Children of Alcoholics (COA) Week is a campaign led by Nacoa (The National Association for Children of Alcoholics) to raise awareness of children affected by parental alcohol problems. Imagine coming home from school and dreading what you might find. Imagine having no friends because you’re too embarrassed to bring them home in case mom or dad are drunk, or worse. Imagine living in a home full of fear and having no one to turn to because everyone denies there’s a problem. Together we can increase awareness of this hidden problem and the support available. Find out how you can help children of all ages know they are not alone. This year, under the slogan “All you need is Love”, the Children of Alcoholics week activities of Active – Sobriety, Friendship and Peace reflect on love and safety, as not just feelings that children experience, but also part of children’s rights. Children...

A study published in Emergency Medical Journal has found that nine out of ten ERs are failing to identify young people with alcohol problems, preventing them from getting the vital help they need. A survey of 147 ERs, conducted by researchers from the University of Surrey, found that young people are not routinely asked about their alcohol consumption, a useful tool in detecting alcohol problems. The research also found that those over the age of 65 are not routinely asked about their drinking either. The survey found that over 85 per cent of A&E departments do not routinely ask young people about their alcohol consumption or use formal screening tools to identify those that may need help or advice about their drinking. This is in violation of current guidelines, which suggest that screening followed by feedback of the results is the most effective way to reduce alcohol related harm. Although young...

Almost a year after a report to the Syracuse University Senate revealed that ambulances were taking several students per week to the emergency room because of alcohol problems, concrete data on the number of students who are hospitalized for intoxication is still unavailable. According to Syracuse University’s The Daily Orange, despite the report being released, specific and current numbers on just how many students have been hospitalized for being intoxicated are still unavailable The student life committee report stated that several students taken to the hospital last year had more than 0.3 percent in blood alcohol level, including one student who had a blood alcohol content of 0.37 percent. BAC levels above 0.3 percent are life-threatening, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The concrete number of medical transports due to intoxication at SU hasn’t been composed since the Senate report. The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities...