bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research into the History of Alcohol Use and Control in England and Wales: The Available Sources in the Public Record Office
Authors: Higgs E.J.
Published: January 2006

The relationship between the state and the use and abuse of alcohol has been a long and complicated one. Alcohol has been seen, at one and the same time, as a product to be taxed, a threat to social order, a danger to public health and an economic activity to be fostered. Differing government departments, with their differing responsibilities, have implemented contradictory policies, and this has been complicated by the interaction of parliament, pressure groups and local government.

Records relating to alcohol production and consumption are widely scattered amongst the archives of parliament, local authorities, private companies and individuals. The records of the central departments of state and courts of law on this subject, however, are held together at the Public Record Office, and are an invaluable source for research.

The state has taxed the importation, production and retailing of alcohol for many centuries. A record of this activity can be found in the documents produced by the accounting sections of the Exchequer and by the revenue boards. On the other hand, the threat to public order presented by drunkenness and the congregation of the lower orders in inns is amply documented in Elizabethan wine licenses and in the State Papers. This threat was met by licensing retail outlets, an activity supervised by the Home Office from the mid‐19th century, and by the suppression of disorder, as revealed in the records of the Metropolitan Police. More subtle forms of ‘control’ can be seen in the activities of the Central Control Board, established in 1915 in an attempt virtually to nationalize the alcohol industry in areas where munition workers were active. The CCB came under the authority of the Home Secretary and as such its records have been preserved with those of the Home Office. These records also contain information on the Home Secretary's responsibilities for the supervision of retreats for habitual drunkards under the various Inebriates Acts of the late 19th century. At the same time, however, the records of the Board of Trade, and of the Colonial and Dominions Offices, show the state actively fostering the export of alcohol as a valuable component of British trade. Information relating to the commercial production of alcohol can be found in the records of the Companies Registration Office and of the companies liquidation and winding up proceedings in Chancery and the Supreme Court.

An overview of policy in these matters can be found in the records of the Cabinet Office and of the Treasury, the latter being responsible for the financial sanction of civil service expenditure. The Treasury appears to have been more interested in the quiet manipulation of price and alcohol content than in outright intervention.

The records of many of these bodies are complex and voluminous and the PRO provides readers with explanatory guides and advice.
Obsessed with Moderation: The Drink Trades and the Drink Question (1870–1930)
Authors: Weir R. B.
Published: January 2006

In 1931 the Royal Commission an Licensing concluded that the drink problem was no longer a ‘gigantic evil’. Measured by the reduction in per capita consumption, the resolution of ‘the drink question’ took place mainly in the early years of the twentieth century. This paper contrast* the respective fortune* of the temperance movement and the drink trade* and argues that before 1900 the drink trades displayed little concern about the anti‐drink campaign. Only after 1900 when total demand fell and a wider range, of policy options were proposed, did the drink trades read. Even so, the anti‐drink campaigners greatly overestimated the economic, political and social influence of the drink interest. Business records affirms and trade associations in the Scotch whisky industry show that it was not until ‘the People’ Budbget’ of 1909 which increased excise duty on spirits that the industry began to subscribe to the Conservative party and to attempt to influence shareholders and employees. With the First World War, stringent controls on drink consumption and production were proposed but in direct negotiations with the Government whisky producers were able to modify the proposals. Patent still distillers met a national need far munitions spirit and yeast. Nationalization of the drink industry was not supported by the whisky trade, in contrast to the brewing industry. After the war, Scotch wins by producers continued to see the anti‐drink campaign, especially prohibition, as a threat and developed more effective means of defence. How relevant trade defence and legislation were to the resolution of the drink question remains doubtful as underlying cultural changes altered the use made of leisure time and the distribution of consumer expenditure.
The Impact of Alcohol on Health in the General Population: A Review with Particular Reference to Experience in Malmo
Authors: Kristenson Hans , Hood Bertil
Published: January 2006

More than 30,000 individuals have been investigated in the continuous screening and intervention, study in Malmo. The impact of alcohol an health has been evaluated by comparing alcohol intake as established at the initial interview with results of screening investigations, clinical records, social register data and mortality analysis. In addition, large subsamples of individuals with different levels of serum CGT (gamma‐glutamyl‐transferase) have been followed up. GGT has proved to be a useful and simple tool in identifying and treating heavy drinkers and monitoring their outcome. It also appears to be a strong risk factor for short term mortality in the male population.

