Police want parents help to tackle drink menace

Parents are being told to take more responsibility in stopping their children from drinking and causing problems in Stamford.

Drunken teenagers are contributing to anti-social behaviour which is blighting the lives of some residents in Stamford.

The town's police force believe irresponsible adults are giving alcohol to children. The adults are either strangers approached by the underage drinkers or people they know over the age of 18 who are buying them the alcohol.

During the half term officers have been confiscating alcohol from teenagers in Stamford, Bourne, Rutland and The Deepings.

Insp Gary Stewart is calling on parents to help stamp out underage boozing by checking that their children have not been drinking when they come home at night.

He has also warned off-licences and pubs that officers will soon be checking that they are not selling alcohol to underage children.

Insp Stewart, who is based at Stamford Police Station, said: "Parents could be our greatest weapon in getting kids away from alcohol by asking a few simple questions and taking some responsibility.

"Clearly it is the parents' responsibility to bring up their children and not outside agencies such as the local council, the police, education or health authorities.

"It is their responsibility first and foremost to ensure their children fit in
to society."

The Mercury has received reports of cans and bottles being found in parks in Elizabeth Road and Sandringham Close.

Yobs have also thrown beer cans at members of the town's Air Training Corps and passers-by.

Insp Stewart said: "We have anecdotal evidence that kids are hanging around off-licences asking adults to buy them alcohol. They are contributing to anti-social behaviour by doing this.

"If your children turn up at night after being out do you check to see if they have been drinking? If not you should be.

"If they have been drinking, question where they are getting the drink from."

Teenagers found drunk and acting anti-socially will be reprimanded and given a final warning before being taken home to their parents by officers.

Police also have the powers to confiscate alcohol if children are acting anti-socially or they believe this is going to happen.

Rutland & Stamford Mercury

Move Asda help stop under-age drinking

One of Peterborough's largest supermarkets has revealed new measures to limit access to alcohol and make it harder for under-18s to break the law.

A move that city-based alcohol awareness charity Drinksense sees as "a small, but important, step" in the right direction.

Asda has announced measures to tackle both under-age drinking and the effects that late-night alcohol-related crime have on the community.

Thousands of shoppers use the Asda store, in Rivergate, city centre, each day, and although some of the measures don't affect it, people will notice a change.

High-alcohol, fruit-flavoured shot-sized "shooters" have been removed from sale, and under 18s who attempt to purchase alcohol could be prosecuted by Asda.

The company will also carry out independent test purchases, to see if under 18s are able to buy alcohol, every month in each branch, and the results will be published on the supermarket's website.

Asda president Andy Bond said: "Our aim is to make it practically impossible for under 18s to break the law in our stores.

"From today, we are adopting a zero-tolerance approach.

"We will also display signs making it clear that we reserve the right to prosecute anyone under 18 who attempts to purchase alcohol, or anyone doing so on a child's behalf."

Shooters will be removed from sale, following calls by campaigners that they are particularly attractive to under-age drinkers.

Nationally, the supermarket is also stopping selling alcohol after midnight in town centre stores, to prevent people leaving late night bars and clubs from buying even more booze.

Asda announced it was investing £1 million into targeted youth projects to tackle alcohol-related problems among kids, working alongside Business in the Community.

An Asda spokeswoman said: "These new changes will be phased in over the next few weeks. The main change will be prosecution rates – we encourage police to do so, but now we want to do more ourselves."

Last week, Tesco announced that it was "willing to take an active role in discussions around the introduction of legislation to ensure responsible pricing on alcohol and alcohol promotions".

Christine Greer is chief executive of Drinksense, which has offices in Eastfield Road and London Road, in Peterborough.

She said: "We need to recognise as adults that we are all responsible for the way alcohol is managed in our community.

"This is a small step forward, but an important one."

ET Comment: Supermarket's active role Asda be a good idea
It's great news that Asda has decided to play an active role in preventing under-age teenage drinkers getting their hands on alcohol.

The big supermarkets have come under criticism for being lax in checking the age of purchasers, and for tempting teens with low priced booze.

Now Asda has, commendably, decided to take a socially responsible stance, s
tarting with the removal from the shelves of shot-sized fruit flavoured so-called "shooters" which are popular in the teenage market.

The supermarket is going to make its zero tolerance stance high profile with displays in all its stores, and it intends policing the move by sending in under-age "shoppers" to test the vigilance of staff. The results of these random surveys of its own outlets will be published on Asda's website. Full marks for that, Asda didn't have to go that far and it shows a real commitment to playing an active role in tackling the horrific consequences of drunken teenage behaviour.

Tesco has also said that it is willing to work with the Government and police to tackle the problem, so the days of teenagers nipping into their local supermarket and getting "fuel" for a night of trouble on the town may at last be over. Good reason for everyone to celebrate.

Peterborough Today

Older Generation 'Driven To Drink'

Retirement is driving pensioners to drink as they struggle to come to terms with loneliness, boredom and poverty.

Doctors are seeing increasing numbers of men and women in their 60s, 70s and even 80s, turning up for detox sessions and other treatments after finding it difficult to adapt to life after work.

Many have given up busy or high-powered jobs and drink to wile away the hours – while others find themselves struggling to replace the social life they enjoyed while working and go to the pub to ward off loneliness.

Many start drinking heavily late in life in response to stress such as the loss of a partner.

But while young people have regularly hit the headlines over the past few years for their binge drinking exploits, much less is said about excessive alcohol consumption among the elderly.

However there is a worrying trend among the older generation, according to the Linwood Group, an alcohol treatment centre.

Director and addiction therapist Sue Allchurch said: “Many people find retirement difficult to cope with.

“We grow up in a culture where work dominates everything and few are lucky enough to have a consuming passion or pastime to accompany them into retirement.

“Likewise families these days are scattered across the country, even the world, so are not part of everyday life for many when they retire.

“Combine boredom, loneliness and the worry of getting older and you have the perfect formula for someone to turn to drink.

“Those people with a propensity towards alcoholism, which did not emerge during their working life, can find themselves progressing into dependency very quickly.”

Frank Sodeen of Alcohol Concern said: “Alcohol misuse among older people is often described as hidden or neglected in the UK.

“Our report mapping out alcohol service provision in England showed people over 60 made up only seven per cent of users.

“For some there is a stigma attached to problem drinking so we need to develop an approach which explains about the type of help offered to demystify what treatment means.

“One major change that must be made is to alter the mindset in society that makes people believe that it is not possible for older problem drinkers to change their drinking behaviour.

Or to assume, he added “that because they do not actively seek treatment, they are not interested in taking up treatment.” The Linwood Group lists tell-tale signs showing drinking is becoming a problem.

These include no longer drinking for social reasons, drinking larger amounts and more often, and viewing drinking as an escape from circumstances.

Mrs Allchurch added: “It can be harder to spot some of these symptoms in older people as they can be confused with symptoms of general aging. We are also asked whether it matters so much if someone older becomes alcohol dependent – the truth is that drinking can spiral out of control in a matter of months. The choice is then treatment or, inevitably, an early death through a drink-related disease or accident.”

Hip fractures increase dramatically with elderly drinkers and alcohol also activates enzymes that can dilute medication.

Daily Express

Time to re-assess attitude to alcohol

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was right when he said recently that alcohol abuse was a growing problem and that the "epidemic of binge drinking" he had witnessed was "not good".

Interestingly, our Prime Minister's remarks make for a fascinating juxtaposition with those of someone in the alcohol service industry. The owner of the Normanby Hotel (in Queensland), defending his hotel's record on public safety, was recently quoted as saying: "If we're so bad, why are we so popular?"

It's not rocket science to realise that popularity is not necessarily an indication of whether something is good. All it shows is that it is popular. After all, smoking is popular. So is junk food. But neither of them is "good".

Furthermore, being good doesn't always guarantee popularity – if that was the case, carrots and celery would be in much higher demand. And why do we tend to lean towards popular – even when we know that, sadly, carrots are better for us than chocolate.

One thing our society is generally good at, supported by underlying philosophies such as individualism and materialism, is elevating short-term pleasure over long-term benefits. Hence, a smoker will tell you that they know cigarettes are bad for them but they still smoke.

It's why I choose a chocolate bar instead of an apple for a mid-afternoon snack, or sleep in instead of getting up and exercising. I know what is good, but the good is not always popular. And being popular does not make it good – no matter what the owner of the Normanby may hope.

And so we find that alcohol abuse and binge drinking have become popular, and is a fast-growing problem for Australian society.

Figures recently quoted in The Courier-Mail, and sourced from the National Health and Medical Research Council, suggest there are staggeringly high levels of binge drinking occurring in young Australians. More than 40 per cent of 16 to 17-year-old drinkers consume alcohol at hazardous levels.

Some dismiss those who are warning of the dangers of youth drinking patterns, and argue that young people have been drinking illicitly for generations. There is a level of truth to that, however, the nature and environment in which alcohol consumption is taking place now is fundamentally different from even five years ago.

So what can we do? Part of the problem lies in the fact that the nature of alcohol being consumed by young drinkers has changed drastically. Young drinkers are not experimenting with beer or wine. They are choosing spirits and mixers, and the pre-mixed drinks such as UDLs and Vodka Cruisers are hugely popular. When alcohol doesn't taste like alcohol, such as with drinks like these targeting the teenage market, you get young people underestimating the effect of what they are drinking. It's a recipe for disaster.

