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Action Against Hunger Warns of Growing Nutrition Emergency; New Data Reveals One in Four Refugee Children in Pagak, Ethiopia Are Dangerously Malnourished

NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Action Against Hunger, the world’s nonprofit hunger specialist, today warned of a growing hunger crisis in Ethiopia. Newly released data reveals that nearly one in four South Sudanese refugee children who recently arrived in Gambella suffer from life-threatening malnutrition. COVID-19 cases in the country have more than tripled in the past month, complicating hunger relief efforts. (Photos available upon request.)

Action Against Hunger conducted a mass screening of 1,955 refugee children younger than five years old in Pagak Reception Center from July 13 to 17, 2020, and data released today shows that 23.6 percent were acutely malnourished, including five percent diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition, the deadliest form of hunger. This prevalence is more than double what the UN Refugee Agency considers a serious public health emergency.

After conflict broke out in parts of South Sudan in May, more than 8,200 people sought refuge in neighboring Ethiopia, arriving in the Pagak Reception Center, a temporary station set up in May before the border closed due to COVID-19. Normally, the refugee resettlement process would move new arrivals from the temporary reception center to better-established camps within two to three weeks. Currently, the relocation process has been delayed for months due to COVID-19 restrictions and a lack of testing kits.

Action Against Hunger provides lifesaving nutrition treatment to children in Pagak, but the reception center has no hospital facility, substandard water and sanitation services, and little capacity to provide other essential support. Many refugees need additional medical treatment for malnutrition, COVID-19, or other health issues, yet the nearest health center is 35 miles away, with no reliable transportation system. Malnutrition can complicate illness, with malnourished children 12 times more likely to die than their well-nourished peers.

«We are deeply concerned about the health of these children,» said Beza Abebe, Ethiopia Program Director, Action Against Hunger. «This vulnerable population does not have access to enough food, clean water, and health services needed to prevent malnutrition. On top of this crisis, COVID-19 presents a real threat to refugees, host communities, and humanitarian workers alike. People are desperate and afraid. We are facing a true emergency.»

High malnutrition rates in Pagak are linked to the low availability of nutritious foods, limited access to water, sanitation, and hygiene, and poor infant and child feeding practices. In April, funding shortfalls in the U N World Food Program cut food rations to refugees in Ethiopia by 30 percent, another factor contributing to hunger rates in Pagak and the wider Gambella region, which hosts more than 750,000 refugees.

Crowded settlements and poor access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services make COVID-19 prevention extremely difficult in Gambella, which is seeing an increased community transmission. With 595 cases currently confirmed in Gambella, Action Against Hunger experts believe the true infection rate may be much higher.

«While all new refugees are now required to be tested for the virus, testing supplies and PPE are limited. We suspect that many people are avoiding testing because of the severe stigma and fear that comes with COVID-19,» Abebe said. «We are providing health education to stop the spread of COVID-19 and malnutrition, as well as mental health support to refugees and frontline workers. In recent weeks, we have seen a sharp increase in admissions to our health centers in other parts of the Gambella region.»

«Sadly, Pagak is not alone. Across the region, millions of people are hungry,» said Hajir Maalim, Horn and East Africa Regional Director, Action Against Hunger. «While it will take months for official data on malnutrition to be released, the early indicators are clear. The global community must come together to fight this war on two fronts, both hunger and the pandemic.»

Action Against Hunger is the world’s hunger specialist and a nonprofit leader in a global movement that aims to end life-threatening hunger for good. For 40 years, the humanitarian organization has innovated better ways to treat and prevent hunger. It serves more than 20 million people annually across nearly 50 countries and earned a 4-star Charity Navigator rating for its 14^th consecutive year.

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SOURCE Action Against Hunger

Warehouse District Event Space Pivots to Offer Full-Service Micro-Weddings

PHOENIX, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Croft Downtown, a 17,500 square foot, centrally located event space, announced today that it will begin offering and scheduling Micro-Weddings, full-service ceremonies for limited guest counts, offered in two- or four-hour packages. The offerings are a response to a…

«We recognize there are many couples who had planned to be married by the spring or planned to get married at some point in 2020 and now face uncertainty,» said Angela Karp, owner of The Croft Downtown. «We have a beautiful event space and a talented production staff, which puts our capabilities in a unique position to offer couples a scaled-down, responsible, and proper ceremony with minimal lead time.»

