2011The european FoundaTion For alcohol research

EDITORIAL

REPORT 2011

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This year has been another important one in the

evolution of ERAB: The European Foundation

for Alcohol Research. To date, ERAB has only

funded applications for scientific grants and

these awards are based primarily on the quality

of the science as judged by peer review. This

year, in addition to the usual funding round,

ERAB approached The Brewers of Europe for

additional funds for a very special project on

underage drinking. A project which is no less

independent than its usual work but which will

review the evidence base in a particular area

rather than initiating new research.

This request grew out of an unsuccessful

application made the previous year to the

European Commission’s DG RELEX (Department

for External Relations) to undertake a project,

in collaboration with ABMRF/The Foundation

for Alcohol Research, to look in depth at under-

age drinking and how it differs between the two

continents. The proposal drew on the expertise

in both foundations. It aimed to deliver

evidence-based recommendations applicable to

public health departments.

We believe that the combined expertise of ERAB

and ABMRF gives a unique capability to carry out

this review and draw useful recommendations

about the initiatives that are effective. The

Brewers of Europe agreed to provide additional

arms-length funding over a two-year period. The

Boards of both ERAB and ABMRF committed to

contributing to the project financially, and the

project is now underway.

A group of scientists has been assembled

from both continents and a series of “virtual”

meetings have been held to progress the

project. A review of “Underage Drinking and

Effective Countermeasures in Europe” has been

completed and an initial face-to-face meeting

was held prior to the International Medical

Advisory Group Conference in Montreal to scope

the outstanding issues and to agree actions.

The plan is to complete the project by summer

2012 and to launch the report in Brussels in the

autumn.

We hope that this development marks a new

phase in the evolution of ERAB and ABMRF.

Emeritus Professor Oliver James, Chairman

of the ERAB Board of Directors and Professor

Philippe De Witte, Chairman of the ERAB

Advisory Board.

Emeritus Professor Oliver JameschairmanoftheERabboardofdirectors

Professor Philippe De WittechairmanoftheERabadvisoryboard

EDITORIAL

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ERAB AT ThE UK hOUsE OF COMMOns

alan Meale Mp, chairman of the all-partyparliamentary beer Group and professor deWitteatthehouseofcommons)

on Wednesday 9th february 2011, professor philippe de Witteaddressedameetingoftheall-partyparliamentarybeerGrouponthesubjectof“Putting the UK’s drink problems in perspective”.hepresentedhisassessmentofhowtheuKcomparestotherestoftheworldonalcoholharm,andtookquestionsfrommembers.also speaking at the meeting was chris sorek, chief Executiveofdrinkaware,anindependentuKtrustwhichbringstogetherboththealcoholicdrinkssectorsandthehealthcommunity.inapresentationentitled “How is the UK tackling the challenge?”,hedescribedhowdrinkawareisusingthelatestsocialmarketingthinkingto“nudge”peopleinto adoptingahealthierapproachtodrinking.

ERAB AT ThE 33RD COnGREss OF ThE EBC 2011 In GLAsGOW

EmeritusprofessoroliverJames,chairmanoftheERabboardofdirectors,addressedthe33rdcongressoftheEuropeanbrewingconvention in Glasgow in May 2011 on the subject of “beer,alcoholandhealth”.hiswide-rangingtalkpresentedthefindingsofkeypublicationsonthesubjectsofalcoholandcardiovasculardisease, cancer, diabetes, dementia and osteoporosis and theeffectofbeerversuswine.

ERAB In ThE BULGARIAn MEDIA

on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the union ofbrewersofbulgaria(ubb),professorphilippedeWittespokeatapressconferenceinJuly2011ontheimportantcontributionmadebysciencetoabetterunderstandingofthefullspectrumoftheeffectsbeerhasonhealthandbehaviour.Theverywellattendedeventwascomplementedbyaseriesofexclusiveinterviewsandcoveredacrossthecountry’smedia.

ERAB AT ThE BELGIAn PARLIAMEnT

onnovember22,2011professorphilippedeWitteaddressedameetingofthebelgianparliamentbeerclubwherehepresentedacommunicationentitled“publichealthversusMedicalhealth”.

ThAnKs

Vanessa Witkowski Vanessa was appointed as a public member of theERabboardofdirectorsinoctober2008andstooddown in november 2011. Vanessa’s expertise isin public relations having worked in media and

communicationsattheResearchinstitutebruegel,theMadariagaEuropean foundation and the college of Europe foundation.she became president of the cafebabel.com brussels office in2006andparticipatedinthedevelopmentofthecafebabel.comcommunitymadeofbabelblogsandbabelforums,aplatformforwhichshewasresponsibleascommunityManagerfrom2007to2008.soonafterjoiningtheERabboardVanessastartedafamily.ERabwould liketotakethisopportunitytothankVanessaforhersupportforERabandwishherandherfamilywell.

