Drug and alcohol review
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Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2012
Perceptions of low-risk drinking levels among Australians during a period of change in the official drinking guidelines.
In 2009, the National Health and Medical Research Council released a revision of Australia's official low-risk alcohol guidelines, specifying low-risk consumption levels for both short- and long-term consumption. This study aims to assess how the general population's assessment of low-risk drinking levels compares to these guidelines and to examine whether the changes to the official guidelines corresponded with changes in perceptions of low-risk drinking levels in the population. ⋯ There is very little knowledge of the official drinking guidelines among the general Australian population. If drinking guidelines are to have any effect on levels of consumption, a more concerted effort to publicise them is necessary.
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Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2012
My cup runneth over: young people's lack of knowledge of low-risk drinking guidelines.
If young people are to consume alcohol in accordance with government guidelines, they must possess the relevant knowledge and skills. No previous research has examined correlations between different forms of knowledge of alcohol guidelines or how they are related to personality variables and beliefs. ⋯ Many young people may lack the knowledge required to monitor their alcohol consumption or give accurate self-reports in research. Future research should evaluate using a drink-pouring task as part of interventions designed to improve knowledge and skills and encourage moderate consumption of alcohol.
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Drug and alcohol review · Mar 2012
Clear criteria based on absolute risk: reforming the basis of guidelines on low-risk drinking.
The paper discusses the approach behind the Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking of 2009. The Guidelines involved a new approach to the central conundrum of low-risk drinking guidelines: how to set a guideline threshold on smooth risk curves. ⋯ The approach described brings alcohol guidelines within a general analytical frame of guidelines and standards for hazards to health. At the level of 1 in 100 lifetime risk, there is little justification for different guidelines for men and women. On grounds of differential risk, separate guidelines for young adults might be considered, but could not be based on lifetime risk.
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Drug and alcohol review · Jan 2012
Cost of privatisation versus government alcohol retailing systems: Canadian example.
Alcohol retail monopolies have been established in many countries to restrict alcohol availability and thus, minimise alcohol-related harm.The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of the privatisation of alcohol sales on the burden and direct health-care, law enforcement costs and indirect costs (lost productivity due to disability or premature mortality) in Canada. ⋯ Alcohol-attributable burden and associated costs will increase markedly if all Canadian provinces and territories gave up the government alcohol retailing systems.For public health and economic reasons, governments should continue to have a strong role in alcohol retailing.
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Drug and alcohol review · Jan 2012
Factors associated with continued solvent use in Indigenous petrol sniffers following treatment.
While petrol sniffing afflicts several isolated Indigenous groups internationally, few studies have examined the factors contributing to continued sniffing following treatment.This study aims to describe those factors in a group of Aboriginal Australian users. ⋯ This study identified psychosocial factors that may be associated with continued petrol sniffing among Aboriginal Australians post treatment. Future research, interventions and policy relating to petrol sniffing should consider these factors.