Alcoholism among women in Sweden rose by 50 percent between 2003 and 2007 as beer, wine and spirits have become more accessible in the country long known for its restrictive alcohol policy, a report on Saturday said.

“The number of female alcoholics has risen from 65,000 to about 100,000 and the number of male alcoholics has risen from about 135,000 to about 165,000. One important reason is that it has become easier and cheaper to buy alcohol,” a report written by the head of the Swedish National Institute of Public Health’s alcohol and drug division showed.

Sweden, a country of nine million inhabitants, has an alcohol distribution monopoly, meaning that Swedes can only buy beer, wine and liquor at state-run outlets called Systembolaget. Only Systembolaget and wholesalers authorised by the state may import such drinks.

Sweden maintains that the monopoly, and high taxes on alcohol, are needed to protect public health.

But alcohol has nonetheless become more accessible in recent years.

“Reduced alcohol taxes, private imports from abroad and across the internet, longer opening hours at Systembolaget and an increase in the number of restaurants granted liquor licenses” have all contributed to the rise in alcoholism, said Sven Andreasson, the author of the report published in Sweden’s newspaper of reference Dagens Nyheter.

Andreasson noted that while overall alcohol consumption in Sweden had remained stable in recent years, the number of alcohol poisonings, alcohol-related violence and drink driving cases were on the rise.

The numbers he presented in the report were “in line with” reports from the health sector which indicated an increase in the number of people seeking care for alcohol-related problems, he said.

Source-AFP

SRM

The surviving Nepalese conjoined twin who underwent a marathon operation in Singapore seven years ago is to return to the city-state in September for reconstructive skull surgery, a report said Sunday.

Surgeon Keith Goh, who led the operation to separate the girls who were born with fused skulls, intends to bring eight-year-old Jamuna Shrestha back to assess her condition and see how he can begin work on a cranioplasty, or rebuilding of the skull, the Sunday Times said.

“Jamuna’s health and recovery are of paramount importance. We will figure out a solution, no matter what,” Goh was quoted as saying about the efforts made to bring the surviving twin back to Singapore for the surgery.

Her sister Ganga Shrestha died in July from respiratory problems at a hospital in Kathmandu where she was being treated for pneumonia and meningitis.

Her death triggered comments from a Nepalese doctor that the Singapore surgeons who operated on the sisters failed to provide adequate post-operative care for them.

The operation to separate the twins left Ganga with brain damage and Jamuna unable to walk. They returned to Singapore in 2005 for additional treatment before going home to Nepal.

Goh had said previously the girls were not fit enough for reconstructive skull surgery when he saw them in 2005.

Ganga and Jamuna were separated by a team of neurosurgeons at Singapore General Hospital in a 97-hour operation performed free of charge in 2001.

Singaporeans raised more than 660,000 dollars (now 484,000 US) to help the girls.

Source-AFP

SRM