Alcohol

Frequent binge drinking in college can cause immediate changes in circulation that increase an otherwise healthy young adult's risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life, according to research published this week in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

To reduce underage and binge drinking, the BAY Team – Barrington’s Substance Abuse Task Force, in Barrington, R.I. successfully advocated for a change in the town ordinance to require more frequent training for all servers and sellers of alcohol in the Barrington community. A case study of the coalition’s efforts is the first one to be featured in a brand-new section of CADCA’s website called the Coalition Ideas Exchange.

In honor of National Alcohol Abuse Awareness Month, the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), both within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, are hosting a Twitter chat on alcohol use and adolescent health on Thursday, April 18 from 3:30 – 4:15 p.m.

Regulating alcohol outlet density, or the number of physical locations in which alcoholic beverages are available for purchase in a geographic area, is an effective strategy for reducing excessive alcohol consumption and associated harms, according to a new report from the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The report, which was co-authored by CADCA, explores how local communities can address alcohol outlet density, and explains the critical role of health departments and community coalitions in these efforts.

Register now for the next webinar in the Preventing Underage Drinking series sponsored by the federal Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) from 2-3:15 p.m. EST April 17.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and April 11 is National Alcohol Screening Day. Organized by the national nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, Inc., the screening day is an outreach, education, and screening program that raises awareness about alcohol misuse and helps individuals with alcohol problems find opportunities for assessment and treatment.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy’s “Above the Influence” campaign is launching two new youth activities to raise teen’s awareness of risks during prom and graduation season. Join the ONDCP in a webinar from 1-2 p.m. EST April 3 to learn more on how to plan and implement these activities in your community.

Alcohol use remains widespread among college students. When students engage in high-risk drinking, there are risks of consequences not only for the drinker, but also for other individuals, including interruption of sleep and study, verbal harassment, assault, and degradation of the on-campus environment. To expand existing research, a research team led by Dr. Mark Wolfson at Wake Forest School of Medicine conducted the Study to Prevent Alcohol Related Consequences (SPARC), a randomized community trial involving 10 universities in one Southeastern state (five intervention sites and five comparison sites) funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

Coalitions looking for a quick and easy binge drinking campaign can look no further than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website for Saint Patrick's Day marketing materials.

In the United States, smoking remains the leading cause of premature mortality and alcohol consumption the third-leading cause of mortality. Not only does the concurrent use of cigarettes and alcohol increase risks for certain cancers, but also makes it more difficult to quit either substance. Since concurrent use of tobacco and alcohol is very common among young adults, they are often the focus of aggressive tobacco promotional efforts. A recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health demonstrates that many tobacco companies not only research the link between these two products, but also use this knowledge to develop marketing strategies that reinforce concurrent use of alcohol and tobacco.

Bringing their experiences from their past lives working in the corporate world to the prevention field, two New Jersey women have proven there is no “I” in team. When Lesley Gabel’s coalition involvement called for an additional staff member, it was a natural choice to call her neighbor and friend Peggy Dowd. The pair and their coalition, Hunterdon County Safe Communities Coalition serving Hunterdon County, N.J., were selected for CADCA’s 2012 GOTOUTCOMES! Coalition of Excellence award in the “Milestones” category.

A recent survey found high rates of regular alcohol and illicit and prescription drug use in tenth graders, reports a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Alcohol use remains widespread among college students. When students engage in high-risk drinking, there are risks of consequences not only for the drinker, but also for other individuals, including interruption of sleep and study, verbal harassment, assault, and degradation of the on-campus environment. To expand existing research, a research team led by Dr. Mark Wolfson at Wake Forest School of Medicine conducted the Study to Prevent Alcohol Related Consequences (SPARC), a randomized community trial involving 10 universities in one Southeastern state (five intervention sites and five comparison sites) funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).