As we approach the New Year, it is important to step back and assess our holiday celebrations. New Year's Eve celebrations include parties with great food and alcohol. The New Year should not be escorted in with tragedies, so it is essential to monitor alcohol intake -- especially if someone is driving. Let's revisit some issues with ongoing abuse of alcohol.
What is alcoholism?
Alcoholism is the inability to control alcohol intake. A person might suffer constant preoccupation with drinking, which can lead to personal, medical, professional and financial problems. Impairment can range from intermittent loss of control to substantial physical and mental impairment or death.
About 18 million people suffer from alcoholism, and about 100,000 people die from alcohol-related medical problems each year in the United States. Half of all traffic deaths are related to alcohol.
Not a shift passes in the emergency department without me treating a patient for alcohol-related complaints. The most difficult situations for me to deal with are alcohol-related traffic fatalities.
What are the symptoms?
Routinely drinking alone, consuming alcohol at all times of the day, becoming angry when drinking habits are questioned and persistent drinking leading to loss of memory or blackouts can be signs of a problem. As alcoholism progresses, a person can lose interest in family, friends and hobbies; eventual problems with employment might occur. Altered personality, shaking, irritability, sweating and seizures are all signs of withdrawal.
What are the causes?
Research shows alcohol addiction is a physical problem. Genetics play a strong role. Drinking at an early age also places one at risk for becoming an alcoholic, as does gender: Men have a greater risk of alcoholism than women.
What is the treatment?
Identifying the problem can be difficult because patients with alcohol problems tend to deny their intake. In some cases, withdrawal only becomes evident when alcohol is unavailable, such as hospitalization.
Outpatient counseling and abstinence might work for people without underlying medical problems. Support groups are quite effective in maintaining sobriety.
Patients with other medical problems might need to be hospitalized. Doctors can treat potentially life-threatening withdrawal with medications; once medically stabilized, a patient may choose to pursue an inpatient detoxification program; the length might vary depending on the problem's severity.
A recent study indicated the anti-seizure medication gabapentin might help with alcohol abstinence. Other medications also work to help severe alcoholics who relapse.
As you celebrate the new year, please drink sensibly. And, as always, never drink and drive because the consequences may be with you for a lifetime.
source: Dr. Randal F. Wojciehoski (also known as Dr. Wojo) is a Stevens Point native and an emergency medicine department physician at Saint Michael's Hospital.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Modified Protein May Lead to First Cure for Cirrhosis
ScienceDaily (Dec. 28, 2007) — University of California, San Diego researchers have proven in animal studies that fibrosis in the liver can be not only stopped, but reversed. Their discovery, to be published in PLoS Online on December 26, opens the door to treating and curing conditions that lead to excessive tissue scarring such as viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease, cirrhosis, pulmonary fibrosis, scleroderma and burns.
Six years ago, the UC San Diego School of Medicine research team discovered the cause of the excess fibrous tissue growth that leads to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and developed a way to block excess scar tissue in mice. At that time, the best hope seemed to be future development of a therapy that would prevent or stop damage in patients suffering from the excessive scarring related to liver or lung disease or severe burns.
In their current study, Martina Buck, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at UCSD and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, and Mario Chojkier, M.D., UCSD professor of medicine and liver specialist at the VA, show that by blocking a protein linked to overproduction of scar tissue, they can not only stop the progression of fibrosis in mice, but reverse some of the cell damage that already occurred.
In response to liver injury -- for example, cirrhosis caused by alcohol -- hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activated by oxidative stress results in large amounts of collagen. Collagen is necessary to heal wounds, but excessive collagen causes scars in tissues. In this paper, the researchers showed that activation of a protein called RSK results in HSC activation and is critical for the progression of liver fibrosis. They theorized that the RSK pathway would be a potential therapeutic target, and developed an RSK inhibitory peptide to block activation of RSK.
The scientists used mice with severe liver fibrosis -- similar to the condition in humans with cirrhosis of the liver -- that was induced by chronic treatment with a liver toxin known to cause liver damage. The animals, which continued on the liver toxin, were given the RSK-inhibitory peptide. The peptide inhibited RSK activation, which stopped the HSC from proliferating. The peptide also directly activated the caspase or "executioner" protein, which killed the cells producing liver cirrhosis but not the normal cells.
"All control mice had severe liver fibrosis, while all mice that received the RSK-inhibitory peptide had minimal or no liver fibrosis," said Buck.
