The consumption of alcohol by Australian adolescents: A comparison of revenue and expenditure

Aims: To estimate (i) Australian government taxation revenue collected from the consumption of alcohol by adolescents and (ii) the amount spent by the government on interventions aimed at educating adolescents about the potential dangers of alcohol use. Design: Secondary data analysis. Setting: Australia. Findings: Australian adolescents (aged between 12 and 17 years, inclusive) spent approximately $217 million on alcoholic beverages in 2002, netting the Australian government approximately $112 million in tax revenue. This resulted in an average of $195 earned in tax per adolescent drinker. It is estimated that the Government spent approximately $17 million on adolescent drinking interventions in 2002, equating to an expenditure of about $10.51 per adolescent on the delivery of alcohol interventions. For every dollar spent on alcohol interventions aimed at adolescents, it is estimated that the government receives around $7 in alcohol tax revenue. Conclusions: A substantial disparity exists between the amount of tax revenue received by the Australian Government from adolescent drinkers and the overall amount spent in attempting to prevent and relieve some of the problems associated with adolescent problem drinking. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of brief dietary questions to estimate vegetable and fruit consumption - using serum carotenoids and red-cell folate

Objective: To evaluate responses to self-administered brief questions regarding consumption of vegetables and fruit by comparison with blood levels of serum carotenoids and red-cell folate. Design: A cross-sectional study in which participants reported their usual intake of fruit and vegetables in servings per day, and serum levels of five carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin and lycopene) and red-cell folate were measured. Serum carotenoid levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and red-cell folate by an automated immunoassay system. Settings and subjects: Between October and December 2000, a sample of 1598 adults aged 25 years and over, from six randomly selected urban centres in Queensland, Australia, were examined as part of a national study conducted to determine the prevalence of diabetes and associated cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Statistically significant (P < 0.01) associations with vegetable and fruit intake ( categorised into groups: = 4 servings per day) were observed for alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin and red-cell folate. The mean level of these carotenoids and of red-cell folate increased with increasing frequency of reported servings of vegetables and fruit, both before and after adjusting for potential confounding factors. A significant association with lycopene was observed only for vegetable intake before adjusting for confounders. Conclusions: These data indicate that brief questions may be a simple and valuable tool for monitoring vegetable and fruit intake in this population.

A longitudinal controlled study of factors associated with mutans streptococci infection and caries lesion initiation in children 21 to 72 months old

Purpose: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to determine factors associated with mutans streptococci (MS) infection and development of caries lesions in a group of children 21 to 72 months old. Methods: The 63 caries-free children, recruited since birth, were divided into: (1) a study group of 24 children who were colonized with MS; and (2) a control group of 39 children without MS. The children were recalled every 3 months for approximately 24 months, and their social, medical, and dental histories were updated. At each recall, the teeth were checked for presence or absence of plaque, enamel hypoplasia, and caries lesions, and their MS status was assessed using a commercial test kit. Results: MS infection was associated with: (1) visible plaque (P < .01); (2) enamel hypoplasia (P < .05); (3) commencement of tooth-brushing after 12 months of age (P < .05); (4) lack of parental assistance with tooth-brushing (P < .025); and (5) increased hours of child care/school (P < .05). Four children (20%) were colonized at an age range of 21 to 36 months, 9 (45%) at 37 to 48 months, and 7 (35%) at 49 to 72 months (P < .001). Eight children who developed caries lesions: (1) had more hypoplastic teeth (P < .001); (2) ate sugar-containing snacks (P < .05); and (3) did not brush regularly with chlorhexidine gel (P < .01) compared to those who remained free of caries lesions. Conclusions: Lack of oral hygiene, consumption of sugar-containing snacks, and enamel hypoplasia are significant factors for both MS infection and caries lesion initiation.