Both Micro-Wedding packages will cover the ceremony, officiant, space for approximately 10 guests*, professional event photographer, disk jockey services, use of the facility, and floral arrangements. The four-hour package will include decor and floral arrangements for a small reception, as well. The packages are both offered at flat rates, which enables rapid scheduling and realization. To start the process, interested couples can request more information by calling 602-462-9700 or visiting www.thecroftdowntown.com/phoenix-elopement-micro-weddings.

The venue is adhering to physical distancing recommendations, including mandating masks, issued by state and local health officials.

«This is an opportunity for us, as a venue and a production team, to take our expertise and respond to a peak wedding season that did not happen this spring,» Karp added. «The couples who choose these offerings are still able to share their vows with those closest to them and will have some truly special memories in an uncertain time.»

Couples will need to obtain a marriage license from the Maricopa County Clerk of the Superior Court before the date of their ceremony.

*Guest counts are subject to change due to government health officials’ recommendations and guidelines.

About The Croft Downtown:

The industrial and versatile event space offers urban cement floors and wood trellised ceilings, paired with stylish and chic décor to create an elegant yet comfortable ambiance. This venue is equipped with an enchanting rustic ceremony area and a dedicated reception space. More information about the venue can be found at www.thecroftdowntown.com.

Press Contact:

Victoria Meadows

(480) 686-2904

info@angelicgrove.com

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The Croft Downtown Logo
The Croft Downtown is unlike any other venue in the Phoenix area. It offers urban cement floors and wood trellised ceilings, paired with stylish and chic décor to create an elegant yet comfortable ambiance. This venue is equipped with an enchanting rustic ceremony area and a dedicated lofty reception space for dinner, dancing, and entertainment.

SOURCE The Croft Downtown

Trulieve Opens in Englewood, Continues Expansion Across Florida

The company’s newest location in Southwest Florida expands direct access to the state’s widest-ranging medical cannabis inventory for patients

ENGLEWOOD, Fla., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ – Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TCNNF) («Trulieve» or «the Company»), a leading and top-performing cannabis company based in the United States, announced today the opening of its latest storefront.

The company’s newest location in Southwest Florida expands direct access to the state’s widest-ranging medical cannabis inventory for patients

Situated in Englewood, which stretches into both Sarasota and Charlotte counties, the dispensary supports Trulieve’s goal of expanding and ensuring direct, reliable patient access to medical cannabis throughout the state. It also joins the Company’s 53 other Florida dispensaries, including those in nearby Port Charlotte, Venice, and North Fort Myers.

«While this year has definitely seen its challenges, we’ve worked hard to maintain our company’s mission of providing innovative cannabis products and an authentic, high-quality customer experience, with our dedicated Trulievers supporting us every step of the way. Expanding our reach and providing safe, reliable access to the high-quality medications patients rely on is one of the best ways we can connect with patients directly, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to offer direct access to patients in both Sarasota and Charlotte counties,» said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers. «As with all of our openings recently, we’ve taken precautions and measured steps to best ensure the health and safety of our staff and patients. We’re excited for the opportunity to serve the Englewood community, and look forward to doing so for years to come.»

To commemorate the brand-new dispensary, all patients — from those new to Trulieve to our strong Truliever community — will be eligible for a 25% in-store discount at the Englewood location on opening day. In line with policies that have been adopted statewide, all visitors will be required to wear masks inside the dispensary. At this time, only patients and their state-approved caregivers will be allowed inside the waiting room and dispensary.