Buck explained that the excessive collagen response is blocked by the RSK-inhibitory peptide, but isn't harmful to the liver. "The cells continue to do their normal, healing work but their excess proliferation is controlled," Buck said. "Remarkably, the death of HSC may also allow recovery from liver injury and reversal of liver fibrosis."
The researchers found a similar activation of RSK in activated HSC in humans with severe liver fibrosis but not in control livers, suggesting that this pathway is also relevant in human liver fibrosis. Liver biopsies from patients with liver fibrosis also showed activated RSK.
The study expands on work reported in 2001 in the journal Molecular Cell announcing that a team led by Buck had found that a small piece of an important regulatory protein called C/EBP beta was responsible for fibrous tissue growth, or excessive scar tissue following injury or illness. When normal scarring goes awry, excessive build-up of fibrous tissue can produce disfiguring scars or clog vital internal organs and lead to serious complications. Buck and colleagues developed a mutated protein that stopped this excessive fibrous tissue growth.
"Six years ago, we showed a way to prevent or stop the excessive scarring in animal models," said Buck. "Our latest finding proves that we can actually reverse the damage."
Worldwide, almost 800,000 people die from liver cirrhosis each year, and there is currently no treatment for it. Excessive tissue repair in chronic liver disease induced by viral, toxic, immunologic and metabolic disorders all result in excessive scar tissue, and could benefit from therapy developed from the UCSD researchers' findings.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs and UCSD's Medical Research Foundation. Buck is the recipient of a Howard Temin Award from the National Cancer Institute.
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego.
Six years ago, the UC San Diego School of Medicine research team discovered the cause of the excess fibrous tissue growth that leads to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and developed a way to block excess scar tissue in mice. At that time, the best hope seemed to be future development of a therapy that would prevent or stop damage in patients suffering from the excessive scarring related to liver or lung disease or severe burns.
In their current study, Martina Buck, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at UCSD and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, and Mario Chojkier, M.D., UCSD professor of medicine and liver specialist at the VA, show that by blocking a protein linked to overproduction of scar tissue, they can not only stop the progression of fibrosis in mice, but reverse some of the cell damage that already occurred.
In response to liver injury -- for example, cirrhosis caused by alcohol -- hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activated by oxidative stress results in large amounts of collagen. Collagen is necessary to heal wounds, but excessive collagen causes scars in tissues. In this paper, the researchers showed that activation of a protein called RSK results in HSC activation and is critical for the progression of liver fibrosis. They theorized that the RSK pathway would be a potential therapeutic target, and developed an RSK inhibitory peptide to block activation of RSK.
The scientists used mice with severe liver fibrosis -- similar to the condition in humans with cirrhosis of the liver -- that was induced by chronic treatment with a liver toxin known to cause liver damage. The animals, which continued on the liver toxin, were given the RSK-inhibitory peptide. The peptide inhibited RSK activation, which stopped the HSC from proliferating. The peptide also directly activated the caspase or "executioner" protein, which killed the cells producing liver cirrhosis but not the normal cells.
"All control mice had severe liver fibrosis, while all mice that received the RSK-inhibitory peptide had minimal or no liver fibrosis," said Buck.
Buck explained that the excessive collagen response is blocked by the RSK-inhibitory peptide, but isn't harmful to the liver. "The cells continue to do their normal, healing work but their excess proliferation is controlled," Buck said. "Remarkably, the death of HSC may also allow recovery from liver injury and reversal of liver fibrosis."
The researchers found a similar activation of RSK in activated HSC in humans with severe liver fibrosis but not in control livers, suggesting that this pathway is also relevant in human liver fibrosis. Liver biopsies from patients with liver fibrosis also showed activated RSK.
The study expands on work reported in 2001 in the journal Molecular Cell announcing that a team led by Buck had found that a small piece of an important regulatory protein called C/EBP beta was responsible for fibrous tissue growth, or excessive scar tissue following injury or illness. When normal scarring goes awry, excessive build-up of fibrous tissue can produce disfiguring scars or clog vital internal organs and lead to serious complications. Buck and colleagues developed a mutated protein that stopped this excessive fibrous tissue growth.
"Six years ago, we showed a way to prevent or stop the excessive scarring in animal models," said Buck. "Our latest finding proves that we can actually reverse the damage."
