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Background This paper reviews the early work of Griffith Edwards and his colleagues on alcohol in the criminal justice system and outlines the direction of research in this area in the Addiction Research Unit in the 1960s and 1970s. The paper outlines the link between that work and work undertaken in the more recent past in this area. Methods The key papers of the authors are reviewed and the impact of this work on policy and practice is discussed. Conclusions There is a rich seam of work on deprived and incarcerated populations that has been under way at the Addiction Research Unit and subsequently the National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London. Griffith Edwards initiated this work that explores the risks and problems experienced by people moving between the health and criminal justice system, and demonstrated the need for better care and continuity across this system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: This article summarizes the findings and conclusions of the third edition of Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity. The latest revision of this book is part of a series of monographs designed to provide a critical review of the scientific evidence related to alcohol control policy from a public health perspective. Design: A narrative summary of the contents of the book according to five major issues. Findings An extensive amount of epidemiological evidence shows that alcohol is a major contributor to the global burden of disease, disability and death in high‐, middle‐ and low‐income countries. Trends in alcohol products and marketing are described, indicating that a large part of the global industry has been consolidated into a small number of transnational corporations that are expanding their operations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The main part of the book is devoted to a review of strategies and interventions designed to prevent or minimize alcohol‐related harm. Overall, the most effective strategies to protect public health are taxation that decreases affordability and restrictions on the physical availability of alcohol. A total ban on alcohol marketing is also an effective strategy to reduce consumption. In addition, drink‐driving counter‐measures, brief interventions with at‐risk drinkers and treatment of drinkers with alcohol dependence are effective in preventing harm in high‐risk contexts and groups of hazardous drinkers. Conclusion: Alcohol policy is often the product of competing interests, values and ideologies, with the evidence suggesting that the conflicting interests between profit and health mean that working in partnership with the alcohol industry is likely to lead to ineffective policy. Opportunities for implementation of evidence‐based alcohol policies that better serve the public good are clearer than ever before as a result of accumulating knowledge on which strategies work best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Graph theoretic analysis of structural covariance networks (SCN) provides an assessment of brain organization that has not yet been applied to alcohol dependence (AD). We estimated whether SCN differences are present in adults with AD and heavy‐drinking adolescents at age 19 and age 14, prior to substantial exposure to alcohol. Design Cross‐sectional sample of adults and a cohort of adolescents. Correlation matrices for cortical thicknesses across 68 regions were summarized with graph theoretic metrics. Setting and participants: A total of 745 adults with AD and 979 non‐dependent controls from 24 sites curated by the Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta Analysis (ENIGMA)–Addiction consortium, and 297 hazardous drinking adolescents and 594 controls at ages 19 and 14 from the IMAGEN study, all from Europe. Measurements Metrics of network segregation (modularity, clustering coefficient and local efficiency) and integration (average shortest path length and global efficiency). Findings The younger AD adults had lower network segregation and higher integration relative to non‐dependent controls. Compared with controls, the hazardous drinkers at age 19 showed lower modularity [area‐under‐the‐curve (AUC) difference = −0.0142, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.1333, 0.0092; P‐value = 0.017], clustering coefficient (AUC difference = −0.0164, 95% CI = −0.1456, 0.0043; P‐value = 0.008) and local efficiency (AUC difference = −0.0141, 95% CI = −0.0097, 0.0034; P‐value = 0.010), as well as lower average shortest path length (AUC difference = −0.0405, 95% CI = −0.0392, 0.0096; P‐value = 0.021) and higher global efficiency (AUC difference = 0.0044, 95% CI = −0.0011, 0.0043; P‐value = 0.023). The same pattern was present at age 14 with lower clustering coefficient (AUC difference = −0.0131, 95% CI = −0.1304, 0.0033; P‐value = 0.024), lower average shortest path length (AUC difference = −0.0362, 95% CI = −0.0334, 0.0118; P‐value = 0.019) and higher global efficiency (AUC