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| Did you see that report? - September 2011 |
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Background: Observational studies have documented inverse associations between moderate alcohol consumption and risk of premature death. It is largely unknown whether moderate alcohol intake is also associated with overall health and well-being among populations who have survived to older age. In this study, we prospectively examined alcohol use assessed at midlife in relation to successful ageing in a cohort of US women.
Methods and Findings: Alcohol consumption at midlife was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Subsequently, successful ageing was defined in 13,894 Nurses' Health Study participants who survived to age 70 or older, and whose health status was continuously updated. “Successful ageing” was considered as being free of 11 major chronic diseases and having no major cognitive impairment, physical impairment, or mental health limitations. Analyses were restricted to the 98.1% of participants who were not heavier drinkers (>45 g/d) at midlife. Of all eligible study participants, 1,491 (10.7%) achieved successful ageing. After multivariable adjustment of potential confounders, light-to-moderate alcohol consumption at midlife was associated with modestly increased odds of successful ageing. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.0 (referent) for nondrinkers, 1.11 (0.96–1.29) for ≤5.0 g/d, 1.19 (1.01–1.40) for 5.1–15.0 g/d, 1.28 (1.03–1.58) for 15.1–30.0 g/d, and 1.24 (0.87–1.76) for 30.1–45.0 g/d. Meanwhile, independent of total alcohol intake, participants who drank alcohol at regular patterns throughout the week, rather than on a single occasion, had somewhat better odds of successful ageing; for example, the odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.29 (1.01–1.64) and 1.47 (1.14–1.90) for those drinking 3–4 days and 5–7 days per week in comparison with nondrinkers, respectively, whereas the odds ratio was 1.10 (0.94–1.30) for those drinking only 1–2 days per week.
Conclusions: These data suggest that regular, moderate consumption of alcohol at midlife may be related to a modest increase in overall health status among women who survive to older ages.
Alcohol Taxation Reform: starting with the Wine Equalisation Tax [pdf]
Allen Consulting Group, Melbourne for the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AER) 2011.
The Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AER) commissioned the
Allen Consulting Group to:
- outline the evidence concerning social harms from alcohol consumption;
- examine the role that taxation plays in addressing harm in relation to alcohol consumption;
- discuss the recommendations regarding alcohol taxation in the recent AFTS Review prepared for the Government
- provide information on the regime of wine taxation and its likely impact on consumption and production;
- outline the case for reforming the wine alcohol taxation regime; and
- conduct an analysis of changes in the taxation of wine using a sophisticated model of alcohol prices and consumption to assess the likely impacts of reform.
The health of Australia's prisoners 2010 [webpage]
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, September 2011
The health of Australia's prisoners 2010 is the second report on indicators of prisoner health in Australia. The two-week snapshot showed that: * almost 1 in 3 prison entrants had ever been told they have a mental health disorder and 1 in 5 prisoners in custody was taking medication for a mental health condition; * more than 4 in 5 prison entrants was a current smoker; over half report drinking alcohol at risk levels and 2 in 3 had used illicit drugs during the previous 12 months; * more than 1 in 3 prison entrants had not completed Year 10 at school; * 1 in 4 prison entrants had a chronic condition such as asthma, cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The report also contains data relating to communicable diseases, deaths in custody, and the use of prison health services.
HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections in Australia: annual report of trends in behaviour 2008 [pdf]
National Centre in HIV Social Research, September 2011
The tenth in an annual series reviewing behavioural data relevant to the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), viral hepatitis and other sexually transmissible infections, this report examines behavioural and attitudinal data relevant to the formation and evaluation of prevention strategies and to understanding individuals’ experiences of treatment of these infections. It also includes data relating to the social aspects of treatment and care of those infected with hepatitis C virus and HIV, including those living with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
This report outlines the steps involved to develop a consistent measure for analysing the 2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey alcohol data. The report details the methods and questions used for reporting single occasion risk and lifetime risk in line with the National Health and Medical Research Council's Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol. The development of these new guidelines impacted interpretation of the proportion of the population drinking alcohol at risky levels.
Opioid substitution treatment (OST) is an effective treatment for heroin dependence that is increasingly available in correctional settings globally; in 2009, at least 29 countries offered OST in at least one correctional institution (Larney & Dolan 2009). In Australia, OST is available in prisons in all jurisdictions, albeit with limitations on treatment access in some jurisdictions (AIHW 2010a). One rationale that is often given in support of prison OST is that it reduces post-release criminality; however, the evidence for this proposition is equivocal. Another rationale for prison OST is that it will reduce the risk of death by drug overdose in the post-release period. The aims of the studies presented in this report are to assess the effects of prison OST on re-incarceration, criminal convictions and mortality.
[Last updated: 16 May 2012]
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