In the intervention study, counselling and repeated feedback of GGT results in a group of middle‐aged heavy drinkers resulted in a significant reduction in sick absence, hospitalization and mortality, compared with that in a control group over a period of 60 months. As the intervention program seems to be effective in preventing alcoholism on an individual basis, there is need for more manpower and mart intervention attempts within general medicine in reduce the enormous impact of alcohol on health.
A Critique of the Report of the Dickens' Enquiry into the Controlled Drinking Research of the Sobells
Authors: Walker Keith D. , Roach Carol A.
Published: January 2006

A critique is made of the report of the Dickens' enquiry into the controlled drinking research of the Sobells. On the issue of the rehospitalization of patients following treatment, it is suggested that the Committee misinterpreted the allegations presented in the Science article and its earlier draft. On the issue of frequency of follow‐up contacts, it is suggested that the Report does not adequately address the question of why the Sobells failed to provide accurate information concerning the number of subject contacts. On the issue of randomization, the Committee is criticized for its rejection of evidence from the hospital records. It is concluded that the Committee's analysis of these three most central issues leaves many questions unanswered and that the scope of its enquiry was too narrow to permit a conclusive judgement in either direction. It is also concluded that the Committee's scientific defence of the Sobells' research appears in many instances to be ill‐founded.
The Correlates of Serious Alcohol‐Related Consequences and Illicit Drug Use Amongst a Cohort of Scottish Teenagers
Authors: Plant Martin A. , Peck David F. , Stuart Ray
Published: January 2006

Further results are reported from the first phase of a follow‐up study of drinking habits and alcohol‐related consequences amongst 1,036 Scottish teenagers. These data revealed that for both males and females, having serious alcohol‐related consequences was significantly positively correlated with tobacco consumption and with the use of illicit drugs. These results lend support to existing evidence indicating that multiple drug use is commonplace amongst young people whose use of alcohol is heavy or, in the case of males, causes problems.
An Industrial Alcohol Policy: The Characteristics of Worker Success
Authors: Beaumont P. B. , Allsop S. J.
Published: January 2006

Characteristics associated with success of problem drinkers in workplace treatment settings remain obscure. The development of interventions in such settings tend to rely on generalizations from non‐workplace treatment settings and untested assumptions. The present study seeks to ascertain the characteristics of success in a workplace setting. A company with an alcohol policy provided records of all individuals referred for treatment over a 4 year period (N = 48). Analysis of the data indicated that older, longer service employees were likely to be more successful in this company. It was also evident that self‐referral was associated with ‘poor’ outcome. The significance of this result is discussed in relation to prognostic factors in the industrial setting and the relevance to future development of industrial alcohol policies.
‘Curses of Civilization’: Insanity and Drunkenness in Victorian Britain
Authors: McCandless Peter
Published: January 2006

This paper investigates the sources of the common Victorian belief that drunkenness was the most significant cause of insanity. While acknowledging the role of the Temperance Movement in promoting this belief, the paper argues that its development was rooted in the social conditions and prejudices of the time, as well as in the experience and reasoning of Victorian medical men. The asylums which reported the highest proportions of drink‐induced insanity generally lay in urban, industrial areas where drinking was perceived to be a serious problem and catered to a predominately working‐class clientele. The superintendents of the asylums were inclined to conclude from their experience that drink was the most common cause of insanity. Their tendency to do so was increased by medical uncertainty about the exact relationship between drunkenness and insanity, the habit of many doctors of reasoning in circular fashion, and their proneness to link theories of causation to traditional moral imperatives. These tendencies were evident in speculation about the causes of conditions such as paresis and ‘hereditary’ mental disorders.
A Critique of the Report of the Dickens’ Enquiry into the Controlled Drinking Research of the Sobells
Authors: Walker Keith D. , Roach Carol A.
Published: January 2006

A critique is made of the report of the Dickens’ enquiry into the controlled drinking research of the Sobells. On the issue of the rehospitalization of patients following treatment, it is suggested that the Committee misinterpreted the allegations presented in the Science article and its earlier draft. On the issue of frequency of follow‐up contacts, it is suggested that the Report does not adequately address the question of why the Sobells failed to provide accurate information concerning the number of subject contacts. On the issue of randomization, the Committee is criticized for its rejection of evidence from the hospital records. It is concluded that the Committee's analysis of these three most central issues leaves many questions unanswered and that the scope of its enquiry was too narrow to permit a conclusive judgement in either direction. It is also concluded that the Committee's scientific defence of the Sobells’ research appears in many instances to be ill‐founded.
The Risks of Drunkenness (or, Ebrietas Resurrecta)
Authors: Knupfer Genevieve
Published: January 2006

Data from nine population samples are combined in order to compare different population sub‐groups as to prevalence of drinking problems among high “frequency of intoxication” drinkers. Various indicators of frequent intoxication and of drinking problems are presented and discussed. Suggestions are made as to fewer, simpler questions about drinking and as to better ways of studying problem risks.
Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy: Baseline Data from a Scottish Prospective Study
Authors: Plant Moira L.
Published: January 2006

