drink. Any excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to severe and sometimes life-threatening consequences which is why alcohol should always be consumed in moderation and responsibly.

    Consuming moderate amounts of alcohol can positively affect your physical and mental state. Even though alcohol is widely abused, which often overshadows the good it can do, there are some benefits to drinking alcohol in moderate amounts. And now that we know that alcohol doesn’t cause depression, people abusing it does, we can recognise the importance of promoting moderate consumption, particularly if we work in the hospitality industry.

    Workers who serve and sell alcohol have a responsibility to ensure that they are not serving alcohol to unduly intoxicated patrons which only promotes excessive drinking and negative consequences such as alcoholism and depression.

    The post goes on to explain:

    “The conclusion is that alcohol use neither causes nor prevents depression in older men.  Our results also debunk the view that mild to moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of depression.”

    Prof Almeida said the association observed between alcohol and depression could be explained by other factors, but not by alcohol itself.

    “It doesn’t mean alcohol is entirely safe and people can consume it in whatever way they like.  We know that alcohol when consumed in excess does create a lot of health problems – but what we now know is that one of those problems is not depression.”

    Source: http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/alcohol-and-depression-not-linked-wa-study/story-fnhocxo3-1226717903594