difference = 0.0035, 95% CI = −0.0011, 0.0038; P‐value = 0.048). Conclusions: Cross‐sectional analyses indicate that a specific structural covariance network profile is an early marker of alcohol dependence in adults. Similar effects in a cohort of heavy‐drinking adolescents, observed at age 19 and prior to substantial alcohol exposure at age 14, suggest that this pattern may be a pre‐existing risk factor for problematic drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The Center for Alcohol Studies of Thailand (CAS) is a newly established research agency in Thailand. With support from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, CAS was established as the national research and knowledge management institute for addressing alcohol-related harms. CAS possesses some rare qualities. First, it is one of a few alcohol-specific research centres in low- and middle-income countries, and the only one in the Southeast Asia region. Secondly, CAS both conducts research and grants research funding, allowing it to influence to some extent the direction of Thai alcohol research. Furthermore, CAS researchers engage in all components of the research and policy process. In line with the concept of 'the Triangle that Moves the Mountain', CAS interacts closely with partners from all sectors, prioritizes capacity development and frequently operates beyond conventional academic function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Like many indigenous peoples, New Zealand Māori bear a heavy burden of alcohol-related harm relative to their non-indigenous compatriots, and disparities are greatest among young adults. We tested the effectiveness of web-based alcohol screening and brief intervention (e- SBI) for reducing hazardous drinking among Māori university students. Design Parallel, double-blind, multi-site, randomized controlled trial. Setting Seven of New Zealand's eight universities. Participants In April 2010, we sent e-mail invitations to all 6697 17-24-year-old Māori students to complete a brief web questionnaire including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test ( AUDIT)- C, a screening tool for hazardous and harmful drinking. Those screening positive were computer randomized to: <10 minutes of web-based alcohol assessment and personalized feedback (intervention) or screening alone (control). Measurements We conducted a fully automated 5-month follow-up assessment with observers and participants blinded to study hypotheses, design and intervention delivery. Pre-determined primary outcomes were: (i) frequency of drinking, (ii) amount consumed per typical drinking occasion, (iii) overall volume of alcohol consumed and (iv) academic problems. Findings Of the participants, 1789 were hazardous or harmful drinkers ( AUDIT- C ≥ 4) and were randomized: 850 to control, 939 to intervention. Follow-up assessments were completed by 682 controls (80%) and 733 intervention group members (78%). Relative to controls, participants receiving intervention drank less often [ RR = 0.89; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-0.97], less per drinking occasion ( RR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.84-1.00), less overall ( RR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.69-0.89) and had fewer academic problems ( RR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.69-0.95). Conclusions Web-based screening and brief intervention reduced hazardous and harmful drinking among non-help-seeking Māori students in a large-scale pragmatic trial. The study has wider implications for behavioural intervention in the important but neglected area of indigenous health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Aims To assess the prevalence of potential alcohol use disorders and associated factors using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting A town in southern Brazil. Participants A representative sample of 1260 people aged 15 and over. Measurements Demographic, socioeconomic, smoking habit and mental health data were collected. Logistic regression was used in the multivariate analysis, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Findings Overall prevalence of alcohol use disorder was 7.9%, with 14.5% prevalence among men and 2.4% among women. The risk of alcohol misuse increased across social class (P linear trend = 0.03) and compared with the highest classes (A and B), groups C through E had ORs of 1.48, 1.51 and 2.36, respectively. Males had an OR of 6.89 (CI 3.61–13.16) compared with women. A linear trend was found (P = 0.001) between smoking categories, and smokers (OR 3.27; CI 1.91–5.58) and ex-smokers (OR 1.30; CI 0.56–2.98) were at higher risk than non-smokers. Those with minor psychiatric disorders had a 2.48 OR (CI 1.35–4.56) of presenting a positive test. Conclusions The AUDIT detected a high prevalence of potential alcohol use disorders in the population sampled. Those identified are potential targets for preventive measures implemented through health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]