Risky drug practices and treatment needs of youth detained in New South Wales Juvenile Justice Centres

Demographic, drug use and criminal correlates of risky drug practices were examined among 279 detained youth in NSW Juvenile Justice Centres. Binge drinking was common, with 63% reporting the consumption of at least five drinks in a row in the 2 weeks prior to incarceration. It was associated with being older, being from an English-speaking background, regular tobacco consumption and having a current drug problem. A quarter (24%) of the sample had injected an illicit drug, over one-third (37%) of whom also reported sharing needles. Injectors were more likely to be polydrug users, regular amphetamine users and have a past history of drug treatment. While 16% of the sample indicated a need for drug treatment, only 10% were currently receiving some form of treatment, most commonly counselling. Appropriate strategies are needed among this population to address gaps in treatment provision.     

Work-place screening of mine employees using the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) and alcohol breathalyzation

Although public health campaigns focusing on alcohol in the work-place are receiving increasing attention, there is little empirical evidence regarding the use of screening. In this work-place study, 152 mining personnel (67% of the work-force) completed a self report screen using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). One hundred and thirty-three of these (58.5% of the work-force) also consented to be breathalysed and one (0.75%) recorded a BAC just over threshold for detection. Forty-eight males (37.7% of the male work-force) recorded AUDIT scores of eight or more consistent with hazardous alcohol use and one female registered a cumulative score above the female cut-off level for hazardous alcohol use. Eighty males (67% of the work-force), recorded binge drinking at least monthly and 81 males recorded a cumulative AUDIT score of less than eight; however, on item analysis, 64 (83%) of these recorded binge drinking at least sometimes. There is substantial hazardous alcohol use in this sample work group and younger males had higher alcohol consumption, more adverse consequences and higher total AUDIT scores identifying them as particularly at risk. The Cronbach & AUDIT was 0.72, confirming adequate internal consistency.     

I269S Mutation in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase S isoenzyme and its reactivity for steroids and retinoids

Ile-269 in horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase isoenzyme S(HLADH-S) was mutated to serine by phosphorothioate-based site-directed mutagenesis in order to study the role of the residue in coenzyme binding. The specific activity of the mutant(I269S) enzyme to ethanol was increased 49-fold. All turnover numbers of I269S enzyme toward 9 primary alcohols were increased. The mutant enzyme showed 3.6, 4.6, 11.6-fold higher catalytic efficiency for 5β-androstane-3,17-dione, 5β-cholanic acid-3-one and retinal than wild-type, respectively. The reaction mechanism of I269S enzyme was ordered bi bi as wild-type's. These results indicate that the hydrophobic interaction of Ile-269 residue with coenzyme plays an important role in dissociation of coenzyme from enzyme-coenzyme complex, which has been known as the rate limiting step of ADH reaction.     

The effects of alcohol abuse on children and the partner's capacity to initiate change

This paper identifies the social, psychological and cognitive effects of parental alcohol abuse on children across the lifecycle. While the evidence regarding cognitive effects is mixed, there is ample evidence of negative effects on a range of developmental outcomes. Recent advances in unilateral partner interventions open up one avenue for ameliorating this damage even when the drinker is resistant to change.     

Empowering family and friends: a new approach to the secondary prevention of addiction

This paper presents a typology and transactional model of how close relatives cope with excessive drinking, drug-taking or gambling in the family. These are illustrated with four examples taken from a series of research projects in which relatives have been interviewed to understand better how they react and respond. Such information is the groundwork for a World Health Organization initiative to help primary health care workers respond to the needs of relatives. The philosophy behind this initiative, and the steps that primary health care workers might take, are outlined. It is proposed that such workers can help close relatives to find the best coping methods in their circumstances, and that this approach might constitute an important, and hitherto neglected, form of secondary prevention.     

The development of guidelines for drug and alcohol dependence treatment: affecting policy and practice

The rationale and methodology behind the Australian Quality Assurance Project is described. The Project aimed to develop guidelines for treatment content based on three sources of information: research findings, current practice and expert opinion. The issue of the gap between research and practice is discussed, as well as the role of dissemination in altering clinician behaviour.     