Knud hedeager nielsen KnudwaselectedanindustrymemberoftheboardofdirectorsinMay2006andstooddownthisyearwhenheleftcarlsbergGroup.hehasbeenagreatadvocatefor ERab and played a major role in the practical

organisationoftheinternationalMedicaladvisoryGroup(iMaG)conference in copenhagen in 2006 which was hosted by ThebrewersofEuropeandorganisedbyERab.hejoinedcarlsbergin1998astheirpublicaffairsmanager,from1998to2005hewaschairmanofGoda,thedanishsocialaspectsorganisation and from 2006 to 2011 he chaired the beer andsocietyissueManagementTeamofThebrewersofEurope.ERabwouldliketotakethisopportunitytothankKnudforhissupportandwishhimwellinhisfuturecareer.

COnGRATULATIOns

ERab is delighted to congratulate dr. david longforhisawardintheQueen’s2011newYearhonourslist. he was named a Member of the order of thebritish Empire (MbE) in recognition of his servicesto the hospitality industry. david played a leading

roleinestablishingtheERab,andwasafullindustrymemberoftheboardofdirectorsuntilheretiredin2011.hehascontinuedtosupportandassistERabasanhonoraryboardmembersincethen.heworkedatotalof37yearsinthebrewingsectorandwasalsohonouredin2010withalifetimeachievementawardfromthe all-party parliamentary beer Group, the largest cross-partyinterestgroupintheuKhouseofcommons.

NEWS

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INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

KEY PERFORMAnCE InDICATORs 2003 - 2011.

Totalsubscriptionstoend2011 €4,209,073Totalgrantspendtoend2011 €3,725,795

Totalapplications 273Totalfullgrantsfunded 53numberoftwoyeargrants 47numberofbiomedicalgrants 33numberofpsychosocialgrants 20numberofpublicationscitingERab 97

TotalTravelawardapplications 60numberofTravelawardsfunded 41TotalExchangeawardapplications 11numberofExchangeawardsfunded 8

To date, ERab grants havebeen undertaken in 12different Eu countries:belgium; denmark; finland;france; Germany; italy; thenetherlands; portugal; spain;sweden;switzerland;anduK.

TheEuropeanfoundationforalcoholResearch(ERab)wasestablishedasanindependentcharityinbrusselsin2003tofundEuropeanbiomedicalandpsychosocialresearchintotheeffectsofbeerandotheralcoholbeverages.

ThE ERAB WEBsITE

TheERabwebsiteincludes;biographiesofthemembersofbothboards; information about how to apply for a grant, includingthedeadlines;detailsofgrantsalreadyfunded;thepublicationsresulting from these grants and proforma report forms and asamplecontractforgranteestodownload.italsoprovideslinkstothenewslettersandotherERabpublications.

The website receives a growing number of visits each year –almost 144,500 in 2011, an increase of 6% on 2010. This activitypeaks in the spring when grant applications are due andshows that it is being consulted by the research community:www.erab.org

COnTRIBUTORs

WithoutthecontinuedsupportoftheEuropeanbrewingsector,ERab would not be able to continue to fund independentresearch into the biomedical and socio-behavioural aspects ofalcoholconsumption.

subscriptions to ERab have again been received from all 27memberassociationsofThebrewersofEuropeandadditionallybythefourmajorbrewersinEurope.ERabwouldliketothankall of its supporters for their sustained commitment and theirrecognitionofthevalueofdevelopingabetterunderstandingofhowalcoholaffectshealthandbehaviour:

· APCV - Associação Portuguesa dos Produtores de Cerveja, Portugal; · Association of hungarian Brewers, hungary;· Associazione degli Industriali della Birra e del Malto, Italy;· Beer and Malt Producers´ Association of Turkey, Turkey;· Belgian Brewers, Belgium;· Brasseurs de France, France;· Brewers of Romania, Romania;· Bryggeriforeningen, Denmark;· Cerveceros de España, spain;· Cyprus Brewers Association, Cyprus;· Czech Beer and Malt Association, Czech Republic;· Deutscher Brauer-Bund e.V., Germany;· Grants Committee of the British Beer & Pub Association and the

Institute of Brewing & Distilling, UK; · Fédération des Brasseurs Luxembourgeois, Luxembourg;· Greek Brewers’ Association, Greece;· Lithuanian Brewers’ Guild, Lithuania;· The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, Malta;· nederlandse Brouwers, The netherlands;· norwegian Brewers, norway;· Irish Brewers’ Association, Ireland;· Panimoliitto, Finland;· slovak Beer and Malt Association, slovakia;· sveriges Bryggerier AB, sweden;· swiss Breweries´ Federation, switzerland;· The Union of Brewing Industry Employers in Poland, Poland;· Union of Brewers in Bulgaria, Bulgaria;· Verband der Brauereien Österreichs, Austria.

· The Brewers of Europe.

· Carlsberg Breweries A/s;· heineken International B.V.;· Anheuser Busch InBev n.V.;· sABMiller Europe A.g.

Funding distribution 2004-2011

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BOARD OF DIRECTORs

ERab’sindependenceisguaranteedbyaboardofdirectorsmadeupofamajorityofpublicmembers.Theirroleistoadministerthefunds.

PUBLIC MEMBERsEmeritus Professor Oliver F. W. JamesformerproVicechancellor,facultyofMedicalsciences,universityofnewcastle-upon-Tyne,uK.(Founder Member, Chairman).

anaverageoffivegrantsofupto€100,000arefundedeachyear,togetherwithfourorfivetravelawards,andoneortwoexchangeawards.Theresearchgrantexpenditureaccountsforthemajorityoftheannualbudget.

ERabhastwoboards:–aboardofdirectors;andanadvisoryboard.ThemembersofbothboardsgenerouslygivetheirtimeandexpertisewithoutrewardandERabisverygratefulforthissupport.

FINANCE

BOARDS

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011*

€ € € € € € € €

Revenue and support

industrycontributions 434,500 445,000 425,000 535,000 535,000 474,000 473,073 535,500

investmentincome 2,365 6,620 1,926 6,098 2,450 110 374 471

Expenditure

Grants and Awards

Grants 390,390 496,600 421,846 426,398 727,315 422,482 391,900 395,057

awards - 2,500 11,656 12,219 9,504 8,590 5,351 4,095

projects 62,500

subTotal 390,390 499,100 433,502 438,617 736,819 431,072 397,251 461,652

Other Expenditures

communications 9,195 9,334 5,310 17,017 5,490 9,638 12,944 15,000

Meetingsandconferences 59,023 33,838 19,222 32,371 13,696 17,078 22,538 29,000

other 5,743 7,077 5,370 5,562 5,631 20,208 29,682 30,000

Total Expenditure 464,351 549,349 463,404 493,567 761,636 477,996 462,416 535,652

Assets carried over 356,956 329,470 231,742 195,264 242,795 0 0 0

Reserve 18,608 14,722 25,754

Endowment 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000 25,000

Professor Daniel BessacoTEc,portugal.

Count Rodolphe de Looz Corswaremconsultant,belgium.

Mr. Raymond GeorisformerManagingdirectoroftheMadariagaEuropeanfoundation,belgium(Founder Member and Past Chairman).

*provisional

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Mr. Dipl.-Ing. Markus Ferber, MdEPMemberoftheEuropeanparliament,bavaria.

Mr. Jean MartinformerpresidentoftheEuropeanconfederationofthefood&drinkindustry,belgium.

Dr. Mack MitchellabMRf/ThefoundationforalcoholResearch,usa.

Dr. Erik skovenborgMedicaldoctor,denmark.

Professor Philippe De Witteuniversitécatholiquedelouvain-la-neuve,belgium.Chairman of the ERAB Advisory Board.

Janet Witheridge ERab:TheEuropeanfoundationforalcoholResearch.secretary-General, UK.

REPREsEnTATIVEs OF ThE BREWInG sECTOR

Mr. Alberto da Ponte ThebrewersofEurope,portugal.

Mr. Rutger Goethartheineken,Thenetherlands.

Mr. simon Jacksoninstituteofbrewinganddistilling,uK.

Mr. Jacobo Olalla MarañóncervecerosdeEspaña,spain.

hOnORARY MEMBERs (ACCORDInG TO ARTICLE 6 OF ThE BY-LAWs)

Dr. David Long MBEconsultant,formerdirector,brewing,britishbeer&pubassociation,uK.

Mr. Piero Perronheineken,italy.(Founder Member).

Emeritus Professor Richard smallwoodformercommonwealthchiefMedicalofficer(1999-2003),australia.

ADVIsORY BOARD

Themembersoftheadvisoryboardhaveaproveninternationalindependentscientificreputation.Theirroleistoexaminetheapplications,suggestpeerreviewersand,basedonthereviewsreceived,recommendtotheboardofdirectorswhichapplicationsshouldbefunded.

Professor Philippe De Witte (Chairman)departmentofbiology,universitécatholiquedelouvain-la-neuve,belgium.

Professor Giovanni AddoloratodepartmentofinternalMedicine,universitàcattolicadelsacrocuore,Rome,italy.

Professor Christopher P. DayfacultyofMedicalsciences,universityofnewcastle-upon-Tyne,uK.

Associate Professor Ramon Estruch departmentofinternalMedicine,universityofbarcelona,spain.

Professor Wolfgang KoenigdepartmentofMedicine,universityofulm,Germany.

Professor Pekka sulkunen departmentofsociology,universityofhelsinki,finland.

Associate Professor Matty P. Weijenberg departmentofEpidemiology,Maastrichtuniversity,Thenetherlands.

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ChAnGEs TO ThE BOARD OF DIRECTORs In 2011

This year, ERab was sorry to lose Mr. Knud hedeager nielsenand Ms. Vanessa Witkowski who retired from the board. Weare pleased to welcome count Rodolphe de looz corswaremas a full member replacing Ms. Witkowski. a nomination for areplacementforMr.nielsenisexpectedsoon.

ERab invites applications for funding European biomedical and psychosocial research into the effects of beer and other alcoholbeverages.Theapplicationsaresentforpeerreviewtoexpertsintherelevantsubjectfromallovertheworld.Therecommendationsastowhichgrantsarefundedarebasedonthesereviewswhichgivegreatemphasistothescientificmeritoftheapplication.Grantsarenowfundeduptothemaximumof€50,000foroneyearor€100,000overtwoyears.

applicationsreceivedbytheaprildeadlinearereviewedduringthesummer.applicantsarenotifiedintheautumnwithaviewtotheresearchstartinginJanuarythefollowingyear.

ofthe54majorgrantsawardedtodate,sevenwerecompletedattheendof2006,fourattheendof2007,threeattheendof2008,sevenattheendof2009,sevenattheendof2010.sixwillbecompletedthisyear,fivein2012,sixin2013andsixin2014.Threeprojectshadtobediscontinuedduetopoorhealthorotherdifficulties.

