The researchers surveyed 1,910 people with alcohol-related problems, and 14.7 percent used clergy services. Most of those who used clergy services also used professional services, and only .5 percent used clergy services just for their problems with alcohol.

Examining the use of clergy services among people who sought treatment for alcohol abuse and comparing the characteristics of the people who used clergy services with those of people who used other types of services to seek help, the researchers found that many people who used clergy services were Black, between the ages of 35 and 54, had a history of alcohol dependence, and suffered from depression or personality disorders They also found that people who were alcohol dependent were more likely to have used clergy services for alcohol-related problems than people who weren’t alcohol dependent or didn’t abuse alcohol.

Amy Bohnert, Ph.D., M.H.S., lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, said their findings suggest that people who can be classified as alcohol abusers tend to have problems with the legal system, work, and social situations, and may be more likely to be placed in treatment through social services or the courts.

Brian Perron, assistant professor of social work at the University of Michigan, said that rabbits, priests, ministers, and other clergy members are in an ideal position to help addicts because they are involved in their communities and see their congregants on a regular basis, which allows them to notice changes in behavior. Clergy are also often highly regarded by their community, especially in African American communities. Congregates also tend to feel that they can talk to clergy members in confidence.

Source: Science Daily, Individuals Confess Alcohol Abuse to Clergy, July 14, 2010

Prior addiction research has shown that many negative childhood experiences–such as neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and the presence of mental illness or substance abuse in the household–compound an individual’s risk of psychological disorders as an adolescent or adult. Although several studies have demonstrated much higher rates of alcohol consumption among American and European young adults than those in Africa, not much data has been presented on the propensity of African adolescent alcohol abuse and other behavioral disorders related to early developmental influences. Even though African teenagers have lower alcohol consumption rates, they are still at high risk of contracting diseases or disorders attributable to drunkenness and risky behavior.

This latest study by researchers at the African Population and Health Research Center in Nairobi, Kenya examined the prevalence of alcohol abuse among sub-Saharan teenagers and their associations with specific influences of childhood maltreatment. Lead researcher Dr. Caroline Kabiru and her team surveyed a total of 9,189 teenagers ages 12 to 19 on their levels of drunkenness as well as the presence of various risk factors including insecure food supplies in the household, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and living with a family member who had a drinking problem. Participants in the study were from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, or Uganda. Researchers controlled such factors as the teenager’s country, place of residence, gender of the teenager’s head of household, living arrangements, and personal elements including the teenager’s gender, age, religiosity, school status, and marital status during their analysis.

As a result, researchers found that approximately 9% of the adolescents reported drunkenness within the past 12 months. Overall, the presence of any of the childhood risk factors measured was attributed to increased levels of drunkenness among adolescents. For males, those who had experienced physical abuse or lived with a problem drinker prior to the age of 10 were most likely to have reported drunkenness. For females, having a family history of alcoholism, being sexually abused, or experiencing physical abuse during childhood increased their likelihood to report problem drinking. 

The association between early childhood adverse events and future problem drinking was more prominent in female adolescents. Females were also more likely than males to be coerced into sex, and even more females were coerced into other acts of sexual nature during childhood. For both genders, adolescents who had experienced more than one adverse event during childhood had graded increases in risk of future drunkenness. In general, males were more likely than females to be currently enrolled in school and to live with both biological parents. Although only 6% of all respondents had ever been married, females were much more likely than males to be married.

The researchers point to their findings as evidence for the need of early intervention and treatment strategies for children who undergo abuse, trauma, or neglect in order to prevent problem alcohol use in later life.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined the frequency of binge drinking in relation to individuals’ perceptions of their own health, and found that binge drinkers are 13 to 23 percent more likely to report suboptimal health.

The study, which will be published in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, examined 200,587 adult drinkers who participated in the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which asked participants to rate their health as excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor.

The researchers then estimated the prevalence of binge drinking and heavy drinking, along with the frequency of binge drinking during a 30-day period. Binge drinking was defined as four or more drinks per drinking session for women and five or more for men. They then divided the self-reports into two categories: optimal health (excellent, very good, or good) and suboptimal (fair or poor).

