MSPs pass Alcohol Bill without minimum drink pricing

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11719594

The above link refers to the MSPs Alcohol Bill aiming to tackle Scotland's historical alcohol problems.  Key measures including a minimum drink price and raising the purchase age for off licence sales have not been included in the bill.   It aims to end the sale of alcohol at heavily discounted prices, as well as offers such as buy on get one free.   It is hoped that the bill with 'pave the way for the introduction, in future, of a "social responsibility fee" on retailers who sell alcohol.

Do you think that these measures will significantly impact the social and health damage caused by alcohol consumption in Scotland or will they just stratch the surface?

We need to understand the psychology of drinking

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11138535

Research is demonstrating that problem drinking is more prevelent in some parts of the country compared with others (see above link to BBC news article).   Recent research published by the North West Public Health Observatory has found some stark regional divisions, with two thirds of alcohol related harm occuring in the north. 

Health minister Lord Howe said the government was already taking action to stop the sale of alcohol below cost and to review alcohol taxation and price.  However he acknowledged that increasing the cost of alcohol alone will not tackle the huge amount of alcohol related health problems and crime our nation is experiencing:

"Supply and price are not the only factors fuelling misuse though, attitudes are crucial. We need to understand better the psychology behind why different groups of people drink too much. Legislation or initiatives will not work unless we have a better understanding of what drives people's decisions."

What are your thoughts?

'24-hour drinking culture failed'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10784060

'24-hour drinking culture failed'.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “The benefits promised by the 24-hour drinking 'cafe culture' have failed to materialise and in its place we have seen an increase in the number of alcohol related incidents and drink fuelled crime and disorder.”

This comes before an expected plan to overhaul licensing laws to tackle alcohol related violent crime, which has increased since the implementation of 24-hour drinking.

The new laws are intending to support local communities and to punish those venues that are deemed to facilitate violent crimes.

Does it come as a surprise to you that the 24-hour drinking laws in the UK have not produced any benefits, but rather caused more problems? Do you think the concerns about trying to encourage a cafe culture should have been considered more carefully before the laws were passed or is it only with hindsight we can see what a failure this concept has been?

 

Online chemical crackdown breaking down?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10664537

The above link refers to a story published on the BBC website that describes the UK as 'floundering' in its attempts to control the online mephedrone market.

Mephedrone and other similar drugs are a thriving trade – as is the case with mephedrone and Naphyrone, once one substance is banned there is another waiting to takes its place. So what is the answer? The quicker one drug is banned and replaced the less we know about the new transient chemical – surely this is increasing the health risk? Most of the time experts advise that users don't even know what chemical they are taking, let alone the sort and long term consequences of the drug? In fact it is unlikely that the internet dealers that are selling the drugs know exactly what it is that they are selling.

So what do we do about this problem? If all new chemicals are banned (think about the logistics of actually doing this!) will it make any difference or will it just increase the health risk people know less and less about what they are taking?

Reality TV and addiction

What do you think of the reality TV shows that follow people as they seek treatment for their addictions - does it help to highlight addiction problems, promote treatment or is it invasive for the sake of being invasive?  Is the impact of these shows overall positive or negative?

Know your units...

Do you know how many units your usual pint contains or how many are in a high ABV% glass of wine?  How often do you drink more the recommended daily units?  Do you think you could accurately estimate how many units you drink in a week or would you be surprised by the real figure?...

Whilst different drinks vary in size and strength, below is a rough guide to how may units of alcohol are in what you are drinking:

Beer, Lager and Cider:

4% - 330ml Bottle = 1.3 units,  440ml Can = 1.8 units, 568ml Pint = 2.3 units

5% - 330ml Bottle = 1.7 units,  440ml Can = 2.2 units, 568ml Pint = 2.8 units

6% - 330ml Bottle - 2.0 uniits, 440ml Can = 2.6 units, 568ml Pint = 3.4 units

9% - 330ml Bottle - 3.0 units,  440ml Can = 4.0 units, 568ml Pint = 5.1 units

Spirits (40%):

25ml Small Measure - 1.0 units, 35ml Large Measure - 1.4 units (multiply by two for double measures)

Wine (red, wine, rose or sparkling):

10% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.25 units, 175ml Standard Glass = 1.75 units, 250ml Large Glass = 2.5 units

           Bottle = 7.5 units

11% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.4 units,   175ml Standard Glass = 1.9 units,   250ml Large Glass = 2.8 units

           Bottle = 8.3 units

12% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.5 units,   175ml Standard Glass = 2.1 units,   250ml Large Glass = 3.0 units

