Abstract — Aims: To examine whether television viewing and music video exposure predict alcohol consumption while going out. Methods: Data were collected in two waves (February 2003 and February 2004). Respondents were a random sample of 1648 first and fourth year secondary school children of Flanders, Belgium. Self-reported general TV viewing and music video exposure at time 1 and the quantity of alcohol consumed while going out at time 2 were measured. Controls were gender, age group, smoking behaviour, and alcohol use (at time 1) and pubertal status (at time 2). Results: Overall television viewing per day and music television viewing at time 1 significantly predicted the amount of alcoholic beverages adolescents consumed while going out at time 2. These results remained significant after controlling for alcohol use at time 1, gender, smoking, and pubertal status. Conclusions: TV viewing habits are a significant predictor of alcohol consumption while going out. TV viewing might cause an increase in alcohol consumption or might be an early symptom of developing alcohol habits.

Abstract — The presentation of alcohol by the mass media has been a rich source of research into the potential influence of media messages upon their audience. This paper reviews the existing literature in this field. It is noted that research has concentrated on attempts to measure the strength of media 'effects', employing techniques which have so far produced few fruitful results. The impact of media output on alcohol also has implications for the evaluation of alcohol-related health education campaigns, which utilize newspapers and television as an information source for members of the public. The role of the media in setting the public and policy agenda is examined as a potentially more fertile source in evaluating media influence. A number of policy and research implications are highlighted.

Abstract — Aims: Alcohol portrayal in movies and commercials is generally positive and might stimulate young people to drink. We tested experimentally whether portrayal of alcohol images in movies and commercials on television promotes actual drinking. Methods: In a naturalistic setting (a bar lab), young adult male pairs watched a movie clip for 1 h with two commercial breaks and were allowed to drink non-alcohol and alcoholic beverages. These participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions varying on the type of movie (many versus few alcohol portrayals) and commercials (alcohol commercials present or not). Results: Participants assigned to the conditions with substantial alcohol exposure in either movies or commercials consume more alcohol than other participants. Those in the condition with alcohol portrayal in movie and commercials drank on average 1.5 glasses more than those in the condition with no alcohol portrayal, within a period of 1 h. Conclusions: This study—for the first time—shows a causal link between exposure to drinking models and alcohol commercials on acute alcohol consumption.

Alaska Newsreader | adn.com RAPE CONVICTION IN BARROW WAS UPHILL BATTLE (The Arctic Sounder): In a community where sexual assault is common but seldom reported, a judge has sentenced Guy Yazzie Jr. to 10 years in prison in a case that included the community's first jury conviction for rape in about five years. During jury selection, "several people admitted that they did not think that this kind of rape - having sex with a woman who is incapacitated - was something that the state should pursue," said an assistant attorney general. <a href="http://www.thearcticsounder.com/news/show/5357">ALEX DeMARBAN March 26, 2009 at 11:25AM AKST</a> Finding women to serve on the jury was challenging, she said. “One of the big problems with prosecuting these rape cases in the village is that so many who would make up the jury pool have been victims of sexual assault themselves and often request to be left off the jury,” she said. “That’s a huge problem for us as prosecutors and it’s a huge problem for the victims then too.”

Booze laws not working Shame drivers and crush cars, say police By KERRY WILLIAMSON - The Dominion Post | Saturday, 14 February 2009 Desperate police are proposing radical measures to curb an increase in drink-driving, including publicly shaming repeat offenders and crushing cars. Other hardline police proposals include drying out accused drink-drivers in cells, automatically fingerprinting drivers who fail breath tests, banning alcopop drinks, hiring more frontline officers and introducing random roadside drug testing. The steps emerged from a police brainstorming session, and come alongside calls by police to lower the drink-driving limit, raise the driving age and increase sentences for drink-drivers. Details of the proposals are included in documents obtained by The Dominion Post under the Official Information Act and hint at an expected crackdown on motorists who continue to drive drunk. The proposals will be considered as the Transport Ministry moves to write a new road safety strategy for the next decade, ready for implementation next year. The strategy is designed to improve road safety, setting out an action plan for reducing the number of deaths and injuries. It will look at the major causes of serious road trauma, including drink-driving, speed and unsafe roads. Transport Minister Steven Joyce said all potential solutions were on the table "all these things have got to be thought through". He was aware of the proposals stemming from the brainstorming session. "It's appropriate to consider as many things as we can. We've got to listen to what the enforcement officers think. They are the people on the frontline." The Government is tipped to lower the blood-alcohol limit for drivers as part of the strategy. Justice Minister Simon Power said last week the strategy would review the legal limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. Police support lowering the limit to 50mg of alcohol for every 100ml of blood, the same as many other countries, including Australia, Argentina, France, Germany, South Africa and the Netherlands. They also support a zero-tolerance drinking policy for drivers aged under 20 on learner and restricted licences. Mr Joyce said he had an open mind about whether the alcohol limit should change. " I think we need to have a debate." A discussion document is expected to go to the public this year. Police brass are concerned that the drink-driving message is not getting through. The number of alcohol or drug-related road deaths increased for the third year running in 2007. A Transport Ministry report last year painted a picture of more crashes, more casualties and a drink-drive culture that continues unabated despite millions of dollars being poured into enforcement and education. Road policing researcher John Locker recommends lowering the alcohol limit. "As a wealth of research demonstrates, one of the chief mechanisms by which the goal of improved road safety can be achieved is through a reduction of existing blood alcohol content levels," he wrote in a 2007 report.

Date Published: 20 Oct 2008 Publisher: Congressional Research Service (CRS) Abstract: This report provides a legal analysis of the eligibility of an influenza pandemic to be declared by the President as a major disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. An analysis of the Stafford Act suggests that this issue was not addressed by Congress when it drafted the current definition of a major disaster, and that neither inclusion nor exclusion of flu pandemics from major disaster assistance is explicitly required by the current statutory language.

Yet very few rehabilitation programs have the evidence to show that they are effective. The resort-and-spa private clinics generally do not allow outside researchers to verify their published successrates. The publicly supported programs spend their scarce resources on patient care, not costly studies. And the field has no standard guidelines. Each program has its own philosophy; so, for that matter, do individual counselors. No one knows which approach is best for which patient, because these programs rarely if ever track clients closely after they graduate. Even Alcoholics Anonymous, the best known of all the substance-abuse programs, does not publish data on its participants’ success rate. “What we have in this country is a washing-machine model of addiction treatment,” said A. Thomas McClellan, chief executive of the nonprofit Treatment Research Institute, based in Philadelphia. “You go to Shady Acres for 30 days, or to some clinic for 60 visits or 60 doses, whatever it is. And then you’re discharged and everyone’s crying and hugging and feeling proud — and you’re supposed to be cured.” He added: “It doesn’t really matter if you’re a movie star going to some resort by the sea or a homeless person. The system doesn’t work well for what for many people is a chronic, recurring problem.” In recent years state governments, which cover most of the bill for addiction services, have become increasingly concerned, and some, including Delaware, North Carolina, and Oregon, have sought ways to make the programs more accountable. The experience of Oregon, which has taken the most direct and aggressive action, illustrates both the promise and perils of trying to inject science into addiction treatment.