Alcohol In Brazil Research Articles

Prevalence and factors associated with driving under the influence of alcohol in Brazil

Objectives To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (DUIA) among car drivers and motorcyclists in Brazil and to evaluate the association between DUIA and self-reported Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) in these groups. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from adults aged 18 or older who participated in the 2019 National Health Survey. Probability sampling was used to recruit participants, and data collection was carried out through home visits. Data from 31,246 car drivers and 21,896 motorcyclists were analyzed. Key indicators included the proportion (%) of car drivers who consumed alcohol and then drove in the past 12 months and the proportion (%) of motorcyclists who consumed alcohol and then drove in the past 12 months. Multiple Poisson regression was used to determine factors associated with DUIA and the association of this variable with RTIs in both groups. Results DUIA prevalence was 9.4% (95% Confidence Interval [95% CI] = 8.8–10.0) among car drivers and 11.2% (95% CI = 10.4–12.1) among motorcyclists. Among car drivers, DUIA prevalence was higher in men, young adults, those without a spouse/partner, and lower in individuals with lower income and education level. Among motorcyclists, DUIA prevalence was higher in men, young adults, those living outside the capitals and metropolitan regions, and lower in individuals with lower income. DUIA increased the prevalence of self-reported RTIs in the previous 12 months among car drivers and motorcyclists. Conclusions A high prevalence of DUIA was evident among drivers, particularly motorcyclists. The DUIA was more prevalent among men and young adults. The DUIA was associated with an increased magnitude of self-reported RTIs among car drivers and motorcyclists. Despite the extensive legislation for zero tolerance toward DUIA in the country, actions need stricter enforcement.

Reasons for and Consequences of the Combined Use of Crack Cocaine and Alcohol in Brazil:

The objective of this study was to investigate, through the speeches of crack cocaine users, the reasons that lead them to combine crack cocaine with alcohol and the consequences of this combination, in Brazil. The lack of public policies and effective treatments has led crack cocaine users in Brazil to seek alternatives to cope with problems related to drug addiction. One adopted alternative is the consumption of crack cocaine together with other psychotropic drug. This study used the principles and instruments of qualitative research. A purposeful sample was constructed using key informants and gatekeepers whose sample size (N = 30) was defined by the theoretical saturation point. The study participants were subjected to in-depth interviews, and the responses were subjected to content analysis for the identification of thematic units. Alcohol use played many roles, including increasing the courage of drug users to go to the point of sale for psychotropic drugs, reducing thirst, and prolonging the positive effects of crack cocaine. The combination of alcohol and crack cocaine is commonly used to modulate the effects of the latter. A vicious cycle is established in which the consumption of alcohol stimulates the consumption of cocaine and vice versa. The participants also reported cost savings but admitted an increase in aggressiveness. The combined use of crack cocaine and alcohol can become a strong conditioned stimulus for the consumption of the former. The formation of the active metabolite cocaethylene in this drug combination may explain the prolongation of the effects of crack cocaine. Moreover, both drugs act in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system and consequently produce a synergistic effect. Severe outcomes such as cardiotoxicity, which can lead to death, in addition to aggression and the possibility of relapse to crack cocaine use, make this drug combination a public health problem that is greater than the individual consumption of these psychotropic drugs.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol in Brazil: An Analysis by Macroregion.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with driving under the influence of alcohol (DUIA) in Brazil, according to macroregion. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from individuals aged 18 years or older who participated in the 2013 National Health Survey in Brazil. Subjects were selected by probabilistic sampling and interviewed through home visits. Prevalence of DUIA was estimated according to the number of drivers and/or motorcyclists who reported consuming alcohol in the previous 30 days (n = 9537). Poisson regression was used to analyze the factors associated with DUIA to Brazil and in each macroregion of the country. Results: The prevalence of DUIA was 27.5%, 29.4%, 29.6%, 22.9%, and 20.8% in the North, Northeast, Central-West, South, and Southeast macroregions, respectively. The overall prevalence of Brazil was 24.3%. In most macroregions, the main predictors of DUIA were male sex, high educational level, living in outside the capital or metropolitan regions (other regions), and binge drinking in the previous 30 days. Depression was a predictor in Brazil and two macroregions. Conclusion: A high prevalence of DUIA was observed in Brazil, especially in the Central-West, Northeast and, North macro-regions. Factors associated with DUIA can be incorporated to develop effective interventions to reduce this behavior in Brazil.