James Tasi, corresponding author for the study and an epidemiologist at the CDC, said that self-related health is a single question that has been used by many health surveys to measure perception of health, and is a strong predictor of eventual morbidity and mortality.

Robert D. Brewer, the CDC’s alcohol program leader, said that binge drinking is a dangerous pattern that can result in a variety of health and social problems, from potentially fatal car accidents to violence and risky sexual behavior. He added that adult binge drinkers usually have eight drinks per episode, which is far more than the four or five drinks that define binge drinking. Despite this, most binge drinkers are not dependent on alcohol.

According to Tsai, about 35 million adults reported binge drinking in 2008, and more than 40 percent reported binge drinking four or more times over a 30-day period. The new study found that frequent binge drinkers are significantly more likely to perceive their health as suboptimal.

Brewer said these results are important because people who report lower self-related health are more at risk for being hospitalized than those who report higher self-related health. In addition, the study adds to the scientific evidence that binge drinking is dangerous and can lead to hospitalization and death.

Tsai added that these results underscore the importance of screening for problematic drinking in healthcare settings.

Source: Science Daily, Binge Drinkers Report Sub-Optimal Health Status More Often Than Non-Binge Drinkers, June 7, 2010. 

The Russian government has declared an anti-alcohol campaign and aims to halve consumption by 2020 and root out illegal production and sales.

Under the bill, those found guilty of producing alcohol not registered with Russia’s Unified State Automated Information System (EGAIS), will face a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($6,735) or a prison term of up to three years and a fine of up to 80,000 rubles ($2,700).

If the production was carried out by an organized group or in especially large quantities, it will entail a fine from 100,000 to 300,000 rubles ($3,370-$10,000). It can also be punished with a prison term from two to six years and a possible fine of up to a million rubles ($33,700).

Official statistics in Russia show more than 23,000 people die of alcohol poisoning annually. In an effort to fight counterfeit alcohol production, Russia introduced on January 1 a minimum price for vodka.

Alcohol consumption in Russia per capita is currently about 18 liters a year, twice the critical norm set by WHO.

Sean Dooley and Shana Druckerman of ABC News write that in her new memoir, "Lit," Karr chronicles her gut-wrenching descent into alcoholism. Now 20 years sober, Karr hid her addiction from her husband, family, and friends.

"You don’t go to the same liquor store, and you say you’re giving a party every week, and yourself the only invitee," Karr said. The denial of her addiction was so powerful, she says, she lied to herself on a daily basis.

"I couldn’t sleep through the night without a tumbler of watered-down whiskey by my bedside," Karr said. "Then I would get up in the morning, I would pick that up, get my kid on my hip, I would think, ‘Oh, it’s a shame to pour it out,’ and I would drink probably two or three ounces, at least, of alcohol. But I told myself I wasn’t a morning drinker because I never poured it in the morning."

Even a teaching job at Harvard and a beautiful baby boy weren’t enough to keep Karr from alcohol. The highlight of her day was always drinking alone on the back porch of her Cambridge home after her baby and husband had gone to bed. Intoxicated, Karr would promise herself the next morning would be different, that she would get up and accomplish all of the things she had been putting off because of her drinking.

One particularly dark Christmas morning, Karr awoke before her family to do some holiday baking, but chose instead to take a drive and drink a six-pack of beer alone.
"The worst part is, the minute you start lying to your husband or your family or your children, whoever, your friends, you get a little more lonely, and you get a little more cut off," she said. Karr attributes the feelings of isolation to the humiliation most women feel about their drinking.

Unlike their male counterparts, women who struggle with alcoholism are often tormented with guilt, thinking that they’ve failed as mothers. Even when a woman does decide to take steps to deal with her alcoholism, the challenges can be overwhelming.

According to the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, one third of alcoholics in this country are women and most don’t receive the proper treatment. However, even when women do make it to detox and rehab, studies show that as many as 90 percent of them will relapse.

For Karr, it took six tries before her wakeup call finally came. "I was ninety days sober. I was giving a poetry reading at Harvard College, and I, some students of mine, we went out to dinner after, and I ordered a martini," she said. "And the next thing I knew there was a piece of concrete hurtling at my car with me in it. And that was the last night I drank." Karr acknowledges that, like so many women struggling with alcoholism, she didn’t look the part.