A review of the hepatotoxicity of paracetamol at therapeutic or near-therapeutic dose levels, with particular reference to alcohol abusers

The number of published reports associating hepatotoxicity with paracetamol ingestion at therapeutic or near-therapeutic dose levels is small but is, nevertheless, suggestive of a relationship. There is however, mounting evidence that certain groups of patients, such as alcohol-dependent people, patients receiving enzyme-inducing drugs (particularly anti-convulsant and anti-tuberculosis medications) as well as those with certain infectious diseases, are rendered more susceptible to paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. Seventy-four case reports where therapeutic or near-therapeutic doses of paracetamol resulted in hepatic injury are reviewed and factors and mechanisms which might explain this apparently increased vulnerability to damage are discussed.     

The incidence of alcohol-related problems and the risk of alcohol withdrawal in a general hospital population

A survey was carried out using the Canterbury Alcohol Screening Test (CAST) and clinical criteria for risk of alcohol withdrawal of 2000 randomly selected hospital in-patients in order to determine the prevalence of alcohol-related problems, the work-load for a specialist alcohol withdrawal service and the target group for early intervention. Patients at risk of alcohol withdrawal were followed prospectively.

The major findings were: 14.3% of patients had a positive CAST and 8% were at risk of alcohol withdrawal; the prevalence of positive clinical criteria was greatest in men under the age of 30 years (OR 3.6) and very low (OR 0.34) in women over 60 years. In addition, patients who were too sick or refused to complete the questionnaire had high rates of being at risk for alcohol withdrawal. The prevalence of CAST positivity was greatest in men under the age of 40 years (OR 3.7) and lowest in women over 70 years (OR 0.2).

It is concluded that 15-20% of in-patients have alcohol problems and 8% are at risk of withdrawal; questionnaires will produce underestimates of the order of 25%; and female in-patients over the age of 60 years are extremely unlikely to have problems with alcohol.     

黑河上蔡段河水及饮用水的致突变性

目的：探讨黑河上蔡段癌症高发区河水及饮用水的致突变性。方法：采集严重污染的黑河河水及沿岸浅井水分别进行以下试验。①用ＸＡＤⅡ树脂提取各水样中的有机提取物作为待测样品,以呋喃基康酰胺和叠氮钠作阳性对照,以自发回变率为阴性对照,用鼠伤寒沙门氏菌属ＴＡ９８ 、ＴＡ１００ 菌株进行Ａｍｅｓ 试验。以突变比ＭＲ 值评价试验结果。②松滋青皮蚕豆温浸芽约２ ｃｍ ,分别取３ ～４ 粒放入不同水样中处理,同时以蒸馏水、郑州市自来水作阴性对照,环磷酰胺（１ ｍｇ／Ｌ） 作阳性对照进行微核试验。显微镜下观察根尖细胞微核数,统计微核千分率（ＭＣＮ‰） 。结果：①河水有机提取物对ＴＡ９８、ＴＡ１００ 菌株均可诱发阳性回变;②沿岸浅井水有机提取物能诱发ＴＡ９８菌株的阳性回变;③河水、井水均可致蚕豆根尖细胞微核率（ＭＣＮ‰） 明显增高。④浅井水和河水的致突变性及毒性（ 抑菌圈直径大小） 基本相同。结论：①由于浅井水和河水的致突变性及毒性基本相同,故浅井水中的致突变物质可能来源于河水的水平渗透;②沿岸居民癌症高发与河水污染的潜在致癌性有密切关系,应予以高度重视     

长期饮酒对男性生殖系统功能影响

目的探讨饮酒对男性生殖系统的损害及其机理。方法选择45名男性饮酒者和9名慢性酒精中毒者为研究对象,以15名不吸烟不接触毒物的男性为对照组。结果长期大量饮酒和酒精中毒者血清中T和CS水平下降,而LH和FSH水平升高;精浆和精子中LDH,LDH-x和G-6PD活力下降,以LDH-x下降为敏感;精子数量和活动精子年均降低,精子畸形率及异常精液检出率均升高。上述各指标与对照组比较差异均有高度显著性（P＜0.01）。结论长期饮酒可损害男性生殖系统功能。