17th October 2011
Meeting 3 minutesStart : 1417
1) Roll-call
Richard - Present
Andrew - Present
Sean - Present
2) Weeks work
Each member gave a summary of the work they had done the previous week. A full copy of the work can be found at the end of minutes.
The information was discussed and areas which required more research were identified for next week.
4) Next weeks assignments
The importance of using Journals for research was emphasised and for next week each team member was asked to read 5 or more journal for their given assignment.
Richard:
- Primary effects (Permanent damage, Long term effects,Increase in disease risks)
- Secondary effects (Relationships, social life, violence STI's etc)
Sean:
- How effective are drink ads
- Other drinking cultures (What legislation does/doesn't work e.g. drink age). How does their attitude to alcohol differ from that in the UK
Andrew:
- Update blog
- Effective means of targeting social problems (What has been tried before, what does/doesn't work?).
End : 1301
Richard's work
Effects of Alcohol
From the second you take your first sip of alcohol, it starts affecting your body and your mind. After a couple of drinks you may start feeling more sociable, but drink too much and basic human functions, such as walking and talking become harder to do. You might also start saying things you don’t mean and behaving out of character. Some of alcohol’s effects disappear overnight – while others can stay with you a lot longer, some effects may even become permanent.
DependenceEffects on your sexual organs
From the second you take your first sip of alcohol, it starts affecting your body and your mind. After a couple of drinks you may start feeling more sociable, but drink too much and basic human functions, such as walking and talking become harder to do. You might also start saying things you don’t mean and behaving out of character. Some of alcohol’s effects disappear overnight – while others can stay with you a lot longer, some effects may even become permanent.
Diseases and cancers
Experts estimate alcohol is responsible for at least 33,000 deaths in the UK alone each year. While rates of liver disease are falling in the rest of Europe, they are rising in the UK. A 2006 Lancet study found that liver cirrhosis death rates are already around twice as high in Scotland as they are in other European countries.
Liver disease used to affect mainly drinkers in middle age, but now sufferers are getting younger. Up to one in three adults in the UK drinks enough alcohol to be at risk of developing alcohol-related liver disease. Your liver has many functions and one of them is to filter and clean your blood. It takes about one hour for your liver to clear a unit of alcohol from your bloodstream, although the exact rate depends on your age, weight etc. The more you drink, the more you’re going to feel the effects of alcohol in your system.Alcohol misuse is an important factor in a number of cancers, including liver cancer and mouth cancer, both of which are on the increase. Alcohol is second only to smoking as a risk factor for oral and digestive tract cancers.
Evidence suggests that this is because alcohol breaks down into a substance called acetaldehyde, which can bind to proteins in the mouth. This can trigger an inflammatory response from the body – in the most severe cases, cancerous cells can develop.
Chronic pancreatitis is another disease associated with heavy drinking. It’s caused when your pancreas becomes inflamed and cells become damaged. Diabetes is a common side effect of chronic pancreatitis. There’s evidence that heavy drinking can reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin, which can trigger type 2 diabetes.
While studies suggesting that alcohol can help heart disease often hit the headlines, the reality is that the jury’s still out on the extent of any benefits. And it is clear that any benefits which there may be are limited to very low levels of consumption – probably no more than 1 unit alcohol per day.
Mental health
Alcohol alters the brain’s chemistry and increases the risk of depression. It is often associated with a range of mental health problems A recent British survey found that people suffering from anxiety or depression were twice as likely to be heavy or problem drinkers.
Extreme levels of drinking (defined as more than 30 units per day for several weeks) can occasionally cause ‘psychosis’, a severe mental illness where hallucinations and delusions of persecution develop. Psychotic symptoms can also occur when very heavy drinkers suddenly stop drinking and develop a condition known as ‘delirium tremens’.
Heavy drinking often leads to work and family problems, which in turn can lead to isolation and depression. For heavy drinkers who drink daily and become dependent on alcohol, there can be withdrawal symptoms (nervousness, tremors, palpitations) which resemble severe anxiety, and may even cause phobias, such as a fear of going out.
From the second you take your first sip, alcohol starts affecting your body and mind. After one or two drinks you may start feeling more sociable, but drink too much and basic human functions, such as walking and talking become much harder. You might also start saying things you don’t mean and behaving out of character. Some of alcohol’s effects disappear overnight – while others can stay with you a lot longer, or indeed become permanent.
