RSA Course Online

Author: Peter Cutforth

  • Should Parents Give Their Children Alcohol ?

    As we approach the end of the year, some parents may be considering whether or not they should give their children alcohol. Many parents think that if they provide their kids with alcohol, they will be less likely to go out and binge drink with their friends.

    Contrary to this commonly held belief,  research out of Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute reveals that parents who give their children alcohol may be aiding riskier and heavier alcohol consumption.

    Surveys actually show that teenagers do not limit themselves to drinking the alcohol they got from their parents. Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-01/should-parents-give-kids-alcohol-to-control-drinking/9103602

  • The Worst Alcoholic Drinks for Your Skin

    It’s finally holiday season again and for most of us that means drinking, usually alot of it but too much drinking or drinking more than usual can actually cause havoc on the skin.

    Here’s how 7 common alcoholic drinks affect your skin negatively.

    1. Tequila – tequila has the least sugar so it should have the least impact on your skin. It’s less likely to cause inflammation and breakouts but make sure you avoid the lick of salt if you want to avoid the hangover.
    2. Beer- It has antioxidants and other anti-ageing benefits. It also usually has a lower alcohol content and people tend to drink it more slowly.
    3.  Gin and tonic or Vodka Tonic – Gin and vodka are less likely to cause a hangover. They are also lower in salt and sugar so its better for your skin.
    4. White wine – High in sugar and inflammatory so it can result in cell damage and increased skin aging.
    5. Mojito – Loaded in sugar and sugar syrup too of these can cause a breakout and spike your insulin levels.
    6. Margarita – High in sugar and salt, margaritas are often associated with hangovers and puffiness. The high sugar also has aging qualities long term.
    7. Red wine – Promotes blood vessels opening and therefore linked to increased redness. It’s also a histamine releaser, promoting redness and flushing.

    For more go to https://www.hit.com.au/scoopla/life/the-7-worst-alcoholic-drinks-for-your-skin?station=southwest&geoRedirect=true

  • Calls for Labels to Warn Women About Drinking While Pregnant

    The ACT is campaigning to have mandatory pregnancy health warnings on alcoholic beverage labels.

    The call was announced by Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Meegan Fitzharris at the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation recently, with the minister saying the voluntary health warning labels currently in place don’t carry the really important messages about pregnant drinking or the risks of drinking while breastfeeding.

    The minister said that with the effects of alcohol on the brain and organs of the unborn child, mandatory labeling should implemented in Australia, warning women that no alcohol is the safest option during pregnancy. See more at http://www.psnews.com.au/act/579/news/move-to-see-health-warnings-on-alcohol

  • Study Claims Different Alcohols Bring on Different Moods

    According to a new study, different alcoholic beverages may bring on different moods and emotions in people.

    For example drinking red wine may cause people to feel both sexy and tired while vodka, gin and rum may make people more aggressive.

    The researchers found that 25 per cent of people involved in the study felt sexy after drinking red wine and 60 per cent felt tired.

    The study is significant because it may help us solve the problem of drunken brawls and violence, by identifying which alcohols make people react more aggressively.

    Researchers also found people who drank spirits felt more tearful when compared with red wine, beer and white wine drinkers.

     

    Find out more http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/study-different-types-of-alcohol-found-to-elicit-different-moods/news-story/be1b8c3683c2183ec8a2a6a783deb03d

  • Doctor Explains Why You Go Red when You Drink Alcohol

    A recent article on Popsugar.com.au discussed why some people get so red when they drink, particularly in their face, neck, chest and sometimes in their arms and legs.

    According to Dr. Luiza Petre board-certified cardiologist and weight-loss specialist, alcohol metabolism is dependent on enzymes – alcohol dehydrogenase that converts alcohol to acetaldehyde and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase that further converts acetaldehyde to harmless products.

    Some people, including eighty percent of Asians have a hyperfunctional alcohol dehydrogenase and therefore metabolise alcohol to acetaldehyde up to 100 times faster than others.

    The doctor goes on to explain that 40 percent have some sort of malfunction of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase that causes alcohol to metabolise too quickly and it can’t easily get  out.

    This can be called an alcohol allergy with the flushed red skin being attributed to a histamine release which swells the capillaries and causes nasal symptoms and possibly diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, the doctor explained. It’s safe to say when you start getting red you should stop drinking. Read more at https://www.popsugar.com.au/fitness/Why-Do-I-Turn-Red-When-I-Drink-Alcohol-44299923#FeszSZz7XQzbfZAL.99

  • ABS Detects Increase in Alcohol Consumption

    According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the amount of alcohol being consumed has increased for the first time since 2006-07.

    Figures revealed that beer remains the biggest key driver in all categories.

    The consumption of wine also increased as did the consumption of spirits.

    Another alcohol category that saw an increase in consumption was cider.

    The good news is that problem alcohol consumption has been decreasing, indicating that responsible drinking messages are getting through to drinkers.

    Read more at https://www.theshout.com.au/apparent-alcohol-consumption-increases/

  • The Worst Hangover Cure, Courtesy of Ozzy Osbourne

    Ozzy Osbourne has the strangest ever cure for a hangover which he says is “fail-safe”, particularly useful over the festive season.

    His cure,

    four tablespoons of brandy with four tablespoons of port, throw in some milk, a few egg yolks, and — if I was in a festive mood — some nutmeg. The second I woke, I’d mix it up and down it.

    Source: http://hhhhappy.com/ozzy-osbournes-fail-safe-hangover-cure-is-the-worst-thing-ever/

    The amazing thing about this cure is that it gets you drunk all over again.

    Better stick to drinking in moderation and avoiding a hangover altogether.

     

  • Festive Season Survival Guide

    Although most of us live for the festive season and the celebrating that goes with it, there are a number reasons why over indulging during this time of year can be dangerous, some of these include,

    • weight gain
    • a change in your behaviour, possibly for the worst.
    • damage to your liver
    • kidney problems

    Here are some ways to survive the festive season drinking,

    • Do something different. Instead of meeting at the pub for a drink, go for a walk instead.
    • Swap the bubbly (champagne and sparkling wine) for sparkling water.
    • Pick and choose the events where you’ll drink and those where you wont.
    • Alternate one alcoholic drink with a glass of water.
    • Say “no” sometimes when offered a drink.

    For more go to https://www.theweeklyreview.com.au/live/survival-guide-for-the-festive-season/

  • Benefits of Cutting Back on Drinking

    According to a paper released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), an organisation of cancer doctors, minimising the amount you consume can lower your risk of several types of cancer.

    Doctors also warned that people living with cancer remain at risk for other cancers too, so its crucial that they recognise alcohol’s role in cancer.

    Sadly a recent survey of Americans revealed that 70 per cent of them don’t recognise drinking alcohol as a risk factor for cancer.

     

    Find out more https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/37782292/cutting-back-on-alcohol-can-prevent-cancers-experts/

  • Sleep Deprivation is Like Alcohol- Study Shows

    According to research from the University of California’s Professor Itzhak Fried, sleep deprivation impacts the body similarly to alcohol.

    According to the study, exhausted neurons react more slowly than usual and transmit weaker signals more slowly.

    The researchers tested 12 tired epileptic patients by implanting electrodes into their brains, to pinpoint the origin of their seizures and discovered that a lack of sleep, limits neurons ability to function efficiently.

    Inadequate sleep actually affects the brain like drinking too much alcohol.

     

    Read more at http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/11/07/sleep-deprivation-alcohol-study