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  • Focus on Making our Streets Safe Again

    Police in Queensland are doing their best to keep Queensland’s city streets safe over the weekend and as we approach the Christmas holiday season. In this light they have issued a stern warning to partygoers and revellers to behave, or face the consequences.

    The latest in the police’s operations was an operation dubbed “Operation Lima” which involved a clamp down on alcohol related violence and misconduct in Capricornia’s licenced venues in Rockhampton.

    Data clearly shows that in the province alcohol fuelled violence surges on the weekends and holidays in particular, affecting mostly males between the ages of 15 and 25. This age group is most at risk of being the victims of assaults but are also more likely to be the perpetrators of alcohol induced assaults.

    The following excerpt from www.themorningbulletin.com.au explains more about the Operation,

    Acting Detective Inspector Ben Carroll said the district operation was designed to reinforce the national Operation Unite, which occurs from November to December each year.

    “It’s important that police reinforce with the community that alcohol-related problems cannot be tolerated,” he said.

    “We know this time of year it gets a lot busier in the CBD area…we’ve allocated more police presence in those areas.”

    Police are hoping the increased presence will help people make better judgement calls and prevent split-second decisions which could ruin lives.

    Source: http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/police-put-regions-revellers-on-notice/2066554/

    Police are warning people that visit entertainment districts to not only be vigilant about their own safety but also to drink responsibly and not become a menace and contribute to alcohol fuelled violence.

    Remember that an intoxicated person is not only a threat to the safety of others, but is also more vulnerable to attacks because they are less aware and not in the right mental or physical state to defend themselves or act rationally.

    Police have warned that as we approach the festive season drunken misconduct will not be tolerated. It is important that licenced venues also get involved and do their part in minimising the number of alcohol fuelled incidents taking place, especially on the weekends. This can be done be firstly ensuring that all employees, regardless of position have completed their Responsible Service of Alcohol training and also by ensuring that all staff are abiding by RSA rules and enforcing them each day while serving alcohol to patrons.

    Also keep in mind that during this time of year when people are visiting Queensland on holiday and licenced venues are busier than they are at other times of the year, when employing causal staff to fill in for the summer, that they too have completed RSA training. Whether casual workers, temporary staff or people on a working holiday VISA – all must complete Responsible Service of Alcohol training and enforce the principles learnt everyday on the job.

     

  • Group wants Stronger Action to end Alcohol Fuelled Violence

    Community members and businesspeople in Byron Bay want stronger action implemented to curb alcohol fuelled violence in the area. The group, Byron Liquor Accord want the voluntary measures taken to end anti-social behaviour in Byron Bay to be made mandatory.

    The group set up by community members and businesses in the town want to combat alcohol fuelled violence in their area. The group plans on arguing for the change to be made permanent before a NSW Upper House Inquiry into alcohol abuse among young people.

    The group made their presentation before a special session of the inquiry at the Byron Sports Complex last Tuesday, October 8th.

    The following excerpt from a post on NorthernStar.com.au explains more about the group’s position:

    “Research and the experience of other places, both in Australia and overseas, indicates that a significant drop in violence can be achieved by a package of measures including a modest reduction of late-trading hours, purchase limits on drinks and the prohibition of shots and doubles,” Last Drinks at 12 spokesman Mick O’Regan said.

    “We recognize the initiative of the Byron Bay Liquor Accord in this area, although the voluntary nature of the arrangements makes enforcement a real issue.

    “Recent investigations revealed that serious breaches of the Liquor Accord occurredwithin weeks of it being signed. We need these voluntary measures to be made mandatory for all late night trading licensed venues.”

    Two Byron Bay venues – Aquarius Backpakers and LaLa Land – have landed in strife for breaching liquor laws during a Liquor Accord trial aimed at stemming the violence issue.

    Source: http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/tougher-steps-needed-end-drunken-violence-group-sa/2037751/

    Even though these 2 venues have breached liquor laws related to violence, members of the Liquor Accord are pleased that there has been a drop of 25 per cent in alcohol-related incidents during the trial so far. The trial is set to run for another 6 months, so even more improvement is anticipated.

    One of the members of the group, Mr O’Regan attributed most of Byron Bay’s alcohol woes to the “over-supply of alcohol after midnight” which he said has contributed to serious and ongoing problems which are now plaguing the community. The post on NorthernStar.com.au goes on to explain:

    Mr O’Regan said alcohol-related violence was a serious problem with far-reaching ramifications.

