Despite all that contemporary medicine knows about psychology, neurology and human behavior, it has yet to devise anything that works better than Alcoholics Anonymous to help drunks stay sober.
Anthony Hopkins’ saviour reveals how he beat booze by aiding others
May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
London, May 10 (ANI): The man who helped save Sir Anthony Hopkins battle his booze nightmare has revealed how he came to the star’s rescue.
Clancy Imislund, a former alcoholic who helps the homeless battle their addictions in Los Angeles, has spoken of how he came to the Oscar-winning actor’s aid when he was still coming to terms with life without alcohol after quitting the bottle in the mid-Seventies.
“I knew he was an actor but he wasn’t as big then as he is now. I’d just been straight a lot longer than him and decided I’d teach him the little technical things to help you get through the problems of everyday life without wanting to take a swig of the strong stuff,” the Daily Express quoted Clancy, 83, as saying.
The Welshman’s drink problem took hold when his stage and film career started taking off in the Sixties.
And the actor finally took things in his hands after his move to the US in December 1975 when, after waking up hundreds of miles away from his home in an Arizona hotel room with no recollection of how he got there, he decided to quit the bottle for good.
Hopkins went on to join Alcoholics Anonymous and it was there that he met Clancy, who offered him a piece of advice that ensured he would not fall off the wagon.
Clancy is a former advertising executive whose career was wrecked by drink before he rebuilt his life to become managing director of the Midnight Mission.
“The thing with alcoholism is that it makes you very self-obsessed, it’s all ‘me, me, me,’” explained Clancy.
“Put 10 guys in a room and, by next week, maybe six will be gone. But I could tell Tony really wanted to stick with it. So I told him if he really wanted to help himself, the only way to do it was to help others,” he added.
Hopkins, now 72, went on to become a volunteer at the Midnight Mission.
Each Christmas he hands out presents to the homeless and has even taken time out to teach free acting classes.
“It’s funny. We have film nights here and one time we showed Silence Of The Lambs. So as a surprise I asked Tony to come down and tap a few people on the shoulder at the end and say ‘Hello’ in that voice he does. You should have seen their faces. They were like, ‘Arrggh!’ He got a real kick out of that,” said Clancy. (ANI)
Teen alcoholics causing an underage-drinking epidemic in Britain
March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
London, Mar 29 (ANI): Britain is battling an underage-drinking epidemic, with thousands of under-18s being enrolled into rehab every year, according to medical experts and politicians.
New figures show that 8,000 under-18s are being admitted to A&E every year for drink-related problems.
Most of the teenagers only drink at weekends and it”s because, they think “it”s fun”.
Experts have found that adolescents are drinking to get drunk and so vodka is their tipple of choice.
“It is cheap and it gets you f***ed quicker,” the Sun quoted one Manchester teenager as saying.
However, they are not very keen on alcopops, for they don”t drink them as they don”t contain enough alcohol.
Troubled teens drink more often.
The drunk kids take huge risks with their safety. In fact, one girl jumped into the canal and another boy ran into a wall.
The teenagers say they feel free, uninhibited and brave.
These youngsters save their pocket money, or have Saturday jobs and then pool it all together to buy the cheapest alcohol on sale.
They also get cash from their parents by saying it is for the cinema or a McDonald”s.
To get their hands on the booze, the underage drinkers have fake IDs, older friends or they hang around outside off-licences asking people to buy it.
They say one in five people will buy booze for them.
Sometimes parents even buy their children alcohol because they know they will drink it anyway and want to have some measure of control.
The teenagers use the word “confidence” a lot when talking about why they drink.
They think that it makes them tell the truth, which they think would not be possible if they are sober. (ANI)
Air NZ apologizes over manual’s Tongan drinking claims
March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Wellington, March 22 (ANI): Air New Zealand has issued an apology for an old crew manual that made cultural assumptions and painted Tongans as people eager to guzzle free in-flight alcohol.
The 2008 manual asked the staff to keep an eye on Tongan passengers who, although “softly spoken” and “reserved people”, could “drink the bar dry”.
Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka said it was quite upsetting to see that the airline had viewed Tongans as “uncontrollable alcoholics”.
The document, which was made public in the Sunday Star-Times, also profiled other people of other nationalities.