ANNOUNCING: Trulieve Englewood Opening
WHERE: 1720 South McCall Road, Englewood, Florida 34223
WHEN: Friday, August 7, 2020, at 9:00 AM

To assist patients with ordering, Trulieve has made our entire catalog of products available for online ordering, with in-store pickup, curbside pickup (at select locations), or statewide home delivery options available. Furthermore, to assist with CDC recommendations for social distancing and in compliance with additional company-enforced safety guidelines, several measures have been taken to ensure the health and well-being of employees and patients, including modifying the store layout, installation of plexiglass partitions and HEPA air filtration scrubbers in the dispensaries, increasing access to masks and sanitizer throughout the store for staff and visitors, utilizing visual aids to direct traffic throughout the store, and increasing the frequency of deep cleanings for all dispensaries. Trulieve is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation and will update store policies as needed to ensure the safety of patients and staff; all updates will be shared directly on Trulieve’s website as they are enacted.

As the state’s leading medical cannabis provider, Trulieve’s employees are experienced, knowledgeable, and eager to help patients. Trulieve encourages potential patients, as well as patients who are new to cannabis and to our wide array of products, to connect with the staff in-store or through the online chat feature to learn more.

In stores and online, patients will find Florida’s largest selection of THC and CBD products, available in a variety of delivery methods, including smokable cannabis, concentrates, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Trulieve also offers home delivery statewide for patients, and convenient in-store pick-up at its 54 dispensaries in locations across the state from Pensacola to Key West.

The Office of Medical Marijuana Use recently announced the registry was quickly approaching 385,000 registered medical marijuana patients with an active ID card, with Trulieve consistently selling approximately half of the state’s overall volume, per the Florida Department of Health. There are more than 2,500 registered ordering physicians in the State of Florida as well.

For more information, please visit www.Trulieve.com.

About Trulieve
Trulieve is a vertically integrated «seed-to-sale» company and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve-branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve also operates in California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol TCNNF.

To learn more about Trulieve, visit www.Trulieve.com.

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SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp.

Magicland Children’s Dental SERVS The Community

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Magicland Children’s Dental, providers of top-notch pedodontics and orthodontics in Southern California, partners with local school lunch programs to hand out to-go lunches and toothbrushes to local schoolchildren and their families.

Standing by their company credo to SERV (standing for Service, Excellence, Respect, and Value), West Coast Dental’s Magicland employees have taken to the streets to help their…

Standing by their company credo to SERV (standing for Service, Excellence, Respect, and Value), West Coast Dental’s Magicland employees have taken to the streets to help their community by handing out over 1500 to-go lunches and oral care products to local children, and their families, in need.

While COVID-19 has affected our ability to gather, it’s also deeply impacted schoolchildren and their families who rely on their schools meals, support, and education. To help support our community, Magicland Dental has teamed up with local school lunch programs to hand out meals, and also toothbrushes, to ensure nutritious meals and continuous oral health education despite the very real limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program is a continuation of Magicland Dental’s commitment to providing local children, in partnership with the local school districts, the quality oral healthcare that they, and every child, truly deserves.

The Magicland Dental team dressed up in costumes (like Spiderman, and the tooth fairy!) to make their mission fun for children – all while masked and gloved to ensure absolute safety for staff and guests.

«COVID-19 has presented challenges for us all, but together we will get through this,» says VP of Marketing Norma Adams. «We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our communities and bring direct support exactly how and where it’s needed most.»

Through the program, Magicland Dental has already distributed over 1500 school lunches packed with toothbrushes for children in the community.

To visit either Magicland Dental office, please visit http://www.magiclanddental.com.

About West Coast Dental
Privately held for 25 years, West Coast Dental Services has continued to serve Southern California with the finest dental and orthodontic care in the state. Started by a group of dedicated dental professionals who saw the need for quality, multi-specialty dental care, West Coast Dental now has 35 state-of-the-art dental care practices across the state of California and three in the state of Washington. West Coast Dental Services delivers the highest standard of care using the latest technologies with a team of talented general dentists and specialists.
For more information, visit http://www.westcoastdental.com

SOURCE Magicland Dental

UMD Assistant Professor Receives USDA Grant to Develop New Genetic Techniques to Incorporate Natural Variations in Wheat Breeding

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Enhancing the production of global staples like wheat to feed a rapidly growing global population requires the fast integration of new genes and traits into usable varieties for growers. To meet this need and incorporate natural genetic variation that improves wheat quality and yield, Vijay Tiwari, assistant professor in Plant Science & Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland (UMD), is directing a new grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) that applies his unique expertise in Radiation Hybrid (RH) mapping. Used to validate the whole wheat genome sequence, RH mapping can improve the targeting and transfer of valuable genetic traits without incorporating any negative traits that may set back the breeding process. Collaborating with Kansas State University, Tiwari will guide the development of new genetic techniques using RH mapping to incorporate desirable traits into the wheat genome and enhance wheat breeding.

