THINKING OF TRYING DRY JANUARY? STEPS FOR SUCCESS
By Matthew Solan, Harvard Medical School, January, 2022
“Let’s file this under unsurprising news: many American adults report drinking more since the pandemic began in March 2020, according to a survey on alcohol use in the time of COVID-19. If you’re among them, you might want to start 2022 on a healthy note by joining the millions who abstain from alcohol during Dry January. Your heart, liver, memory, and more could be the better for it.”
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WHAT IF CARS COULD STOP YOU FROM DRIVING DRUNK? A PEEK AT THE LATEST TECH
By Camila Domonske, NPR, January, 2022
“There are a few approaches that been explored in recent years. They fall in two main categories: systems that measure your blood alcohol level while you do normal driving tasks, and cameras that watch for tell-tale signs of drunkenness. Here’s what to know about each of them, and how soon they might become reality.”
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POLICE DISPERSE HUNDREDS OF TEENS AT SWAMPSCOTT HOUSE PARTY; PARENTS CHARGED WITH PROVIDING ALCOHOL
By CBS Boston Staff, November, 2021
“Two parents are charged with providing alcohol to minors after hundreds of teenagers showed up to a party at their Swampscott home Saturday night.
Police said there were 300 to 400 teens at the house on Linden Avenue. Swampscott officers had to ask Marblehead police for help in rounding up partygoers, and making sure nobody drove home drunk.”
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ALCOHOL LINKED TO MORE CANCERS THAN THOUGHT, STUDY FINDS
By Rachel Hall, The Guardian, August, 2021
“Alcohol consumption is linked to several cancers including those of the head and neck – mouth, pharynx and larynx – oesophageal and bowel, along with the more widely known connection with breast and liver cancer, according to an international team led by Imperial College London.”
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FACTS ON UNDERAGE DRINKING
By Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
“UNDERAGE DRINKING STARTS EARLY. Alcohol continues to be the most widely used substance of abuse among American youth, and a higher proportion use alcohol than tobacco, marijuana, or other drugs. Of those who drink underage, 15 percent began using alcohol before they were 13 years old.5 Nearly 2.3 million 12- to 17-year-olds used alcohol for the first time in 2019, which averages to approximately 6,200 adolescents who began using alcohol each day.”
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EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION CAN BE HARMFUL. HERE’S HOW
By USA Today, June 2021
“Women who consume eight or more alcoholic drinks per week are considered heavy drinkers. For men, that number is 15 alcoholic drinks a week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“To compile a list of 23 effects of long-term excessive drinking on the body, 24/7 Tempo reviewed dozens of medical publications and government health agencies websites, including the National Institutes of Health and the CDC. Approximately 19% of adults in the U.S. report regularly consuming unhealthy amounts of alcohol.”
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ALCOHOL: WHAT FAMILIES NEED TO KNOW TO HELP PROTECT YOUNG PEOPLE
A Guide By Partnership To End Addiction
Read now or keep handy for later! Topics in this parent guide include facts about youth drinking, mental health & stress, peer influence, risky behaviors, knowing the signs, genetics and more.
“As parents and caregivers, we want to do all that we can to protect our children, and we worry about what alcohol may do to their health and well-being. In this guide, we break down the risks of youth drinking, why it appeals to youth and what you can do to protect your child from its harms.”
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ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE SHARPLY RISING AMONG YOUNG WOMEN
By Yuki Noguchi, NPR, March 2021
“Cases of alcoholic liver disease — which includes milder fatty liver and the permanent scarring of cirrhosis, as well as alcoholic hepatitis — are up 30% over the last year at the University of Michigan’s health system, says Dr. Jessica Mellinger, a liver specialist there.”
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BINGE DRINKING ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER SUBSTANCE USE
By Marissa B. Esser, PhD, MPH, Cassandra M. Pickens, PhD, MPH, Gery P. Guy, Jr, PhD, MPH, & Mary E. Evans, MD, MPH, CDC, February 2021
A new CDC study published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows that binge drinking is strongly associated with use of other substances, as well as prescription drug misuse while drinking alcohol.