Of course, during the teenage years, and early 20s, many people are also struggling with issues of identity, insecurity, peer pressure and fear of rejection. A substance, which promises – even temporarily – to remove inhibitions, embolden the drinker and include them in a socially popular activity, is one that is difficult to resist.

Further complexities arise when you consider the social environment in which young people are being raised. Over-arching community ideas, such as short-term gratification, throwing off restraint and self-determination all combine to create a cocktail of impending disaster.

If we care about reducing the binge drinking happening among our young people, we should consider carefully the words of Geoff Munro, spokesman for the Australian Drug Foundation. He said: "The whole culture impels people into believing that drinking is important, that it should be a part of every social occasion."

We know this to be true – so how do we expect young people to "just say no" if the rest of society is saying yes. What can we do? Well, in a recent interview, Munro encourages us to "re-assess the role alcohol plays or should play in society".

That is something that Rudd and Health Minister Nicola Roxon can take a governmental approach to. But it's also something we can all do – as individuals.

After all, I could think about how my implicit assumptions regarding alcohol create the shared community experience we have and how I could help bring about a change personally. When you think about it, that's a really good idea – and perhaps, we could even help make it a popular one.

News com au

Opinion split over government's attutide to drugs and alcohol

Social workers and medical experts warn against MSP's calls for policy overhaul

An ideological debate on how Scotland addresses the issues of drug and alcohol abuse is being waged between elected representatives at Holyrood and the nation's leading social workers.

Lothians MSP Ian McKee has called for a reappraisal of the government’s present stance on tackling the abuse of drugs and alcohol in Scotland, forcing a defence of current measures by Scotland’s anti-drugs and alcohol taskforce.

Dr McKee, an SNP backbencher and former GP, has expressed his view that the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Teams has created a major problem by focusing the bulk of its attention on drug-related incidents at the expense of those involving alcohol.

Dr McKee highlighted the fact that, whilst the government aims to reduce the abuse of drugs and alcohol, the two are rarely combined, with only ten per cent of cases involving both narcotic and alcoholic substances, according to health experts.

He said: “Our strategy for dealing with alcohol and drugs is to combine the two - that's why we have Alcohol and Drug Action Teams throughout Scotland.

“But they have concentrated mainly on drugs. And while that's very important, alcohol is probably one of the biggest causes of premature death in Scotland. It deserves a good crack of the whip and I'm worried it doesn't get it.

“Apart from both being addictive habits, they are two very different problems and they deserve individual specialist strategies.”

He continued: “We already know the vast majority of people with alcohol problems do not have a drug problem. We now know in Lothian only ten per cent of people with a drug problem also have an alcohol problem. That's a very tenuous link and it blows away the idea the two should be linked in Alcohol and Drug Action Teams.”

However, in an exclusive interview with The Journal, Tom Wood, Chairman of the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Teams, claimed that there is an inextricable link between drug and alcohol abuse, maintaining that the two should be treated and addressed together.

“If you keep drugs and alcohol separate, you are destined to fail,” he said. “The truth is that they are almost always linked. Not identifying the relationship between the two has been a mistake in past years; we tend to separate drugs and alcohol as we see one as illegal and the other as social. We treat them separately in the same way as we deal with homelessness, isolation, and crime as separate issues – this is a big mistake.

“We must be sure to read across and recognise the relationship between the two; drugs are much, much more of a problem than alcohol, and this is where I agree with what Ian McKee has to say. What I am saying is this: fifteen years ago, drugs were our major concern with the rise of AIDS and HIV and the deaths they were causing. Nowadays, it is true that far more deaths are being caused by alcohol, but let us not let the pendulum now swing the other way so that we ignore the impact of drugs by focusing all of our attention on alcohol; they are both related and must be treated as such.

“The papers in Scotland are always talking about drug-related deaths; the truth is that there is virtually no such thing. What we see is people who may have ultimately died of an overdose, but who, in almost every case, have a history of both substance and alcohol abuse. The two exist almost always together and this is a good example of why it is unwise to isolate them.”

Mr Wood told The Journal that there are three key elements to ensuring that drug use, particularly amongst the youth population, remains under control in Scotland.

He said: "The first step is to make sure that young people are given the information required in order to make important choices. If they decide to experiment with drugs, we want to make sure they are doing so with their eyes open, so that they are aware of the risks and implications involved.

“Secondly, we want to get a hold of people who are already involved in drug-taking so that we can reach out to them, providing them with help and support.

“And finally, we want to provide a recovery service which will show people the way through.”

Although Mr Wood’s sentiments towards treating drug and alcohol related cases as virtually one and the same may appear somewhat controversial, they were echoed by Fiona Watson, clinical lead for substance misuse within NHS Lothians. Dr Watson acknowledged that the number of cases involving patients with both drug and alcohol problems is comparatively low, but stated that it is important not to separate the two.

She said: "Having reviewed the drug service caseload we have found approximately ten per cent have a drug and alcohol problem. Services must address the needs of all patients in a holistic way as we are increasingly seeing patients with a range of drug and alcohol issues. The direction of travel is to integrate drug and alcohol services.”

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon remained neutral on the issue of whether drug and alcohol misuse should be bracketed together by the police and health services, but reiterated the government’s intention to devote maximum attention to instances of misuse.

She said: “We recognise that most individuals with addiction problems require different types of treatment at various times during recovery and we are determined that people will have access to all appropriate support, when it is right for them to do so.”

The Journal

Super-strength alcohol to be banned

Super-strength lager and cider could be cleared from the shelves under council plans to curb binge drinking across England and Wales.

Westminster city council became the first authority to see supermarket and off-licence shelves cleared of cheap, high-strength drinks widely blamed for causing anti-social behaviour.

The council leader, Sir Simon Milton, called on the Government to "come up with a robust national policy to deal with what is a rapidly growing problem". In a further clampdown, the supermarket chain Asda said it may prosecute under-18s who try to buy alcohol from its stores.

The move is part of the supermarket's measures aimed at curbing access to alcohol. Asda will double the number of test purchases at its 352 stores to ensure that staff do not sell alcohol to minors.

The spot checks are carried out for Asda by an independent firm.

In addition, from April 7, Asda will stop selling alcohol between midnight and 6am at about 100 stores that do so at present. It will also stop selling fruit-flavoured shooter drinks with a high alcohol content.

Westminster council said its stand on alcohol sales would benefit local residents and tourists.

More than 25 supermarkets, as well as branches of smaller shops and off-licences will stop selling the extra-strength alcohol in problem areas identified along Marylebone High Street, Victoria and Pimlico under a voluntary scheme.

Westminster council has also set up "group dispersal zones" from which drinkers can be moved.

The borough is now a "controlled drinking zone" so alcohol can be confiscated from street drinkers.

Telegraph

Doctors call for stronger government action on alcohol

The British Medical Association (BMA) has called upon the government to do more to tackle alcohol misuse in the UK.

Excessive drinking has been linked to over 60 medical conditions, including several cancers, as well as heart disease, hepatitis and diabetes.

Alcohol is estimated to cause around 2,000 cases of breast cancer every year in the UK and also increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, larynx (voice box), oesophagus (foodpipe), liver and bowel.

The BMA has now published a new report, 'Alcohol Misuse - Tackling the UK Epidemic', in which it calls on the government to implement a range of new control policies to reduce alcohol misuse.

The report points out that the UK has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption in Europe, with significant numbers of men and women regularly exceeding the recommended guidelines.

It also highlights the major variation in alcohol consumption between different ethnic groups, with only nine per cent of white Britons being non-drinkers compared to 90 per cent of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi population and 48 per cent of those of Black African origin.

The BMA recommends introducing higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and an end to irresponsible promotions.

It also wants to see a reduction in the legal driving limit from 80mg/100ml down to 50mg/100ml, as well as labels on all alcohol products giving details of units of alcohol, recommended guidelines and a warning about the dangers of excessive consumption.

The BMA's head of science and ethics, Dr Vivienne Nathanson, claimed that recent governments have "worked too closely with the alcohol industry and have pursued policies of deregulation and liberalisation regarding alcohol control".

Dr Nathanson noted that alcohol misuse "destroys lives", causing family breakdowns, contributing to domestic violence and crime, and claiming lives.

"Alcohol misuse not only costs lives it also costs the country many millions of pounds," she continued, adding that the NHS "spends millions every year on treating and dealing with alcohol problems".

The BMA's chairman of council, Dr Hamish Meldrum, said that the government should act on "strong and consistent evidence" that increasing the cost of alcohol reduces consumption and called for sufficient funding to refer at-risk patients to specialist centres.

He commented: "Our report is making some tough recommendations, but if the government is serious about tackling this issue this is what is needed."

Cancer Research UK

What’s your poison?

It's an epidemic that kills 10 times more people than heroin. But despite the warnings, Teesside’s young adults and teenagers are still risking their health by binge drinking. Angela Rainey investigates.

Liver disease, cirrhosis, mental health problems and even death by inhaling your own vomit.

These are the risks today’s young people are taking by binge drinking.

Many people’s sons, daughters, sisters, brothers and grandchildren have at one time drunk to excess.

And when people drink to excess regularly, health professionals class this as binge drinking.

Professor Mike Brambles, consultant gastro-enterologist at James Cook University Hospital, says the situation on Teesside is worrying him, with future health problems stacking up for a generation. He has seen the number of young people suffering from alcohol-related liver problems double in 10 years. “The incidence of liver failure, particularly in young women, is increasing because they are equalling laddish behaviour,” he said. “This hedonistic attitude to alcohol is not new. People in the past have stepped up to drinking challenges, downing a bottle of gin and so on.