«I am very excited about this grant as it provides me with the tools and resources to perform active research on a very important topic that affects global food security,» says Tiwari. «We previously led the RH mapping work to assist in sequencing the whole wheat reference genome through the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC). Now through this project, we will be combining RH mapping, unique germplasm [or living tissue from which new plants can be grown], and advances in genomics to develop a pipeline for wheat improvement.»

To meet future demands of a projected world population of 9.6 billion by 2050, wheat production will need to increase by 60 percent according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. To preserve biodiversity, water, and nutrient resources, this increase has to be predominantly achieved through crop and trait improvement on currently cultivated land using sustainable agricultural approaches.

«To keep pace with the growing demands in wheat production,» says Tiwari, «we need quick integration of new genes and traits in wheat breeding. However, gene transfer from wheat’s wild and related genetic material brings undesirable traits that negatively influence end-use quality and grain yield. Our project team is focused on developing a method without genetic modification to speed up the natural breeding process and transfer important genes from wheat’s genetic ancestors to bread wheat varieties while reducing linkage drag.»

Linkage drag is the process by which undesirable traits are ‘dragged’ over with desirable traits during the genetic recombination process. According to Tiwari, linkage drag is just one of several «big recombination barriers to utilize wheat’s distant gene pool for bread wheat improvement.» Using his expertise in RH mapping to validate and create maps of entire chromosomes, Tiwari and his collaborators plan to use genetic markers to develop a method to track genetic variation that can stand in the way of desirable breeding and channel desirable traits for incorporation into new bread wheat varieties.

«This fits very well with the work I do under our Maryland Small Grain Breeding and Genetics program at UMD,» says Tiwari. «UMD’s program is focused on developing elite cultivars with novel genes and traits to increase overall crop productivity. The long-term goal of this new project is to reduce the bottlenecks for gene transfer from wheat’s distant gene pool that will serve as an important step to bring more genes and traits to fight diseases and abiotic stresses like heat. Germplasm developed in this project will be available to breeders across the country. The success of this project will aid our overall goal to ensure global food security.»

This work is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), Award #2020-67013-31460.

SOURCE University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

National STEM Scholars Announced for 2020

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Nine middle school teachers from eight states have been selected to participate in the prestigious National STEM Scholar Program, a unique professional development program that provides advanced STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) training, national network building, and project support for middle school science teachers nationwide.

Created in partnership between the National Stem Cell Foundation and The Gatton Academy of…

Created in partnership between the National Stem Cell Foundation and The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University (WKU), the National STEM Scholar Program selects ten teachers each year from a national pool of applicants based solely on the description of a Challenge Project the applicant would implement if funds were not a barrier to execution. Selected projects are chosen for maximum impact in the middle school classrooms where research shows lifelong STEM career decisions are being made. STEM Scholars convene on WKU’s campus for a week of advanced STEM training and finalize their Challenge Projects with input from their National STEM Scholar class colleagues. Each Scholar is provided access to a generous stipend for the technology and supplies they need to implement their Challenge Projects at home.

The 2020 National STEM Scholar class will be hosted by The Gatton Academy August 4 – 9 on the campus of WKU in Bowling Green, KY. Selected from approximately 200 applicants across the country, the 2020 National STEM Scholars are:

Allison Bogart, Lake Isabella, CA – Woodrow W. Wallace Middle
Tammy Bartlett, Dinwiddie, VA – Dinwiddie Middle School
Jennifer Durham, Elizabeth City, NC – H.L. Trigg Community School
Erin Elliott, Panama City Beach, FL – Surfside Middle School
Amanda Huff, Hopkinsville, KY – Christian County Middle School
Rob Jackson, Topeka, KS – Seaman Middle School
Larisa Leap, Carrollton, KY – Carroll County Middle School
Katie Lee, McKinney, TX – Dr. Jack Cockrill Middle School
Patrick Marti, Seattle, WA – Villa Academy