This new CDC study finds that 1 in 4 people who binge drink also reported other substance use in the past month, and also shows people who binge drink are 2 times more likely to use other substances than non-binge drinkers.
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DRINKING DURING COVID-19 UP AMONG PEOPLE WITH ANXIETY & DEPRESSION
By NYU, January 2021
“People with anxiety and depression are more likely to report an increase in drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic than those without mental health issues, according to a new study by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health published in the journal Preventive Medicine. “
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ALCOHOL HARMS THE BRAIN IN TEEN YEARS-BEFORE & AFTER THAT TOO
By Claire McCarthy, MD, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, January 2021
“During those years of transition between childhood and adulthood, the brain grows and changes in many important ways that are crucial for that transition to be successful. When teens and young adults drink alcohol, it can interfere with that process of brain development in ways that affect the rest of their lives.”
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IF YOU’RE DOING DRY JANUARY, HERE ARE BENEFITS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE, ACCORDING TO DOCTORS
By Samantha Brodsky, POPSUGAR, December 2020
“People cut out alcohol and participate in Dry January specifically for a number of reasons, and the results vary. For instance, one of our former editors who gave it a try concluded that she had more energy, ended up eating better, and saved a good amount of money. Whatever your reason — or reasons — and whatever you expect to gain (or lose) during that time, here are a few health benefits that may result from taking part in Dry January.”
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PREVENTING RISKY DRINKING BY COLLEGE STUDENTS THE FOCUS OF NEW PENN STATE STUDY
By Penn State news, December 2020
“Underage alcohol consumption has consistently been linked to more frequent consequences across students’ college years, including blackouts, drinking more often and more heavily, and a greater likelihood of driving under the influence or riding with an impaired driver. These outcomes can negatively affect students’ grades, their physical and emotional well-being, and can put them at greater risk of assault or legal problems.”
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By National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA)
“Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth, and drinking by young people poses enormous health and safety risks.”
“Research shows that young people’s brains keep developing well into their 20s. Alcohol can alter this development, potentially affecting both brain structure and function. This may cause cognitive or learning problems and/or make the brain more prone to alcohol dependence. This is especially a risk when people start drinking young and drink heavily.”
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AMERICANS OVER 30 ARE DRINKING 14% MORE DURING PANDEMIC, STUDY FINDS
By Reese Oxner, NPR, October 2020
“The study’s participants were aged 30 to 80, so the report does not offer insight on the pandemic drinking habits of younger adults. The study took a sample of 1,540 adults and compared their self-reported drinking habits this spring with a year prior.”
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RISKY DRINKING CAN PUT A CHILL ON YOUR SUMMER FUN
By National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, July 2020
“In light of the coronavirus pandemic as well as the negative consequences associated with drinking, it is particularly important this summer to take measures to protect your own health and that of your loved ones.”
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FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE DRINKING ALCOHOL
VIDEO by The Prevention Connection, July 2020
“When talking about alcohol, we understand there is a lot of misinformation about substances, particularly alcohol – So in this week’s video, we’d like to take the time to talk about some of those misconceptions concerning alcohol.”
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FAKE ID: HOW TEENS GET THEM AND HOW THEY CAN GET CAUGHT
By Marybeth Bock, Grown & Flown, June 2020
“One underage method of accessing alcohol has changed quite a bit in the past decade. Obtaining a fake ID in the digital age is a whole new ballgame, and in our post 9/11 world, the consequences of being caught using one can come with some serious, criminal consequences.”
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DRINKING TOO MUCH? KNOW THE SIGNS & HOW TO GET HELP
By Alex Smith, NPR, June 2020
“Retail alcohol sales jumped by 55% nationally during the third week of March, when many stay-at-home orders were put in place, according to Nielsen data, and online sales skyrocketed.”