Worldwide, almost 800,000 people die from liver cirrhosis each year, and there is currently no treatment for it. Excessive tissue repair in chronic liver disease induced by viral, toxic, immunologic and metabolic disorders all result in excessive scar tissue, and could benefit from therapy developed from the UCSD researchers' findings.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs and UCSD's Medical Research Foundation. Buck is the recipient of a Howard Temin Award from the National Cancer Institute.
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
We are all paying the price for cheap alcohol
By JACK LAW
ALCOHOL Focus Scotland believes urgent government action is required to address the ridiculously low price of alcohol.
Once again, in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, supermarkets are promoting a "booze bonanza" where beer is cheaper than water.
Tesco is offering 60 440ml cans of lager for £20 – just 33p per can – and the most prominent image on the home page of the Asda website is a special offer of three bottles of wine for £10 and two bottles of spirits for £18.
Such promotions are blatantly designed to sell more alcohol.
Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity like tins of soup or loaves of bread. It is a drug which causes increasing harm in our communities. Is it ethical to promote a product so cheaply which has the potential to wreck lives?
The vast majority of alcohol sold for drinking at home is through just six supermarket chains. Supermarkets
need to stop hiding behind arguments that they are responsible merely because they are committed to preventing under-age sales and have signed up to voluntary codes of practice.
The effect of price on alcohol consumption is one of the most researched areas of alcohol policy. The evidence from many international studies is that an overall price increase leads to a reduction in sales, in turn, leading to a reduction in alcohol-related harm. Alcohol overall is now 62 per cent more affordable than in 1980. We are most concerned about drinks that are designed to be drunk quickly or that are particularly strong, such as white ciders.
We are not calling for blanket tax increases but rather additional tariffs on some types of products and an end to the common supermarket practice of below cost sales. Ireland has successful experience of both.
When it removed the tax advantage on cider compared with beer, there was an almost immediate downturn in cider sales. A similar approach could be taken in the UK.
Some say there'
s no reason why responsible drinkers should be prevented from getting a "bargain". But harmful alcohol use is rarely an individual problem – the drinker's behaviour impacts on their children, partner, friends, colleagues and society as a whole.
Others argue that alcohol is cheaper in countries such as Spain or Italy, yet they don't experience the same problems of drunkenness as us. This must be considered in the context of our very different drinking cultures.
The low cost and widespread availability of alcohol in the UK is set against a long-standing culture of social acceptability of drunkenness.
We support Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill's intention to end cheap price promotions.
At a cost of over £1 billion per year and rising, Scotland can no longer afford to pay such a high price for our drinking culture.
Jack Law is the chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland
source: http://news.scotsman.com/
ALCOHOL Focus Scotland believes urgent government action is required to address the ridiculously low price of alcohol.
Once again, in the run-up to Christmas and New Year, supermarkets are promoting a "booze bonanza" where beer is cheaper than water.
Tesco is offering 60 440ml cans of lager for £20 – just 33p per can – and the most prominent image on the home page of the Asda website is a special offer of three bottles of wine for £10 and two bottles of spirits for £18.
Such promotions are blatantly designed to sell more alcohol.
Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity like tins of soup or loaves of bread. It is a drug which causes increasing harm in our communities. Is it ethical to promote a product so cheaply which has the potential to wreck lives?
The vast majority of alcohol sold for drinking at home is through just six supermarket chains. Supermarkets
need to stop hiding behind arguments that they are responsible merely because they are committed to preventing under-age sales and have signed up to voluntary codes of practice.
The effect of price on alcohol consumption is one of the most researched areas of alcohol policy. The evidence from many international studies is that an overall price increase leads to a reduction in sales, in turn, leading to a reduction in alcohol-related harm. Alcohol overall is now 62 per cent more affordable than in 1980. We are most concerned about drinks that are designed to be drunk quickly or that are particularly strong, such as white ciders.
We are not calling for blanket tax increases but rather additional tariffs on some types of products and an end to the common supermarket practice of below cost sales. Ireland has successful experience of both.
When it removed the tax advantage on cider compared with beer, there was an almost immediate downturn in cider sales. A similar approach could be taken in the UK.
Some say there'
s no reason why responsible drinkers should be prevented from getting a "bargain". But harmful alcohol use is rarely an individual problem – the drinker's behaviour impacts on their children, partner, friends, colleagues and society as a whole.
Others argue that alcohol is cheaper in countries such as Spain or Italy, yet they don't experience the same problems of drunkenness as us. This must be considered in the context of our very different drinking cultures.