However, Air NZ said it had since been updated and no longer contained such suggestions.
“This section of the document was designed as a reference guide to ensure international cabin crew were familiar with the expectations of the diverse range of nationalities Air New ealand carries on its international services,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Air NZ spokesman Alan Gaskin, as saying. (ANI)
Air NZ apologizes over manual”s Tongan drinking claims
March 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Wellington, March 22 (ANI): Air New Zealand has issued an apology for an old crew manual that made cultural assumptions and painted Tongans as people eager to guzzle free in-flight alcohol.
The 2008 manual asked the staff to keep an eye on Tongan passengers who, although “softly spoken” and “reserved people”, could “drink the bar dry”.
Tongan Advisory Council chairman Melino Maka said it was quite upsetting to see that the airline had viewed Tongans as “uncontrollable alcoholics”.
The document, which was made public in the Sunday Star-Times, also profiled other people of other nationalities.
However, Air NZ said it had since been updated and no longer contained such suggestions.
“This section of the document was designed as a reference guide to ensure international cabin crew were familiar with the expectations of the diverse range of nationalities Air New Zealand carries on its international services,” Stuff.co.nz quoted Air NZ spokesman Alan Gaskin, as saying. (ANI)
Young age at first drink can turn under-15s into alcoholics
September 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Washington, Sept 19 (ANI): Drinking at young age may affect genes linked to alcoholism and make youngsters vulnerable to severe problems, says a new study.
The study led by Dr Arpana Agrawal, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, revealed that the younger an individual was at first drink, the greater the risk for alcohol dependence and the more prominent the role played by genetic factors.
“There seemed to be a greater genetic influence in those who took their first full drink at a younger age,” said Agrawal.
“That’s very consistent with what has been predicted in the literature and in the classification of types of alcohol dependence, but we present a unique test of the hypothesis,” she added.
During the study, the researchers studied 6,257 adult twins from Australia and measured the extent to which age at first drink changed the role of heritable influences on symptoms of alcohol dependence.
The study showed that when twins started drinking early, genetic factors contributed greatly to risk for alcohol dependence, at rates as high as 90 percent in the youngest drinkers.
The team also found that those who were 15 or younger when they started drinking tended to have a greater genetic risk for alcohol dependence.
However, some who were 16 or older before they took their first drink later became alcohol dependent, but their dependence was related more to environmental factors.
“Something about starting to drink at an early age puts young people at risk for later problems associated with drinking,” Agrawal says.
“We continue to investigate the mechanisms, but encouraging youth to delay their drinking debut may help.
“Some early-onset drinkers do not develop alcohol problems and some late-onset drinkers do – we are working on why that is the case, but it is important to note that this is one risk factor among many and does not determine whether a person will, or will not, develop alcohol dependence.
“But age at first drink is a well-known risk factor, and there have been two main hypotheses about why:
One has been that common genetic and environmental factors contribute both to the risk for alcohol dependence and to the likelihood a person will be younger when consuming their first drink,” she added.
The study will be published Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. (ANI)
10pct men, 4pct women in UK on brink of becoming alcoholics, says report
May 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, May 21 (ANI): A new British survey has revealed that almost one in 10 men, and one in 25 women, shows signs of alcohol dependence.
The poll showed that a quarter of the adult population is drinking at levels that are hazardous to their health, with the older generation more likely to lie about the number of units they consume.
It also revealed that one in three men, and one in six women, drinks so much alcohol that they are at risk of damaging their liver or suffering psychological effects such as depression.
The figures, published by the NHS Information Centre, show our appetite for drink imposes a heavy burden on the NHS.
Alcohol-related admissions to hospital in England rose by almost 70 per cent in five years to reach 863,000 in 2007-08.
Drugs prescribed to lessen cravings for alcohol rose by 31 per cent. The cost of alcohol-related harm to the NHS in England is 2.7 billion pounds and rising.
Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians and an alcohol expert, said the falling cost of alcohol in real terms had to be addressed.
“The pivotal role of increasing affordability of alcohol over the last few decades as a key factor in increasing consumption and harm has been yet again confirmed,” the Independent quoted him as saying. (ANI)
Drinkers Warned About ‘Shakes’ Risk
April 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
People who consume three alcoholic drinks every day double their risk of getting the ‘shakes’ in later life, researchers have found. Skip related content
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Essential tremor, a common neurological disorder, affects an estimated 650,000 people in the UK.