Alcohol and drug involvement in motorcycle driver injuries in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil: Analysis of crash culpability and other associated factors

BackgroundEarlier studies have already identified that a greater proportion of injured drivers are under the effects of illicit drugs than alcohol in Brazil, but the crash risk attributable to each substance is still unknown. MethodsInjured motorcycle drivers who were involved in traffic accidents in the West Zone of the city of Sao Paulo were recruited for a cross-sectional study based on crash culpability analysis. Alcohol and drug positivity among drivers was evaluated according to their responsibility for the crash. Culpability ratios were generated based on the proportion of drivers who were deemed culpable in relation to those considered not culpable according to the use of drugs and alcohol. ResultsOf the 273 drivers recruited, 10.6% tested positive for alcohol. Among those who were also tested for drugs (n=232), 20.3% had consumed either alcohol and/or other drugs, 15.5% of whom were positive only for drugs other than alcohol, specifically cannabis and cocaine. Drivers who tested positive for alcohol were significantly less likely to possess a valid driver’s license and to report driving professionally, whereas those who had consumed only drugs were more likely to drive professionally. The culpability ratio estimated for alcohol-positive drivers was three times higher than that for alcohol-free drivers, showing a superior ratio than drivers who had consumed only drugs other than alcohol, who presented a 1.7 times higher culpability ratio than drug-free drivers. ConclusionSubstance use was overrepresented among culpable motorcycle drivers, with alcohol showing a greater contribution to crash culpability than other drugs.

O IMPACTO DOS DETERMINANTES DA OFERTA DE AÇÚCAR E ÁLCOOL NO BRASIL NO PERÍODO 1995 A 2009

This study has the objective to measure the impact of the determinants for the supply of sugar and alcohol in Brazil, with the intention to capture the duration of the osclillations of prices and production influences to the Brazilian market. The econometric model proposed for the following study consists of a vector auto-regressive model with an error correction mechanism based on quarterly temporal series within the period of 1995 to 2009. Afterwards, it was analyzed through Granger causality tests and the impulse response function (IRF) the precedence among the variables comprehended in the models, as well as the impulse that a variable applies over the others. At last based on the tests presented it has got to the conclusion that the model B with four lags, showed the most coherent and conclusive results concerning the theoretical support and the dynamics of the sector. Among the main results it is evident the positive relationship of sugar and ethanol concerning the determination of its offers, at the sense that the increase one product generates, at the same point, the expansion of the other. In addition the behaviors of the variables of prices, in part presented results in agreement to the expected signals. The sugar exports and exchange rate impact positively in the income received by the producer and infer positively for the expansion of the Brazilian sugar offer.

Abstinence of alcohol in Brazil

Aim This study describes the prevalence and socio-demographic characteristics of Brazilian self-reported never-drinkers aged 18 or over. Besides the investigation of prevalence, the hypothesis was that socio-demographic characteristics would be different when compared to drinkers of any severity.

Industrial PE-2 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: from alcoholic fermentation to the production of recombinant proteins

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most important microorganism used in the ethanol fermentation process. The PE-2 strain of this yeast is widely used to produce alcohol in Brazil due to its high fermentation capacity. The aim of the present study was to develop an expression system for recombinant proteins using the industrial PE-2 strain of S. cerevisiae during the alcoholic fermentation process. The protein chosen as a model for this system was CaneCPI-1, a cysteine peptidase inhibitor. A plasmid containing the CaneCPI-1 gene was constructed and yeast cells were transformed with the pYADE4_CaneCPI-1 construct. To evaluate the effect on fermentation ability, the transformed strain was used in the fermentation process with cell recycling. During the nine-hour fermentative cycles the transformed strain did not have its viability and fermentation ability affected. In the last cycle, when the fermentation lasted longer, the protein was expressed probably at the expense of ethanol once the sugars were exhausted. The recombinant protein was expressed in yeast cells, purified and submitted to assays of activity that demonstrated its functionality. Thus, the industrial PE-2 strain of S. cerevisiae can be used as a viable system for protein expression and to produce alcohol simultaneously. The findings of the present study demonstrate the possibility of producing recombinant proteins with biotechnological applications during the ethanol fermentation process.