“But alcohol is a poison and is the most common cause of death by self-poisoning. If you drink enough of it, it will kill you.”

Prof Bramble says more should be done by the Government to stem the epidemic.

“The Government should be making it more difficult, to make alcohol less freely available and put the onus on pubs to stop serving people who are already drunk,” he said. “Alcohol should be more expensive. Studies have shown that when taxation increases, fewer people buy it.”

Many liver conditions do not display symptoms until it is too late for treatment.

An inquest into the death of student Matthew Hepburn, 22, highlighted the dangers of binge drinking.

Matthew was found dead after a party at a friend’s house on Clairville Road, Middlesbrough, on September 25, 2006.

Witnesses told how Matthew, a 20-stone doorman and rugby player from Gloucester, could drink up to 20 pints on a night out. The hearing found his death was likely to have been caused by falling off a chair and coroner Tony Eastwood recorded an open verdict.

John Rickard, team leader at the Primary Alcohol Service, based at Middlesbrough’s James Cook Hospital, said that since May 2006, 1,186 patients have attended A&E and been referred to the service. Of these, 135 were aged between 18 and 23.

Alcoholics Anonymous says 42% of young people admit binge drinking, with students ranking highest. And from April 2005 to April 2006, teenagers in the UK were admitted to hospital for treatment 8,582 times.

Garry Toulouse, director of student services at the University of Teesside, denied students were more likely to binge drink than the wider population. He said: “We have conducted surveys that show students are no more problem drinkers than anyone else of that age group.

“Young people are away from home and they are vulnerable and open to experimentation.

“We try to give them information and guidance.”

Evening Gazette

24-hour drinking 'has fuelled 25 per cent increase in violent crime in the early hours'

Labour's attempt to reduce crime with round-the-clock pub opening has failed, a leaked Home Office report revealed yesterday.

Since extended hours were introduced there has been a 25 per cent rise in serious violent offences in the early hours of the morning.

A promised move towards a "cafe culture" has also failed to materialise, and many revellers are drinking more than ever, the officials warn in a review of the policy.

24-hour drinking has led to a rise in night-time violence

Last night, it led to renewed demands for Gordon Brown to scrap extended opening altogether.

Doctors and opposition MPs have all said the change - made in November 2005 - should be reversed.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "This is a shocking indictment of the Government's failure and it is the public who are paying the price.

"Alcohol-fuelled crime is on the increase yet Labour's response has been pitiful.

"Despite unleashing 24-hour drinking on all our towns and communities they have simply failed to enforce the law against alcohol related offences."

Tessa Jowell said 24 hour drinking would result in a 'cafe culture'

The report, due to be published within the next two weeks, says there are no "clear signs yet that the abolition of a standard closing time [for pubs and clubs] has significantly reduced problems of crime and disorder".

It says "more flexible pub and club closing hours were intended to avoid the closing-time melees, discourage excessive drinking and, in time, encourage a more relaxed, southern European-style drinking culture".

But, in many cases, the already dire situation on Britain's streets has become worse.

Serious violent crime has been displaced, with a steep rise in offences committed between 3am and 6am.

A survey of 30 police forces for the report shows how drink-related crime between 6pm and 6am has risen by 1 per cent.

However, crimes between 3am and 6am are up by 22 per cent, with more than 10,000 extra offences being committed in that time period in the year after the licensing rules were relaxed.

Between these times there was also a 25 per cent rise in serious violent offences, including murder, manslaughter and wounding - accounting for almost 4,000 more crimes.

Violent crime rose in Guildford (12 per cent), Birmingham (6 per cent) and Nottingham (3 per cent).

In most areas, up to 16 per cent of people were drinking more than ever.

Researchers say that some crime has been displaced to the early hours of the morning, and "it seems likely that this is a consequence of the extension of licensing hours".

In total, there were 940,522 violent crimes and cases of disorder and criminal damage committed from 6pm to 6am in the year after pubs and clubs were given permission to open later - an increase of 6,300.

Among 18 forces which looked at incidents in city centres and near pubs and clubs, more serious offences in the 3am to 6am leapt 127 per cent, to 59 crimes from 26.

Separate figures from the British Crime Survey show were 1,087,000 violent attacks by drunks in the first full year of the reforms - up 64,000 on the previous year.

Before the controversial change the total had been falling.

It is equivalent of one booze-fuelled attack every 30 seconds, or almost 3,000 each day.

Causing death by dangerous driving while under the influence of drink or drugs reached its highest level for 30 years.

There were 462 cases in the year after opening hours were relaxed, up 7 per cent.

Former culture secretary Tessa Jowell, who pushed through the change in the face of overwhelming opposition, had claimed overall crime would fall as Britain moved to a Continental-style "cafe culture".

A Home Office spokesman said the latest report was still being finalised.

He said an interim report on the impact of the legislation, published in July 2007, showed serious violent crime over the whole night fell by 5 percent after the Licensing Act came into force.

"We will continue to encourage local authorities and the police to take decisive action to fine premises or remove licences where there is trouble."

Daily Mail

One in 10 teenagers binge-drinking each week

The scourge of alcohol abuse across Australia is far worse than previously thought, with one in five 16- and 17-year-olds now binge-drinking in any given week and nearly 500,000 children living at risk of exposure to an adult drinking at harmful levels.

The figures on cannabis use are equally disturbing, with one in seven secondary school students using the drug within the past 12 months.

The problem has been allowed to reach such plague proportions because most Australians consider drinking and drug use by young people to be a normal activity and "often seen as a rite of passage to adulthood", Australian National Council on Drugs chairman John Herron warns.

Numbers double

Releasing a paper today entitled Supporting Families of Young People with Problematic Drug Use, the Federal Government's principal advisory body on drugs policy said its estimates last May about the disturbing number of children exposed to adult binge-drinkers and cannabis users had proven to be significantly short of the mark.

That study found one in eight Australian children lived with a problem drinker or drug user, including more than 230,000 children in households at risk of exposure to a binge drinker and more than 40,000 living in a house where an adult uses cannabis daily.

A reassessment of the research finds almost double the numbers, estimating that 451,000 children are exposed to binge drinking and that 70,000 live with a daily cannabis user.

Overall among 12- to 17-year-olds, one in 10 (168,000) report binge-drinking (defined as seven or more standard drinks in a day for a male and five or more standard drinks for a female), in any given week.

For 16-year-olds, the figure is one in five (54,116), the same as for 17-year-olds (59,176). For young indigenous Australians, 27 per cent use alcohol and 12 per cent drink to excess.

Risky behaviour

"Of particular concern is the finding that approximately 13 per cent of young drinkers report drink-driving and 16 per cent report going to work or school under the influence of alcohol," the report finds.

The growing army of young problem drinkers is placing enormous personal and financial stress on families, the report finds.

It finds most of the nation's drug and alcohol treatment providers don't have the financial or manpower resources to deal with families wanting to be involved in the process when the research shows family members should be part of the solution.

"We are enormously concerned about the high rates of binge-drinking," Dr Herron said.

"What this report clearly says is that drug and alcohol use by young people has become normalised and is often seen as a rite of passage into adulthood.

"It's clear from the report that parents have an important role in influencing what happens to their children. Adolescents are less likely to drink and engage in binge drinking if parents actively disapprove."

Epidemic

Last week Kevin Rudd voiced concern about binge-drinking, saying he and Health Minister Nicola Roxon were developing strategies to combat the problem.

"I would describe (it) as an epidemic of binge-drinking across the country," he said.

"It is not good for young people's health and it is certainly not good in terms of coping with addictions in general."

The report recommends parents keep their children away from alcohol, and says that condoning its use can be dangerous for a child's mental and physical development.

"Parents should delay the onset of alcohol use in young people as long as possible in order to avert the adverse impact of alcohol on adolescent body and brain development as well as to reduce the likelihood of high-risk alcohol use and abuse in adulthood," it concludes.

If parents did want to take steps to help their child, they should go beyond friends and family and look to professional services, public health expert Margaret Hamilton said.

The Australian

It's time for tough decisions to halt the alcohol epidemic

THE British Medical Association has just launched a report on tackling alcohol misuse in the UK. Drinking is very much part of British culture – we are not trying to overturn this, but we do want to change the way many people behave. Sensible drinking is enjoyable, social and can even be good for you.

Our key message is enjoy alcohol in moderation –getting "plastered", "bladdered" or "trollied" every Friday and Saturday night could you cost you health and perhaps your life.

As a GP, I have witnessed the consequences of alcohol abuse not just to the individual but also to their family. The tragedy is that alcohol misuse can cause family breakdowns, it is a major factor in domestic violence, unwanted pregnancy, it ruins job prospects and is often related to crime and disorderly behaviour and it kills.

How many people have been afraid to walk down a city or town centre late at night because they are frightened about being faced with a group of drunken louts? How many road traffic accidents are caused by drink-driving or even a drunken pedestrian walking in front of car?

It is staggering how many health problems are related to alcohol misuse – over consumption of alcohol is related to more than 60 medical conditions including heart and liver disease, diabetes, strokes and mental health problems.

As a doctor, one of my difficulties is first convincing a patient that they have a problem and then having to explain to them that there is chronic shortage of specialised services to help with their treatment.

They can wait weeks, if not months, for specialist help and in this time their problems can spiral out of control. We need much more funding for the treatment of alcohol misuse.