The low cost and widespread availability of alcohol in the UK is set against a long-standing culture of social acceptability of drunkenness.
We support Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill's intention to end cheap price promotions.
At a cost of over £1 billion per year and rising, Scotland can no longer afford to pay such a high price for our drinking culture.
Jack Law is the chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland
source: http://news.scotsman.com/
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Remembering the homeless with a vigil
NASHUA – Shivering in 18-degree air on the steps of City Hall on Friday night, Peter Kelleher struggled to light a candle.
"It gives you an idea of how difficult it is to do something in the cold," Kelleher, the president and CEO of Harbor Homes Inc., told the 10 or so other people who were also attempting to light candles in honor of National Homeless Person's Memorial Day.
Information gathered from area agencies that work with the homeless population shows that at any point in time an average of 500-600 homeless people are living in the Greater Nashua area.
"In the 26 years I have been doing this, I have see a lot of people come and go," Kelleher said prior to the start of the half-hour-long vigil.
The vigil, mostly attended by those who work with the local homeless community, featured prayers and a reading of the names of 141 deceased New Hampshire residents known to have struggled with homelessness at some time in their lives.
The vigil began with a moment of silence for the local homeless population and the nine Nashua residents, some homeless or formerly homeless, who died this year.
Among the recently deceased was Ray Larocque, 39, a father of three who died Nov. 11 of a drug overdose. Larocque participated in last year's vigil, breaking into tears when he read the name of Dan Lessard, a homeless friend of his who died in 2005 at the age of 28.
Like many of the chronically homeless, Larocque's periods of homelessness stemmed from his battle with drugs and alcohol.
Following the 2006 vigil, Larocque, who was three months' sober at the time, explained the struggle of trying to land a job without a permanent address, phone number or even clean clothes for an interview.
"People just don't understand," Larocque said.
"It's the way society looks at you."
It's a sentiment that Ken Lewis, program director of Connections, can relate to on a personal level.
Lewis, 47, who works with the homeless through the Harbor Homes' program, estimated he had spent a quarter of his life homeless due to a drug and alcohol problem.
"I was living in an old burned out house," Lewis said, describing his worst day as a homeless person in Nashua in 1994.
"I had nothing to eat, and I just remember being cold and hungry . . . I broke down crying. I didn't want to live like that anymore."
For Lewis, help came with a bed at Keystone Hall, a local substance abuse treatment program where he was able to detoxify his body of drugs and alcohol while living among other addicts who were trying to improve their lives.
"I was lucky," Lewis said.
"Nowadays, you don't have that many beds," he said, describing how homeless addicts in the same situation today often spend weeks waiting to get such help.
Even for those without chemical addictions, shelter is scarce.
Local shelters admit people between the hours of 5:30 and 6:30 p.m., Lewis said, and often end up turning people away, directing them to call city welfare, which closes its doors at 4 p.m.
Lewis said he often directs people to go to city welfare before 3 p.m. to get assistance in getting a spot in the shelter, and if that is not possible, a room for the night, as is required.
There are still people spending nights on the streets, however, and some, despite the recent snow, are spending those nights tented in the woods, he said.
Mark Vallee, 48, a self-described alcoholic who has been homeless since 1985, has lost at least one homeless friend to the elements and even had a close call of his own once.
"I think God was looking out for me that night," Vallee said of a night he spent in a tent in weather that was below zero in the double digits.
"I had one blanket. I got up in the morning, and I couldn't walk. I felt paralyzed," he said.
Vallee was one of three homeless people who showed up to the vigil. Also attending was Dan Kovich, 47, who is going on his third year of chronic homeless in the city.
Kovich, who was planning to spend the night in a nearby shelter, said he was making more than $33 an hour when he lost his job two and half years ago.
Kovich, who has had a prosthetic leg for most of his life and said he suffers from major bi-polar disorder and panic attacks, credits his "street survival skills" for getting him through the hardest days and nights.
"Knowing how to get a free meal, sleeping in laundromats," he explained.
Panhandling is an act of desperation, Kovich said, since people often ignore it.
Like many of the participants of the vigil, Kovich said the city needs more programs to help the homeless and the conditions that often cause homelessness.
The brief vent of frustration prompted Kovich to expel a deep sigh.