ChAnGEs TO ThE ADVIsORY BOARD In 2011

Thisyear,ERabwaspleasedtowelcomedr.RamonEstruchfromtheuniversityofbarcelonainspain.

ERAB GRANTS

2011 GRAnTs

atitstwelfthmeetingon22ndnovember2011,theERabboardofdirectorsagreedthatthefollowingeightresearchprojectsshouldreceivepartialfundingduring2012/2013.

name of Principal Researcher

Department InstitutionTownCountry

DisciplineGrant length

Professor Kees DE GRAAF

departmentofhumannutrition

WageningenuniversityWageningen,Thenetherlands

psychosocialTwoYear

dietarypatternsandnutrientintakesofbeerconsumerscomparedtoconsumersofother(non-)alcoholicdrinks.

Professor Philip TERRYdepartmentofpsychology Kingstonuniversity london,uK

psychosocialTwoyear

Youngpeople’sbeliefsaboutthebenefitsandrisksassociatedwithdifferentalcoholicbeverages:acomparisonbetweentheuKandfrance.

Dr Richard Oliver DE VIssER

schoolofpsychology universityofsussex falmer,uKpsychosocial1.75year

understandingandpromotingyoungpeople’sstrategiesformoderatealcoholconsumption.

Professor Franco PRInAdepartmentofsocialscience

universityofTurin Torino,italypsychosocialTwoyear

imagesofadolescentalcoholuseandhealthinitaly.astudyofteenagers’drinkingandsocietalreactionstoit.

Dr Gabriel RUBIOfacultyofMedicine complutenseuniversity Madrid,spain

psychosocialTwoyear

psycho-physiologicalparadigmspredictorsofrelapseinthetreatmentofalcoholdependentsubjects.

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Professor Taco DE VRIEscenterforneurogenomics&cognitiveResearch

Vuuniversityamsterdamamsterdam,netherlands

biomedicalTwoyear

identificationofageneticrisk-factorforalcoholseekingandrelapse.

Dr Rosa LAMUELA-RAVEnTÓs

departmentofnutritionandfoodscience

universityofbarcelonabarcelona,spain

biomedicaloneyear

Evaluationofriskandbenefitsofmoderatebeerconsumptionin1,000subjectsathighcardiovascularriskusinganewbeerbiomarker.

Professor Ingrid nYLAnDER

departmentofpharma-ceuticalbiosciences

universityofuppsalauppsala,sweden

biomedicalTwoyear

neurobiologicalandbehaviouralconsequencesofadolescentalcoholconsumption;studiesofcausallinksbetweenearly-lifeconditionsandvulnerabilityforalcoholusedisorders.

AWARDs FOR YOUnG REsEARChERs

aswellasprovidingmajorresearchgrants,ERabiskeentoencourageyoungresearcherstoworkinthefieldofalcoholresearchandoffersanumberofmuchsmallertravelandexchangeawardsforresearchersundertheageof35.Thetravelawardsenablescientiststotraveltoconferencestopresenttheirdata.Theexchangeawardsallowperiodsofstudy/collaborationincentresofexcellenceanywhereintheworld.

inadditiontotheaboveawardsforyoungresearchers,smallawardsmaybemadeavailabletohelppublishph.dtheses.

international Medical advisory Group (iMaG) conferences havebeenheldalmosteveryyearsince1972andofferanopportunityfortheMedicaladvisorstothebrewingsectorworldwidetomeettodiscusstopicalissuesandrecentresearchadvancesinthefieldofalcoholandhealth.in 2011, the 37th iMaG conference was hosted by the brewersassociationofcanadainMontreal.ThescientificprogrammewasorganisedbyabMRf/ThefoundationforalcoholResearchandmore than 60 leading scientists in the field of alcohol researchfrom15countriesparticipatedinthismeeting.The conference programme covered aspects of the impact ofalcoholonthethreestagesofman-thedevelopingfoetus,thematuringadolescentandthematureadult.Keyareasdiscussedincluded:- the development of new methods of analysis whichmayfacilitateearlydetectionandpotentialtreatmentoffoetalalcohol spectrum disorders; aspects of adolescent drinkingtogetherwithanintroductiontotheworkabMRfiscarryingoutincollaborationwithERabonunderagedrinkinginEuropeandnorthamerica;andtheroleofalcoholinfattyliverandcirrhosisand the possibility that moderate alcohol consumption is notonlybeneficialtothecardiovascularsystemandbonehealth,butcanalsoprotectagainstnonalcoholicfattyliverdisease.

