Four Loko Maker Agrees to Limits on Marketing to Young People
 

By Join Together Staff | March 26, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Marketing And Media, Prevention & Youth


The maker of the flavored malt beverage Four Loko agreed this week to sharply limit its marketing to young people, Reuters reports. The company is making changes to its marketing in response to allegations by 19 U.S. state attorneys general and the city of San Francisco that it improperly marketed its product to young people and encouraged them to abuse alcohol.

The company, Phusion Projects LLC, will not promote binge drinking or other misuses of alcohol, and will accept limits on marketing that are designed to prevent people under 21 from purchasing alcoholic products.

Phusion said it will not promote its products on school or college property, except at licensed retailers. The company will not use models or actors under 25, or who appear to be under 21, in its ads. Phusion will also pay $400,000 to the regulators, the article notes.

“This is an important step toward ending the irresponsible marketing of alcohol to young people,” San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement. “I’m grateful that we were able to get this industry leader on the same page with consumer protection offices in San Francisco and 19 states. The result will be better informed consumers and a safer, healthier marketplace.”

Last year, Phusion agreed to put an “alcohol facts panel” on the back of cans containing more than two servings of alcohol, to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s charges of deceptive marketing. The panels disclose the alcohol by volume, and the number of servings in the can. Phusion also agreed to redesign cans with more than two-and-a-half servings of alcohol so they can be resealed. This design will encourage drinkers not to consume the entire can in one sitting.

Four Loko originally contained caffeine and alcohol. Following warnings by the Food and Drug Administration, Phusion Projects removed caffeine from the drink.

Role of Alcohol in Traffic Deaths Substantially Underreported: Study
 

By Join Together Staff | March 26, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol & Research

A new study concludes the role of alcohol in traffic deaths in the United States may be significantly underreported on death certificates.

Researchers found that just over 3 percent of the 450,000 death certificates for people who died in traffic accidents between 1999 to 2009 listed alcohol as a contributing cause. Based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the researchers found 21 percent of those deaths involved people who were legally drunk, according to MedicalXpress.

The findings are published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

It is important to have a clear idea of alcohol’s role in young people’s deaths, according to researcher Ralph Hingson of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Knowing how many people die in alcohol-related crashes will help researchers study the effects of policies designed to reduce alcohol-related deaths, he said. “You want to know how big the problem is, and if we can track it,” Hingson said in a news release. “Is it going up, or going down? And what policy measures are working?”

Some states, including Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, and New Jersey, rarely listed alcohol on death certificates. Other states, including Delaware, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota, listed alcohol more frequently.

Alcohol may be left off death certificates because coroners or medical examiners don’t want to wait to get blood-alcohol test results back before filing a death certificate, the researchers said. While death certificates usually must be filed within three to five days, toxicology results may take longer.

Like us on Facebook                          www.councilsepa.org                 Follow us on Twitter       Due to the importance of the following announcement  The Council and PRO-ACT wish to share it with you Recovery Movement Endorsed by United Nations Posted by Office of National Drug Control Policy Staff on March 25, 2014 at 04:18 PM EDT (click here for official announcement) A resolution on the importance of recovery proposed by the United States at the 57th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) was approved on March 21st in Vienna, Austria. This resolution marks the first time in the more than 50-year history of the global anti-drug regime that the concept of recovery was formally accepted and supported by United Nations Member States. Acting Director of National Drug Control Policy Michael Botticelli said: "This is a historic moment. For too long, the recovery movement has gone without a voice in the global conversation about drug policy. Talking about recovery, exchanging experiences and programs, and sharing successes at international forums like the Commission on Narcotic Drugs is a critical part of a public health approach to preventing and treating substance use disorders and reducing the global drug problem. The resolution codifies the commitment of countries to decrease the stigma associated with substance use disorders and to address them like other chronic health conditions." Mr. Botticelli further noted his appreciation for the support for the resolution provided by many nations, including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and also for the assistance and advice provided by the many American and international non-governmental organizations that were present in Vienna for the CND. The resolution, entitled Supporting Recovery from Substance Use Disorders, recognizes that substance use disorders can result in chronic relapsing conditions and that recovery support initiatives help to prevent relapse, facilitate re-entry into treatment when needed, and promote long-term recovery outcomes. The resolution also calls for an end to stigma, marginalization, and discrimination against those in recovery; promotes international exchanges on best practices related to recovery support initiatives; and encourages the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to disseminate globally information about evidence-based recovery support initiatives. The resolution, which was co-sponsored by a number of countries, was approved at the UNODC meeting on Friday, March 21, 2014.  www.councilsepa.org

MARCH 26 v 27 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

If you set a trap for others,

you will get caught in it yourself.