Dr. Paula Grisanti, CEO of the National Stem Cell Foundation, said, «Through our work with researchers and scientists nationwide, we became aware of the widening gap between 21st Century jobs and the U.S. STEM-educated graduates who can fill them. We added education to our mission in 2015 as a way to support the development of a new generation of scientists working to advance technology, build infrastructure and find cures for diseases and conditions that affect us all. Supporting teachers who inspire and motivate middle school students at this critical decision-making age will directly impact how many choose to pursue STEM skills that are essential for 21st Century jobs. By investing in the influential middle school STEM teacher now, we reach thousands of students in classrooms today and far into the future.»

Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Executive Director of The Gatton Academy, added, «This partnership will accrue benefits for the National STEM Scholars, middle school students in their classrooms, and the middle school science teachers with whom they collaborate. The National STEM Scholar Program is an excellent way for teachers to learn new strategies and new ways to engage students to help them become and stay interested in science and math.»

To date, National STEM Scholars represent 49 middle schools in 26 states, from Alaska to New York and Wisconsin to Florida. A significant requirement of selection is the commitment to share lessons learned with colleagues in the Scholar’s home schools, districts or states, magnifying impact over multiple classrooms and years.

About the National Stem Cell Foundation
The National Stem Cell Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that funds adult stem cell and regenerative medicine research, connects children with limited resources to clinical trials for rare diseases and underwrites the National STEM Scholar Program for middle school science teachers inspiring the next generation of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) pioneers nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.nationalstemcellfoundation.org.

About The Gatton Academy
Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science is Kentucky’s first state-supported, residential program for high school students with interests in advanced math and science careers. One of only 15 such programs in the nation, The Academy has been named to The Washington Post’s list of top-performing schools with elite students for eight consecutive years. For more information, visit http://www.wku.edu/academy.

SOURCE National Stem Cell Foundation

P2 Science Publishes New Comprehensive Guide for Formulators in Clean Beauty

WOODBRIDGE, Conn., Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — P2 Science, Inc. (P2) today published Edition 1 of The Citropol® Book, which collects in one place all the key information needed by formulators to build advanced clean beauty products on the Citropol platform. Citropols are novel, forest-derived, renewable liquid polymers, recently launched by P2, which are finding application as alternatives to silicones. Key areas covered in the book include applications, formulations, physical, chemical and sensory properties, environmental safety, toxicology, and provenance.

Neil Burns, CEO of P2, said «This is a book for cosmetic brand marketers and consumer product developers. As the Citropols are a new, patented, class of compounds, people really appreciate, having all the key information they need in one place. The book provides ideas and data to enable creation of high performing products built on Citropols» Ryan Cheng, Business Development Director of P2 noted «Customers worldwide have started to realize the potential for Citropols to be a central part of their formulations palette and products’ storytelling. The Citropol book helps get them up and running quickly making great cosmetic products and the ideas in there help strengthen brand identity.»

The book can be downloaded at https://p2science.com/citropols/.

About P2 Science:
P2 Science is a renewable chemistry company. P2 has developed and patented green chemistry technologies for converting renewable feedstocks into high-value specialty products. Investors in P2 include BASF Venture Capital, Xeraya Capital, Elm Street Ventures, Connecticut Innovations, Ironwood Capital, HG Ventures and Chanel. The company started up its first manufacturing plant in September of 2018 which produces novel renewable aroma chemicals and cosmetics ingredients. For more information, see http://www.p2science.com.

SOURCE P2 Science

Alcohol Justice Reports California Health and Safety Advocates Alarmed by Increase in Binge Drinking During Shelter-in-Place Orders

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Results of a new survey on alcohol drinking habits during California’s Covid-19 shelter-in-place order reveals a disturbing rise in binge drinking and easier access to alcohol due to lifting of some alcohol restrictions when the pandemic began.

In an effort to prevent large group gatherings, Governor Newsom ordered closure of indoor dining, bars and nightclubs. To offset the ensuing revenue loss to the alcohol industry, Newsom declared alcohol «essential» and the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) lifted regulations on take out and home delivery of alcoholic beverages.

