Public Health Moment

Binge drinking is common among active-duty military personnel and is strongly associated with many health and social problems, including problems with job performance and alcohol-impaired driving, according to a new study released by the University of Minnesota and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But what is binge drinking and what can be done to reduce its prevalence?

We asked Mandy Stahre, a University of Minnesota doctoral candidate and first author of the study.

• Listen to Stahre on Public Health Moment

Posted at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A new University of Minnesota study found that three out of four people posing as intoxicated fans and one out of five trying to pass as underage drinkers succeeded in buying alcohol at sports stadiums around the country.

Researcher Traci Toomey, who led the study, has more.

Listen to Toomey on Public Health Moment

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What is the cause of binge drinking among college students? A new 14-year study links it to college culture -- campus environments that allow easy access to inexpensive alcohol and have weak control policies and lax enforcement.

Toben Nelson, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist who worked on the study, has more.

Listen to Nelson on Public Health Moment

Posted at 1:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new study has found that poor neighborhoods with high concentrations of African Americans had higher homicide rates and significantly greater numbers of off-sale alcohol stores than other neighborhoods.

Rhonda Jones-Webb, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, says this study was unique because it looked at neighborhoods rather than individuals.

• Listen to Jones-Webb on Public Health Moment

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A new study has found that adolescents who already use alcohol are less receptive to prevention programs aimed at all students.

According to University of Minnesota epidemiologist Keryn Pasch, intervening at earlier ages, specifically between third and fifth grade, would provide more support for high-risk students.

• Listen to Pasch on Public Health Moment

Posted at 4:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Upper Midwest has some of the highest rates of binge drinking in the United States. The tragic death of 21-year-old Mankato woman is the most recent example.

Toben Nelson, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, has advice for parents.

• Listen to Nelson on Public Health Moment

Posted at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nearly 20 percent of young males are willing to purchase alcohol for underage youth when approached outside of a store that sells alcohol. That's according to research by University of Minnesota epidemiologist Traci Toomey.

• Listen to Traci Toomey on Public Health Moment

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Adolescents who attend schools in neighborhoods where alcohol advertisements are prominent are more likely to drink alcohol. That's according to Keryn Pasch, lead author of the study conducted by the University of Minnesota and University of Florida.

• Listen to Keryn Pasch on Public Health Moment

Posted at 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Binge drinking, the act of drinking five or more alcoholic drinks in a row, has declined since the 1980s among our nation's youth, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

That's encouraging, says Rhonda Jones-Webb, an epidemiology professor at the University of Minnesota. Still, she says, alcohol use remains widespread.

• Listen to Rhonda Jones-Webb on Public Health Moment

Posted at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)