           Bottle = 9 units

13% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.6 units,   175ml Standard Glass = 2.3 units,   250ml Large Glass = 3.3 units

           Bottle = 9.8 units

14% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.75 units, 175ml Standard Glass = 2.5 units,   250ml Large Glass = 3.5 units

           Bottle = 10.5 units

(http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_084637.pdf)

Lower Drink Drive Limit to be Proposed...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8742769.stm

Above is a link to a BBC news story that speculates that a review of the drink-drive limit being published later is expected to recommend that it be nearly halved.  The report is expected to suggest that the current limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood is reduced to 50mg per 100ml of blood, bringing it in line with other Eurooean countries' current legislation.

How much you can drink before you are over the limit is not a simple question to answer, as the drink itself (size, strength) and the person's weight and metabolism have an impact on how alcohol effects an individual.  However,.. "The police argue that any amount of alcohol can affect a person's ability to drive. So they have a simple solution to the "how much can I drink?" question.

According to Pc Jon Lansley, a traffic officer with Hampshire Police, the answer is simply do not drink anything and drive.... The last thing I want is to have myself or a colleague pull you over. You'll be arrested, you're likely to go to court, it will change your life. "

Do you think a lower drink drive limit will bring down the amount of accidents/deaths associated with alcohol related driving?

"Watchdog backs a minimum price for alcohol"...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/10207827.stm

The link above refers to a story published this morning on the BBC website. The story advises that a health watchdog has now backed the call for a minimum price per unit of alcohol in the UK.

Do you agree with opinion such as that of Dr Robin Purshouse of Sheffield University that raising the  cvminimum price per unit of alcohol will result in fewer alcohol related deaths and hospital admissions and alcohol related crime OR do you agree with opinions such as that of Simon Litherland of Diageo GB: "Minimum pricing, self evidently, is not going to address alcohol misuse by heavy drinkers because people logic alone tells you that people who have a problem are going to go to any end to actually obtain alcohol."

 

Caught on camera...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8700638.stm

The link above refers to a BBC news story about a student in Sussex University selling mephedrone to an undercover reporter.  Does the story reflect that criminalising mephedrone has had any impact on its use in the UK aside from increasing the price per sale?

The ban was partly put in place in reaction to a number of deaths associated with the drug, however conclusive evidence of cause of the deaths is yet to be established.   Has criminalising mephedrone had an effect on how many young people are using it and what else could be done to prevent mephedrone related deaths?

 

Tougher stance on drink and drug driving supported by public...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7465357/Public-supports-tougher-stance-on-drink-and-drug-driving.html

Did you know that the UK is one of only two European countries with a drink-drive limit higher than the EU-recommended limit of 50mg alcohol per 100ml blood? 

The link above points to an article published yesterday by the telegraph.co.uk that refers to a story about public support for lowering the drink driving limit and changes to drug driving legislation so that people driving under the influence of 'impairing' substances can be prosecuted in a similar way to drink drivers.

What do you think about current drink driving laws?  Did you know that they are largely different in the UK to other European countries in terms of drink drive limits?

With research coming from organisations like Brake showing that someone driving with the maximum permitted level of alcohol is five times more likely to crash than if they were driving without any alcohol in their system, should we be considering banning drink driving all together?

When it's your turn to be the designated driver do you drink to your limits or avoid alcohol for the evening?

Enabling...are you doing it?

When someone we love has a drug or alcohol problem it is natural to want to help them, but expecting yourself to become an addiction expert over night is unrealistic and can be very damaging to the person and the family unit. 

Sometimes, because we are so emotionally invested in a loved one,  our well meaning efforts actually empower the addict to continue using - often this is because our reactions to the alcoholic or drug addict allow them to carry on with the same patterns and actions, but they avoid the consequences of their behaviour.  This is enabling.

Of course you care about the person and you don't want to see them encounter social, financial or legal problems, but by allowing the person to continue with no consequences, effectively giving permission to continue on the same path, is not the best way to help the one you love. 

In the same way that physical problems are treated by a medical professional, addiction problems require the support of a addiction specialist to help the addict address what is motivating their substance abuse.  We wouldn't expect ourselves to be able to match our GP in their clinical knowledge so we shouldn't expect ourselves to be able to match the skill of a addiction clinician.  What we can do is get some help - both for the ones we love and for ourselves, to gain an understanding of the complex nature of an addiction and ultimately help our loved ones to regain control and live free from the constraints that their substance abuse has put on them.

