Alcoholism At Large
Singing, dancing—drinking
Alcohol use in Bollywood movies is directly influencing the drinking habits of India’s adolescents, according to a study presented at the 2012 World Congress of Cardiology. Overall, 10 percent of the students (between 12 and 16 years old) surveyed in the study had already tried alcohol. But students that had been most exposed to alcohol use in Bollywood movies were found to be 2.78 times more likely to have tried alcohol.
“While alcohol advertising is banned in all Indian media and scenes that justify or glorify drinking are not allowed in Bollywood films, there is no dedicated health legislation that prohibits the depiction of alcohol in these films and there is a clear need for an immediate alcohol control policy,” said Dr. G.P. Nazar, Health Related Information Dissemination Against Youth.
Source: World Congress of Cardiology, April 2012
Alcohol affects memory and treatment
According to a recent study, alcoholism can disrupt memory functioning well before incurring the profound amnesia of Korsakoff’s syndrome.
“Chronic alcohol consumption mainly affects episodic memory and working memory,” says Edith V. Sullivan, of Stanford University School of Medicine.
Episodic memory is impaired in some alcoholics, who may have difficulties in remembering a grocery list, a route to a new restaurant, or new face-name associations as encountered in a new job. Conversely, alcoholics may have deficits of working memory resulting in difficulties like holding a phone number in mind while dialing it.
“Impaired episodic memory in alcoholics may hamper obtaining full benefits from rehabilitation efforts,” says Sullivan, because it may affect self-awareness and the anticipation
and recognition of potentially risky situations.
Source: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, July 2012