The results are reported from the first of four phases of a prospective study on the association between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and fetal harm. These data revealed a generally low level of alcohol consumption amongst the 1,008 respondents. Self‐reported alcohol consumption was slightly, but significantly, positively correlated with previous obstetric problems. Evidence from other studies indicates that between 1.8 per cent and 4.8 per cent of the study group may run an enhanced risk of producing damaged babies.
Relapse Prevention: Introduction and Overview of the Model
Authors: Marlatt G. Alan , George William H.
Published: January 2006

As an introductory overview of the Relapse Prevention (RP) model, this article briefly describes the conceptual and clinical features of the RP approach to altering excessive or addictive behaviour patterns. In contrast with traditional approaches that overemphasize initial habit change, RP focuses more on the maintenance phase of the habit change process. From this perspective, relapse is not viewed merely as an indicator of treatment failure. Instead, potential and actual episodes are key targets for both proactive and reactive intervention strategies. RP treatment procedures include specific intervention techniques designed to teach the individual to effectively anticipate and cope with potential relapse situations. Also included are more global lifestyle interventions aimed at improving overall coping skills and promoting health and well being. Important questions raised by this relatively recent alternative to traditional approaches are discussed.
The Moderating Influence: A Review of Trade‐Sponsored Alcohol Education Programmes
Authors: Grant Marcus
Published: January 2006

This paper reviews the aims, target audience and content of alcohol education programmes sponsored by trade associations from the beverage alcohol industry. The predominance of programmes promoting the concept of moderation directed towards young people emerges as the most striking single trend. Whilst the relative scarcity of objective evaluations of the effectiveness of alcohol education is lamentable, the author points to the possibility of establishing useful dialogue between health educators and the beverage alcohol industry over the issue of the limits of moderate consumption.
Lifetime Abstainers, Current Abstainers and Imbibers: A Methodological Note
Authors: Goldman Eli , Najman Jackob M.
Published: January 2006

Previous population studies of patterns of alcohol consumption have tended to assume that abstainers are a homogeneous group. As part of a Boston‐area probability sample of 5,320 adults, those persons categorized as abstainers were examined on a variety of dimensions.

The findings suggest that the abstaining population comprises three groups: lifetime abstainers (58 per cent), current abstainers who have not had a previous drinking problem (34 per cent) and current abstainers who have had a previous drinking problem (9 per cent). This latter group appears, on a number of social and demographic characteristics, to be similar to persons who are frequent drinkers. The assumption of the homogeneity of the abstaining population is refuted and the results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and methodological implications.
A Process Approach to Women's Use of Alcohol Services
Authors: Thom Betsy
Published: January 2006

The use of specialist alcohol services by women and the reasons given in the literature for women's apparent reluctance to use these services are reviewed. It is argued that, to provide an appropriate response to the rise in the harmful use of alcohol by women, we need to know more about women with drinking problems and about the events which result in some women contacting specialist alcohol services for help while others do not. It is suggested that future research might usefully adopt a process approach to the study of the use of services, taking contact with a specialist alcohol service as one stage in a help‐seeking career.
Drug Abuse in the Medical Profession: Addict Doctors and the Home Office
Authors: Stimson G. V. , Oppenheimer E. , Stimson C. A.
Published: January 2006

Drug abuse and alcoholism by medical practitioners raises special issues of their fitness to practice and of medical discipline. This paper explores the issue of drug abuse by medical practitioners, using the information about addict doctors kept by the Home Office Drugs Branch. The addict doctors found in this study were most often discovered through police activity, had often been convicted for drug offences, had appeared on disciplinary charges before the General Medical Council, and suffered severe occupational consequences.
Stressful Life Events and Alcohol Abuse in Women: A General Population Study
Authors: Cooke D. J. , Allan Carole A.
Published: January 2006

Many authors have argued that women may be precipitated into problem drinking by the experience of stressful life events. Mid‐life may be a period of particular susceptibility to life events. Previous studies have suffered from significant methodological inadequacies.

A random sample of 230 women from the general population were interviewed. Their experience of life events was carefully and systematically determined. No associations between life event indices and alcohol consumption were detected either for women in general or for women during mid‐life. Methodological explanations for the failure to detect significant associations were considered. It was concluded, however, that no substantial relationship existed between the experience of life events and elevated alcohol‐consumption in a normal population.