Enabling is a complex relational issue and one that most people may not realise they are doing, but there is help available.

How to pass a drugs test?

Increasingly there are more and more websites advising you about 'how to pass a drugs test'. Phrases like 'drink this detox drink and keep your job' and 'worried about a drug test – buy this now' are common. But what are the facts? What are your experiences of shipping in expensive 'miracle detoxes' – did they really work? How dangerous are they? Do people who need a proper supervised medical detox put themselves in danger of serious physical consequences by believing website adverts?

It is worth asking yourself - “if there was a miracle detox drink why isn't it well known?”, “if detox drinks worked why would the dangers of detoxing alone be so widely publicised?”, “would it be better to get some professional advice than risk my job and health on an unknown quick fix?”, “if I need a detox is this really going to help me in the long term?”

What are your thoughts?

Mephedrone Arrest..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/8653498.stm

This link above refers to a news article published on the BBC website about the first mephedrone related arrest in Wales.

Is this the kind of news story you expected to see two weeks after mephedrone was banned?  Do you think that the ban will reduce the number of people using mephedrone in the UK?

'Sunbed tans are addictive warn researchers'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8625840.stm

The link above refers to a BBC news story about 'Tanorexia' - people who are addicted to sun beds and sun lamps.  The story comes from a study conducted by researchers in the US that have found that 'around a third of people who use sunbeds may become addicted to the tanning effects'.

Valid piece of research or lacking in scientific merit?... you decide...

Recovery and the London Marathon - anything is possible if you get the right help.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/suffolk/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8611000/8611987.stm

Chris Hibble is a 37 year old man in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, after receiving professional support on a rehabilitation programme Chris is now gearing up to run the London Marathon.

"It was a lot harder to battle with drugs than it is to run a marathon," said Chris, who's training for the big event in the capital on 25 April.

"Chris's addiction story started when he was 11 years old and had his first drink. By the age of 16 he'd tried his first drugs.   He took them socially as part of the rave scene and tried everything, including ecstasy and heroin, although he says alcohol was the drug that eventually got him.

"It spiralled out of control. I enjoyed drinking and taking drugs when I first started and before long I didn't have the ability to stop by myself.   I was forever losing jobs, being in A&E and in trouble with the police.  It caused devastation and misery and pain to everyone that I was really close to - my family and friends."

He's now self-employed as a painter and decorator and has a wife and two children.

"It came to a point where I could no longer function with or without them, contemplated taking my life and decided to get some help."

In 2006 Chris did just that and turned his life around to live free from the constraints of his addiction and choose the direction he wants his life to go in....

'Sensible drinking' advice for the injured...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8599878.stm

The above link is to a BBC news story written in regard to hospital staff providing sensible drinking advice to patients coming back for follow up appointments after treatment for an alcohol related injury.  The Royal College of Surgeons of England suggest that outpatient clinic visits offer an opportunity for nurses to motivate people to drink sensibly and to offer advice about alcohol services should their patients require additional support.

"Janet Davies, from the Royal College of Nursing, said that it had recently accredited a training course to help nurses intervene at the right moment.   She said: "The time nurses spend with patients during follow-up appointments provides a valuable window of opportunity to encourage people to think about whether they might be drinking too much and to signpost them to further information and advice."

Do you think that this step will help reduce the number of alcohol related A&E hospital admissions?

Employee drug testing - intention versus result...

http://www.hse.gov.uk/alcoholdrugs/drugs.htm
Above is a link to the Directgov website, specifically the 'Health and Safety Executive'. Below is an extract from the site discussing employment substance misuse policies and drug testing:

“Drug and other substance (e.g. solvent) misuse is everyone's concern. In the context of work, not only does it damage the misuser's health, but it can cost employers through absenteeism and reduced productivity. It may also increase the risk of accidents. Employers should adopt a substance misuse policy, in consultation with their staff. This policy should aim to support affected employees rather than punish them, though your policy must say that possession or dealing in drugs at work will be reported immediately to the Police. If an employee admits to being a drug user, your policy should seek to help them rather than lead simply to dismissing them.

Some employers have decided to adopt drug screening as part of their drug policy. If you think you want to do the same, think very carefully about what you want screening to do, and what you will do with the information it generates. Screening by itself will never be the complete answer to problems caused by drug misuse.

The advice clearly states that any drugs policy or screening programme should be implemented with the intention of helping employees that are experiencing drug problems. In reality is this how substance misuse policies are interpreted by employees and do they feel that a positive drug test result will mean they get help or get the sack?