Although there are a number of factors which can cause the condition including an overactive thyroid and Parkinson’s disease, alcoholics frequently develop symptons.
According to new research, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, alcohol consumption could increase the risks of developing the disorder
The study, conducted in central Spain looked at the drinking patterns of a group of 3,285 patients aged 65 and over.
76 out of the 3,285 participants developed essential tremor, which causes involuntary movement, in a three-year follow-up period.
Of the group, 1,838 were classed as alcohol drinkers while 1,447 were non-drinkers.
When the two groups were compared, those who had drunk regularly for a long period were far more likely to develop essential tremor.
The study found that those who drank three or more units of alcohol per day doubled the risk of developing the condition compared with non-drinkers.
Even those who had just one or two drinks a day had a 30% increased risk of getting the ‘shakes’
In England, ten million people are thought to drink more than the Government’s recommended limits of two to three units a day for women and three to four for men.
More than 420,000 people are admitted to hospital each year because of excessive drinking.
In England, almost 1.6 million men are considered to be “high risk” drinkers, downing more than 50 units a week.
Whilst over one million women admitted to consuming 35 units every week.
Professor Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “Mental disorders account for the largest number of alcohol-related hospital admissions.
“However, insufficient attention is paid to the link between alcohol misuse and neurological illness.
“Equally, healthcare professionals must also be trained to more accurately identify cases where patients are at risk of long-term damage due to their drinking habits.”
Three pegs a day double risk of getting ‘shakes’ in later life
April 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, Apr 9 (ANI): People who drink an average of three units of alcohol a day double their risk of involuntary “shakes” in later life, say researchers.
Essential tremor is a common neurological disorder. Although there are a number of factors that can cause the condition including an overactive thyroid and Parkinson’s disease, alcoholics frequently develop symptoms.
Now, the new research, published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, has shown that alcohol consumption could increase the risks of developing the disorder, reports Sky News.
The study, conducted in central Spain, consisted of a group of 3,285 patients aged 65 and over. Seventy-six out of the 3,285 participants developed essential tremor, which causes involuntary movement, in a three-year follow-up period.
Of the group, 1,838 were classed as alcohol drinkers while 1,447 were non-drinkers. When the two groups were compared, those who had drunk regularly for a long period were far more likely to develop essential tremor.
From analyses, the researchers found that those who drank three or more units of alcohol per day doubled the risk of developing the condition compared with non-drinkers.
Even those who had just one or two drinks a day had a 30 percent increased risk of getting the “shakes”. (ANI)
Lady Gaga credits dad for making her kick drug habit
March 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Washington, March 19: Lady Gaga may still have been doing drugs had her father not stepped in and made her kick the serious habit.
The pop sensation, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, revealed that she had had a drug past while she was younger.
She thanked her father for helping her realise where she was headed.
The 22-year-old also insisted that she had maintained her distance from the banned substance ever since she gave up the deadly habit.
“I don’t like to talk about it too much but there were drugs, serious drugs…” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
“My dad thought I’d lost it. With the drugs it was his reaction that pulled me back. I didn’t go to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. I did it myself.
“I have such a fear of failure, I didn’t want anything to make me fail. So I stopped. I still drink and party, but there’s no darkness now. Just a lot of fun,” she added. (ANI)
Lady Gaga credits dad for making her kick drug habit
March 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Washington, March 19 (ANI): Lady Gaga may still have been doing drugs had her father not stepped in and made her kick the serious habit.
The pop sensation, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, revealed that she had had a drug past while she was younger.
She thanked her father for helping her realise where she was headed.
The 22-year-old also insisted that she had maintained her distance from the banned substance ever since she gave up the deadly habit.
“I don’t like to talk about it too much but there were drugs, serious drugs…” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.
“My dad thought I’d lost it. With the drugs it was his reaction that pulled me back. I didn’t go to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. I did it myself.
“I have such a fear of failure, I didn’t want anything to make me fail. So I stopped. I still drink and party, but there’s no darkness now. Just a lot of fun,” she added. (ANI)
Lady GaGa doesn’t regret her stripping past
March 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, March 15 (ANI): Lady GaGa has no qualms about her former stripping days that lent her support during her teens.