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PANDEMIC DRINKING RESULT OF ACCESS, ANXIETY AS AGENCIES SEE ALCOHOL USE SOAR
By Jim Morelli, Boston 25 News, June 2020
“Social service providers knew this would be a busy spring. Isolation, anxiety, and economic uncertainty over the pandemic have led, especially, to an unprecedented demand for psychological counseling and help with substance abuse issues.”
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STUDY SHOWS ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ON THE RISE DURING LOCKDOWN
Video: By CNN, May 2020
“Isolation, boredom and anxiety can lead to more drinking by ‘problem drinkers’ in the UK, a new study shows. CNN’s Nina dos Santos explores how the coronavirus pandemic lockdown is affecting people’s drinking habits.”
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By Jillian Kramer, ELLE, May 2020
“Americans in quarantine are buying literal tons of alcohol: Data from Nielsen showed online sales of alcohol jumped 378 percent the week of April 11 over the same week last year. (Alcohol delivery company Drizly reported its year-over-year customers grew by a whopping 1,600 percent by the end of March.)“
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QUARANTINIS ARE A MEME OF THIS CRISIS. BUT RELYING ON ALCOHOL COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS PROBLEMS.
By Melinda Fulmer, The Washington Post, April 2020
“For many Americans, the days of the coronavirus quarantine have been bracketed by coffee at one end and happy hour at the other…But weeks or even months of using alcohol to escape difficult emotions could leave those who indulge with a problem that’s hard to shake once the lockdown is over.”
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IS ALCOHOL USE SPIKING IN YOUR HOME?
By Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, April 2020
“If your answer is yes, you’re not alone. With many states considering liquor stores essential businesses, allowing home deliveries and take-out cocktails, alcohol use is on the rise. We’ve been conducting on-going research on alcohol consumption with respect to COVID-19. “
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SURVEY SHOWS PARENTS AND STUDENTS NOT ON SAME PAGE ABOUT UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE
By Anastasia E. Lennon, The Patriot Ledger, March 2020
“The survey, issued by Safe Harbor Cohasset Coalition, was created to determine parents’ perceptions about the nature and extent of underage substance use, gauge their attitudes, and determine their knowledge and involvement regarding their children and substance use.”
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THE HIGH TOLL OF ALCOHOL ABUSE
By Joshua Cohen, Forbes Magazine, March 2020
“In the U.S. the leading preventable cause of death is tobacco, and second is poor diet and physical inactivity. Care to guess what comes in third? You can’t be faulted if you guessed opioids, given the media attention. No, it’s something much more accessible, with far fewer regulatory hurdles, advertised directly to the consumer, and having a negative impact across all socioeconomic demographics: Alcohol abuse and misuse.”
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DO YOUNG ADULTS REALLY ‘AGE OUT’ OF HEAVY DRINKING?
By Rich Holmes, Health Day, February 2020
“A new study study confirms that drinking rates do tend to decrease after college age. But on an individual level, it all depends on various factors such as the drinker’s social networks and personality.”
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LIVING SOBER IN AN INDUSTRY STEEPED IN ADDICTION
By Paul Spiegelman, Forbes, January 2020
“In the industry that initially enabled his addiction, Steve Palmer is living sober. The hospitality industry has higher rates of substance abuse than any other, and as a young man, Palmer was swept up in the drugs-and-alcohol culture of the restaurant business.”
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FOR SOME, THE NEW DRY JANUARY ISN’T ACTUALLY DRY
By Gwen Aviles, NBC News, January 2020
“While Dry January originated in the United Kingdom in 2013, when the nonprofit Alcohol Change UK started a campaign to raise money for alcohol abuse and treatment, it has morphed into a global phenomenon, with people throughout Europe and the United States participating. According to the data analytics group YouGov, 14 percent of its December survey respondents based in the U.S. planned to abstain from alcohol in January.”
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US DRINKING MORE NOW THAN JUST BEFORE THE PROHIBITION
By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press, January 2020
“Excessive drinking is associated with chronic dangers such as liver cancer, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease. Drinking by pregnant women can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or birth defects. And health officials say alcohol is a factor in as many as one-third of serious falls among the elderly.”
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