To determine how easier access to alcohol impacts alcohol behaviors, Alcohol Justice, an alcohol industry watchdog organization and the Institute for Public Strategies (IPS), a public health agency, conducted the Los Angeles County Alcohol Shelter-In-Place (SIP) Survey, an online pilot survey of 218 alcohol-using residents of Los Angeles County. The results show an increase in binge drinking and that people who ordered alcohol for delivery or to-go, were more likely to binge drink

«This report confirms that high-risk drinking has increased during quarantine,» said Sarah Blanch, Vice President of Organizational Development at IPS. «It also shows that people making use of the new alcohol delivery services and other relief measures are significantly more likely to engage in risky drinking.»

The survey respondents were greater than age 21, with a primary residence in Los Angeles County (including the City of Los Angeles), and confirmed that they had at least one drink of alcohol in the past 12 months. Respondents were asked to compare their alcohol use before March 2020, to their drinking habits in May or June of this year, during the SIP order. The survey shows:

Compared to pre-SIP, 28% of respondents (n=60) reported more frequent binge drinking, (defined as a session of 5+ drinks for males, 4+ for females).
42% of respondents purchased alcohol through delivery or to-go and also increased binge drinking.
During SIP, 28% of Caucasian respondents engaged in binge drinking weekly or more, compared to 23.6% of Hispanic respondents and 20% of African-American respondents.
After SIP, 37% of African-American and 38% of Hispanic respondents were more likely to have increased binge drinking.
Compared to pre-SIP, drinking while socializing via an internet-connected device increased 52%.

Health and safety advocates say there is an urgent need to discontinue delivery and to-go services for alcohol.

«The state seems to have really doubled down on alcohol sales as a way to save the economy during the pandemic, and these data shows extra sales means more binge drinking,» said Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, Research Manager for Alcohol Justice. «When we see policies that encourage reckless drinking at a time when it’s even harder than usual to get medical, mental health, or even basic financial assistance, we need to stop thinking of it as «saving» anything.»

Overconsumption of alcohol is implicated in several hazardous outcomes, including accidental injury, violent crime, suicide attempts, and intimate partner violence. Moreover, research suggests that alcohol’s effects on the immune system may predispose individuals to contracting the coronavirus and worsen the outcomes once exposed. According to a leading scientific journal, consuming alcohol seems to be a risk factor for contracting Covid-19 and the severity of the disease.

«Why should we continue to help the alcohol industry increase their already massive profits and lift policies that make it easier for binge drinking, which leads to increased community harms?» said Maurina Cintron, Co-Chair, LA DAPA (Los Angeles Drug and Alcohol Policy Alliance). «This is another prime example of big industry profits taking priority over youth and young adults.»

The release of the SIP survey results follows a news conference in late July by the California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA), calling on Governor Newsom to remove alcohol from the Essential Services list during the pandemic. A major concern is too much access to alcohol in L.A. County where 80% of communities have more alcohol businesses than what ABC recommends.

«ABC rarely denies alcohol licenses and in fact has contributed to social, racial and health inequities by allowing alcohol overconcentration in historically disadvantaged communities throughout California,» said Gilbert Mora, Co-Chair, California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA). «During this critical time, we are dealing with a health epidemic, ABC’s complicity with the alcohol industry is costing lives. Please text the word CAPA to 313131 to send a message to the Governor asking him to make public health essential, not alcohol.»

California currently suffers over 10,500 alcohol-related deaths, 165,000 alcohol-related hospitalizations and $35 billion in related economic harm. Download the full SIP Survey report and results here.

IPS and Alcohol Justice invite the public to discuss this issue during a Twitter chat August 12^th at 10 am. Follow the discussion and give us your opinion, by using the hashtag #SIPAlcoholLA on Twitter.