Alcohol costs the country many millions of pounds. Not only does the NHS spend millions on treating and dealing with alcohol problems, but the criminal justice system also spends similarly large amounts dealing with alcohol-related and drink-driving offences.

But, of course, as with so many things, prevention is better than cure. When I read the BMA report I was struck by the bigger picture of alcohol abuse. How ironic that when the NHS is struggling to cope with patient demand it is spending so much money on trying to manage the consequences of a preventable diseases. Speak to any nurse or doctor about working in A&E at the weekend, or worse still, Christmas or New Year's Eve. They have to cope with drunken and violent abuse; they patch up wounds and stabbings following drunken brawls and they often have to admit patients suffering with alcohol poisoning. Then there are the longer-term problems of liver, heart and many other diseases and I would not be surprised if these health professionals asked themselves: "Has all my training been for this?"

The BMA is particularly worried about alcohol consumption among young people, particularly young girls. It is shocking that the UK's teenagers are most likely to be heavy drinkers in Europe. The problem is that when you are young and healthy, you cannot imagine not being that way. Perhaps if teenagers saw how
liver disease ravages health they might think differently about
how they spend their Saturday nights.

I am not blaming individuals, but alcohol misuse is getting out of control. If the Government is serious about tackling alcohol misuse, it should start with tough decisions like focussing on cost and availability, the promotion of alcohol to the young and bad practices such as two-for-one offers and happy hours.

Since 1997, taxes on wine and beer in the UK have only increased in line with inflation while taxes on spirits have not increased at all.

There is strong and consistent evidence that price increases result in reduced consumption and that increased
opening hours are associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. The Government needs to act on this evidence.

The Licensing Act 2003 now permits 24-hour opening in England and Wales and the BMA is dismayed that public health was not considered as one of the licensing objectives in the Act. We are not saying that we should return to the situation before this legislation.

Rather than liberalising licensing laws, we should be looking to restrict the availability of alcohol. An important
message, however, is that there is not only one solution to this complex problem. We've put forward a package of proposals and these need to be implemented together.

Awareness campaigns in themselves will not work, nor will simply hoping that the alcohol industry will put its own house in order. It's time for leadership and I hope the Government is ready to show it.

Yorkshire Post

Children as young as 12 seek help over drinking

Children as young as 12 are seeking help for alcohol abuse as new figures from a major Melbourne drug treatment centre reveal a six-fold increase in cases of young people with drinking problems.

Some are drinking a slab of beer or a bottle of spirits a day and have developed serious health problems such as cirrhosis of the liver or hepatitis C. Cannabis dependency has also risen sharply, with some children smoking it to block out the pain of abuse.

Youth workers from Victoria's biggest drug treatment service for under-21s, the Youth Substance Abuse Service, say alcohol and cannabis dependence are now more common than heroin addiction.

The new figures from the service come ahead of a separate report to be released today from the Australian National Council on Drugs, which will warn that 20% of 16 year-olds are drinking to harmful levels in any given week, while one in every 200 children aged 12 are drinking at harmful levels.

The ANCD report combined several major statistical studies on substance abuse for the first time. It warned that extra support for the family members of young substance abusers — including siblings — was needed.

Figures released to The Age show that the Youth Substance Abuse Service treated 776 cases of alcohol problems last year — up from 136 in 2002.

Cannabis cases rocketed from 608 to 1213, while heroin cases plummeted from 824 to 286.

The inhalation of toxic substances such as spray paint, glue and petrol (known as chroming) has also doubled.

And users are getting younger, with 12 to 15-year-olds accounting for 12% of all drug treatments — up from 9% in 2002.

Across all ages, 40% of the service's clients have been diagnosed with a mental illness, such as drug-induced psychosis. Many have been kicked out of school and have lost contact with family.

Youth workers say children traumatised by bullying, sexual abuse and domestic violence are increasingly turning to alcohol and cannabis.

Ipsita Wright, director of the youth service's south-east region, said the void left by police crackdowns on hard drugs such as heroin meant alcohol and cannabis were much more popular.

She said cheap, colourful alcopops were attractive to young people. "It's obviously intentional from a marketing perspective and we see people who develop quite significant problems as a result of their alcohol use in terms of their physical health and the impacts the drinking has on their lives and their families," Mrs Wright said.

"We get a lot of referrals from teachers who might have noticed a kid's grades are slipping, he's less attentive on a Monday, his behaviour's become quite erratic, or they've heard from other kids in the schoolyard that he's drinking. Some of the 12 and 13-year-olds are still engaged with their families but may have behavioural issues like ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) and may be self-medicating by smoking cannabis."

Today's ANCD report will argue that alcohol and substance abuse is less likely among young people whose parents actively disapprove of alcohol use.

"Drug and alcohol use by young people has become normalised and is often seen as a rite of passage to adulthood," ANCD chairman Dr John Herron said.

The report estimates that at least 451,000 Australian children are at risk of exposure to binge drinking by an adult.

One of the report's authors, Dr Sally Frye, said a family environment where children were not exposed to alcohol was less likely to lead to binge drinking habits than one where parents try to gradually introduce their children to alcohol.

The report warns that siblings of substance users had a "significant" need for support, given evidence that sibling drug use may increase the likelihood of initial use by younger siblings.

"There appear to be a number of gaps in the provision of services to family members, such as the delivery of services to siblings of substance users," the report says. Mrs Wright said young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds were also a concern.

"We're starting to see more young people from African communities and alcohol is the main issue. It's about wanting to fit into our way of living because alcohol in their own country was not so readily available and here it's everywhere and not that expensive," she said.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Fitzroy-based Youth Substance Abuse Service, which has helped 10,000 young people through residential rehabilitation, day centres, detoxification and counselling.

Mrs Wright said: "For some young people the turning point may be a job or they may go through counselling and detox and are reunited with their family. I truly believe if we weren't there to intervene, then many of them may not be alive."

the age

Measured solution to drink problem

Say what you like about this Government, but it’s never stuck for a solution to the many problems facing society.

The trouble is, it’s always the same one. If it moves, tax it. And if it doesn’t, tax it anyway.

Top of the hit list at the moment is booze. A study released this week claims Britain is “in the midst of an epidemic” of alcohol abuse.

According to the British Medical Council, the UK’s teenagers are the heaviest drinkers in Europe. It wants alcohol to be more expensive. And you can bet that if Mr Brown can get away with introducing yet another stealth tax, he will.

But is this really the answer? It seems to me there’s a glaring contradiction here.

With the exception of Scandinavia, alcohol is generally much cheaper in mainland Europe than in the UK.

So if Britain has the worst teenage drink problem in Europe, how will a price hike solve anything? Surely taxation is too blunt an instrument to tackle this problem.

Increasing the price of alcohol will simply penalise everyone who enjoys a drink, rather than the relatively small minority who can’t handle it.

Put simply, the problem is not drink . . . it is drinkers. Alcohol may well be a drug of sorts, but it’s not illegal — at least, not yet — so why should those of us who can enjoy it responsibly pay for the failings of others?

Frankly, I’m rather fond of alcohol. I enjoy real ale. I love wine. And I’m very partial to a glass of single malt.

What’s more, I’m tired of being tarred with the same brush as those who make a nuisance of themselves on street corners and in city centres or who pickle their livers through abuse then expect the taxpayer to bail them out.

If the Government is serious about tackling this so-called “epidemic” the BMA warns of, a scattergun approach is not the answer.

Instead of punishing all drinkers — which is what further taxation would do — it should target problem drinkers.

Some of the more sensible recommendations in the BMA’s report would do just that.

For example, it is calling on the Government to outlaw irresponsible promotional activities such as happy hours and two-for-one offers. That would put an end to jugs of vodka containing nine shots for under £6 being sold in some North pubs.

And the BMA also wants supermarkets to be prevented from using cut- price booze as loss leaders to entice customers into their stores . . . so no more 22p cans of lager from Tesco.

These are sensible ideas, reasonable compromises that won’t unfairly penalise the responsible majority

The UK’s drink problem isn’t going to vanish overnight. But if we’re going to tackle it successfully we need radical but well-considered measures . . . not half-measures.

Sunday Sun

Drink sends 1,000 children a year to hospital

More than 1,000 children under the age of 14 are being admitted to hospital every year as a result of binge drinking, new figures show.

Experts said that the alarming figures showed a "time bomb" facing the country, warning that patients as young as 20 are being diagnosed with irreversible liver damage.

Doctors said that without urgent action the spread of drinking among Britain's children would "destroy a generation". In England alone last year, 1,340 under-14s were admitted to hospitals because of alcohol problems.

Dr Rajiv Jalan, a liver expert from the Institute of Hepatology, said that doctors fear five years of childhood drinking could do as much damage as two decades in adulthood. He said that alcohol had a massive effect on a growing child, preventing the proper growth of all the organs, including the brain.

"We are now seeing children as young as 10 and 11 drinking," he said. "We are already seeing 20-year-olds with cirrhosis of the liver and it is only a matter of time before we see that in teenagers.

"We need to act now, because if we wait 20 years we will destroy a generation. It usually takes about 10 or 20 years of drinking above safe limits to cause irreparable damage in adults, but we think it could be as little as five in children."

The figures, revealed in a parliamentary answer, show that every week 26 children below the age of 14 are admitted for hospital treatment for a medical problem relating to alcohol abuse.

But the statistics do not include hundreds of children who were monitored in Accident and Emergency departments as outpatients after suffering the ill-effects of alcohol, before being sent home. In total, more than 5,000 under-16s were admitted by hospitals for an alcohol problem in 2006/2007, including the 1,340 children under 14.