The morning after
The morning after an evening of heavy drinking, you can expect to have a hangover. A hangover is nature’s way of telling you that you have overindulged in alcohol. Symptoms of a hangover are due to the combined effects of alcohol on your body and mind. Typical symptoms include:
- a pounding head
- feeling thirsty
- feeling sick
- sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises
- red eyes and a dry, puffy face
- indigestion and mild diarrhoea
- tiredness and weakness
Worse still, you may not even be able to remember aspects of what happened the night before because alcohol can cause memory loss.
Appearance
If you’re trying to watch your waistline, drinking too much alcohol can be disastrous! Research from the Department of Health reveals that a man drinking five pints a week consumes the same number of calories as someone getting through 221 doughnuts a year.
Drinking too much alcohol isn’t great news for your skin either. As well as causing bloating and dark circles under your eyes, alcohol dries out your skin and can lead to wrinkles and premature aging. If you drink heavily you may develop acne rosacea, a skin disorder that starts with a tendency to blush and flush easily and can progress to facial disfiguration, a condition known as rhinophyma.
Dependence
If you drink large quantities of alcohol on a regular basis you run the risk of becoming addicted. Experts estimate that one in 17 people (6.4%) in Great Britain depend on alcohol to get through the day. This can have serious effects on their families, friends and partners, as well as their mental health.
Effects on your sexual organs
Drinking moderate levels of alcohol can increase your sexual desire and, by reducing tension, enhance your enjoyment. But drink too much and its effects on the nervous system can make it difficult for men to achieve or maintain an erection (often called ‘brewer’s droop’).
Alcohol poisoning
Between 2007 and 2008 more than 30,000 people were admitted to hospital with alcohol poisoning. In the worst cases alcohol poisoning can cause lung damage (as you inhale your own vomit) and even lead to a heart attack.
Many traditional ‘cures’, such as drinking black coffee; just don’t work – or even make things worse.
The Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include…
- Confusion
- Loss of coordination
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Irregular or slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute)
- Blue-tinged or pale skin
- Low body temperature (hypothermia)
- Stupor (being conscious but unresponsive)
- Unconsciousness (passing out)
In the worst cases, alcohol poisoning can lead to comas, brain damage and even death. After an alcohol overdose, you could:
- Choke on your vomit
- Stop breathing
- Have a heart attack
- Inhale vomit, leading to fatal lung damage
- Experience severe dehydration, which can cause permanent brain damage in extreme cases
- Get hypothermia
- Suffer seizures because of lowered blood sugar levels.
References
http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/directory/a/alcohol-effects-ofAndrew's Work:
Statistics:
Drinks Aware:
· Recommended consumption per day: Men 3-4 units, Women 2-3. ‘One unit is equivalent to 8g of alcohol’. Binge drinking is defined as drinking twice the daily guideline.
o In England alone it is estimated that 10million people exceed this guideline.
§ 40% of men and 33% of women are likely to exceed the daily guideline.
§ 34% of men aged 25-44 consume in excess of 21 units per week.
§ 24% of women aged 25-44 consume in excess of 18 units per week.
· ‘The UK has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in Europe’.
o ‘One in 25 adults are dependent on alcohol’ in the UK.
· ‘Alcohol isn’t a stimulant, it’s a depressant’.
· In the UK alcohol causes an estimated 33,000 deaths per year
· 1 in 3 adults are ‘at risk of alcohol-related liver diseases’ in the UK.
· ‘Drinking after a workout can cancel out any gains’.
o Prolonged alcohol abuse decreases protein synthesis which decreases muscle build-up.
· Drinks can increase your weight.
o 175ml glass of wine = 115 calories
o 5% pint of lager = 250 calories
o Alcopop = 170 calories
o Single measure of spirit = 55 calories
Statistics on Alcohol: England, 2011
· Based on a 2009 survey, 19% of men and 11% of women drank five or more days of the week. 10% of men and 6% of women drank every day or the previous week.
o People in the age groups of 16-24 and over 65 were less likely to have drunk in the previous week compared to those ages 25-65.
· The % of people who drank more than 8/6 units on at least one day in the week prior to the interview was:
o 24% amongst women aged 16-24
o 24% amongst men aged 16-24
§ Decrease from 2008 when it was 32%
o 27% amongst men aged 25-44
o 5% amongst men aged 65+
o 2% amongst women aged 65+
o The most common day to drink the most was Saturday (28%) followed by Friday (13%).
· In 2009 26% of men and 18% of women exceed their weekly allowance of 21/18 units.
o 49% men who exceed the r.d.a. drank more than 8 units on at least one day.
o Similar amongst women 43% would drink over 6 units at least one day.
International Study of Heavy Drinking: Attitudes and Sociodemographic factors in University Students
· England: Men drinkers 66-75%, heavy drinkers 22-29%
· Women drinkers 69-79%, heavy drinkers 29-36%
· There is no correlation between legal age to purchase alcohol and binge drinking.
