Judicial disposition of alcohol-related traffic arrests. Analytic study 4. Final study.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Driver and Pedestrian Programs, Washington, D.C.

State alcohol related fatality rates.

Mode of access: Internet.

Report to the U.S. Congress on federal alcohol-related activities.

Mode of access: Internet.

Alcohol related incidents survey : final report.

Chiefly tables.

Community service restitution programs for alcohol related traffic offenders.

"December 1985"

Encouraging practitioners to use resources: evaluation of the national implementation of a resource to improve the clinical management of alcohol-related problems in Indigenous primary care settings

This paper reports on the evaluation of the implementation of the National Recommendations for the Clinical Management of Alcohol-Related Problems in Indigenous Primary Care Settings undertaken in 2001 through 74 standardized workshops, which sought to determine: ( 1) whether this approach to implementation influenced the likelihood that the National Recommendations would be used; ( 2) whether it influenced participants' willingness to engage with Indigenous patients regarding alcohol-related issues; and ( 3) whether the implementation as a whole influenced both practice and clinicians' willingness to engage. Evaluation included pre-/post-workshop and follow-up questionnaires and a focus group. The findings presented indicate that distribution of clinical resources alone is not sufficient to ensure use and that, particularly for medical practitioners, appropriate introduction not only increases use but also positively influences willingness to engage with alcohol-related problems as part of primary clinical care. Further, the enthusiasm for guideline production should be tempered by the need to develop effective implementation strategies.

Alcohol-related associative strength and drinking behaviours: concurrent and prospective relationships

The first part of this research assessed the longitudinal relationships between alcohol- related associative strength and alcohol use measured at two time- points, 6 months apart. Cross-lagged results support the utility of alcohol- related associative strength to predict drinking behaviours prospectively and vice versa. These results remained after competing explanations of previous use, autocorrelations between memory measures, sensation seeking and background variables of age and gender were accounted for. Findings offer further evidence for an implicit cognitions approach to drinking processes. In the second part of our study, cross-sectional analysis investigated potential mediating mechanisms in the relation of associative strength to quantity and frequency dimensions of drinking. Mediational models provide preliminary evidence that implicit memory processes may have differential effects on quantity and frequency dimensions of drinking behaviours. The results point to the possibility that increasing awareness of implicit alcohol-related associations may have utility in interventions for young adults.

Legislative and regulatory measures for preventing alcohol-related drownings and near-drownings

Objective: Alcohol contributes to about 30% of drowning fatalities associated with recreational aquatic activity and to 35% of drownings associated with boating. We consider regulatory and legislative strategies for preventing such deaths. Methods: We contacted water police in each Australian State and Territory to identify legislation creating alcohol-related offences for operators of recreational boats in their jurisdiction and to determine whether they conducted random breath testing (RBT). We also sought information from all 152 (81 urban and 71 rural) local government councils in NSW regarding restrictions on consumption of alcohol in public places within their shires. Results: Four Australian States (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia) have legislation prescribing maximum blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) for operators of recreational boats; all support this with RBT Western Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory define more general offences for operating vessels while under the influence, of alcohol. Prohibitions or restrictions on consumption of alcohol in public places exist in 78 of the 86 shires in NSW that responded: 69 councils had alcohol-free zones, 53 restricted consumption of alcohol in public parks and reserves, and 33 had prohibitions or restrictions in some aquatic environments. Conclusions/implications: Legislation restricting BACs for recreational boat operators should be adopted in all Australian States and Territories. Optimal legislation would require that all occupants of recreational boats are required to comply with prescribed BAC levels, including when vessels are at anchor. Extension of by-laws prohibiting or restricting the consumption of alcohol specifically in aquatic environments warrants consideration.

The interface between Alzheimer's disease, normal aging, and related disorders

Since the earliest descriptions of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the presence of senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) have been regarded as the typical pathological hallmarks of the disease. Studies over the last twenty years, however, have reported a considerable degree of heterogeneity within the AD phenotype and as a consequence, an overlap between the pathological features of AD not only with normal aging, but also with disorders related to AD. This review discusses: 1) the degree of heterogeneity within AD, 2) the concept of an 'interface' between disorders, 3) the nature and degree of the interface between AD and normal aging, vascular dementia (VD), the tauopathies, synucleinopathies, and prion disease, and 4) whether the original status of AD should be retained or whether AD, normal aging, and the related disorders should be regarded as representing a 'continuum' of neuropathological change.