"The name of the game is survival," he said. "It's hard being homeless."
source: http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
By STEPHANIE HOOPER, Telegraph Staff
shooper@nashuatelegraph.com
Saturday, December 22, 2007
SoberCircle Celebrates One Year Connecting the Online Addiction Recovery Community
SoberCircle (http://www.sobercircle.com), the world's largest social networking Web site specifically designed for the addiction recovery community, marked its first anniversary on Saturday, Dec. 15. In just one year, more than 18,500 members have joined SoberCircle, which was created by DDM, a Nashville-based behavioral health care company.
The site features interactive member profile pages, member-created blogs, special interest groups, forums and chat rooms, among other features. Resources include directories with contact information for thousands of treatment centers and interventionists, an events calendar listing recovery-related events and an online store sells books, CDs and other recovery-related merchandise.
SoberCircle has seen rapid growth since its launch, and has attracted a loyal member following.
"People are so grateful to have a place to come to find others they can easily relate to -- others who are sober or who are seeking sobriety. We have several members who have taken the initiative to organize daily online 12-step meetings," said Chris Ennis, co-founder and lead developer for SoberCircle. "It's so fulfilling to know that our members have a place they can go at any time, day or night, to get support and interact with others who share their same struggles with addiction."
source: http://www.pr-usa.net/
The site features interactive member profile pages, member-created blogs, special interest groups, forums and chat rooms, among other features. Resources include directories with contact information for thousands of treatment centers and interventionists, an events calendar listing recovery-related events and an online store sells books, CDs and other recovery-related merchandise.
SoberCircle has seen rapid growth since its launch, and has attracted a loyal member following.
"People are so grateful to have a place to come to find others they can easily relate to -- others who are sober or who are seeking sobriety. We have several members who have taken the initiative to organize daily online 12-step meetings," said Chris Ennis, co-founder and lead developer for SoberCircle. "It's so fulfilling to know that our members have a place they can go at any time, day or night, to get support and interact with others who share their same struggles with addiction."
source: http://www.pr-usa.net/
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Staying Sober
For a chemically dependent person, staying sober is a long-term process involving
body, mind and spirit. It’s important to repair as much as possible of the damage
done by old habits, build new and healthier habits and use the time formerly taken
by drinking or drug-taking for constructive ends.
If you or someone you know is recovering from a chemical habit, here are some
suggestions that can help maintain sobriety.
Taking Good Care of Yourself
First of all, do your best for your body. It probably suffered some setbacks during
your drug-taking days. Get plenty of rest, eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly.
Rest, food and exercise all affect our moods, as well as our physical well-being.
The best diet is one that’s high in fresh vegetables and whole grains and low in
fats, sugar, additives, red meat and caffeine. Exercise can be of any type that appeals
to the person who’s doing it. It’s safest to increase the amount of exercise gradually
from a gentle beginning, rather than starting out with a strenuous regime.
Learning and Doing
Chances are, your old way of life had many destructive aspects. The more you
understand how old habits of thought and action contribute to dependency, the better
chance you’ve got to change those habits. Perhaps you were always setting yourself
up to fail by making your goals unreasonably high, or you didn’t know how to
have fun or relax, except by getting intoxicated. Maybe you had trouble being honest.
Or your ways of communicating with others were ineffective.
The best way to start the process of change is by trying something new. Learning
and doing are great ways to feel better about yourself and your life. Set yourself a
goal you know you can reach, sign up for a class in something you’ve always wanted
to learn, practice telling yourself the truth about how you feel or try meditation as a
nonchemical way of managing stress. Find out about communication workshops,
see a counselor or attend a meeting of Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous. Think
about the person you’d like to be and the life you’d like to lead. Take one small step
today.
Your Highest Priority
Above all, make staying sober your highest priority. Think of the situations that
result in your drinking or taking other drugs, and avoid those situations, as well as
any “old friends” who don’t support you in sobriety. Cultivate a spiritual life in
whatever faith you choose. When faced with a decision, ask yourself which option
will be most helpful in staying sober.
Attend 12-step program meetings regularly. You can get referrals to local groups
from your employee assistance program or the telephone directory. In general, put
your time and your strength into activities and relationships that help you stay
sober. You, and everyone around you, will benefit in the form of happier and
healthier lives.
body, mind and spirit. It’s important to repair as much as possible of the damage
done by old habits, build new and healthier habits and use the time formerly taken
by drinking or drug-taking for constructive ends.
If you or someone you know is recovering from a chemical habit, here are some
suggestions that can help maintain sobriety.
