The CDC’s Vital Signs report, which
launched in 2010, addresses a single, important public health topic each
month.  The first issue of 2012′s Vital Signs includes the latest
findings on binge drinking from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) which included combined landline and
cellular telephone respondents.

Some of the key messages in the binge drinking issue of Vital Signs
include the following:

*         Thirty-eight million U.S. adults binge drink an average of 4
times a month.

*         On average, the largest number of drinks consumed is 8.

*         While more 18-34 year olds binge drink, binge drinkers aged 65
years and older binge drink more often than other age groups-an average
of five to six times a month.

*         Although more people with incomes above $75,000 binge drink,
those with incomes less than $25,000 drink more when they binge. The
largest number of drinks consumed averages between 8 and 9 in the lower
income group.

*         Adult binge drinking is most common in the Midwest, New
England, the District of Columbia, Alaska and Hawaii. However binge
drinkers in the southern Mountain states (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico,
and Utah), Midwest, and some states where binge drinking is less common
- including Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina – consume more
drinks when they binge.

*         Binge drinking is a costly and deadly behavior. Drinking too
much, including binge drinking, is responsible for 80,000 deaths each
year and cost the U.S. $223.5 billion in 2006, or $1.90 a drink. These
costs include health care expenses, crime, and lost productivity.

*         Evidence-based strategies, such as those recommended by the
Community Guide, can help prevent binge drinking.

Click here to read the full report from Vital Signs on binge drinking.

ALSO read this important Fact Sheet on Binge Drinking.

New study suggests that a prenatal intervention program, for stopping substance use in pregnancy, could save almost $2 billion annually if it were implemented nationwide. Click here to read about this study aimed at reducing the risk of substance abuse with pregnant women.

NJ Coalition for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, of  The Arc of New Jersey has provided this timely and relevant update.

What’s Going on in Prevention?

New Jersey will begin to implement a new concussion law and new guidelines for managing sports-related concussions

A new test will be able to look for a biomarker that indicates exposure to alcohol in the umbilical cord of fetuses

A healthy pregnancy diet has been found to reduce the likelihood of birth defects

Toxic chemicals are being found in umbilical cord blood of babies and air pollution has been linked to pre-term births

A frightening new trend among youth has them able to creatively disguise underage drinking

Does your weight and diabetes affect your unborn child? Learn more by clicking on this link.

Pure Encapsulations, Inc. Issues Allergy Alert On Undeclared Egg Allergen In Prenatal Nutrients. Read more about the recall by this nutritional supplement company by clicking this link.

EFNEP helps limited-resource families and youth improve their eating behaviors and contributes to other personal development skills through behaviorally focused nutrition education. The program is administered by Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Cooperative Extension, and is supported by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Smith- Lever funds

Located in Essex, County New Jersey, you can get more information by clicking directly on this link.

This is a must have resource for anyone dealing with families with limited resources.

Can Exposure to  Pesticides While Pregnant Can Affect the IQ of the Unborn Child? This New York Times article says yes.