· Correlation between parents’ education and student binge drinking. Students who came from families where the parents were educated to at least high school were more likely to be heavy drinkers.
· Awareness of health problems
o Heart disease
§ Men 54.5%
§ Women 55.2%
o High blood pressure
§ Men 58.1%
§ Women 58.6%
REVIEW: Reported levels of alcohol consumption and binge drinking with the UK undergraduate student population over the last 25 years.
Sensible drinking defined as not exceeding 14 or 21 units for women and men respectively.
36% of men and 13% of woman aged 16-24 exceeded this (Bridgewood et al., 2000).
Other studies have reported higher percentages between 41 and 63% suggesting that 1 in 2 male students are exceeding guidelines. Mean: 52%, SD: 8%.
For non-Asian females between 12 and 22% exceeded 14 units per week in the first three years increasing to 26% in year 4.
Higher values of Mean: 43%, SD: +/- 7% were reported.
Main reason for binge drinking was pleasure. Less that 10% felt that examinations were the motivation.
Binge drinking is not defined. Should consider three factors:
· Gender
· Duration of consumption
· Drinking frequency
Alcohol metabolism is 8g (1 UK unit) per hour. This means that the rate of consumption is important.
6 units in 1 hour is worse than 6 units in 6 hours.
Although frequency of binge drinking session is important there is less information on quantity consumed in the individual sessions.
Secondary effects of binge drinking
8.5% of male and 3.5% of female students had broken or damaged friendships.
16.8% of male and 5.5% of females had neglected their obligations.
3.2% of males and 0.7% of females admitted losing friends.
19% of males and 10% of females had been assaulted as result of alcohol.
50% of males and > 35 units per week had been physically hurt/ 15% had hurt others
Sexual health
Unplanned pregnancy
HIV and other STI’s
15.8% of students had been taken advantage of sexually
7.8% admitted having taken sexual advantage of others
Binge Drinking – Nature, prevalence and cause
Most people reduce their binge drinking as they get older
Men who binge drink in their 20s are twice as likely to binge drink in their 40s compared to people who don’t binge drink in their 20’s. For women it’s increased by half.
16 year old males who drink more than 7 units per week one and a half times more likely than lighter drinkers to binge drink in their 30s and 40s. Females who rarely or never drink at age 16 are less likely even that light drinkers to be binge drinkers later in life.
In the UK and Northern European countries drinking is dominated by bear and spirits compared to Mediterranean countries which drink mainly wine.
UK drinking habits also include
· Drinking in pubs
· Buying rounds
o Encourages faster drinking
o Drink more
· Getting drunk has lost negative stigma
· Getting drunk is a goal set at the start of the evening
Regional UK binge drinking: Proportion who drink to get drunk:
· Northern England – 28%
· Midlands – 19%
· South East – 24%
· Scotland – 18%
· Wales & South West – 33%
Age Males Females
12-13 years 8 7
14-15 years 38 35
16-17 years 68 57
18-21 years 80 75
References:
Sean's Work:
The advertising rules for alcohol are:
- Do not encourage or reflect anti-social behaviour.
- Protect young and vulnerable people.
- Time restrictions for advertisements.
Ads must not:
- Link alcohol with daring, anti-social, irresponsible behaviour.
- Link alcohol with seduction, sex or social success
- Show alcohol being handled or served irresponsibly
- Reflecting youth culture of those under the age of 18
- Depict people who look under 25
- Be shown at a time when young people watch a programme directed at them at late hours after 9pm
Reference: www.ASA.org.uk
Consultation response NICE Annex A
Accessed on 11/10/11
Are the new Advertising rules working?
Research done said that the percentages of companies that advertise alcohol have complied, with a near 100% rate of compliance. This implies that young people are less likely to acknowledge or view alcohol advertising.
Reference: www.ASA.org.uk
Background briefing April 2011
Accessed on 11/10/11
Previous Advertisements for Anti-Binge drinking consist of adverts directed at young people appearing on television at certain times of the day when they will most likely be seen, as well as many Bill boards and radio advertisements.
Current advertisements tend to target the viewer with shocking scenes meant to scare the audience into thinking about what they drink and the consequences of drinking too much. But do they?
- The impact of excessive drinking on the local community in criminal and health terms can be immense. A typical ‘glassing’ incident costs the NHS around £184,000 and involves 40 NHS staff (including A&E, hospital care and follow up psychology and psychiatry treatment). This is before the costs of a police criminal investigation are considered. On a typical Friday or Saturday evening up to three quarters of A&E attendances are alcohol related either as a result of assault, accident or simply too much to drink.