Calzaghe - still a Golden Boy?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/03/29/calzaghe-says-sorry-after-publication-of-cocaine-stories-91466-26129706/

The above link refers to the news story that sees Joe Calzaghe, a world renowned boxing champion, publicly apologise for his occasional use of cocaine.

The former super middleweight and light-heavyweight world champion said in yesterday’s statement:

 “I very much regret my occasional use of cocaine in what have sometimes been the long days since my retirement from the ring....I am fully aware of the bad example it sets to other people and particularly to youngsters and I apologise to my family, friends and fans....It is not a major problem in my life but it is something which I am actively addressing."

Last night publicist and PR guru Max Clifford said Calzaghe’s “golden boy” image would be hit hard by the revelations.

“I think this will upset a lot of people,” he said....It’s the first real blemish on his career and has tarnished him....The golden boy of British boxing is not as golden as we thought he was. It just diminishes his career."

Do you think that recent stories about Calzaghe ruin his untarnished boxing record or is this story just another inidication of the reality of recreational drug use in the UK?

Researchers in Spain Validate Scale to Judge Work Addiction.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7018190670?Researchers%20In%20Spain%20Validate%20Scale%20To%20Judge%20Work%20Addiction

The above link takes you to a news article about the development of the DUWAS (Dutch Work Addiction Scale) created by researchers in Spain.  It is estimated that work addiction currently effects up to 12% of the population of Spain.

To read more look up the Spanish journal Psicothema....

University conducts mephedrone experiment...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/7499937/Liverpool-John-Moores-University-students-in-mephedrone-experiment.html

As the debate about mephedrone rages on, 50 students attending Liverpool John Moores University have taken part in an experiment - the idea is to hold structured interviews with the subjects to record how they feel after taking the drug.

Dr Cathy Montgomery, the psychology lecturer behind the research said: "During these tests, the university makes it clear they do not condone drug use.

"Until now, most evidence comes from people anecdotally. We will be holding structured interviews with users, asking them how they feel at different time points.

Whilst Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh, who represents Southport, Merseyside has branded the study "highly irresponsible", the question remains, should we be taking more steps to understand more about mephedrone as oppose to simply banning it?  Would banning it alone prevent any more people using it?  Should we concentrate our resources on researching effects of legal highs so at least people are informed?

What do you think of the university experiment??

Mephedrone – just because it's legal doesn't mean it's safe?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/mar/17/mephedrone-explained-plant-food-miaow

The above link is in reference to an article published by The Guardian this morning. Yesterday two teenagers died after using mephedrone and there has been a public outcry for the reclassification of the drug. Currently legal in the UK, mephedrone, not to be confused with methadone, has been deemed as the possible drug of the next decade. In the 90's there was ecstasy, in the 00's there was cocaine and ketamine and now it would seem the party drug of choice is rapidly becoming mephedrone (or m-Cat as it is commonly known).

The major concern about this drug is not dissimilar to that of other drugs that have come up the club rankings since the 70's – what are the long terms effects, what are the chances of overdosing etc. However, perhaps the most controversial element of this debate is the fact that mephedrone is legal to buy, which may be a significant indicator of why children as young as 11 have been turning up at school high on mephedrone. This touches on the wider debate of legal highs. Are legal highs any safer than illicit drugs (or could it even be a case where some illicit highs are dubbed safer by the recreational drug taking community than legal highs?). Despite the actual chemical make up of these drugs and whether they are deemed to be safe or not by experts, surely the legal status of such drugs gives an illusion of safety if they are legal?

Drugs Opera opens in Mexico City

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8563528.stm

The above link refers to the premiere of the first Mexican opera to deal directly with the country's drugs conflict in Mexico City.

"Out of the last 20 years, I would say, this is the one opera that is telling us a story that is not only on everyone's mind, but also in the headlines. It is how Mexico is perceived outside as well," Jose Arean, Musical Director.

Do you think that this type of genre should be banned or encouraged in the arts?

Meow Meow - legal high, but for how long?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/7053731/Children-12-taking-legal-high-drug-meow-meow-on-school-bus.html

The above link is to an article published in the Telegraph that refers to children aged 12 and up taking ‘meow meow’ (

Mephedrone) during their bus ride to school. The drug, which has been compared to ecstasy (but with side effects including convulsions, hallucinations, nose bleeds, headaches, breathing problems and in some cases cardiac arrest) is starting to be widely seen amongst school children - it’s cheap, easily available, but using it presents far more risks that it’s ‘legal high’ label suggests.