"I didn’t look like somebody sleeping under a bridge. But I had this black hole in the center of me that I was pouring alcohol into," she said. "There are a lot of women who think, ‘My drinking’s just not that bad.’ Feeling like every day is a nightmare that you have to trudge through is a consequence enough. You don’t need a DWI, you don’t need to go to jail, you don’t need to lose your kids. It’s enough that the highlight of your day is sitting alone drinking."

Now, having stopped drinking and written the bestsellers "The Liar’s Club" and "Cherry," Mary Karr knows what reclaiming your life can really mean.

"The transformations that you see, I mean, I’m the least of it," she said. "There are women succeeding beyond their wildest dreams because of their sobriety."

The AAP reports that backing the findings of earlier research, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) paper found that the rate of violent offending by indigenous persons was consistently higher than non-indigenous persons, with indigenous males strongly over-represented.

Levels of recidivism were also disproportionately high while time taken to commit further offences was disproportionately low.

The study’s author, criminologist Joy Wundersitz, said it was widely recognized that here was no single cause of violence in indigenous communities. But there were a number of theories, including that initial European colonization and dispossession played a crucial role.

However, repeated studies, by among others indigenous leader Noel Pearson, have pointed to the role of alcohol. "Alcohol misuse is now widely regarded as one of, if not, the main risk factor for indigenous violence," she said.

Institute director Adam Tomison said available data indicated that indigenous people were 15 to 20 times more likely than non-indigenous people to commit violent offences. Risk factors included alcohol misuse, illicit drug use, sex, age, childhood experience of violence and abuse, exposure to pornography, education, income, employment, housing, physical and mental health, geographic location, and access to services.

"However, alcohol, based on existing evidence, stands out as a problem over and above structural factors, such as socio-economic disadvantage," Tomison said.

Wundersitz said the need to break the link between access to welfare money and alcohol abuse was a fundamental driver of the Northern Territory intervention, launched by the previous Howard government.

Most indigenous people were not violent even though many lived in communities where violence was endemic and were subjected to violence and systemic social disadvantage without becoming offenders themselves.

Despite the large number of studies, there were gaps in the data and that was limiting development of policies designed to curtail violence.

For example, there is little information to explain why many indigenous people do not commit offences and the only truly national data on indigenous offending is the institute’s homicide monitoring program.

"Without a more detailed understanding of what proportion of the indigenous population actually commits acts of violence, the nature and frequency of that violence, and the circumstances within which it occurs, successful intervention strategies will be difficult to develop," Wundersitz said.

Jacob Varghese, 40, told Biswas that he began drinking when he was nine years old. He drank cheap local liquor in school, and ended up dropping out of college. He tried to commit suicide twice, landed in rehab centers, and was reduced to begging on the streets at age 32 to fund his addiction.

"Drinking is a disease in Kerala," he told Biswas. "I lost my kin, my respect and all my money chasing alcohol. Everyone encourages you to have it—your friends, the government."

After 17 years of heavy drinking, he was dragged to the local Alcoholics Anonymous chapter by friends. Varghese has been sober for the past eight years, and is now married with children and holds down a job.

"Many of my friends have not been as lucky. So many of my drinking buddies died, and others landed up in mental asylums," he said.

Kerala has the highest per capita consumption of alcohol—more than 1.76 gallons per person a year—in the nation, overtaking traditionally hard-drinking states like Punjab and Haryana.

Shockingly, more than 40% of revenues for Kerala’s annual budget come from booze.

A state-run monopoly sells alcohol. Kerala State Beverages Corporation (KSBC) runs 337 liquor shops, all open seven days a week. Each shop caters on average to an astonishing 80,000 clients.

This fiscal year the KSBC is expected to sell $1bn (£0.6bn) of alcohol in a state of 30 million people, up from $12m when it took over the retail business in 1984.

Similarly, revenues from alcohol to the state’s exchequer have registered a100% rise over the past four years. The monopoly is so professionally run that consumers can even send text messages from their phones to a helpline number to record their grievances.