If you roll a boulder down on others,

it will crush you instead.

STEP 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 

Back in the day running wild and evil in my addiction this was my way of life. If you crossed me I would spend countless days plotting and scheming ways to cause your demise. It was so bad it consumed my every waking moment . My plans for revenge always failed and my life situation always seemed to get worse. In the insanity of it all , I continued too blame others for my messed up life and that would reinforce my anger and resentment. The traps I set for others always blew up in my face , some call it karma but God says it different. You reap what you sow and what goes around comes around . It is not your job to make people pay when they piss you off .Steps one through five taught me to let go and let God .This is His world and we are His creation put all of your troubles in His hands and let Him deal with those who burned you.

Romans 12:19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord.

Emergency Departments Prescribing More Opioid Painkillers

By Join Together Staff | March 25, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Healthcare & Prescription Drugs


Emergency departments are prescribing more opioid painkillers than in previous years for problems such as headaches or low back pain, a new study concludes. Many of these patients could be treated with over-the-counter painkillers, experts say.

The study found emergency department doctors in the United States wrote 49 percent more prescriptions for opioids in 2010, compared with 2001, HealthDay reports. During that time, there was only a small increase in the percentage of pain-related visits, the researchers report in Academic Emergency Medicine.

The survey found in 2001, about 21 percent of emergency department visits involved a narcotic painkiller prescription. By 2010, that had increased to 31 percent. Opioids were prescribed for a range of conditions, including pain in the back, stomach, joints or muscles; headaches; and toothaches.

“In many cases, naproxen, Tylenol (acetaminophen) and ibuprofen are the best choices,” Dr. Ryan Stanton, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians, told HealthDay. He said the findings are “reflective of the growing use of opiates across the board, not just in emergency medicine.” He added that a short-term prescription for opioids is appropriate for conditions such as broken bones or severe pain caused by kidney stones.

The researchers, from George Washington University, say emergency departments may be prescribing more opioids in an attempt to better treat patients’ pain. They also can feel pressure to make patients happy, according to researcher Dr. Jesse Pines.

“Emergency department providers are often caught in a difficult position because some have their pay incentivized based on how patients report their satisfaction with their experience. The intention is always to provide appropriate pain relief, but many patients have come to expect opioids,” Dr. Pines said in a news release. “When patients in pain want opioids, but don’t get them — which is common — they may report a poor experience.”

Liquid Nicotine for E-Cigarettes Can be Poisonous, But Isn’t Regulated

By Join Together Staff | March 25, 2014 | Leave a comment | Filed in Tobacco

Liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes can be poisonous, but is not regulated by federal authorities, The New York Times reports.

The liquid is extracted from tobacco and mixed with flavorings, colorings and chemicals. Tiny amounts, either ingested or absorbed through the skin, can cause seizures and vomiting. It can even be deadly, the newspaper notes.

These e-liquids are sold legally in stores and online. People keep them in small bottles to refill their e-cigarettes. Children may be attracted by the liquids’ bright colors and flavors such as bubble gum, cherry or chocolate. “It’s not a matter of if a child will be seriously poisoned or killed—It’s a matter of when,” said Lee Cantrell, Director of the San Diego Division of the California Poison Control System. Dr. Cantrell said e-liquids are much more dangerous than tobacco, because the liquid is more quickly absorbed.

The number of calls to poison control centers linked to e-liquids rose to 1,351 last year—a 300 percent jump from the previous year. That number is likely to double this year, according to information from the National Poison Data System.

Many people who use the liquids don’t realize the risks, according to Ashley Webb, director of the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center at Kosair Children’s Hospital.



Most e-liquids contain between 1.8 percent and 2.4 percent nicotine. These levels can cause sickness in children, but are unlikely to be lethal. E-liquids containing higher nicotine concentrations, from 7.2 to 10 percent, are widely available online. A lethal dose at such levels would take “less than a tablespoon,” Dr. Cantrell said. “Not just a kid. One tablespoon could kill an adult.”