The problem of young drinkers is greatest in the North West, where hospitals admitted almost 400 of the youngest patients.

The British Medical Association called last week for government action to limit the sale of cut-price alcohol, saying that the pricing and promotion of deals was fuelling an "alcohol epidemic". It called for an end to happy hours in pubs and cut-price supermarket deals.

Sarah Matthews, from the British Liver Trust charity, described the new figures, revealed by Dawn Primarolo, the health minister, as "a very alarming indication that Britain is facing a time bomb", with liver disease now the fifth biggest killer. She backed the BMA's calls for the price of alcohol to be increased and gave warning that too much drink was available at "pocket money prices".

The Government has promised to carry out research on alcohol pricing later this year. Martin Shalley, an A&E consultant and president of the British Association for Emergency Medicine, said that he was "deeply concerned" about the increasing number of pre-teen children arriving at casualty departments in a dangerously drunken state.

"We have seen 11-year-olds who have lost consciousness after raiding their parents' drinks cabinet, young girls unconscious. Children are starting younger and younger and that is very frightening."

Mr Shalley described the sale of cans of lager for 22p in some supermarkets as irresponsible and called for tougher restrictions on pricing.

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, said that the figures demonstrated that this country had "entirely failed" in its attempts to control childhood drinking.

He said: "We need to clamp down on shops which sell to under age children, and we need parents to realise just how serious this is."

Frank Soodeen, from the charity Alcohol Concern, said that parents needed to take the problem of childhood drinking far more seriously.

"Sometimes, parents are grateful their kids are 'only' drinking, not taking drugs, and they don't do enough to control it," he said. "When it comes to kids as young as 11, they aren't usually buying the alcohol themselves, there are often friends or family buying it on their behalf."

The figures follow an investigation by The Daily Telegraph which shows that the number of alcohol-related crimes has risen by 43 per cent since Labour introduced laws allowing 24-hour drinking.

Telegraph

Pub chief attacks police for hounding underage drinkers

The owner of one of Britain's biggest pub chains has launched an outspoken attack on police and ministers for trying to "entrap" underage drinkers in bars.

Tim Martin, chairman of JD Wetherspoon, rubbished high-profile campaigns to drive teenagers out of bars as misguided "showboating". The tycoon, who owns hundreds of pubs across the country, claimed the strategy put youngsters at greater risk by leaving them to drink unsupervised in the streets and at parties.

But Martin's comments provoked an angry reaction from the Scottish Government and alcohol-awareness charities, who insisted the law must be strictly enforced if the nation's binge-drinking problem is to be challenged.

Martin, writing in his firm's in-house magazine, said: "Issues concerning drinking are much at the fore of media and government circles these days and there are serious questions to be addressed by us all.

"We have drawn attention to 'displacement activity', whereby police and other resources are focused hugely on keeping those under 18 out of pubs, when 99.9% of adults themselves started drinking in pubs at 15 or 16. This does not address the real problems associated with binge drinking; these are cultural in nature, concentrated in much older age groups than teenagers and exemplified by the glorification of heavy drinking occasions by celebrities, sports stars and others across the media."

Martin, who pointed out his chain sold more than one million coffees in December alone, added: "The Government should avoid 'showboating' with high-profile campaigns, designed to entrap 17-year-olds using pubs, as this utterly avoids the real issue and, indeed, makes matters worse by driving many young people into a culture of drinking vodka at parties, and on other unsupervised occasions, storing up further problems for the future.

"Well-run pubs, providing a convivial melting pot for society, are a fabulous institution and should not be victimised in a misplaced attempt to solve alcohol abuse."

But a spokeswoman for the Scottish Government defended its policy of sending underage teenage volunteers to attempt to purchase alcohol from licensed premises. "Selling alcohol to people under the age of 18 is illegal. Given the problems alcohol misuse is causing in this country it is entirely appropriate that the police are enforcing this law. The test purchasing scheme is not designed to trap people. It is designed to help enforce the law."

"We expect tough action to be taken against those who flout the law regardless of whether it is pubs, a corner shop or a supermarket.

"That isn't showboating. It's giving police the tools to do their job. Responsible licensees have nothing to fear from this.

She said there was no attempt by the Government to victimise pubs. "We are working to try to take action to overturn Scotland's 'drinking to get drunk culture', which is costing our health service, criminal justice system, economy and communities far too much."

Alcohol Focus Scotland, which raises awareness of the dangers of excess drinking, also took issue with the Wetherspoon owner's claims.

Chief executive Jack Law said: "Mr Martin claims that police and other resources are focused on keeping under-18s out of pubs, but it should be licensees, not the police, who are the first point of enforcement. His claim that 99.9% of adults started drinking in pubs at 15 or 16 proves far too many licensees haven't been in the habit of enforcing the law.

"Go to any city centre on a Saturday night when the pubs close and it's clear that people have been served alcohol when they've already had too much to drink. There must be stricter enforcement of this law."

Ian Dickinson, Assistant Chief Constable with Lothian and Borders Police, has led responsibility for the deployment of 16-year-old volunteers attempting to buy alcohol from pubs and off licences across Scotland. "Many of the problems associated with youth disorder and antisocial behaviour are directly attributable to the consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol by individuals who are under 18."

However, Bill Aitken, the Glasgow Tory MSP and convener of Holyrood's Justice Committee, sympathised with Martin. "He's right. Youngsters are getting drunk from off-sale premises, they are not going into pubs, because publicans would throw them out. The real problem is that the authorities are not clamping down hard on off licences that sell drink to children. Any premises caught should lose their licence for three months."

Beers, cheers, jeers and tears

Arm-in-arm and teetering on high heels, the group of girls burst into an impromptu chorus of "Umbrella" by Rihanna as they make their way along Sauchiehall Street.

Sparkly cowboy hats are their only means of protection from the rain, but no amount of bad weather, it seems, will dampen their night out.

They giggle and roar with approval as passing cars honk their horns at them. One man in his early 20s leans out from the window of a Vauxhall Corsa and bawls an obscene request.

Everyone laughs as one of the group, wearing tiny shorts and a skimpy top, waves an upraised middle finger in his direction. It is a typical scene that is played out almost nightly in city centres across binge-drinking Britain.

But Fiona and her friends are 16 and 17. Despite their age – and the warnings of the Government and police – the girls waltz unchallenged into pubs and clubs every weekend. These super-confident girls are the face of teenage drinking in towns and cities throughout Scotland.

But how do they get served? "People ask us to come into their bars and clubs," said Fiona, who clearly sees herself as Strathclyde's answer to Paris Hilton. "They want us to be there."

Sure enough, as they walk along what is arguably Scotland's biggest party strip they are surrounded by men and women handing out flyers offering discount entry to pubs and clubs. The high-school student, who claims to have drunk four bottles of Smirnoff Ice and a shot of Sambuca, adds: "What else is there to do at the weekend but go out and party? We are not going to just stay in and watch TV."

Her friend Anna is equally blasé. "My mum and dad have given me twenty quid so I could come out tonight and enjoy myself with my mates.

"My dad started drinking in pubs when he was 15 so he is hardly in any position to give me a hard time.

"No one waits until they are 18 to go drinking in pubs. My parents would rather have me drinking in the house or in the pub than out in the street."

Another of the group, who is clearly the worse for wear, interrupts: "Some places are really strict and always ask for ID. But we just stay away from them and stick to the places where the bouncers know us and let us in."

With their heavily made-up faces and streetwise swagger, any one of the group could easily pass for 22 or 23. Across the road a baby-faced lad of around 16 attempts to scramble up some metal scaffolding. Cheered on by his beery mates, each of whom wears a strict uniform of checked designer shirts and jeans, the glassy-eyed, ginger-haired teenager swings from a bar like an inebriated chimp before being moved on by police officers.

Along the street a teenager – who could have been as young as 15 – squats frog-like on his haunches vomiting noisily.

A taxi driver honks his horn loudly as a girl with ripped tights and a bloodied knee lurches out into the road, seemingly oblivious to the danger. She is crying, carrying her shoes in her hands. It's late and her friends are nowhere to be seen. It's a sobering sight.

Scotsman

Underage binge-drinking Britain is laid bare

A growing number of underage drinkers are being admitted to hospitals and laws to stop them getting hold of alcohol are not being enforced, the Conservative Party has found.

Figures revealed in Parliament show that fewer than 100 youngsters nationally are being punished each year for buying booze illegally despite a report revealing that almost four in ten young people start drinking at 13.

Julian Brazier, the Conservative MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, said: “Underage drinking harms young people and fuels youth crime and antisocial behaviour. Labour Ministers talk endlessly about cracking down on alcohol-related violence, but these new figures expose the Government’s complacency.

“There are already laws and sanctions in place. The Government’s failure to enforce the law sends totally the wrong message about under-age drinking and is adding to public concern about yob behaviour and crime.”

A report, carried out by a national charity called Crime Concern and funded by the Government, found that people were starting binge drinking at an earlier age, which resulted in serious problems with health and crime.

Mr Brazier said that across the NHS South East Coast area, the strategic health authority for Kent, Sussex and Surrey, 596 children were admitted to accident and emergency because of alcohol misuse last year.

But only one youngster in Kent has appeared before magistrates for underage alcohol possession since 2004, according to figures obtained by the Conservatives from Parliament.

One child from the county received a penalty notice for the offence and no one has been cautioned in that time.