"If we delay opening any of our shops by even five minutes, clients send us text messages saying that they are waiting to buy liquor," says KSBC chief N. Shankar Reddy.

There are some 600 privately run bars in the state and more than 5,000 shops selling toddy (palm wine), the local brew. There is also a thriving black market liquor trade.

Despite a growing number of people who demand a ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol, there is an equally spirited group of hard-core drinkers who lobby for cheaper and more widely distributed liquor.

One of them is well-known actor N.L. Balakrishnan, a veteran of more than 200 films, who launched a lobby group called Forum for Better Spirit in 1983.

The forum’s manifesto asks the government to provide liquor through the state-subsided public distribution system, boost toddy production, slash prices for elderly drinkers, and supply free alcohol to drinkers over 90.

Balakrishnan, 67, says his father "initiated" him into drinking when he was four. "We used to go to the cinema together. After the show was over, he would take me to a toddy shop where he would drink. He would give me a few spoons of toddy too. It was an amazing experience," he said.

He says when his father died at the ripe age of 98 after a "lifetime of heavy drinking," he wet his lips with liquor and not holy water, as is the Hindu custom.

Balakrishnan says that on his average day out with his drinking buddies he downs 22 shots of his favorite brandy, and "never has any problems.”

"If you have willpower and have enough food to go with your drink, booze will never harm you," he says cheerily.

But drinking is killing a lot of people and exacting a heavy social cost, say doctors and activists.

Rising numbers of divorces in Kerala are linked to alcohol abuse. Johnson J. Edayaranmula, who runs the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, a leading NGO, puts the figure as high as 80%.

And the majority of road deaths in the state—nearly 4,000 during 2008-2009—are due to drink driving, he says. Hospitals and rehab centers are packed with patients suffering from alcohol-related diseases.

The situation is so grim that the KSBC itself is planning to open a hospital specializing in treating alcohol-related problems. It also runs a campaign to combat alcohol abuse.

Jacob Varghese says it is a "societal problem,” which could mean that drinking liquor is almost a social rite of passage, taken very seriously. But he also cites high unemployment, easy access to alcohol, and the fact that drinking has become a "part of upwardly mobile living.”

Most activists believe that prohibition is not the solution, as it just drives buyers and sellers underground.
"The solution possibly lies in introducing drinks with mild alcohol content. And since drinking is also a cultural problem, people need to be made aware of the havoc that alcohol can wreak on their lives," says Edayaranmula.

The release of the wine, called Winezero, follows Italian Agricultural Minister Luca Zaia’s praise of non-alcoholic wine in curbing alcohol abuse.

Winezero is being made in made in Valladolid, Spain, from grapes from the Duero, Rueda, and Cigales and the range includes a red, white, rosé, and an American oak-aged red.

The wine was created by Italian entrepreneurs Massimiliano Bertolini and Manuel Zanella, who are targeting young people and those who don’t want to, or can’t, drink alcohol.

“We’re not in competition with traditional wine. It’s a new drink, equal to decaffeinated coffee or non-alcoholic beer,” Bertolini said.

“De-alcoholized wine is already trendy in Spain, France, and Germany. There was a gap in the Italian market and it was the right time to fill it,’” Bertolini said.

The UK’s Guardian reports that the alcohol-related costs to the city’s NHS alone is around the £23m mark, with an estimated half the number of visitors to A&E at the weekend attending because of alcohol-induced problems such as falls.

"Alcohol is a major issue in our A&E departments at both Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s – the weekends and out of hours are particularly bad,” said Kevin Reynard of Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

"I don’t think we ever go through the working week without having to tell the parents of a young person that their son or daughter has died as a result of an incident involving alcohol. When I first started out as a junior doctor, cirrhosis of the liver was almost unheard of among people in their 20s, now it’s commonplace."

Anna Di Bassio, an A&E matron, added: "Friday and Saturday nights are challenging to say the least. There is disruption to the department. Staff trying to get on with their work can be severely disrupted."