Contacts: Cynthia Nickerson (IPS) 323-675-8785
cnickerson@publicstrategies.org
Michael Scippa (AJ) 415 548-0492
michaels@alcoholjustice.org

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/147418/alcohol_justice_logo.jpg

SOURCE Alcohol Justice

Alcohol Justice informa a los defensores de salud y seguridad de California, alarmada por un aumento en el consumo de alcohol en grandes cantidades durante la vigencia de las disposiciones de confinamiento

LOS ÁNGELES, 6 de agosto de 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Los resultados de una nueva encuesta sobre los hábitos de consumo de alcohol durante la vigencia de disposiciones de confinamiento por el Covid-19 en California revelan un preocupante aumento en el consumo en grandes cantidades y el acceso más fácil al alcohol, debido al levantamiento de ciertas restricciones sobre el alcohol cuando se inició la pandemia.

En un esfuerzo por evitar las reuniones de grupos grandes, el gobernador Newsom ordenó el cierre de restaurantes cerrados, bares y clubes nocturnos. Para compensar la consiguiente pérdida de ingresos para la industria de las bebidas alcohólicas, Newsom declaró «esencial» al alcohol, y el Departamento de Control de Bebidas Alcohólicas (ABC por sus siglas en inglés) de California levantó las regulaciones para la compra al paso y la entrega a domicilio de bebidas alcohólicas.

Para determinar de qué modo el acceso más fácil al alcohol impacta las conductas de consumo, Alcohol Justice, una organización de vigilancia a la industria de las bebidas alcohólicas y el Institute for Public Strategies (IPS, Instituto para estrategias Públicas), una agencia de salud pública, llevaron a cabo la encuesta denominada Los Angeles County Alcohol Shelter-In-Place (SIP) Survey, una encuesta piloto en línea a 218 residentes consumidores de alcohol en el condado de Los Ángeles. Los resultados muestran un aumento en el consumo en grandes cantidades, y que las personas que ordenaron alcohol para entrega a domicilio o para llevar tenían más probabilidades de beber en grandes cantidades

«Este informe confirma que el consumo de alto riesgo de bebidas alcohólicas ha aumentado durante la cuarentena«, comentó Sarah Blanch, vicepresidenta de Desarrollo Organizacional de IPS. «También muestra que las personas que utilizan los nuevos servicios de entrega de alcohol y otras medidas de alivio tienen una posibilidad significativamente mayor de involucrarse en un consumo de alcohol de riesgo».

Quienes respondieron a la encuesta eran mayores de 21 años, con residencia primaria en el condado de Los Ángeles (incluida la ciudad de Los Ángeles), y confirmaron que había tomado como mínimo una bebida con alcohol en los últimos 12 meses. A los encuestados se les pidió que compararan su consumo de alcohol antes de marzo de 2020 con sus hábitos de bebida en mayo y junio de este año, durante la disposición de confinamiento. La encuesta muestra lo siguiente:

Comparado con la etapa previa al confinamiento, 28% de los encuestados (n=60) notificaron mayor frecuencia en el consumo en grandes cantidades (definido como una sesión de más de 5 bebidas para varones y más de 4 para mujeres).
42% de los encuestados compraron alcohol a través de servicios de entrega a domicilio o para llevar, y además aumentaron el consumo en grandes cantidades.
Durante el confinamiento, un 28% de los encuestados caucásicos incurrieron en consumo en grandes cantidades una vez por semana o más, frente a 23,6% de los encuestados hispanos y 20% de los encuestados afroamericanos.
Después del confinamiento, un 37% de los encuestados afroamericanos y 38% de los hispanos tenían una mayor probabilidad de aumentar el consumo de alcohol en grandes cantidades.
En comparación con la etapa pre-confinamiento, el consumo de bebidas mientras se socializa a través de un dispositivo conectado a Internet aumentó un 52%.

Los defensores de la salud y la seguridad sostienen que hay una necesidad urgente de discontinuar los servicios de entrega a domicilio y para llevar para el alcohol.

«El estado realmente parece haber redoblado las ventas de alcohol como forma de salvar la economía durante la pandemia, y estos datos muestran que las ventas adicionales significan más consumo en grandes cantidades», dijo Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, Gerente de Investigación de Alcohol Justice. «Cuando vemos políticas que fomentan el consumo imprudente de alcohol en un momento en el que incluso es más difícil que de costumbre obtener asistencia médica, de salud mental o incluso asistencia financiera básica, tenemos que dejar de pensar que eso «salva» nada».

