user: in: A drug, which could help problem drinkers reduce the amount of alcohol they consume, will become available to patients in the UK today. If dependent drinkers take the drug, nalmefene, while undergoing counselling they can cut their consumption levels by 61 per cent, the manufacturers have claimed. The pill, also known as Selincro, has been licensed for use by health officials and will be available for doctors to prescribe to their patients from today. A new drug, which could help alcoholics reduce the amount of booze they consume, will become available to patients in the UK today. The drug, which is to be taken once a day, has been licensed for ‘the reduction of alcohol consumption in adult patients with alcohol dependence without physical withdrawal symptoms and who do not require immediate detoxification’. While current drugs help patients to become entirely teetotal, nalmefene helps patients with drinking problems to cut back on the amount they drink. It works by modulating the reward mechanism in the brain which means that cravings are reduced and less satisfaction is gained from drinking. During a clinical trial into the drug it was shown to help patients cut the amount of alcohol they consumed from 12.75 units a day, to five units a day - a 61 per cent reduction. And patients who underwent counselling as well as taking the drug reduced their ‘heavy drinking days’ from 23 days a month to nine days a month, after undergoing the treatment for six months, researchers said. ‘The people who we saw in the study were not stereotypical alcoholics, most of them had families and jobs,’ said drug investigator Dr David Collier, of Barts and The London School of Medicine. If dependent drinkers take the drug, nalmefene, while undergoing counselling they can cut their consumption levels by 61 per cent. ‘For the majority, only they and those closest to them would have known that they had a problem with drinking. ‘The results of the studies suggest that nalmefene, in combination with counselling, is a potentially helpful new option for the many people like them in the UK who need some assistance in cutting down their drinking.’ The NHS cost for nalmefene is £42.42 for a supply of 14 tablets. During 2009 and 2010, one million hospital admissions were due to an alcohol-related conditions or injuries. However, recent figures show the number of people being admitted to hospital with liver problems as a result of alcoholism is rising dramatically. There were 14,886 admissions in hospitals in England between 2009 and 10, 15,858 in bertween 2010 and 11, and 16,865 between 2011 and 12. Health experts recommend that men have no more than three to four units and women two to three units a day. A unit of alcohol is roughly half a pint of normal strength lager, a small glass of wine or a single measure of spirits.
out: Nalmefene will be available to UK patients from today. The drug works by reducing alcohol cravings in brain. A clinical trial cut alcohol intake from 12 to 5 units a day. 14 tablets - a two week supply - costs the NHS £42.42.
in: A small town in rural New South Wales has been rocked by the death of two young residents when a ute driven by P-plater flipped over and rolled into a roadside channel. Jake Isbister, 21, and a 17-year-old Cootamundra girl were killed when the Toyota Hilux they were travelling in came off Petersham Road in Leeton around 12.30am on Saturday, injuring the  driver, 19, and another passenger, 18. The regional town, in the Riverena region midway between Sydney and Melbourne, has been rocked by the news, with friends and family expressing their grief at the loss of two young lives. Jake Isbister, 21 (above), and a 17-year-old Cootamundra girl were killed when the Toyota Hilux they were travelling in came off Petersham Road. The group were travelling to a Murrumbidgee River campsite when the truck rolled several times before resting upside down in metre-deep water in an irrigation drain, reported The Daily Telegraph. The other 18-year-old passenger, who was in the vehicle's tray, was thrown from the ute when the accident happened, and was flown to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital. SnowyHydro Care Helicopter reported it had been dispatched to Leeton for a motor vehicle accident. He suffered head injuries, and remains in a stable condition, though he is expected to undergo surgery. The 19-year-old driver was taken to Leeton Hospital and was released yesterday, before being tested for mandatory drug and alcohol levels. He was charged by police with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm. Tributes flooded in from social media, with many expressing their disbelief at the tragic death of Mr Isbister. 'It’s a tragic accident and to have deaths occur is absolutely devastating, especially this close to Christmas it hits home a bit more,' said Paul Maytom, Leeton's mayor. Officers attached to Griffith Local Area Command attended the scene, and emergency services were called to treat the four friends, who are believed to all be from the Riverina area of NSW. Mr Isbister and the 17-year-old girl were pronounced dead at the scene,. Police are investigating whether there were extenuating circumstances, such as drugs or alcohol, which contributed to the death,and will prepare a report for the coroner. 'Any deceased person ... is a tragedy,' said Duty officer John Wadsworth. 'It's always an exceptionally awful one when the people are of such a young age so close to Christmas,' reported The Sydney Morning Herald. Tributes flooded in from social media, with many expressing their disbelief at the tragic death of Mr Isbister. Officers attached to Griffith Local Area Command attended the scene, and emergency services were called to treat the four friends, who are believed to all be from the Riverina area of NSW. Amber-Maree Elizabeth Girard posted on Facebook, 'I don't think I could get used to the fact that your gone!! Forever Young forever 21 R.I.P'. 'I guess we were all hoping we woke up today and it was just some big twisted dream.. I love you jakeo,' Sian Hindmarsh posted. Many friends posted 'Forever 21' in remembrance of Mr Isbister's age. 'It’s a tragic accident and to have deaths occur is absolutely devastating, especially this close to Christmas it hits home a bit more,' said Paul Maytom, Leeton's mayor. 'We’ve actually been very fortunate that we haven’t had any major tragedies for some years,' reported The Daily Telegraph. 'We have had concerns in relation to public safety so we’ve just invested a huge amount of money upgrading that area around Petersham Rd and the surrounding streets,' he said. The 19-year-old driver has been granted conditional bail to appear before Leeton Local Court on Friday 6 February 2014. Police are urging anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to visit their website.
out:

assistant: Jake Isbister, 21, and a 17-year-old girl were both killed when the ute they were travelling in flipped over and landed upside down in ditch on Saturday morning. The friends, all from the Riverina region of NSW, are believed to have been on their way to a local camping site. The driver, 19, was taken to hospital and later charged with two counts of dangerous driving. A second passenger, 18, was travelling in the back of the ute's tray, was thrown from the vehicle and is in Wagga Wagga Hospital awaiting surgery. Tributes have flooded in expressing grief over Mr Isbister's death.