A pilot study of full-dose ondansetron to treat heavy-drinking men withdrawing from alcohol in Brazil

Ondansetron has emerged as a promising medication for the treatment of alcohol dependence, mainly among early-onset alcoholics. This research primarily aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ondansetron at a 16mg/day dosage to treat alcohol-dependent outpatients. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week study was carried out at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. The total sample comprised 102 men, 18−60 years of age, with an International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnosis of alcohol dependence. Half of our sample discontinued the treatment and the main outcome measures (proportion of abstinent days and proportion of heavy drinking days) were analyzed using the treatment adherents as well as with an imputed sample. The main factors associated with treatment retention were older age and smoking status. Although there were no significant differences between the main outcome measures of both medication groups in the adherents, ondansetron demonstrated a slight but significant superiority over the placebo regarding the proportion of heavy drinking days in the imputed sample (7.8% versus 11.7%, respectively). It appears that the optimal dosage to treat alcoholism has yet to be determined. Further, ondansetron may only be useful in treating some types of alcoholics. Ondansetron was well tolerated and no serious adverse events were registered.

Addiction Research Centres and the Nurturing of Creativity. National Institute on Alcohol and Drugs Policies, Brazil

The National Institute of Public Policy for Alcohol and Other Drugs (INPAD) is based at the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, and was created to collect scientific evidence regarding epidemiology, develop new therapeutic approaches, study health economics and provide education to subsidize the proper measures to change the Brazilian scenario of alcohol and drug consumption. Policies directed towards the control of alcohol and drugs in Brazil are fragmented, poorly enforced and therefore ineffective. The unregulated market of alcohol in Brazil has contributed to the worsening health of the Brazilian population. Since 1994, INPAD has participated actively in academic debates and discussions about alcohol and drug policies and their effects on the political welfare of the country. Many scientific papers and books have been published on this subject, and the internet and other media have provided excellent opportunities for the dissemination of specialized information to the general population.

Use of alcohol among the inhabitants of the 107 largest cities in Brazil - 2001

Alcohol is part of the history of humanity, seemingly as a result of countless factors including the easy production of alcoholic beverages in practically all regions of the world. The authors studied aspects of the use of and the dependence on alcohol in Brazil, through a household survey conducted by Centro Brasileiro de Informações sobre Drogas Psicotrópicas (CEBRID). A total of 8,589 interviews were held in 107 of the largest cities in Brazil, all of them with more than 200 thousand inhabitants. The study was planned to gather information within the household environment about a stratified probabilistic sample obtained in three selection phases: 1) the censitaire sectors for each municipality, 2) a systematic randomized sampling, and 3) drafting a respondent by lot in each household to provide information. Approximately 11.2% of the subjects were concerned with their own consumption of alcohol. The signs/symptoms of the syndrome of dependence evident in a greater percentage were the desire to stop or reduce the use of alcohol and to stop or reduce resorting to alcoholic beverages more often than desired, as reported by 14.5 and 9.4% of the respondents, respectively. The regions in Brazil with the highest percentage of dependents were the North (16.3%) and the Northeast (19.9%). According to the estimates obtained in the survey, 5.2% of the teenagers were concerned about the use of alcohol. The estimates obtained in this survey reveal a need to implant specific preventive programs for the problem of alcohol, especially for the very young.

Alcohol in Brazil: recent public health aspects

Alcohol in Brazil: recent public health aspects

98/01975 Activities implemented jointly and the use of fuel alcohol in Brazil for abating CO 2 emissions : Ribeiro, S. K. and Rosa, L. P. Energy Policy, 1998, 26, (2), 103–111

98/01975 Activities implemented jointly and the use of fuel alcohol in Brazil for abating CO 2 emissions : Ribeiro, S. K. and Rosa, L. P. Energy Policy, 1998, 26, (2), 103–111

Activities implemented jointly and the use of fuel alcohol in Brazil for abating CO 2 emissions