The life event hypothesis may have arisen because of the need for a ‘special’ explanation of female alcohol abuse.
The Relationship between Alcohol Use and Burglary
Authors: Bennett Trevor , Wright Richard
Published: January 2006

In this paper, we draw upon the findings of research conducted at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge to assess the strength and nature of the association between drinking and burglary. The study was. based on interviews with offenders currently serving sentences for residential or non‐residential burglary. The analysis revealed that most offenders admitted to consuming alcohol before at least some of their burglaries and approximately one‐third stated that most of their offences were committed under the influence of drink. There was a strong correlation between the frequency of pre‐offence drinking and normal drinking. The majority of offenders saw no causal connection between their alcohol use and their criminal behaviour. They argued that either their offences were planned in drinking situations, independently of the effect of the alcohol consumed, or thy drank frequently anyway and saw no reason to change normal drinking patterns simply because they intended to commit an offence.
Chile: Alcoholism in a Wine‐Drinking Country
Authors: Téllez Carlos
Published: January 2006

Alcoholism and alcohol related problems are endemic in Chile, and it has been said that they are the most important Public Health problem. Some data on epidemiology of drinking problems is given, and the links between grape growing and alcohol related problems are mentioned. Finally the alcohol control policies which have been attempted over the last decade are discussed, and it is concluded that the poor success of these policies in the country is probably due to the fact that they have been limited to education, and given no attention to the control of the availability of alcohol.
Essential Tremor: A Risk Factor for Alcoholism?
Authors: Ward K. , Potamianos G. , Peters T. J.
Published: January 2006

Four patients with essential tremor, self treated with alcohol, are reported. All had significant hepatic dysfunction. Treatment with propanolol markedly reduced the tremor and contributed to a satisfactory outcome to the alcoholism in three of the patients.
International Review Series: Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Research 4. Canada
Authors: Smart Reginald G.
Published: January 2006

Canada has been a leader in alcohol research for several decades. This research, both in Canada and elsewhere, is often associated with a Temperance Movement. In Canada, several of the most important alcohol research centres were established with the support of the Temperance Movement. The largest alcohol research agency is the Addiction Research Foundation in Ontario and it accounts for most of the alcohol research money spent in Canada. It has a research budget of about $8 million and about 50 scientists on staff. Currently there are 31 lines of research and a much larger number of projects. Provincial agencies outside Ontario typically do very little research, except to evaluate their own programmes. In addition, some grants for alcohol research are made by medical research agencies. Several important approaches in alcohol research can be identified as typically Canadian. At present, research funding is not being expanded and actual declines in support have occurred in some areas.
The Social Victims of Drinking *
Authors: Fillmore Kaye Middleton
Published: January 2006

The social consequences of drinking from the perspective of the drinker's victims, rather than from the drinker him/herself, are assessed in a general population survey of Berkeley, California (N= 1, 0222). Social victimization is assessed using an array of drinking‐related consequences, including crime and accidents. The degree to which respondents experience alcohol‐related social victimization and the context is reported. Demographic characteristics and drinking characteristics of the victims are found to be moderately related to the degree to which they are victimized. Social victims tend to resemble problem drinkers found in general population studies, particularly in terms of their own drinking and drinking‐related problems. Women are at higher risk for victimization than men, particularly women who are heavy‐frequent or problem drinkers. The results suggest the need for research which more boldly takes the interaction of perpetrator and victim into account in alcohol‐related problems.
International Review Series: Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Research 6. India
Authors: Mohan D. , Sharma H. K.
Published: January 2006

Indian society, which was once a model for abstinence is gradually becoming modernised. As a result of this, synthetic alcoholic beverage production and consumption have increased. However, if one sieves through current research activities from both a medical and sociological viewpoint a very dismal picture emerges. With the exception of the prohibition movement, very few scientific studies have been undertaken. On reviewing the research policies of Government and funding agencies, no consistent theme emerges. Training programmes are conspicuous by their absence, as are treatment facilities. Similarly, work on alcohol in the voluntary sector has a long history focused primarily on prohibition. However, in the 1980s some positive steps are being considered. These include the establishment of the ‘Working Group on Alcohol and Drugs’ and the policy to establish ‘Advanced Centres’.
Migration, Cultural Transformation and the Rise of Black Liver Cirrhosis Mortality
Authors: Herd Denise
Published: January 2006

Throughout (he 19th and most of the 20th century, liver cirrohsis mortality rates among U.S. blacks were usually similar to or slightly below rates in the white population. After 1955 this pattern rapidly changed and black Americans experienced an epidemic of cirrhosis which greatly exceeded the moderate increases in the white population. Increases in cirrhosis mortality were highly specific to geographical region. Rates among blacks increased as much as four times in urbanised coastal and northern regions and remained low in the southern rural areas of the U.S. Among whites this pattern was reversed and mortality rates increased more in the south than in northern industrial areas.