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL ADVISORY GROUP CONFERENCES

a number of the speakers at the conference referred to theimportance of funding from the industry and expressed theirgratitude. Many research boards provide funding only forestablished scientists and lucrative lines of research. Theindustry’s involvement in funding through abMRf and ERab,andtheirreviewers’emphasisinthequalityofthescience,hasattractedyoungandinnovativescientistsandbroughttogetherdisparatelinesofresearchwhichwouldotherwisenothavebeensupported. This has frequently led to novel, and often quiteremarkable,outcomes.

nEWsLETTER

aswellastheannualReport,ERabhasanelectronicnewsletterwhich is sent to more than 500 European scientists whohave applied to ERab for funding, or have helped with thepeer reviews. issues are kept short and are used to notify theresearch community about application deadlines and researchapplications which have been granted. it helps to maintainthe visibility of ERab and strengthen its profile. copies ofthe newsletters are also available on the ERab websitehttp://www.erab.org

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To date, ERab grantees have published the results of theresearchfundedbyERabin90papersinpeerreviewedjournals.all together, almost 100 publications cite ERab as a source offunding.foralistofpublications,visithttp://www.erab.org/asp2/publications

sOME KEY PUBLICATIOns

as the number of publications resulting from ERab fundedresearchprojectsgrowscertainpapersstandout.Therefollowsa short review of one or two key papers published each year(2006 - 2011). They cover a wide range of subjects includingalcohol consumption, obesity and liver disease; reducingbinge drinking; alcohol consumption and mortality in patientswith cardiovascular disease; the effectiveness of web-basedinterventions; drug treatment for alcohol-dependent patients;andthetypeofalcoholicbeverageandtheriskoflaryngealcancer.

A paper relating to grant number EA 09 20 - A new model of interactive effects of alcohol and high-fat diet on hepatic fibrosis.1

Background: chronic alcohol consumption is a key factor forliver disease worldwide but only a fraction of drinkers developproblemsandthepathophysiologicalmechanismsarenotfullyunderstood.Theaimofthisstudywastoestablishandanalyseanexperimentalanimalmodelwhichcombinedchronicalcoholadministration with a high-fat diet to simulate social drinkingandthetypicalWesternlifestyleleadingtomodestweightgainand‘‘simple’’fattyliver.Results:undertheexperimentalsettingsused,thehigh-fatdietplayedagreaterrolethanalcoholintakeininducingfattyliver.liverdamagewasgreatestinthehigh-fatdietplusalcoholgroup,whichimpliesthatalcoholandahigh-fatdietcause(metabolic)changesthatpromotefibrogenesisviamechanismsindependentofinflammation.Conclusions: it is difficult to extrapolate these findings to thehumansituation,becausethereareonlyafewpatientswithnonalcoholicfattyliverdiseasewhoentirelyabstainfromdrinking.The‘‘obesedrinker’’isclearlymorefrequentlyfound.still,fromthepresentdatainmice,andinlinewithpreviousepidemiologicalstudies,itisreasonabletoextrapolatethatobeseheavydrinkerswithfattyliverwilldevelopcirrhosismorerapidlythannon-obeseheavydrinkersorobesepersonswhodonotdrinkalcohol.

PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO ERAB FUNDED RESEARCH

significance: Thisnewmodelallowstheinvestigationofisolatedorjointeffectsofalcoholandhigh-fatdietonliverinjury.itisclearthat high alcohol consumption and a high-fat diet, or obesity,appeartobeadangerousmixastheyactsynergisticallyonthedevelopmentofliverfibrosis.

A paper relating to grant number EA 07 10 - An intervention to reduce alcohol consumption in undergraduate students using implementation intentions and mental simulations: a cross-national study.2

Background:Excessivealcoholconsumptionhasbeenlinkedtoharmful health consequences among undergraduate students.Thereisaneedtodeveloptheory-basedandcost-effectivebriefinterventionstoreducealcoholconsumptioninthispopulation.This study aimed to test the effectiveness of an integratedtheory-basedinterventioninreducingundergraduates’excessivealcoholconsumptioninnationalsamplesfromEstonia,finland,andtheuK.Theinterventionwasdesignedtochangebehaviourby targeting the motivational and volitional stages of thedecision-makingprocess.participants completed baseline psychological measures andself-reported number of alcohol units consumed and binge-drinking frequency followed by the intervention manipulation.onemonthlater,participantscompletedfollow-upmeasuresofthepsychologicalvariablesandalcoholconsumption.Results: The follow up tests showed that the implementationintention intervention component was successful in reducingthenumberofunitsofalcoholconsumedintheEstoniananduKsamplesbutnotinthefinnishsamplewhereconsumptionwasgenerallylower.implementationintentionswerealsoeffectivein reducing the number of binge drinking occasions in the uKsample. Theinterventionshadnoeffectsonthemotivationortheoryofplannedbehaviourvariables.Thisfindingcorroboratesthewealthofresearchthathasdemonstratedtheeffectivenessofvolitionalplansinpromotingbehaviouralengagementinotherhealth-relatedcontexts.Conclusion:Theresultssupporttheefficacyofimplementationintentions as a theory-based strategy to reduce alcoholconsumptionamongundergraduatestudentsinEstoniaandtheuK. There was no support for the motivational intervention ortheinteractionbetweenthestrategies.significance: Thestudyaddstoknowledgeintwomainways.firstitcontributestotheoreticaldevelopmentbytestingtheefficacy