Ambulatory EEG monitoring in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and related disorders

Ambulatory EEG recording enables patients with epilepsy and related disorders to be monitored in an unrestricted environment for prolonged periods. Attacks can therefore be recorded and EEG changes at the time can aid diagnosis. The relevant Iiterature is reviewed and a study made of' 250 clinical investigations. A study was also made of the artefacts,encountered during ambulatory recording. Three quarters of referrals were for distinguishing between epileptic and non-epileptic attacks. Over 60% of patients showed no abnormality during attacks. In comparison with the basic EEG the ambulatory EEG provided about ten times as much information. A preliminary follow-up study showed that results, of ambulatory monitoring agreed with the final diagnosis in 8 of 12 patients studied. Of 10 patients referred, for monitoring the occurrence of absence seizures, 8 showed abnormality during the baslcJ EEG .and 10 during the ambulatory EEG. Other patients. were referred: for sleep recording and to clarify the seizure type. An investigation into once daily (OD) versus twice daily administration of sodium valproate in patients with absence seizures showed that an OD regime was equally as effective as a BD regime. Circadian variations in spike and wave activity in patients on and off treatment were also examined. There was significant agreement between subjects on the time of occurrence of abnormality during sleep only, This pattern was not ,affected with treatment nor was there any difference in the daily pattern of occurrence of abnormality between the two regimes. Overall findings suggested that ambulatory monitoring was a valuable tool in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy which with careful planning and patient selection could be used in any EEG department and would benefit a:wide range of patients.

A working memory bias for alcohol-related stimuli depends on drinking score

We tested 44 participants with respect to their working memory (WM) performance on alcohol-related versus neutral visual stimuli. Previously an alcohol attentional bias (AAB) had been reported using these stimuli, where the attention of frequent drinkers was automatically drawn toward alcohol-related items (e.g., beer bottle). The present study set out to provide evidence for an alcohol memory bias (AMB) that would persist over longer time-scales than the AAB. The WM task we used required memorizing 4 stimuli in their correct locations and a visual interference task was administered during a 4-sec delay interval. A subsequent probe required participants to indicate whether a stimulus was shown in the correct or incorrect location. For each participant we calculated a drinking score based on 3 items derived from the Alcohol Use Questionnaire, and we observed that higher scorers better remembered alcohol-related images compared with lower scorers, particularly when these were presented in their correct locations upon recall. This provides first evidence for an AMB. It is important to highlight that this effect persisted over a 4-sec delay period including a visual interference task that erased iconic memories and diverted attention away from the encoded items, thus the AMB cannot be reduced to the previously reported AAB. Our finding calls for further investigation of alcohol-related cognitive biases in WM, and we propose a preliminary model that may guide future research. © 2012 American Psychological Association.

Longitudinal effects of family factors on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems among males from pre-adolescence to adulthood

The goal of this study was to examine the longitudinal effects of five family factors on alcohol use among adolescent males. The family factors included familism (family pride, loyalty, and cohesion), parent derogation (being put down by parents), parent/child communication, family alcohol problems and family drug problems. The study focused on the effects of the family factors reported by a sample of 451 White-non-Hispanic and African American males during early and mid-adolescence on (1) the intensity of alcohol use in mid-adolescence, and (2) the number of problems associated with alcohol use during the transition to young adulthood. The study also explored racial differences in the effects of the family factors. The data for this study were derived from a two-phase longitudinal epidemiologic cohort study of male and female adolescents enrolled in middle schools in Miami, FL. Data were collected at four points between 1990 and 2001. Linear and logistical regressions were used to analyze the effects of the family variables on the dependent variables. ^ The results of the analyses indicated that all of the family variables except family drug problems were statistically significant predictors of the level of alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Familism had a moderate influence on both of the dependent variables at all data points, while parent derogation, parent/child communication and family alcohol problems were weak predictors. While the family factors varied by race, their impact on the dependent variables did not vary substantially. ^ This study had methodological shortcomings related to measurement and design that may have contributed to the weak influence of the variables. Future studies should explore possible mediating effects of these variables, and should employ more sensitive measures that are culturally appropriate. The results suggest that, since early family factors have long-term effects on children's substance-using behaviors, the family environment should be addressed in prevention and intervention efforts. ^