Counselors also heard from NHS Leeds about the social issues coming from alcohol misuse, including a rise in the number of domestic violence cases. They were also told of problems with drunk or rowdy behavior, violent crime such as assaults, increasing hospital admissions, concerns over the safety of children, and that deprived areas like Armley and Middleton had twice as many people needing NHS support than in more affluent communities.

Data provided by the NHS showed Leeds was “significantly worse” than the national average when it comes to deaths from alcoholic liver disease, alcohol-related admissions in men, binge drinking, and benefit claimants whose main reason for claiming was alcoholism.

Counselors heard of a number of initiatives and support programs currently being run in Leeds to help alleviate these issues. They also spoke of their frustration over supermarkets selling cheap alcohol and the lack of a statutory minimum price for alcohol.

Meeting chairman counselor Mark Dobson said: "We’ve heard some stark messages today—there are clearly major issues to be tackled in Leeds."

The reports were the third session of the scrutiny board’s ongoing inquiry aimed at considering the role of the council and its partners in dealing with public health—the other issues being considered by the board are improving sexual health, reversing the rise in obesity, and reducing the level of smoking.

According to the Oakland Tribune, Gillio said that at this time Sarah’s cause of death is unknown and it is also unknown what caused this condition in her lungs. The coroner’s investigation may take four to six weeks depending on the timing of the toxicology reports.

Gillio said Sarah and 18-year-old Kayla Dunigan had gone to the home of a 16-year-old friend to celebrate the 16-year-old’s birthday. "At 10:45 p.m., the three girls snuck out of this residence and went to a 15-year-old male friend’s house," according to a chronology released by Gilroy police at a news conference. "This 15-year-old male is the son of a Gilroy police officer.

"While at this residence, Botill may have consumed up to one-quarter of a 12-ounce beer. The officer was not aware that the girls were at his residence."

The three teenagers socialized at their male friend’s house for about two hours, Gillio said. They went home about 1 a.m. That was when Dunigan brought out a 750 milliliter bottle of Ketel One vodka "that she had taken from her father’s home without his knowledge," Gillio said. "The three girls mixed vodka and sparkling cider."

Gillio said the girls drank for about two hours, consuming about one-half of the bottle, which "translates to about 12 ounces total," Gillio said. "We do not know how much each girl drank."

According to the chronology, Sarah told Dunigan at 4:15 a.m. that she had vomited in the bathroom. The 16-year-old was asleep. Sarah vomited a few more times and Dunigan checked on her several times.

Dunigan and Sarah agreed that it would be best if Sarah slept in the bathroom just in case she got sick again. Dunigan went home about 5 a.m. because "she indicated to us she didn’t like seeing someone throw up," Gillio said.

The 16-year-old was awakened at 7 a.m. by the sound of Sarah vomiting. "Botill was talking and coherent, but related that she was not feeling well. The 16-year-old continued to talk with and care for Botill," according to the chronology.

About 8 a.m., the 16-year-old asked her mother for help with Sarah.

"The 16-year-old and Sarah decided to put on bathing suits and take a shower so that they could clean up the vomit off of Botill. Botill was able to change herself and put on the bathing suit. The shower lasted for around 20 minutes. They were not trying to sober up Botill as has been reported," Gillio said.

Sarah’s breathing became labored and a call was made to 911 at 8:44 a.m, and she died at a nearby hospital at 9:30 a.m.

More than 1,000 people crowded into South Valley Community Church in Gilroy for Sarah’s memorial. Her father is Gilroy firefighter Mike Botill, and four rows of the church were taken up by firefighters from Gilroy and surrounding communities.

Her mother, Michelle Botill, said Sarah "is and always will be such a source of joy" — always smiling, always trying to make people laugh. "She would always write me notes, little love notes and hug and kiss me," her mother said. "’I love you mama,’ that’s what she would tell me all the time."

Botill said she worried about her daughter, that she was too carefree, but said Sarah told her "’Mom, you can’t always freak out about everything. Everything is going to be fine.’"

Botill said she saw her daughter the evening of Dec. 5 as she was heading out and she asked her a lot of questions and said her daughter did what she always did: "She looked at me with those eyes and melted me. She was definitely becoming a social butterfly."