1.GäbeleE,dostertK,dornc,patsenkerE,stickelfandhellerbrandc(2011)anewmodelofinteractiveeffectsofalcoholandhigh-fatdietonhepaticfibrosis.alcohol:Clinical and Experimental Research,35(7):1361-1367.2.haggerMs,lonsdalea,Kokaa,heinV,pasih,lintunenTandchatzisarantisnld(2011)aninterventiontoreducealcoholconsumptioninundergraduatestudentsusingimplementationintentionsandmentalsimulations:across-nationalstudy.International Journal of Behavioral Medicine,doi:10.1007/s12529-011-9163-8

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of an intervention strategy aimed at increasing motivation toact to reduce alcohol drinking and promoting plans to executethe intended action. This provides new insight into whetherstrategies intervening at both stages of the decision-makingprocessleadtomoreeffectivebehaviourchangethanstrategiesinterveningateachstageinisolation.second,ittestedwhetherthe intervention is replicable in three samples from differentnationalgroups.Thisisimportantasitprovidedtheopportunitytoevaluatewhethertheadoptionofthisinterventionstrategywouldresultinuniversalreductionsinalcoholconsumption.suchmodelsproposethatgiventhesameenvironmentalconditions,allpeopleprocesssocialinformationinthesamewayandmakebehavioural decisions accordingly. The significant interactionbetween nationality and the implementation intentioncomponentoftheinterventionwentagainstexpectations.Therewas evidence that the intervention was effective in reducingalcoholconsumptionintwoofthethreesamples,butthelackofasignificanteffectinthefinnishsamplemeansthatunequivocalconclusionscannotbedrawn.

A paper relating to grant number EA 08 27 - Alcohol consumption and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis.3

Background:Regular,moderatealcoholconsumptionbyhealthypeople is associated with lower cardiovascular and all-causemortality but there have been no extensive reviews on thepossible association of alcohol consumption with secondaryevents in patients with cardiovascular disease. The purposeof this study was to quantify the relation between alcoholconsumptionandcardiovascularandtotalmortalityinpatientswithahistoryofcardiovascularevents.datafrom8publicationswere included in the analyses, including 16,351 patients with ahistoryofcardiovasculardisease.Results: The meta-analysis showed that in patients withcardiovascular disease, light to moderate drinking (5 to 15 g/day of alcohol) is associated with significant cardiovascular orall-cause mortality risk reduction, or both, as has been shownfor apparently healthy subjects. a significant association withreduced risk was found up to 25 g/day of alcohol. The J-shapedrelationship between alcohol intake and total mortality wascomparablewiththatpreviouslyreportedinapparentlyhealthyindividualsandcanbeexplainedasadose-relatedcombinationofbothbeneficialandharmfuleffects.

Conclusions: in patients with cardiovascular disease, light tomoderatealcoholconsumption(5to25g/day)wasshowntobesignificantlyassociatedwithalowerincidenceofcardiovascularandall-causemortality.heavyorbingedrinkingcanhaveadversehealth outcomes. if cardiovascular patients are heavy drinkers,theymustbestronglyadvisedtoabstainoratleast,substantiallyreducedrinking.significance: The paper recommends that patients withcardiovasculardisease,shouldbeinformedthatlow-tomoderatealcoholconsumption(1drink/dayforwomenorupto2drinks/dayformen),shouldnotbeharmfultotheirhealth,butthatpatientswhodonotregularlyconsumealcoholshouldnotbeencouragedtostartdrinking.Thisisduetothelackofcontrolledinterventiontrials on alcohol which would be difficult and are ethicallyquestionabletoperform.italsostatesthatcardiologistsshouldbe aware that regular, moderate alcohol consumption, in thecontext of a healthy lifestyle (increased physical activity, nosmoking), dietary habits (decreased dietary fat intake, highconsumption of fruit and vegetables), and adequate drugtherapy,wouldputtheirpatientsatalevelofcardiovascularormortalityrisksubstantiallylowerthaneitherabstainersorheavyorbingedrinkers.

A paper relating to grant number EA 05 20 - Genetic variation of alcohol dehydrogenase type 1C (ADh1C), alcohol consumption, and metabolic cardiovascular risk factors: results from the IMMIDIET group.4

Background: Moderate alcohol consumption is protectiveagainst cardiovascular disease. Variability in the individualabilitytometabolizealcoholmayberelevantinunderstandingthe cardioprotective role. adhs are major enzymes of alcoholmetabolism. one variant in genetic makeup (in the alcoholdehydrogenases1cgene(adh1c))wasreportedlyassociatedwiththeprotectiveeffectofalcoholconsumptiononcardiovasculardisease risk and risk factor levels. The aim of the study was toinvestigate whether the association of alcohol consumptionwithmetabolicriskfactorsforcardiovasculardiseaseisrelatedtoparticulargenevariants.ThestudyuseddatafromtheiMMidiETproject-across-sectionalstudyof974healthymale–femalepairslivingtogether,randomlyrecruitedinbelgium,italyandEngland.itwassetuptoevaluatedietaryhabits,includingdrinkinghabits,metabolicriskprofilesfor myocardial infarction and the impact of dietary–gene

3.costanzos,dicastelnuovoa,benedettadonatiM,iacoviellolanddeGaetanoG(2010)alcoholconsumptionandmortalityinpatientswithcardiovasculardisease:ameta-analysis.Journal of American College of Cardiology,55(13):1339-1347.4.latellaMc,dicastelnuovoa,delorgerilM,arnoutJ,cappuccionfp,KroghV,siania,vandongenM,donatiMb,deGaetanoGandlacoviellol,onbehalfoftheEuropeancollaborativeGroupoftheiMMidiETproject(2009)Geneticvariationofalcoholdehydrogenasetype1c(adh1c),alcoholconsumption,andmetaboliccardiovascularriskfactors:resultsfromtheiMMidiETgroup.Atherosclerosis,207:284-290.