A sustained economic growth with low environmental hazards is a major challenge for modern society. Abating CO 2 gas emissions together with the rational uses of energy from clean sources is recognized as a priority worldwide. In this connection, this paper focuses on the possibilities for stimulating and expanding the production of fuel alcohol from sugarcane and the generation of thermoelectricity from bagasse, in the context of Activities Implemented Jointly. A methodology for calculating the CO 2 abatement costs in different scenarios for the use of fuel alcohol and bagasse is presented. The base scenario is constructed starting from an estimate of the motor vehicle fleet run on gasoline and on fuel alcohol. It is assumed the decreasing of alcohol vehicle fleet, as it happens now, and a blend of gasoline with only 10% of anhydrous alcohol. So, it is calculated the consumption of gasoline and alcohol up to the time horizon at the year 2010, as well as the total fuel costs using different hypothesis for the oil price. The alcohol cost is taken as constant in dollars of 1994 and equal to its value just before the overvalorization of the exchange rate between the Brazilian currency (Real-R$) and the US$. It is assumed that this exchange rate will probably be changed in the next years. It is considered in the base scenario alternatives of electricity expansion using coal, fuel oil and natural gas. The carbon emissions and thermoelectricity generation are obtained in two scenarios for abating CO 2 emissions by alcohol vehicle fleet besides the use of a blend of gasoline and 22% alcohol, as well as by implementing electricity generation with sugar cane bagasse. It is calculated the planted area with sugar cane to meet the alcohol and bagasse demand in each scenario. The abatement costs in the different scenarios, taking as reference the base scenario, is calculated. The main conclusion is that the abatement cost decreases along the time and with the increase of CO 2 abatement, reaching a value lower than US$ 10 t −1 CO 2 in the year 2010.

Brazil's Alcohol Programme: From an Attempt to Reduce Oil Dependence in the Seventies to the Green Arguments of the Nineties

The paper describes and analyses: the events, motivations, policies and forces that led to the introduction of ethanol as fuel in Brazil; the recent decision to continue with the programme; and draws important lessons that might be relevant for other regions and countries as they contemplate a transition away from petroleum transportation fuels. The alcohol programme began in the late 1970s; by 1986, as a result of large subsidies, 76% of all new cars were built to be fuelled by alcohol, but by 1996 that was down to less than 1%. It is shown that the pursuit of ethanol fuel in Brazil was not based on long term plans with deep-set values, but has been an ad hoc response to a particular set of circumstances, including a depressed sugar industry, an ambitious attempt to reduce oil dependence and more recently a range of 'green' arguments.

Institutional conditions for the production and marketing of alcohol in Brazil

Institutional conditions for the production and marketing of alcohol in Brazil

Biomethanation in Brazil alcohol programme

The bagasse resulting from the processing of sugar-cane amounts to 57 millions tons per year and it is used as cheap fuel in the processing industries. Economic studies show that biogas production in the alcohol industries is not rentable if it is to replace bagasse as fuel. However, it would represent a 6.6% increase of income if it was used as an automotive fuel in the lorries that transport the cane and/or if it was sold for other uses.

The Politicized Market Economy: Alcohol in Brazil's Energy Strategy.

The Politicized Market Economy: Alcohol in Brazil's Energy Strategy.

Application of Interpretive Structural Modeling in Brazil's Alcohol Fuel Program

Many countries are currently experiencing severe problems because of high and increasing prices for fossil fuels. As these fuels become scarcer and even more expensive, these problems will grow worse. Consequently, more attention is being given to the development of fuels derived from renewable resources. But to reach that time when automobile and other needs are being met on a large scale by fuel from renewable resources, many important developments will be required. Brazil's National Alcohol Program is an extensive program to develop the systems required for producing alcohol from sugarcane and other crops and for developing engines to use alcohol as a fuel. It involves the development of improved varieties of sugarcane, getting them into production, increasing total cultivated land area, increasing milling capacity, instituting a system of paying for cane by sucrose content instead of weight, developing improved distillation technologies, increasing distillation capacity, increasing the means for blending alcohol with gasoline, and developing new engines to use alcohol as a fuel. One of the major Brazilian agencies involved in the National Program used interpretive structural modeling in defining its obligations in the program. This paper describes how that was done.