Category Archives: Alcohol

Alcoholism isn’t the only alcohol problem: It’s not even the biggest alcohol problem

    “One in four US teens and young adults binge drink,” blared the headlines in USA Today. And many of those folks are imbibing a lot more than only five drinks in a couple of hours, the definition for … Continue reading

Posted in Alcohol, Alcohol abuse, Binge drinking, Prevention, SBI, Substance abuse, Substance use disorder treatment, Underage drinking | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

UK media fall for alcohol industry press release

    “Big drop in alcohol consumption,” the Independent blared. “Alcohol drinking in Britain sees sharpest fall since 1948,” the Telegraph trumpeted. “Record fall in alcohol consumption,” the Mirror shouted.  “Alcohol drinking continues fall,” the BBC chimed in. We have … Continue reading

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Treating addiction as a chronic disease, or how can something that makes so much sense be so impossible to achieve?

    It’s been ten years since a special communication in the Journal of the American Medical Association by four leading experts declared that drug dependence (including alcohol) should be treated as a chronic medical problem, not a social problem. … Continue reading

Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Alcohol abuse, Drug abuse, Integrated treatment, Parity, Recovery, Substance abuse, Substance use disorder treatment, Treatment, Treatment until recovery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Two crises and one solution: How alcohol tax increases can help save state budgets and reduce underage drinking

    “Schools, city stare into abyss” screams a headline in the San Diego Union-Tribune about the hundreds of millions of dollars in budget shortfalls foreseen in the next few years. “Schwarzenegger declares California fiscal emergency” yells Reuters. But the … Continue reading

Posted in Alcohol, Alcohol abuse, Alcohol taxes, Binge drinking, Prevention, Substance abuse, Underage drinking | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Floatopia: When alcohol and water don’t mix

    You don’t have to be an expert to know that water and alcohol don’t mix, not when you’re swimming in the former and drinking the latter. So when I hear about Floatopias – throngs of people on rafts … Continue reading

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Underage drinking parties on wheels

    One weekend night, police in Pacific Beach in San Diego came upon a party bus with drunken teenagers spilling out and falling down on the pavement. The police boarded the bus and found more alcohol than at a … Continue reading

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Changing the way we think about underage drinking parties

    Not too long ago, a lot of parents thought that allowing your kids and their friends to drink at your home was a good thing, because it prevented them from drinking elsewhere and from drinking and driving. The … Continue reading

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