This paper analyses these epidemiological trends with a focus on cohort differences and migration patterns in the U.S. black population. The contemporary distribution of black cirrhosis rates appears to reflect in part, shifts in the political climate of the 19th century temperance movement and the mass migration of blacks from the rural south to the urban north in the early decades of the century. The early 19th century temperance movement was highly favourable to black political liberty thus creating many black allies for temperance; by the turn of the century the political base of the temperance movement became associated with strategies for black political dufranchisement and racial segregation, thus alienating many blacks. These changes in the movement and the simultaneous mass migration of blacks to “wet” urban areas seemed to stimulate a rapid alcoholisation of some parts of the black population beginning in the 1920s and 1930s.
The Development of Alcohol Consumption in the Netherlands: 1958–1981
Authors: Knibbe R. A. , Drop M. J. , Van Reek J. , Saenger G.
Published: January 2006

Between 1958 and 1981 the increase in per capita consumption in the Netherlands was more than 300 per cent. Survey dam of 1958, 1970 and 1981 are used to study changes in mean consumption and in the frequency distribution of consumption of different subpopulations.

In most subpopulations the percentage of abstainers did not show significant changes. Differences in mean consumption between subpopulations have generally become larger, especially between 1958 and 1970.

All subpopulations with an increase in mean consumption, show a strong increase in percentage of drinkers in the highest consumption category. The opposite tendency, stable or decreasing percentages of drinkers in the highest consumption category in subpopulations with a stable or decreasing mean consumption, was not found in our data.
The Processes of Referral and Disposal within a London Drug Dependence Clinic
Authors: Love Jayne , Gossop Michael
Published: January 2006

This study looks at the processes whereby individuals with drug problems were referred to a London drug dependence clinic during a seven month period, and at the responses of the clinic to such referrals. One hundred and ninety four cases were referred, mainly from G.P.s. Of the referrals, almost half (44%) failed to attend the clinic. Most of the people who did attend were opiate addicts. The movement of these people through the various procedures of the clinic is described. There were substantial waiting periods between each stage of treatment, though this was not found to be related to attendance or failure to attend. The results are discussed in terms of problems associated with the referral process and the issue of access to treatment facilities. The results provide basic information about the operation of one clinic but raises several important issues that deserve further empirical investigation.
Public Health Implications of the International Alcohol Industry: Issues Raised by a World Health Organisation Project
Authors: McBride Rob , Mosher James F.
Published: January 2006

This article reviews the research conducted during a World Health Organisation study project entitled Public Health Aspects of Alcohol Availability. This project: a) traced trends in world alcohol availability, b) outlined the international alcohol industry, c) conducted pilot studies on the impact of the industry on drinking in developing countries, and d) highlighted areas of potential policy concern. The project overview was given by Alcoholic Beverages: Dimensions of Corporate Power. This report indicated European‐style commercial beverages were being diffused all over the world by transnational conglomerates using aggressive, sophisticated marketing practices. Information on the international industry's effect on alcohol consumption in developing countries was provided by pilot studies on several geographical regions. While data were preliminary, they did indicate alcohol production was expanding everywhere, with trade a crucial factor in several locales. In areas with indigenous traditional beverages, European‐style beverages had supplemented, not replaced traditional drinks. The pilot areas evidenced various industry ownership patterns, each highly influenced by transnational corporations. Special studies were also commissioned, which provided information on roles alcohol can play in specific social formations, such as tourism, agricultural cooperatives, and colonialism. Although the project ended prematurely, before in‐depth research was completed, it documented the importance of international economic patterns in understanding and addressing public health issues in the alcohol field.
Alcohol Consumption and the Incidence of Acute Alcohol‐Related Problems
Authors: Wagenaar Alexander C.
Published: January 2006

Researchers in recent years have suggested that control of the aggregate level of alcohol consumption is an important component of a comprehensive programme for the prevention of alcohol‐related problems. The present study focused on the relationship between alcohol consumption and perhaps the most significant acute alcohol‐related problem, motor vehicle crashes. Data analyzed included monthly frequencies of alcohol‐related property damage and injury producing motor vehicle crashes and monthly distribution of beer, wine, and distilled spirits in the State of Michigan. To increase confidence that observed correlations represented causal relationships between aggregate consumption and crash involvement, variance in each lime series explainable on the basis of its own past history was filtered out first using ARIMA models, with the remaining variance used in analyses of the consumption/crash relationship. Using cross‐lagged correlation methods, significant relationships were found between wholesale beer and wine distribution in a given month, and the number of alcohol‐related motor vehicle crashes one month later.
A Study of Alcoholism Treatment Units: Some Findings on Links with Community Agencies
Authors: Ettorre E. M.
Published: January 2006