Taking Good Care of Yourself
First of all, do your best for your body. It probably suffered some setbacks during
your drug-taking days. Get plenty of rest, eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly.
Rest, food and exercise all affect our moods, as well as our physical well-being.
The best diet is one that’s high in fresh vegetables and whole grains and low in
fats, sugar, additives, red meat and caffeine. Exercise can be of any type that appeals
to the person who’s doing it. It’s safest to increase the amount of exercise gradually
from a gentle beginning, rather than starting out with a strenuous regime.
Learning and Doing
Chances are, your old way of life had many destructive aspects. The more you
understand how old habits of thought and action contribute to dependency, the better
chance you’ve got to change those habits. Perhaps you were always setting yourself
up to fail by making your goals unreasonably high, or you didn’t know how to
have fun or relax, except by getting intoxicated. Maybe you had trouble being honest.
Or your ways of communicating with others were ineffective.
The best way to start the process of change is by trying something new. Learning
and doing are great ways to feel better about yourself and your life. Set yourself a
goal you know you can reach, sign up for a class in something you’ve always wanted
to learn, practice telling yourself the truth about how you feel or try meditation as a
nonchemical way of managing stress. Find out about communication workshops,
see a counselor or attend a meeting of Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous. Think
about the person you’d like to be and the life you’d like to lead. Take one small step
today.
Your Highest Priority
Above all, make staying sober your highest priority. Think of the situations that
result in your drinking or taking other drugs, and avoid those situations, as well as
any “old friends” who don’t support you in sobriety. Cultivate a spiritual life in
whatever faith you choose. When faced with a decision, ask yourself which option
will be most helpful in staying sober.
Attend 12-step program meetings regularly. You can get referrals to local groups
from your employee assistance program or the telephone directory. In general, put
your time and your strength into activities and relationships that help you stay
sober. You, and everyone around you, will benefit in the form of happier and
healthier lives.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Binge drinking behind sexual health 'epidemic'
Binge drinking among women is causing an epidemic of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, doctors have warned.
Research has found that almost nine in ten women who attended a sexual health clinic admitted binge drinking - an average of two and a half bottles of wine in one sitting.
Doctors blame binge drinking among women for "epidemic" in STIs and unwanted pregnancies
Three quarters said they had unprotected sex because they were drunk.
Women who were diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection drank 40 per cent more than those who did not, showing a much stronger link between risky behaviour and alcohol consumption than previous thought.
The researchers, based in Southampton and Portsmouth, said the Government must tackle the issue of cheap alcohol and called for condoms to be provided for free in pubs, clubs and taxis.
Abortion clinics are already bracing themselves for a post-Christmas boom in unwanted pregnancies after one charity reported a record month in January this year.
The family planning service Marie Stopes International performed almost 6,000 abortions in January - a rise of 13% on the previous year.
The first detailed UK study carried out in sexual behaviour and alcohol questioned 520 people who attended one genito-urinary clinic in a city in the south of England.
A third of women in study (92 women), who attended the clinic reported a pregnancy and 41 of them had undergone a termination. Half said of those who were pregnant said it was unwanted and more than a quarter of those said they had been drinking before having unprotected sex.
The paper published in the International Journal of STD and AIDS said: "The UK has a specific problem with binge-drinking that is not seen elsewhere in Europe, and it seems highly likely that this binge-drinking culture is a risk factor for all forms of sexual risk, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs)."
Linda Tucker, one of the main authors of the study and a consultant nurse in sexual health and HIV, said: "The link between sexual risk and drinking too much is not the most original idea in he world but we now have clear scientific evidence of the relation ship. The Government needs to reflect this link both in their sexual health and alcohol strategy - which at present seems not to link alcohol and sexual risk behaviour.
advertisement
"Politicians need to tackle the issue of cheap booze and to have properly funded early intervention and treatment programmes in place."
They also found that women who binge-drink have more sexual partners than those who don't.
For men the results were not as clear-cut but the more they had drunk the less likely they were to use a condom.
The authors argue that, as the UK moves inevitably towards a 24 hour drinking culture, it is vital that the infrastructure needed to keep these drinkers safe keeps pace and is adequately funded.
A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said: "These new, and much higher figures suggest that risky sexual behaviour and binge drinking are far more bound up with one another than previously thought.
"We need also to ensure that staff working in sexual health clinics are trained to identify problem drinkers and know where to refer them for specialist advice, if they want help to bring their consumption down to safer levels".
source: The Telegraph
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