The 22-year-old, born as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, revealed she left her posh family in shock after turning to stripping at 18.
“I was working in strip clubs when I was 18. Girls from my background weren’t meant to turn into someone like me. I come from a wealthy Italian family, went to a good school,” News of the World quoted her as saying.
“I went against all I was brought up to be; I moved out of home, wouldn’t take any help from my parents and supported myself with waitressing jobs and stripping,” she added.
The pop sensation further revealed having achieved a sense of freedom with the act of dropping clothes though her parents thought otherwise.
She said: “I discovered a real personal freedom through it. Obviously my parents didn’t like it. I was drawing huge crowds, setting hairspray alight on stage and dancing madly.
“My dad thought I’d lost it. With the drugs it was his reaction that pulled me back. I didn’t go to Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. I did it myself. I have such a fear of failure, I didn’t want anything to make me fail. So I stopped. I still drink and party, but there’s no darkness now. Just a lot of fun.” (ANI)
Neo-Nazis plotting ‘Fourth Reich’ in Germany
February 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment
London, Feb.27 (ANI): A defector from Germany’s hard-core neo-Nazi party, the NPD, has given a chilling picture of the rise of new Hitler worshippers and their plans to build the “Fourth Reich”.
Uwe Luthardt, who was a senior member of the NPD, quit to inform on the party that Germany tried unsuccessfully to ban several years ago.
The Telegraph quoted him as telling about weapons stores and how members greet each other with “Heil Hitler” salutes, sing the banned songs of the Third Reich and relish the idea of a new Holocaust against the Jews.
Last year neo-Nazi attacks in Germany reached an all-time high and the authorities are battling to stop youngsters from being attracted to the politics of the right, particularly now that Germany is in a deep recession and jobs are being lost by the thousands every day.
Luthardt, a former board member of the party, said he was threatened that he could “disappear” if he informed on its inner workings.
“Someone who just quits usually gets a lot of problems, and can find himself waking up in intensive care. It wasn’t really my world. When you went along to evening meetings, you saw all the shaven heads, and a black sun or other Nazi symbols tattooed on arms. They usually just boozed or were abusive. If there’s no opponent around, they just fight among themselves,” he was quoted, as saying.
“Many have an IQ close to my shoe size. Most of them are simply failures: failed pupils, people who dropped out of school or their apprenticeships, alcoholics that can’t find a foothold anywhere else, thugs. But every local organisation has three to five men who don’t have criminal records. They’re the ones sent to face the press or man information stands,” he added.
“I joined because I wanted to do something for Germany, I wasn’t interest in a Greater Germany. And suddenly everyone was saying we’ll take back Silesia in Poland and then we’ll give the communists a thrashing,” he said, adding that old Nazis living in South America still donate to the party and other funds come from the staging of skinhead-music concerts.
He went on: “The simple aim is the restoration of the Reich in which a new storm trooper organisation takes revenge on anyone who disagrees with them.
“The dream is of the German Reich. They’re totally convinced that they’ll win an election one day and that things will really get going. Everyone can imagine what would happen then,” he said. (ANI)
Kid Rock finds drug rehabilitation ‘baffling’
January 14, 2009 By 1 Comment
London, Jan 13 (ANI): Pop star Kid Rock a.k.a Robert James Ritchie has revealed that he doesn’t understand the concept of people entering rehabilitation for substance abuse.
He believes that it is possible okay to take drugs and continue living life normally.
“I do not understand rehab. If it works for people then God bless them. People have different personalities,” the Daily Star quoted Rock, as telling Q magazine.
He also said that although taking drugs is all about having fun for some people, others tend to head the wrong way.
“Some people do a line of cocaine and start selling their TVs and their guitar and everything else. Other people do it, have a fun night and go about their business,” Rock said.
However, Rock was not reluctant in admitting that excessive alcohol intake takes a toll on his personality.
“I have been to anger management twice. After the first session the lady was like, ‘Baby, you don’t seem that angry at all. You seem like a really nice guy.’ I go, ‘That’s the way I feel too. I think that the judge made a mistake when he sentenced me. I think he probably should have sent me to Alcoholics Anonymous because I do have a drinking problem,” Kid said.
“None of these fights would have ever occurred without drinking,” he added. (ANI)