Alcoholism Treatment Units (ATUs) are as the major institutional treatment system for alcoholics within the British National Health Service. This paper is part of a series of papers to report the results of a national survey on ATUs. It examines the links which ATUs have with community agencies: special service links, general service links and training links. It also describes these links in relation to the ‘community variable’ and presents a discussion on the implications of these findings for future treatment provisions.
Children's Attitudes to Alcohol and Awareness of Alcohol‐Related Problems*
Authors: Casswell Sally , Brasch Pat , Gilmore Lynnette , Silva Phil
Published: January 2006

An interview study of 8–9‐year‐old New Zealand children and their mothers revealed considerable consistency in reports of the children's experience with alcohol. The majority had tried alcohol and a quarter had at least a sip or drink in a typical month. The context of use was a parental one for the majority of children. Two‐thirds of their fathers and 40% of their mothers had at least one drink in a typical week and there was a small positive relationship between parents' use and the frequency of the child's alcohol use.

The children's attitudes towards alcohol were assessed using the Jahoda Judgement of Photographs Task and despite their personal use of alcohol the majority of children demonstrated negative attitudes to alcohol. This was particularly marked among the half of the children who were aware of an alcohol‐related problem in their immediate social environment. Among the other half of the children, unaware of any alcohol‐related problems, there was a tendency for the children of parents who drank more to have more positive attitudes.
Could Nicotine Antagonists be Used in Smoking Cessation?
Authors: STOLERMAN I. P.
Published: January 2006

It is widely accepted that tobacco use is primarily a problem of drug dependence, with nicotine serving as the addictive agent. Nicotine itself is of some value as a therapeutic aid for people trying to give up smoking. The possible applications in this area of a different class of drug, nicotine antagonists, are reviewed. The receptor mediating the main central effects of nicotine resembles nicotinic‐cholinoceptive sites in ganglia of the autonomic nervous system; drugs which block ganglionic transmission also block the central effects of nicotine, including the positively reinforcing effect sought by smokers. Possible sub‐populations of smokers who might benefit from antagonist therapy are proposed, and the advantages and limitations of such an approach are discussed. Future prospects probably depend on the development of agents with more selective effects than those presently available.
Abstention in the General Population of the U.S.A.
Authors: HILTON MICHAEL E.
Published: January 2006

Data on abstention from a 1979 general population survey in the U.S.A. were analyzed and compared to data from a similar 1964 survey. Trend comparisons for the 15 year interval revealed few changes in abstention rates among various demographic categories. There was no evidence that the difference between male and female abstention rates has narrowed, that a more abstemious older generation is being replaced by a less abstemious younger generation, that there has been a regional convergence of abstention rates, or that the influence of religion on abstention has declined. A cluster analysis of reasons for abstaining (among lifelong abstainers) identified four sets of reasons: moral objection to drinking, dislike of the consequences of drinking, ‘inconsequential’ reasons, and abstinent family background. Compared to drinkers, abstainers consistently and significantly tended to disapprove of drinking by others in a variety of situational contexts. Militancy on these issues was stronger among abstainers from dry regions and among abstainers who were fundamentalist Protestants. Militancy was not, however, related to age or education. Lifelong abstainers who cited moral reasons for abstaining were more militant than those who did not.
A Validation Study of Four Scales Measuring Severity of Alcohol Dependence
Authors: COONEY NED L. , MEYER ROGER E. , KAPLAN RICHARD F. , BAKER LAURENCE H.
Published: January 2006

The present study examined the validity of four scales which attempt to systematically characterize alcoholic patients on a continuum of dependence severity: the Rand Dependence scale, the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), the Last Month of Drinking Withdrawal scale, and the Last Six Months of Drinking Impaired Control and Dependence scale. Forty patients in an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program were administered these four scales in addition to two separate assessments of alcohol consumption and two measures of psychological problems. In a factor analysis of all eight scales, the four dependence scales loaded on one factor, indicating that the dependence measures were highly intercorrelated. This was interpreted as evidence for the high convergent validity of the dependence measures. The dependence scales also showed good discrimenant validity, since the alcohol consumption and psychosocial problem scales did not load on the dependence factor but load on the two other factors. Predictive validity of the dependence scores was then examined. The SADQ and the Rand scores showed a significant positive correlation with amount of detoxification medication consumed in the hospital. The dependence scores did not precdict 6 month post‐treatment abstinence or rapidity of reinstatement of heavy drinking after a post‐treatment slip. Further refinement of the construct of dependence and/or better assessment methods may be necessary to improve the predictive utility of dependence questionnaires.
First Versus Second Portion of Expired Air and Duration of Breath Holding in the Sampling of Expired Air Carbon Monoxide
Authors: BIGLAN ANTHONY , MAGIS KRISTEN , DIROCCO ARTHUR , SILVERBLATT ALAN
Published: January 2006