El consumo excesivo de alcohol está implicado en varios resultados peligrosos, entre los que se incluyen lesiones accidentales, delitos violentos, intentos de suicidio y violencia de pareja. Más aún, la investigación sugiere que los efectos del alcohol sobre el sistema inmunológico pueden predisponer a los individuos a contraer el coronavirus, y empeorar los resultados una vez expuestos. Según una publicación científica líder, el consumo de alcohol parece ser un factor de riesgo para contraer el Covid-19 y la severidad de la enfermedad.

«¿Por qué deberíamos seguir ayudando a la industria del alcohol a aumentar sus ya enormes ganancias, y levantar políticas que facilitan el consumo excesivo, que lleva a mayores daños a la comunidad?», dijo Maurina Cintron, presidenta conjunta de LA DAPA (Los Angeles Drug and Alcohol Policy Alliance) (Alianza para políticas sobre drogas y alcohol de Los Ángeles).«Este es otro ejemplo de primer nivel de dar prioridad a las ganancias de las grandes industrias por encima de la juventud y los adultos jóvenes».

La divulgación de los resultados de la encuesta SIP viene tras una conferencia informativa a fines de julio de la California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) (Alianza para Políticas sobre Alcohol de California), que convoca al gobernador Newsom para que elimine al alcohol de la lista de servicios esenciales durante la pandemia. Una preocupación mayor es el acceso excesivo al alcohol en el condado de Los Ángeles, donde 80% de las comunidades tienen más negocios de alcohol que lo recomendado por el ABC.

«El ABC raramente deniega las licencias para la venta de alcohol, y de hecho ha contribuido a inequidades sociales, raciales y sanitarias al permitir una concentración excesiva de alcohol en comunidades históricamente desventajadas en toda California«, comentó Gilbert Mora, presidente conjunto de California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA). «Durante esta época crucial, cuando estamos lidiando con una epidemia sanitaria, la complicidad del ABC con la industria del alcohol está costando vidas». Mande un texto con la palabra CAPA al 313131 para enviar un mensaje al gobernador pidiéndole que convierta en esencial la salud pública, no el alcohol.

California actualmente sufre más de 10,500 muertes relacionadas con el alcohol, 165,000 hospitalizaciones relacionadas con el alcohol y $35,000 millones en daños económicos relacionados. Descargue aquí el informe y los resultados de la Encuesta SIP completa.

IPS y Alcohol Justice invitan al público a discutir este tema durante una charla por Twitter el 12 de agosto a las 10 am. Siga la discusión y denos su opinión utilizando el hashtag #SIPAlcoholLA en Twitter.

Contactos: Cynthia Nickerson (IPS) 323-675-8785
cnickerson@publicstrategies.org
Michael Scippa (AJ) 415 548-0492
michaels@alcoholjustice.org

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FUENTE Alcohol Justice

Alcohol Justice Reports California Health and Safety Advocates Alarmed by Increase in Binge Drinking During Shelter-in-Place Orders

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Results of a new survey on alcohol drinking habits during California’s Covid-19 shelter-in-place order reveals a disturbing rise in binge drinking and easier access to alcohol due to lifting of some alcohol restrictions when the pandemic began.

Compared to pre-SIP, 28% of respondents (n=60) reported more frequent binge drinking, (defined as a session of 5+ drinks for males, 4+ for females).
42% of respondents purchased alcohol through delivery or to-go and also increased binge drinking.
During SIP, 28% of Caucasian respondents engaged in binge drinking weekly or more, compared to 23.6% of Hispanic respondents and 20% of African-American respondents.
After SIP, 37% of African-American and 38% of Hispanic respondents were more likely to have increased binge drinking.
Compared to pre-SIP, drinking while socializing via an internet-connected device increased 52%.

Health and safety advocates say there is an urgent need to discontinue delivery and to-go services for alcohol.

Contacts: Cynthia Nickerson (IPS) 323-675-8785
cnickerson@publicstrategies.org
Michael Scippa (AJ) 415 548-0492
michaels@alcoholjustice.org

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SOURCE Alcohol Justice