Risky Behavior Prominent On Teen MySpace Profiles
More than half of adolescent MySpace users mention risky behaviors such as sex, violence or substance use on their personal Web profiles. That's according to the findings of Megan Moreno, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, and other researchers who analyzed 500 MySpace profiles in 46 states to determine how young people use the Internet as a means of presenting themselves to their peers.

Alcohol Abstinence Vs. Moderation, From The Harvard Mental Health Letter
As a new year approaches, many people vow to cut back on bad habits. Excess drinking is often high on the list. Whether it's possible to just reduce alcohol use rather than quitting completely is hotly debated. The January 2009 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter addresses this question. It can be difficult to encourage a person with a drinking problem to quit.

Department Promoting Early Substance Use Screening Process
The Wyoming Department of Health is strengthening its promotion of early screening for substance use-related health issues by reimbursing Wyoming healthcare providers who participate through its EqualityCare (Medicaid) program. Known as Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), the simple screening process involves just a few questions. Trained interviewers work with individuals to determine their risk level based upon behavior patterns.

Colorado QuitLine Offers Tobacco Users Hundreds Of Dollars In Valuable Service And Product To Quit For The New Year
As the new year approaches, thousands of tobacco users have "quit" on their New Year's resolution list. But studies show that those who want to quit find it more difficult in times of stress, such as the current economic downturn. The Colorado QuitLine provides tobacco users with a free telephone coaching service and a free supply of the nicotine patch - valued at approximately $300. Financial stress can be a key smoking trigger.

Risk Takers, Drug Abusers Driven By Decreased Ability To Process Dopamine
For risk-takers and impulsive people, New Year's resolutions often include being more careful, spending more frugally and cutting back on dangerous behavior, such as drug use. But new research from Vanderbilt finds that these individuals--labeled as novelty seekers by psychologists--face an uphill battle in keeping their New Year's resolutions due to the way their brains process dopamine.

Hospitality Industry Called On To Offer Free Non-alcoholic Drinks For Designated Drivers
The AMA (Australian Medical Association) is calling on the hospitality industry to do their bit in reducing drink-driving this season by offering designated drivers free or discounted non-alcoholic drinks. AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said the hospitality industry was perfectly placed to actively support people who do the right thing by volunteering to be a designated driver.

New Strategies For The New Year: Resolving To Break An Addiction? Help From Harvard Medical School
Addiction affects people from all walks of life-presidents struggling to stop smoking, doctors dependent on pain pills, elderly widows who gamble too much, and teenagers abusing stimulant drugs. Nearly a quarter of Americans have a nicotine addiction at one point or another, and more than one in seven grapple with a drug or alcohol use disorder.

Published Reports Inaccurate Concerning Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy
A national alcohol research group is concerned that the media's misinterpretation of a recent British research study could encourage pregnant women to be more at ease with temperate alcohol consumption. Some media reports erroneously stated that the study by The University College London researchers revealed that light drinking by pregnant women could be beneficial to their babies.

MU Professor Recommends Changing Drivers' Perceptions Of Law Enforcement To Deter Drunk Driving
Recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that an estimated 2 million drunk drivers with three or more convictions will be on the roads this holiday season. In 2007, approximately 1,500 people nationwide were killed in crashes that involved a drunk driver from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day.

For Teens Who Take Few Health Risk And Those Who Take Many, Trends In Sexual Behaviors Similar
Adolescent health risk behaviors often occur together, suggesting that youth involvement with one risk behavior may inform understanding of other risk behaviors, but in a study to examine the association between involvement in non-sexual risk behaviors and trends among sexual behaviors, Mailman School of Public Health researchers found that sexual behaviors vary considerably between those youth engaged in no risk health behaviors and those engaged in multiple health risk behaviors.

White Matter, The Brain's Connective Network Damaged By Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
One part of the prenatal brain that may be particularly sensitive to alcohol's effects is white matter, nerve fibers through which information is exchanged between different areas of the central nervous system. A recent study has demonstrated that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can alter the microstructural integrity of developing fetal cerebral white matter in the frontal and occipital lobes of the brain.

Drinkers With The Alcohol Dehydrogenase 1C*1 Gene Are At Greater Risk Of Colorectal Cancer
Chronic drinking is a risk factor for colorectal cancer, possibly through the effects of acetaldehyde, which is created by the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme. This study investigated if a polymorphism of the ADH1C gene that is found in Caucasians may effect acetaldehyde concentrations. Findings confirm ADH1C*1 as a genetic risk marker for colorectal tumors among people who drink more than 30 grams of alcohol per day.

Binge Drinking A Socially Acceptable British Pastime
A new study carried out by Professor Christina Griffin, University of Bath, England, and team indicates that young people's alcohol consumption in Britain seems to be levelling off. Extreme drinking and planned drunkenness is still perceived as the norm amongst young people, the researchers report.

Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy: Published Reports Inaccurate
A national alcohol research group is concerned that the media's misinterpretation of a recent British research study could encourage pregnant women to be more at ease with temperate alcohol consumption. Some media reports erroneously stated that the study by The University College London researchers revealed that light drinking by pregnant women could be beneficial to their babies.

Alarming Number Of Young Drink Drivers Think They Won't Get Caught, UK
To many young drivers think they will not get caught if they drink and drive during this Christmas holiday period, according to a report published today by Brake and Green Flag Motoring Assistance. The study looked at the opinions of older and younger drivers. The researchers found that younger drivers are twice as likely to believe there was absolutely no chance they would be caught drink-driving. The survey involved over 4,000 drivers.