Two experiments evaluated the importance of obtaining air samples from lower in the respiratory system in order to detect smokers. The first experiment with 102 adults indicated that end‐expired air samples were significantly higher in CO level than samples of the first portion of expired air. However, the ability to predict smokers from the two samples did not differ. Correlations between smoking measures and levels of CO from the two samples were virtually identical. Elimination of high‐rate smokers resulted in equivalent correlational and predictive outcomes. The second experiment was conducted with 104 adolescents. There was no difference in the detection of smoking using first versus second portion samples. Duration of breath holding was also examined as an independent variable. CO levels after 20 s of breath holding were significantly higher than those after 15 s. However accuracy in detecting smokers was not significantly affected by the duration of breath holding. Detection of smokers may not be improved through the use of more stringent sampling procedures and may prove unnecessary in research which uses CO to corroborate self‐report.
Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Research 10. The United States
Authors: STRAUS ROBERT
Published: January 2006

Alcohol research in the United States is reviewed within an historical perspective of five decades. The status of current research in the biological and the behavioral sciences is considered in the context of a changing climate of public concern about alcohol problems and changes in scientific interests, funding resources and organizational mechanisms for supporting research. The need for a biobehavioral perspective in alcohol research is emphasized.
Government Policy, Advertizing and Tobacco Consumption in the U.K. A critical review of the literature
Authors: GODFREY CHRISTINE
Published: January 2006

There has been a considerable debate about the need for stronger policies to restrict the advertizing of tobacco in the U.K. Medical bodies have argued for a complete ban but this has been opposed by tobacco companies and the Advertizing Association on the grounds that advertizing does not raise the level of tobacco consumption but instead only affects brand shares. Empirical studies have been cited by the two opposing sides in support of their positions. In this paper, some of these empirical studies are critically reviewed in order to throw some light on their limitations and the reasons for differences in results. The relevance of these studies in predicting the full consequences of an advertizing ban and other more general issues relating to the Government's policy on advertizing tobacco are also considered. Finally, some alternative advertizing policies available to the Government, and their relationship to an overall policy on tobacco consumption, are discussed.
Trends in Alcohol Consumption and Violent Deaths
Authors: SKOG OLE‐JØRGEN
Published: January 2006

Alcohol intoxication plays a significant role in many kinds of violent deaths. In the present study an attempt is made to test the hypothesis that the strong increase in alcohol consumption in Norway after World War II has had a significant effect on rates of violent deaths. The method used is indirect, and consists of analysing trends in alcohol consumption in relation to trends in rates of violent deaths. The data were obtained from official statistics. Rates of violent deaths turned out to have increased only slightly during this period. It is shown that this does not necessarily contradict the hypothesis. When modern statistical techniques for time series analysis are utilized, a significant correlation between changes in alcohol consumption and rates of violent deaths is uncovered. The data suggest that there has been a fairly strong increase in rates of alcohol‐related violent deaths, and hence that non‐alcoholic violent deaths, have been decreasing. As a partial test of the validity of this result, age‐ and sex‐specific mortality rates are analysed in relation to per capita alcohol consumption in order to see how the alleged increase was distributed across strata, As was expected, the increase turned out to be particularly strong among males, while among females the relationship was much weaker, and not statistically significant in the adult female population at large. Also according to expectations, there were no significant effects in the older age groups. For females, a significant effect could be demonstrated in the age group 15–60 years, and the effect was about one fourth of the effect among males. This difference corresponds to the sex differences with respect to consumption levels, according to survey data. In the younger age groups the effect was stronger than expected, and this may be due to the fact that the increase in alcohol consumption has been higher among adolescents and young adults than in the rest of the population. From the model fitted to the data it was calculated that among adult Norwegian males alcohol related deaths have increased from about (standard errors in parentheses) 25 (8)% of all violent deaths in the early 1950's to about 50 (15)% in the late 1970's. Independent evidence from several prevalence studies is compatible with these results, but suggests that the true figures are probably closer to the lower limits than the higher limits. The decrease in non‐alcoholic violent deaths implied by this result is corroborated by the fact that industrial accidents have gone down from one third to one sixth of all violent deaths during this period, and in Norway 90–95% of these accidents are non‐alcoholic.
Bulimic Alcoholics: some features of a clinical sub‐group
Authors: LACEY J. HUBERT , MOURELI E.
Published: January 2006