Mr Brazier added: “We also need greater social responsibility, and an end to some parents turning a blind eye to their children’s drinking. Increasing social responsibility is at the heart of David Cameron’s plans to make Britain safer and stronger.”

Kent News

Kids aged 9 target of anti-booze site

School children as young as nine are being warned about the dangers of binge drinking.

They're the targeted of anti-booze campaigners in Glasgow's East End who have launched a quiz-based interactive website to promote alcohol awareness.

The drive to curb excessive boozing among youngsters comes at a time when binge drinking has become a national epidemic in towns and cities across Britain.

Older primary school pupils in the East End are regularly told of the dangers by the Greater Easterhouse Alcohol Awareness Project.

Now project officials have decided to spread their anti-binge drinking message across Scotland by launching an online quiz on the young booze busters website.

Evelyn Lang, the project's head of prevention and education, said some kids in P6 and P7 had already been targeted in schools.

She said: "That's usually when children change their attitude towards alcohol. They're aged nine to 11 and before that they think drinking is all bad.

"All we try to do is give them as many facts as we can so they are able to make informed choices when they are older.

"We also dispel some of the myths surrounding alcohol."

The website challenges children between the ages of nine and 17 to participate in a series of quizzes on alcohol awareness with four games at the end of each one.

Players compete against each other and the 10 highest scorers for each game will go into a top 10. There's a monthly prize draw with the winner receiving an iPod.

Project manager Stewart McKay said: "GEAAP is known for delivering factual, fun alcohol awareness programmes.

"Our intention with this site is to enable young people across the country to access clear, factual information about alcohol in a fun, interactive way, enabling them to make a safer, more informed, choice about their own alcohol use."

The site also intends to dispel popular myths.

Evelyn said: "A lot of children think that sleep sobers you up.

"In fact, your body simply needs time to clean itself up whether you're asleep or not. And contrary to belief, alcohol does not heat you up - your temperature drops."

Evening Times

Abuse of alcohol an epidemic, PM warns

Binge drinking has reached "epidemic" proportions, the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has said, as he foreshadowed action to combat the growing problem of alcohol abuse.

Mr Rudd said yesterday that police across Australia had expressed their concerns to him that alcohol abuse "lies at the core of increasing spates of urban violence around the country".

He foreshadowed talks with the state governments and said he had already spoken with the federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, about what might be done.

His remarks have been welcomed by the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation, whose recent survey found one in 10 Australians were frightened by a drunk during the festive season.

The foundation's chief executive, Daryl Smeaton, said Mr Rudd's comments marked a breakthrough in recognition of the scale of the problems created by alcohol abuse. "No prime minister has said anything like this before," he said.

The estimated cost of the alcohol toll had doubled in the past eight years to $15 billion. Demands on police services had also soared with alcohol-generated problems now thought to account for as much as 80 per cent of police work, Mr Smeaton said.

Mr Rudd told Brisbane radio yesterday: "I am concerned about what I would describe as an epidemic of binge drinking across the country.

"It is not good for young people's health … But the key question is, what do you do about it? Moaning and groaning about it is one thing … How do we act effectively on these?"

Mr Rudd said the response could only be done in partnership with the states and territories, "but frankly I think it is starting to get somewhat out of control … I think we are dealing with a growing problem, not a static problem and therefore I think we have got to sit down as governments and work out an appropriate response".

Labor has already pledged to establish a national preventive health taskforce that would investigate unhealthy behaviour including excessive drinking and will take responsibility for developing a national preventive health strategy.

The taskforce would initially focus on the increasing burden of chronic disease caused by alcohol, obesity and tobacco, Ms Roxon said.

The Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, said he was concerned about the abuse of alcohol by young people and the Opposition would consider responsible measures to address the issue.

The Family First leader, Steve Fielding, who has Senate approval for an inquiry into alcohol promotion, says he will ask all state police commissioners to inform the inquiry on the impact of the alcohol toll.

Senator Fielding welcomed Mr Rudd's call for action on alcohol and also his plans for a study of poker machines.

He has introduced two bills into the Senate to tackle both problems, including a ban on alcohol advertising on television before 9pm and health warnings on alcohol labels.

The legislation would require advertising to be approved by a government body and outlaw ads that linked drinking to personal, business, social, sporting, sexual or other success.

Senator Fielding said he was confident that Mr Rudd would act on both alcohol and pokies. "There is such a community groundswell," Senator Fielding said.

"People will be looking for more than just words."

Sydney Morning Herald

Alcohol problem costs lives

People with alcohol problems are dying before they can get help because of a desperate shortage of services in Salisbury, say experts in the field.

Despite soaring levels of alcoholism, Wiltshire only has one in-patient bed with a six-month waiting list - and alcoholics needing a home detoxification programme face an eight-week wait before they are seen.

Now, a non-profit making organisation, Step Aside, aims to raise £6,000 to open a therapy service in the city centre and help alcoholics before it is too late.

The project is being backed by GPs and nurses throughout Salisbury who feel frustrated at the time it takes for alcoholics to get the help they need.

"The situation is just getting worse and worse and services are at breaking point," said senior practice nurse at St Ann Street Surgery, Tracey Brignall-Roe.

"It used to be relatively rare someone came to me with an alcohol problem, now it seems to be every week.
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"But once people have taken the brave step to ask for help they need it straight away and, as a medical professional, you feel so helpless telling them there will be such a long wait.

"There are people falling through the net and dying as a result."

Last month, 30-year-old alcoholic Jack Croft died when he fell into the River Avon.

He started drinking at the age of 15 and his family, who are calling for more funding for services, were once told they would have to wait six months for Jack to receive help.

Step Aside was formed last year to offer counselling, support groups, detox programmes and advice with the help of a six-month grant.

When the money ran out, founder of the organisation, Thalia Shannon-Eyers, who used to work for Clouds House at East Knoyle and The Priory, and a team of volunteers pledged to carry on their work.

"We currently have about 40 people we help but with no money it is very hard to promote ourselves and keep going," said Thalia.

"But I believe everybody deserves a second chance in life and we don't want to shut the door on anyone."

Thalia's mission is to take over premises on Fisherton Street so they can help more people overcome their alcohol addiction.

"Alcoholism affects every profession, all ages, all religions and all walks of life," she said.

"And for every one person we help, there are many more suffering in silence because they feel ashamed and guilty."

The NHS, alongside a number of other charities and organisations, also runs projects to help alcoholics in Salisbury.

But as demand increases, there are calls for more to be done.

"We feel alcoholics have a right to care," said Tracey.

"They don't ask for a drink problem any more than anyone wants to get cancer or diabetes.

"This is an illness and I feel it's time we all worked together to stop more tragedies happening in Salisbury in the future."

This Is Wiltshire

Alcoholics Anonymous holding meetings on campus

After a three-year hiatus, Alcoholics Anonymous is once again holding open support group meetings on campus, a convenient location for students and community members to help each other achieve sobriety.

The new chapter joined an ever-growing roster of over 100,000 groups in 180 countries, according to the AA Web site. An estimated 1.5 million people worldwide have achieved sobriety through AA.

In 2007, 21 percent of college students between the ages of 18 and 22 met the American Psychiatric Association criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, according to a study by the organization. Yet, only 4 percent of these students sought treatment.

"Across the nation, this is an issue for students," said Alisa Guglielmo, director of student life for Santa Clara's law school. "Because it is an issue in society, having it available to those in this community is a great idea."

During a campus wellness fair earlier this year, Guglielmo was approached by a graduate student who was interested in starting regular AA meetings on campus. Guglielmo arranged for a room in Benson, but that is where the university's connection to the program ended. AA is unaffiliated with any and all outside organizations.

The student, a member of AA himself, requested anonymity for press purposes in keeping with AA's firm commitment to maintaining the privacy of its members.

Essential to AA's mission is the principle that the only thing required for membership is a desire to stop drinking. In fact, the only thing standing between an alcoholic and attending their first meeting is their ability to admit that they need help.

"It's tough to define an alcoholic," the student said. "The simplest definition is someone who is physically and mentally incapable of just having one drink, or physically and mentally incapable of stopping."

AA's Web site describes alcoholism as an illness, "a physical compulsion combined with a mental obsession to drink," and not a matter of moral weakness or lack of willpower.

Warning signs can include brushes with the law for alcohol-related issues, engaging in physical or sexual behavior that is later regretted, driving while under the influence and frequent "blackouts" or vomiting after drinking to excess, said the student.

Since classes began in early January, there have been 13 incidents of illness due to excessive alcohol consumption in which students were involved, according to Campus Safety reports. In nine of these cases, the night ended with a trip to a local hospital.

Several campus organizations provide professional support services for students who are concerned about their alcohol or drug use, including Cowell Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Wellness Center. The staff within these departments can also refer students to outside agencies, including AA.

People who speak at AA meetings are members who engage in discussion about their personal struggles with alcohol addiction and the tools that helped them recover. A good meeting, said the student, is not in the quantity of participants, but in the quality of the experiences they share.

"It happens when two or more alcoholics are sharing their stories and helping each other to stay sober," he said.

The only structured content the organization provides is the 12-step program, which is based on the experiences of six decades' worth of members, rather than theory and scientific findings.

The steps are used as a suggestion, not a mandate. Individual approaches to healing vary, but the end goal is abstinence.

"Nobody in AA will tell you that you are an alcoholic. At the end of the day, you have to make that decision yourself," said the student.

Santa Clara

Alcohol as bad as heroin

Alcohol is the new heroin. Not since the heroin epidemic of the 1990s has so much attention or government effort been focused on the harm caused by a mind-altering substance.