E R a b : T h E E u R o p E a n f o u n d a T i o n f o R a l c o h o l R E s E a R c h R E p o R T 2 0 1 1 1 1

interaction in determining such risk profile, in healthy male–female pairs from three European regions at different risk ofmyocardial infarction and different consumption of alcoholicbeverages.Results:Thestudyassessedadh1cpolymorphism(rs698)inthreeEuropean population samples at different risk of myocardialinfarction and with different dietary and drinking habits. Theintakeofalcoholdidnotvaryinrelationtogenevariantsstudied.body Mass index (bMi), waist circumference (Wc), waist-to-hipratio,bloodpressure,hdl(goodcholesterol)ortotalcholesterol,triglycerides and fVii:ag levels were positively associated withalcohol intake in men. no interaction was found for other riskfactors. in women, alcohol intake was positively associatedwith hdl, ldl and fVii:ag levels but no interaction was foundbetweenadh1cpolymorphismandanyriskfactor.Conclusion:amarked,significantinteractionbetweentheadh1cgenotypeandalcoholconsumptioninrelationtobMiandwaistcircumferencewasfoundinmenfromthreedifferentEuropeanorigins. Men, homozygous for the gamma 2 allele, who drankdaily had a substantial increase in both bMi and waist values.incontrast,adh1cvariantsdidnotinteractwiththeeffectsofalcoholintakeonhdl,bloodpressureortotalcholesterollevels.significance: identifying genetic variants that may influencealcoholmetabolicclearanceanditsimpactoncardiovascularriskfactors in European populations might help to tailor nationalcampaignsaimingtoreducealcoholconsumptionandhelpdefinethedifferentbenefit/riskbalancerelatedtoeithermoderateorheavyalcoholconsumption.

A paper relating to grant number EA 05 08 - The effectiveness of web-based interventions designed to decrease alcohol consumption – a systematic review.5

Background: brief interventions for health problems such asalcohol use disorders have been of growing interest over thelast few decades. several reviews have been conducted on theeffectivenessofface-to-facebriefinterventionsinhealthcareandtreatment settings. Results are consistent, showing that briefinterventionsaremoreeffectivethannocounselling.previouslypublishedreviewswhichhaveincludedinformationonweb-basedinterventionsforalcoholusehaveeitherprovidedonlynarrativeaccounts of the results, descriptions of the interventions withlimiteddetailsonoutcomeresults,and/orhavenotdesignatedweb-basedinterventionsastheirprimaryfocus.Theaimofthisstudywastoreviewthepublishedliteratureontheeffectiveness

of web-based interventions designed to decrease consumptionofalcoholand/orpreventalcoholmisuse.Results: initial searches identified 191 articles of which 10 wereeligibleforinclusion.ofthese,fiveprovidedaprocessevaluationonly, with the remaining five providing some pre- to post-interventionmeasureofeffectiveness.ingeneral,thepercentagequality criteria met was relatively low and only one of the 10articlesselectedwasarandomizedcontroltrial.Conclusion:Thecurrentreviewprovidesinconsistentevidenceontheeffectivenessofelectronicscreeningandbriefintervention(esbi)foralcoholuse.processresearchsuggeststhatweb-basedinterventionsaregenerallywellreceived.significance: The potential feasibility and content of web-based interventions designed to moderate alcohol use hasbeen demonstrated. This review is the first to systematicallyevaluatetheeffectivenessofsuchinterventionsandhasfoundinconsistent results across studies. all of the identifiedeffectiveness studies focused on web-based interventionstargeted at the north american or new Zealand studentpopulations. further research is required to demonstratethe effect of these interventions into other populations andsettings.Thereisaneedforfuturestudiestodeterminewhichelements of personalized feedback are keys to outcome andwhetherdifferentelementsareneededtoengagelowandhigh-riskdrinkers.

A paper relating to grant number EA 06 19 - Effectiveness and safety of baclofen for maintenance of alcohol abstinence in alcohol-dependent patients with liver cirrhosis: randomised, double-blind controlled study.6

Background: intervention to achieve alcohol abstinencerepresentsthemosteffectivetreatmentforalcohol-dependentpatients with liver cirrhosis. findings of meta-analyseshave shown that even low doses of daily alcohol intake areassociated with increased risk of cirrhosis. Total abstinencefrom alcohol consumption enhances the clinical outcome ofall stages of alcoholic liver disease. abstinence can lead tosubstantial regression of fibrosis and, possibly, early cirrhosis.continued alcohol abuse is a risk factor for cirrhosis-relatedcomplicationsincludinglivercancer,andrepresentsanabsolutecontraindicationtolivertransplantationinthesepatients.anti-craving drugs have not been prescribed due to concern thatthey might worsen liver disease. The aim of this study was toinvestigatetheeffectivenessandsafetyofbaclofeninachieving

5.bewickbM,TruslerK,barkhamM,hillaJ,cahill JandMulhernb(2008)Theeffectivenessofweb-basedinterventionsdesignedtodecreasealcoholconsumption–asystematicreview.Preventive Medicine,47:17-26.6.addoloratoG,leggiol,ferrullia,cardones,Vonghial,Mirijelloa,abenavolil,d’ageloc,caputof,Zambona,haberpsandGasbarriniG(2007)Effectivenessandsafetyofbaclofenformaintenanceofalcoholabstinenceinalcohol-dependentpatientswithlivercirrhosis:randomised,double-blindcontrolledstudy.The Lancet,370:1915-1922.