Twenty‐seven alcoholic women were interviewed about their drinking and eating habits. Eleven (40%) gave a present or past history of major binge eating. Compared with the non‐bulimic alcoholics, they were significantly younger and heavier and reported the onset of problem drinking at an earlier age. Most describe their binge eating as occurring before the onset of problem drinking. There was no association between bout drinking and binge eating. Bulimic alcoholics were less likely to have alcoholic fathers. It is suggested that bulimic alcoholics form a sub‐group similar to the multiple impulse form of bulimia nervosa in that they have distinct clinical features and a poorer response to treatment.
The Measurement of Opiate Dependence
Authors: SUTHERLAND GAY , EDWARDS GRIFFITH , TAYLOR COLIN , PHILLIPS GRANIA , GOSSOP MICHAEL , BRADY RONALD
Published: January 2006

The application of a dimensional concept of dependence which has received much attention over recent years in relation to alcohol, is explored here in relation to opiate dependence. A Severity of Opiate Dependence Questionnaire (SODQ) was completed by 98 subjects attending a New York drug treatment clinic. The factor structure of this questionnaire was explored and a strong first factor (39% of variance) identified which loaded on items conceptually related to a dimensional opiate dependence syndrome. Some preliminary investigation was made of issues relating to validity: SODQ correlated significantly with ‘number affixes a day’ and with a subjective measure of dependence (OSDQ), but not with quantity of heroin used or milestones in drug career. Research leads are discussed.
Disadvantages to Imposing the Goal of Abstinence on Problem Drinkers: an empirical study
Authors: SANCHEZ‐CRAIG MARTHA , LEI HAU
Published: January 2006

The contribution of pretreatment and within treatment drinking to outcome was investigated in a group of problem drinkers attending treatment for the first time. In a previous analysis no overall significant difference in outcome was observed between 35 clients randomly assigned to the goal of abstinence (AB), and 35 assigned to a controlled drinking condition (CD). Despite the negative result, it was noted that pretreatment consumption levels were correlated with outcome levels in the AB but not in the CD condition. Scatter plots indicated that this might be because of unexpected substantial reductions in drinking by some heavy drinkers in the CD group. Formal evaluation of this hypothesis was undertaken by splitting the clients at the median (Heavier versus Lighter) of pretreatment weekly consumption (48.5 drinks), and using a logit analysis to assess whether being a Lighter or a Heavier drinker at intake affected the odds of (a) complying with the treatment requirements regarding drinking, and (b) being a moderate drinker after treatment. The results showed that the Lighter group had better chances of becoming moderate drinkers after treatment than the Heavier group. For Lighter clients no significant difference was found between the AB and CD groups. In contrast, among the Heavier clients those assigned to the CD programme were consistently more successful in accomplishing their goals within treatment. More of them were moderate drinkers (64% versus 43%) at follow‐up, but this was not statistically significant. In other words, the AB programme failed in promoting abstinence among clients generally, and was not very helpful in promoting moderate drinking among the Heavier drinkers. An additional finding indicated that being abstinent or not during the first 3 weeks of treatment made little difference in the client's chance of being a moderate drinker during the 6 months following treatment. This chance, however, was significantly different depending on whether the client was a moderate drinker or not during the remaining 3 weeks of treatment. We interpret these results as strongly suggesting that controlled‐drinking programmes (which include the option of aiming for abstinence) should be offered to problem drinkers like our clients.
English Interest in the Treatment of Alcoholism in the United States During the Early 1870's
Authors: BROWN EDWARD M.
Published: January 2006

In 1872 Donald Dalyrmple, chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Habitual Drunkards, invited Joseph Parrish and Daniel Dodge, representing the American Association for the Cure of Inebriety, to testify before his committee. Dalyrmple believed that these Americans would give testimony about the treatment of inebriety in the United States which would support his efforts to pass a law establishing the authority to confine drunkards, under medical certificate, for as long as might be necessary to cure them. His witnesses did not disappoint him because they also had the optimistic assumption that the authority to confine inebriates would contribute to their cure. If, however, Dalrymple's committee had paid more attention to ironies in the testimony of these witnesses, heard testimony from other members of the AACI, who held different views that these witnesses, or known more about the early history of the inebriate asylum in the United States, they might have reached different conclusions than they did.
Replacement of a Prescribing Service by an Opiate‐free Day Programme in a Glasgow Drug Clinic
Authors: DRUMMOND D. COLIN , TAYLOR JOHN A. , MULLIN PATRICK J.
Published: January 2006

Following a change in clinic policy from prescribing to non‐prescribing in 1983, patients attending an opiate‐free day programme differ significantly from a group which was previously described attending a methadone prescribing clinic in the same location, between 1981 and 1982. The opiate‐free programme patients were younger, more likely to be single and living with parents. They reported a similar level of criminality and drug‐related illness at a younger age and tended to approach the opiate‐free programme earlier in their drug career. Patients with a longer history of drug taking attend as often as those with a short history. Other factors influencing attendance are discussed. It is concluded that the younger opiate taker is more likely to approach an opiate‐free day programme than a methadone prescribing clinic.