Just as supply was a central issue with the heroin epidemic, the Brumby Government is closely looking at how alcohol is delivered to consumers of all ages.

Mental Health Minister Lisa Neville has made it clear that supply issues -- through pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes -- are on the Government's agenda.

But Ms Neville also insists there is no cure-all for alcohol's health risks.

The Government's response will be through a four-minister alcohol taskforce, which will report mid-year, and the new expert body on alcohol and drugs, headed by neurologist and addiction expert, Prof Jon Currie.

On the growing call for a curb in the number of liquor licences, Ms Neville says any decisions must be evidence-based.

"I don't think we know enough about that (the evidence) yet and that's some of the work that will be feeding in through the alcohol action plan," Ms Neville told the Herald Sun.

"Does density make a difference? Is it certain types of liquor licences? Is it certain outlets? Are restaurants and cafes that have liquor licences OK? But not these nightclubs? Is that the problem?

"And I think we need to be clear about that to make sure that we're making the right decisions where we might intervene."

Central to the Government's response will be trying to change the way the community views alcohol -- not to create a wowser state but to discourage binge drinking among the young, in part through marketing.

"We need to find the right message," Ms Neville says.

"We have to be realistic about what's going to shift behaviours and help young people make responsible decisions. And help parents understand what their messages are."

Herald Sun

Doctors call for action on cheap booze

The UK's two biggest supermarket groups were in open competition today to talk tough on binge drinking as leading doctors called for stronger Government action against the "epidemic" of alcohol abuse.

Tesco, the market leader, said that its chief executive, Sir Terry Leahy – described by one Labour MP last December as "the godfather of British binge drinking" – had personally discussed the issue with the Prime Minister and promised to work with others in the industry to tackle the problem.

Tesco pointed out that competition law prevented retailers from any discussion of prices between themselves, meaning that Government would have to take the lead in developing "responsible pricing" policies.

But only hours after Tesco issued a statement on the issue, Asda, the country's No 2 supermarket group, announced that it was ready to unveil and go ahead with its own measures against under-age drinking without any need for lengthy debate.

“We are already talking to Government about what we can do now as an industry and a company to tackle this issue," Andy Bond, the Asda chief executive, said.

“We will be announcing a package of measures on Monday that focus on restricting access to alcohol in our stores. We believe our proposals can be easily adopted by the entire retail industry immediately, and will go a long way towards tackling the issue without the need for further legislation or delay.”

Between them the two supermarket groups account for almost 50 per cent of the supermarket sector. Both groups have been accused in the past of selling alcohol at heavily reduced prices – sometimes even below the wholesale cost as a "loss leader" to draw in customers.

In a hard-hitting study released today, the British Medical Association said that Britain was "in the midst of an epidemic" of alcohol abuse.

The BMA pointed to alarming statistics on how much UK youngsters, particularly teenage girls, drink. British teenagers are among the most likely in Europe to report heavy drinking and being intoxicated.

The report called for higher taxes on alcoholic drinks, proportionate to the amount of alcohol in the product and an end to “irresponsible” promotional activities such as happy hours and two-for-one offers.

It also urged standardised labels on bottles and cans that state alcohol units, recommended guidelines for consumption and a warning message saying how exceeding guidelines may cause harm and called for the drink-driving limit to be reduced from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg per 100ml.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA’s head of science and ethics, said: “Recent governments have worked too closely with the alcohol industry and have pursued policies of deregulation and liberalisation regarding alcohol control.

“As doctors, we see first-hand how alcohol misuse destroys lives. It causes family breakdowns, is a major factor in domestic violence, ruins job prospects, is often related to crime and disorderly behaviour and it kills.

“Alcohol misuse is related to over 60 medical conditions including heart and liver disease, diabetes, strokes and mental health problems.

“The Government approach has led to increased consumption levels and alcohol-related problems and demonstrates a failure in the political drive to improve public health and order.”

“The BMA is very worried about alcohol consumption among young people, particularly young girls. It is shocking that, in Europe, the UK’s teenagers are most likely to be heavy drinkers.”

The report said that huge public awareness campaigns may be “politically attractive” and increase people’s knowledge about drinking too much but are ineffective if not backed by sound policy.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA, said: “Our report is making some tough recommendations but if the Government is serious about tackling this issue, this is what is needed.

“Since 1997, taxes on wine and beer in the UK have only increased in line with inflation, while taxes on spirits have not increased at all.

"There is strong and consistent evidence that price increases result in reduced consumption and that increased opening hours are associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. The Government needs to act on this evidence.”

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians and chair of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, welcomed the Tesco “turnaround”.

He said: “I welcome the change in position from Tesco and that they now acknowledge that price is an important driver in consumption of alcohol and alcohol-related harm.

“Only last week the chief executive was saying there was no evidence of a link between price and purchasing alcohol in their store. Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. It is legal and it is part of our society but it is a drug and a drug of dependence in some people. It should not be subject to promotions and use as a loss leader.

“We would welcome the Government taking action to suspend competition law on alcoholic beverages. There can be an exception for alcohol. It’s not coffee or milk - it’s got real capacity to cause health damage if misused.”

He said there was evidence to show that increasing the price would hit heavy drinkers and under-age drinkers the most. "If you are drinking within safe limits, the impact on your pocket will be very small indeed,” he said.

Times

Students susceptible to alcohol abuse

The majority of full-time college students reported drinking alcohol in the past month, according to the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH).

Even though it is a common substance, alcohol can be destructive to both the drinker and the surrounding people when abused.

“Alcohol abuse” is commonly defined as any pattern of drinking which results in physical injury or legal problems or causes an individual to fail to address responsibilities at work, school, home, or in a relationship.

The NSDUH discovered that the highest rates of binge and heavy drinking were in the young adults category. The survey found that 41.9 percent of 18–25 year olds engaged in binge drinking and 15.3 percent reported heavy alcohol use. “Binge drinking” is defined as having five or more drinks on the same occasion, and “heavy use” means having five or more drinks on five or more occasions per month.

“Young adults aged 18 to 22 enrolled full time in college were more likely than their peers not enrolled full time to use alcohol, binge-drink and drink heavily,” according to NSDUH.

Therefore, college students are the highest underage consumers of alcohol and also within the age group most likely to engage in risky drinking behavior. About 83 percent of campus arrests in 2005 involved alcohol.

Additionally, 19.8 percent of people aged 18–20 and 27.9 percent of people aged 21–25 reported driving under the influence of alcohol on the NSDUH. Men were twice as likely as women to report driving under the influence.

Fraternity and sorority members consistently show higher rates of alcohol use than non-Greek students.

“Fraternity and sorority members are likelier than non-members to drink (88 vs. 67 percent), binge drink (64 vs. 37 percent), (and) drink and drive (33 vs. 21 percent),” according to a 2007 report titled “Wasting the Best and the Brightest: Substance Abuse at America’s Colleges and Universities” by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA).

What happens when people drink too much?

Although alcohol can cause liver problems like cirrhosis or fatty liver or heart problems like high blood pressure or heart failure after years of sustained drinking habits, a college student has a much higher risk of sustaining an alcohol-related injury from a car crash, slipping and falling, or getting into a fight.

Alcohol can kill when a person is too intoxicated to maintain his own airway. The person can suffocate on his own vomit or on another obstruction, like a pillow.

What should students do if a friend drinks too much?

If the person is still awake, encourage him to drink water. If he is lying down, make sure to put him on his side rather than his back. Make sure the friend is comfortable and monitor his breathing.

Contrary to popular belief, cold showers, coffee and “walking it off” won’t really help to sober the person up — what he needs is some time for the effects to wear off.

If a person has become nonresponsive, is breathing irregularly, or if you are in doubt of what to do, call 911.

Students should not worry about getting in trouble when calling authorities, but should call as soon as help is needed. Delaying proper medical attention can be fatal.

What is alcoholism?

Symptoms of alcoholism include loss of control when around alcohol, the inability to limit drinking, cravings for alcohol and physical dependence, which is often demonstrated by withdrawal symptoms such as nausea or sweating.

If you or a friend would like help dealing with alcoholism or any other alcohol-related issues, you can contact TU’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center at x2200 or head to the Alexander Health Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The center also offers evening hours on Tuesdays.

Drinking in moderation or abstaining from drinking alcohol completely are the safest ways to avoid alcohol-related accidents or unwanted situations.

Collegian Online

Namibia: Govt Crafts Alcohol Policy

The Ministry of Health and Social Services and its partners yesterday met to amend and update the draft demand reduction policy on alcohol use and misuse.

The policy is in keeping with the World Health Organisation and the World Bank which have agreed that a comprehensive set of measures to reduce the harmful use of alcohol remains the most effective approach to reduce alcohol use and its related negative effects.

Minister of Health, Dr Richard Kamwi, said the draft policy will serve as a national guiding document for legislative reforms and will inform appropriate national responses to the problem. He said the policy would regulate alcohol consumption to a point of moderation.

The policy arose from concerns that most Namibians believe that drinking 10 units of alcohol at a single occasion is acceptable.

A baseline study in 2002 found that 56 percent of Namibia's population consumes more than 10 litres of alcohol per session and those that drink did it excessively.

A UNICEF issue paper last year said children started drinking alcohol at the age of 10 years, while 32 percent of 10 to 14 year olds learnt to drink from their parents and guardians.

Alcohol is responsible for depression, injuries, cirrhosis, dependence and family disruptions and loss of productivity, domestic violence and murders.

In 2006, 1064 patients were admitted to hospitals due to stab wounds related to alcohol use, 443 had cirrhosis, 1523 suffered from mental disorders, 331were admitted for psycho-active substances, while 219 died from gunshot wounds - all related to alcohol misuse.

Statistics of drinking and driving have also shot up by 200 percent, while 68 percent of suicides were prompted by alcohol use.

The policy will look into aspects of availability, accessibility, prevention and treatment. Kamwi said the policy would provide a good framework for reversing the negative trend of alcohol abuse in the country.

"Worldwide surveys show that the lower the average alcohol consumption of a country, the less personnel and societal harm there is from alcohol abuse," he said.

World Health Organisation Representative, Dr Madga Robalo, said a well-articulated policy would include measures such as control, supply and demand to minimise alcohol-related harm and promote public health.

But she said other factors such as level of production, political liberalisation and marketing also influenced consumption.

She said one of the important factors to be discussed in terms of the policy was alcohol advertising by the industry.

"While much research on the impact of alcohol marketing and advertising is not conclusive, increasing evidence can be found that exposure shapes positive perceptions of drinking and can increase heavier drinking.

"Therefore, it seems that restrictions on advertising and sponsorship should be part of a comprehensive alcohol policy, especially when it is targeted at young people," said Robalo.

She said the policy should include measures that educate the public on the dangers of alcohol use, interventions focussing on treating and punishing those who put their lives and others at risk.

UNICEF Acting Country Representative, Madhavi Ashok, said Namibians need an empowering process for them to make choices especially in the face of advertising and messages that give young people the impressions that 'alcohol is cool'.

Ashok added that responsible drinking also entailed taking action that ensures that people buy necessities first before they purchase alcohol.

Policy advisor to the Australian government, Dr Keith Evans, said the policy should acknowledge the rights of people who have chosen not to drink and encourage those that drink to do so responsibly.

About 35000 formal and informal jobs have been created in the alcohol industry, thus contributing about N$1.2 billion of the total national income from the manufacturing industry.

all Africa

Experts tackle drink and abuse problems

The impact of alcohol and anti- social behaviour in the North West was today being discussed at a ground-breaking conference.

The Community Safety Partnership at Derry City Council is one of the five partnerships within councils in the North West participating in the pioneering conference.

The event, entitled A Drop Too Far has been organised by the Western Drug and Alcohol Co-ordination Team and aims to investigate the impact that the misuse of alcohol can have on society, from a social, family, policing and medical viewpoint.

A detailed programme of speakers and presentations has been organized by the Western Drug and Alcohol Co-ordination team with the assistance of the Community Safety Partnerships.

Speaking before the event Mena Heaney, Community Safety Officer at Derry City Council, said it was an opportunity for councils in the North West to discuss the issues around the misuse of alcohol and anti-social behaviour that is often caused as a result of it.

"This problem exists throughout society today, regardless of location. Through issues raised at this conference we hope to devise a strategy that will ultimately reduce and prevent nuisance behaviour by implementing various programmes and initiatives," she said.

"It is imperative that we develop a grassroots strategy that will promote sensible drinking, especially to our younger generations and thereby reduce the harmful effects of alcohol misuse on the individual and the wider community."

The day-long conference was set to be addressed by various experts who deal with the repercussions of alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour on a daily basis including an Accident and Emergency Consultant at Altnagelvin Hospital.

In addition, Strabane College will perform a short drama entitled 'Burn' which deals directly with the topic. The event will take place in Lisburn.

Belfast Telegraph

Toddler Deaths Spur Canada's Indians to Crack Down on Alcohol

Children won't be victims of alcohol again, residents in Yellow Quill, Saskatchewan, are vowing. Two toddlers dressed only in diapers and T-shirts froze to death there last month, left in a snowdrift by their drunken father.

Some villagers say banning alcohol is the only way to curb abuse on Canadian Indian reservations like Yellow Quill First Nation, where 3-year-old Kaydance Pauchay and her 1-year-old sister, Santana, died as the temperature plunged to minus 50 degrees Celsius (minus 58 Fahrenheit).

The deaths highlight rising alcohol addiction among Canada's 1.17 million native people. While some Indian leaders say prohibition won't work because it's impossible to enforce and doesn't deal with the isolation and poverty underlying alcohol abuse, the Natuashish Innu tribe imposed a liquor ban Jan. 31.

"Here we go again, another tragedy as a result of alcohol," said Prote Poker, chief of the Innu reservation, across the country in Labrador. "We've had a lot of tragedies in our community and we don't want to wait for that to happen again in order for us to stand up and ban alcohol."

The Yellow Quill toddlers' father, Christopher, 25, had been drinking beer and whisky and was bringing the girls to his sister's place less than 400 meters (1,300 feet) from his home. He lost his way and passed out, emerging four hours later at a neighbor's home, frostbitten and alone, according to police.

No charges have been brought and an investigation is continuing, said Sergeant Richard Whattam, a spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan.

"The community agrees we need to do something about the alcohol problem," said Larry Cachene, a Yellow Quill councilor, in a phone interview. "Everybody's affected by this in one way or another."

Desolate Region

Yellow Quill's 420 people will decide soon on whether to ban alcohol, Cachene said. The town lies about 280 kilometers (170 miles) northeast of Regina, Saskatchewan's capital.

Until 1951, Canada's native Indians were forbidden by law from drinking. Today, their death rate from liquor use is almost twice that of the general population and their youths are at two to six times more risk of alcohol-related problems, according to Health Canada.

While the Labrador Innu village has no liquor store or bar, a 60-ounce (1.8-liter) bottle of bootleg alcohol can be bought for C$300 ($300). The community drew worldwide attention 16 years ago when six unattended children died in a house fire while their parents were out drinking.

The deaths prompted the federal government to move the villagers to their current location from Davis Inlet to improve housing conditions. Poker said that 95 percent of the residents stopped drinking after the tragedy. Most gradually returned to the habit, he said.

Personal Experience

Poker, 45, says he started drinking heavily after his parents, four brothers and two sisters died in a 1976 canoe accident caused by his drunken father.

"It wasn't until I stopped drinking that I realized what was wrong with me -- it was the anger and grief that I had inside of me," Poker said. "We need a lot of work such as counseling, because alcohol is only a way of coping."

Native leaders including Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine and lawmakers such as Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl agree that an alcohol prohibition alone isn't enough. Bans are already in place on more than a third of Canada's 615 reservations.

"Finding solutions to addiction problems is not a simple matter," Strahl wrote in an e-mail.

Even when alcohol is banned, bootleggers often find a way to sneak it onto reservations, said Joe Linklater, chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin village of Old Crow, in the Yukon Territory. He said his community, where liquor is prohibited, is considering strengthening its bylaw to ward off smugglers.

Loss of Traditions

Prohibition doesn't address the root causes of addiction, including poverty, isolation and the loss of native traditions, said Dennis McPherson, a professor at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

"Indian reserves are black holes," he said. "It's getting worse" because elders have died and traditions are disappearing.

The Innu reservation in Labrador is accessible only by water or plane, and is more than 300 kilometers from the nearest city, Goose Bay.

In Yellow Quill, the average wage is less than a third of the provincial mean, and the median income of people 15 and older is C$5,088, a quarter of the level for Saskatchewan.

Prohibition could backfire, pushing alcoholics to drink substances that are more dangerous, such as mouthwash, said Lawrence Joseph, chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

"A bylaw banning alcohol is a Band-Aid," Joseph said.

Bloomberg

Help is available for people with alcohol or drug dependencies

There are four million people in the country with substance dependence, according to the 2005 Health Professionals Substance Abuse Education Act.

Drug and alcohol abuse is a problem that can touch many more lives than just those of immediate family and friends. The cost of loss of relationships and careers is great, but often, these issues spiral out of control with even greater consequences.

Fortunately, if you have a problem with substance abuse, there are answers. You can get help and you're not alone.

"We do now have evidence, in the past five years or so, that it is a brain disease; there are bio-chemical changes in the brain that occur with addiction," said Wendy Bailie, director of the Substance Abuse Program, Franklin Williamson County Human Services, Inc.

"Addiction is both a behavioral and bio-psycho social problem that has a basis in brain chemistry changes that come along with that, which is why it is so difficult to recover."

Behaviorally, there are many indicators of a problem, including using more of a substance to get the same effect and continuing use despite the negative consequences.

"Your life's falling apart, but because of those brain chemistry changes, you're not making rational decisions.

You're continuing to use because you have no control over that urge," Bailie said.

At some point, many people have a "moment of clarity" that will give them impetus to seek help for a problem, though most of the time this is not the case.

"Typically, people get into treatment because of outside intervention," said Shane Koch, associate professor and director of studies in addictions at the Rehabilitation Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

"Unfortunately, in our culture, most people get into treatment because of interaction with the legal system. By the time people get so severe to really need intervention on that scale, it becomes much more difficult to intervene with them."

Koch said because of the importance of early intervention, people must become familiar with the criteria for dependence.

"Particularly in the early stages, if a friend came up to you and said, 'I really care about you; I'm really worried about you,' I think you'd be more likely to listen to them than later in the process," he said.

If you have a friend or family member who you need to speak with about a problem, Koch recommends a three-step process.

First, sit them down and tell them you are concerned, and ask if they will talk to you.

Don't just tell them you think they have a problem; you have to be behaviorally specific. List the negative things you've noticed happening in their lives.

Then tell them you care about them and that is the reason for th