Alcoholics Are Less Able to Read Your Face

'Alcohol abuse stem from other drinks,' he says

(NEWSER) - In order to combat alcoholism, Dmitry Medvedev would like Russia to push people to drink more wine. That is not a joke ... and neither is Russia's battle with alcoholism . Medvedev believes that encouraging people to put down the vodka bottle and pick up a nice chardonnay is one way to win the war. "Countries where this sector is strong have no problems with alcohol abuse: problems with alcohol abuse stem from other drinks," he explained. More»

Gene variation causes people to get drunk faster, may stave off alcoholism

(NEWSER) - A "drunken" gene—or, some might say, a "lightweight" gene—has been discovered by researchers probing the causes of alcoholism. Some 20% of people have a version of the gene CYP2E1 that causes them to get drunk much faster than others. The researchers say these people are less likely than others to become alcoholics because they are more sensitive to alcohol and can't consume large amounts of it, the Telegraph reports. More»

Laura Hall also swore at a cop

(NEWSER) - Note to Laura Hall: Once you’ve been banned from every bar in the United Kingdom, it’s probably not a good idea to drunkenly yell at a police officer that you “want to go to the f****** offie to buy some beer!” But that is what Hall did early Sunday, after being caught drinking in public and shouting in the street, and was subsequently arrested and fined almost $300. More»

(NEWSER) - Stefanie Wilder-Taylor made a name for herself penning light-hearted accounts of life as a hard-drinking mom, so her blog readers were shocked when she announced that she was laying off the sauce, the New York Times reports. Drinking-while-parenting “was a way to express that we’re still fun people,” but when she woke up on the couch fully clothed one morning, she realized, “I have these kids who are depending on me, and I have a bad problem.” More»

With drug, alcoholics still drink; abstinence is traditional model

(NEWSER) - More and more doctors are prescribing the anti-craving drug baclofen to alcoholics, and patients describe a “switch” that suddenly allows them to resist temptation—even as they keep drinking in moderation, Time reports. While some argue this can reduce harm—one drink is better than 10—the approach is at odds with traditional 12-step and cold-turkey methods of dealing with addiction. More»