- Nearly one third of all deaths that are as a result of alcohol are from injuries sustained whilst drunk.
- On a typical Friday and Saturday night up to three quarters of all A&E attendances are a result of alcohol.
- Almost half of all violent crime is alcohol related
- One in three rapes happens when the victim is drunk
- 80% of pedestrian deaths on a Friday and Saturday night are alcohol related
Quote from Guardian
“Public health messages instructing people to stick to moderate drinking were widely ignored, it concluded, especially among young people who thought the number of units recommended were 'unrealistically' low.
Dr Andrew Bengry-Howell, an expert in young people's behaviour who carried out the research, said efforts to shame heavy drinkers by branding them 'binge drinkers' had also failed.
The problem is that the definition of a binge drinker - someone who drinks to get drunk - could encompass the majority of people at some time in their lives, he said.
When the sociologist presents his findings this week, at a conference on young people's health at the Institute of Education in London, he will call on health ministers to devise radically different public health messages, which accept the reality that many people enjoy getting drunk from time to time.
He likened the existing sensible drinking campaign to the 'just say no' message about drugs in the Eighties. This failed to stem use of heroin and cocaine.
'A more sensible approach would be to say to people, "We know you are going to drink to get drunk, so make sure you do not do it very often",' said Bengry-Howell. 'Or helping them to plan a night out so that it is safer, or suggesting they drink soft drinks in between alcoholic ones. Not just lecturing them about the number of units, because the guidelines are so low.'
'A binge is seven units for a woman and 11 for a man,' he said. 'So many people are doing it, it is as if the government message categorises everyone as a binge-drinker and so speaks to no one. People draw on their own experience and most people just ignore the message.'
The criticism comes a week before health ministers launch a new high-profile £10m national advertising campaign aimed at boosting knowledge about the number of units in alcoholic drinks and warning drinkers about the harmful effect of regular excessive consumption - the very tactics branded by Bengry-Howell as unsuccessful.
It is the latest stage of the government's Know Your Limits campaign. Bengry-Howell said its concentration on highlighting the harm caused by drinking was at the heart of the problem. His research among young people aged 18 to 25 in the West Midlands and South-West found that advertising campaigns by drinks manufacturers highlighting the fun nature of alcohol had much more influence on young people than the social warnings. He singled out the campaign's website, knowyourlimits.co.uk, which allows people to go on a virtual night out. In one scenario, after drinking four shots a woman gets into an unlicensed taxi and is sexually assaulted. 'If you drink beyond the government limits, it ends in disaster,' he said, arguing that many people drank over the limit and got home safely, so did not believe the message.”
The Department of Health last night insisted that its approach was realistic. 'We do [already] acknowledge that people drink and that they do sometimes drink too much,' said a spokeswoman. 'But the new campaign will say that if you regularly drink too much, these health harms will kick in. We're saying that if you regularly drink more than the recommended limits. That's when you start to damage yourself. So it's a realistic message.'
Ama Uzowuru, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said: 'The NUS acknowledges that it is unrealistic to expect students never to drink to excess, but we can provide people with good advice on reducing the harm caused by binge drinking.
'Students' unions focus their efforts on responsible drinking - for instance, our members voted to outlaw dangerous "initiation ceremonies", and unions issue guidance to students on making sure they and their friends are safe when they are on a night out.”
Quote from Daily Mail
“Health campaigns to curb binge drinking do not work because they demonise young people, say researchers.
A study by the universities of Bath and Birmingham found that adverts like the Government's latest £4 million anti-binge-drinking campaign are viewed as unrealistic in the way they portray binge drinking.
The TV advert broadcast this year showed young drinkers injuring themselves, being violent and smearing vomit in their hair.
According to the research, young people don't recognise their own drinking habits in negative adverts (picture posed by models)
The research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, concluded that young people do not recognise their own drinking patterns in adverts which take a negative stance.
But they do identify with adverts that promote alcohol as fun and sociable.
The researchers interviewed 89 people in England aged between 18 and 25 over three years and focused on 216 alcohol adverts, both in print and broadcast.
Professor Christine Griffin, from the University of Bath, led the project and urged the Government to reconsider their health campaigns.
She said: 'Top of my list would have to be to stop demonising and making generalisations about young people and their drinking.
'We also need to listen and incorporate their views and perspectives.'
Professor Chris Hackley from Royal Holloway College, University of London, who was also involved in the research said: 'The study suggests a radical re-thinking of national alcohol policy is required which takes into account the social character of alcohol consumption and the identity implications for young people.”
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