Registered OfficeERAB: The European Foundation for Alcohol Research,Foundation of Public Utility,n°0875.302.264, Université Catholique de Louvain, Croix du Sud, 1, box L7.04.03, B -1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.

info@erab.orgwww.erab.org

design - studiostraid

Janet WitheridgeSecretary-General, ERAB

January 2012

The european FoundaTion For alcohol research

and maintaining alcohol abstinence in patients with livercirrhosis.between october, 2003, and november, 2006, 148 alcohol-dependent patients with liver cirrhosis were referred to theinstitute of internal Medicine, Rome, italy. 84 were randomlyallocated either oral baclofen or placebo for 12 weeks. Theprimaryoutcomewastheproportionofpatientsachievingandmaintainingalcoholabstinence.Results:of42patientsallocatedbaclofen,30(71%)achieved,andmaintained,abstinencecomparedwith12(29%)of42assignedplacebos.Thenumberofdropouts(terminationoftreatment)didnotdifferbetweenthebaclofenandplacebogroups.cumulativeabstinence duration was about two times higher in patientsallocatedbaclofenthaninthoseassignedplacebos.nohepaticside-effectswererecorded.Conclusion:Theresultsshowthatoraladministrationofbaclofenis significantly more effective than a placebo at achieving andmaintaining alcohol abstinence and at increasing cumulativeabstinence duration in alcohol-dependent patients withliver cirrhosis. This reduction in self-reported alcohol use wasassociatedwithsignificantreductionsinclinicalmarkersofliverinjury.Thesefindingsconfirmtheself-reporteddataandsuggestthat the reduction in alcohol consumption was sufficient tolessen liver injury. it has shown that a pharmacological agentcanpromotealcoholabstinenceandpreventalcoholrelapse inindividualswithalcoholicliverdisease,butthatfurtherstudiesareneededtodefinethebestdurationoftreatment,toassesspossibletolerancetobaclofeninamoreprolongedregimen,andtodefinetheroleofbaclofeninclinicalpractice.significance: The results suggest that baclofen, because of itsanti-craving action and safety, could have an important rolefor treatment of alcohol-dependent patients with advancedliver disease. This trial represents the first study in which theeffectiveness and safety of an anti-craving drug has beeninvestigatedinsuchindividualswithadvancedliverdisease.

A paper relating to grant number EA 03 05 - Type of alcoholic beverage and the risk of laryngeal cancer.7

Background: alcohol drinking, after tobacco smoking, is themajorrecognisedriskfactorforlaryngealcancer.Theimportanceof alcohol in laryngeal carcinogenesis has been consistentlyreported on in several epidemiological studies, which foundan increased risk for an increasing dose of alcohol, even in theabsence of smoking. a few studies have investigated whetherthe risk of laryngeal cancer depends on the types of alcoholicbeverageconsumed,providingconflictingresults.Theaimofthisstudywastodisentangletheeffectofvarioustypesofbeverages,and quantify the separate and combined effect of wine andotheralcoholicbeveragesonlaryngealcancerbyusingthelargenumberofsubjectsfromtwocase–controlstudiesconductedinitalybetween1986and2000.Results:These included672casesof laryngealcancerand3454hospital controls, admitted for acute, non-cancer conditions,unrelated to smoking and alcohol consumption. compared toabstainersorlightdrinkers,drinkersof5-7drinks/dayhada2-foldincreased risk of laryngeal cancer, those consuming 8-11 drinks/daya4-foldincrease,andthosedrinkingmorethan12drinks/daya 5-fold increased risk. no excess risk was evident for beer andspiritdrinkers.Conclusions: This different pattern of risk from studies indifferent populations according to type of alcoholic beveragescould be due to the different level of consumption of eachalcoholic beverage in these populations. The apparentdiscrepancy between studies can also be explained in terms ofdifferentcharacteristicsofheavydrinkersinvariouspopulations.Thus, where wine is the most common alcoholic beverage, forexampleinitaly,winedrinkersareathighestrisk.significance: These data provide conclusive evidence that, asfor other cancers of the upper aero digestive tract, laryngealcancerriskappearstoberelatedmainlytoethanolintake,andineachpopulationthehigherrisksareobservedwiththemostfrequentlyconsumedbeverages.

7.GaravelloW,bosettic,Galluss,dalMasol,negriE,franceschisandlaVecchiac(2006)Typeofalcoholicbeverageandtheriskoflaryngealcancer.European Journal of Cancer Prevention,15:69-73