[Winona] alcohol use

[Craig Brooks]

The article I pasted below summarizes recent research mentioned in the media showing how much of the alcohol sold that goes to under age drinkers and to excessive drinkers.  In Winona we are well aware of how binge drinking among young people is a very dangerous problem. I hope our community can continue the efforts started last Fall in this area.  Can anyone help me with reminders about where we left it?  I remember being personally interested in a couple of simple ideas -- outlaw inside furniture being outside of homes and apartment buildings and outlaw pop machines out front of such places.  Enforcement of that or any laws will not do the trick.  It is a community issue and I thought we had a good start.  Any ideas on how to get back on track? Craig Brooks ****************** Feb 27, 2003 PST Excessive Drinking - But How Much Is Too Much? [HandsNet] Half of the alcohol sold in the US each year is consumed by underage or excessive drinkers, according to a study released today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. David Rosenbloom, director of Join Together, a project of the Boston University School of Public Health, said, "We have long known that a small proportion of all drinkers accounts for half the alcohol consumed. The problem is, most people do not know 'how much is too much?'." To help individuals answer this question for themselves, Dr. Rosenbloom and Dr. Richard Saitz, MD, associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine, launched a free, confidential Internet screening tool. AlcoholScreening.org (www.alcoholscreening.org) helps people understand what "too much" means for their own age, gender and drinking habits. Participants find out whether their alcohol consumption is likely to be within safe limits, or if it may be excessive and harmful to their health, now or in the future. The program offers suggestions and access to online or local resources when results show that a person is drinking to excess. More than 95,000 individuals have completed the screening, which takes only a few minutes. As one anonymous user said: "I think I am a problem drinker. I drink six beers a night (at least). With your help, I hope to bring that number down. Thanks!" Excessive drinking and alcohol dependence are major public health problems in America, and a leading cause of injuries, violent crime, lost productivity at work and school, family and social problems, and disease. David Rosenbloom is the former Commissioner of Health and Hospitals for the City of Boston. He is a professor at the BU School of Public Health, a member of the National Institute on Drug Abuse national advisory council, and an adjunct professor at Brandeis University. AlcoholScreening.org is a free service of Join Together, a project of the Boston University School of Public Health. Join Together is primarily funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and works with communities across the country to take action against problems caused by drug and alcohol use. For more information, visit http://www.alcoholscreening.org.