    “The statistics on alcohol-related violence for our community are shocking in themselves, but they don’t reveal the full story,” he said.

    “People at the frontline such as police, doctors, hospital staff and emergency personnel, have to deal with direct effects of alcohol-related harms.” 

    Source: http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/tougher-steps-needed-end-drunken-violence-group-sa/2037751/

    Byron Bay locals have also come forward and told of their experiences of alcohol related violence and anti-social behaviour, many of these people’s experiences are in addition to those reflected in the statistics. O’Regan also urged other residents to come forward to tell their stories about alcohol related violent experiences which the group hopes will shed more light on the issue.

     

  • NZ Student Dies in Car Crash fuelled by “Lethal” dose of Alcohol

    It seems that not a day passes when we don’t hear about the consequences of drink driving in the media in the form of a car crash somewhere in the world. Sadly despite the media being so rife with these “warnings” people are still risking the lives and the lives of other innocent road-users by engaging in the dangerous, irresponsible and reckless act of drink driving.

    Unfortunately drink driving isn’t the only risky behaviour, it seems that pedestrians who are intoxicated are also being run over by vehicles more often. Obviously excessive amounts of alcohol is never good but particularly so when you’re going to be out on the street, whether driving or walking, your cognitive and motor functions are impaired and that places you at risk.

    The latest tragedy involves a university student who coroners say had consumed lethal amounts of alcohol before he was hit by a car and killed.

    The young man, Geoffrey Nicholas Peren was a 20 year old Victoria University student who was hit by a car while crossing a street in central Wellington in June 2011.

    According to the coroner Mr Peren had been to a party the night before and had consumed a large amount of spirits before he left without telling anyone where he was going.

    The young man contacted his girlfriend at 10pm that night in a disorientated state, thinking that he was in Dunedin. While on the phone with his girlfriend he was hit by a car and his girlfriend heard a loud bang and Mr Peren did not say anything further. His girlfriend then ended the call.

    The young man was wearing dark clothing and crossing against the pedestrian signal when he was hit by a car being driven by a woman.

    Tragically the man suffered serious injuries to the head and died in hospital. The blood alcohol test showed Mr Peren had a level of 305 milligrams per litre of blood. The coroner explained this amount of alcohol is “clinical extreme” and potentially lethal. It also reinforces why Responsible Service of Alcohol is so important, so that we do not see more cases of this nature occurring every time a patron leaves a bar or pub.

    Most workers in the alcohol service industry are aware of the need to undergo responsible service of alcohol training however RSA training should not be looked at as just a mandatory requirement that employers force you to undergo because then you will not have incentive to enforce it (other than the legal one).

    People should look at RSA training as a service to society. Staff of licensed venues who undergo responsible service of alcohol training and enforce the rules learnt are contributing to a better society and helping people who would otherwise be put in harm’s way, risking their own health and safety and that of others.

    Servers of alcohol who perform their duties according to RSA regulations provide a duty of care that also promotes job satisfaction. Workers who are serving customers responsibly and performing their duty are happier employees and so are more productive.

     

  • South Australia Prepares for Severe Alcohol Restrictions

    Sweeping restrictions on the sale and supply of alcohol in the outback SA town of Coober Pedy have taken effect from last Monday.

    What has been described as the toughest grog laws in the country have been imposed by Liquor and Gambling Commissioner Paul White in an effort to curb alcohol abuse amongst Aboriginal people, even those from inter-state.

    Mr White was quoted on www.sbs.com.au as saying:

    “I’ve imposed a condition that says if you reside at one of the prescribed lands, which roughly speaking is the APY Lands, or some of the Northern Territory communities close to the South Australian border or Western Australia, then you cannot purchase take away alcohol from the outlets in Coober Pedy,” says Mr White.

    Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/26/south-australian-communities-prepare-severe-alcohol-ban

    What do the restrictions entail?

    There will be a complete ban on cask wine and bottled wine and spirits will be limited to one 750ml bottle per person, per day.

    Drinkers will have to produce a photo ID when buying liquor.

    The restrictions will also include a complete ban of take away alcohol for people from dry communities and a refusal of sales to people suspected of travelling to dry communities.

    According to Mr White although these restrictions seem extreme, Mr White said these restrictions weren’t imposed on these communities but that they rather requested these restrictions. Communities requested the support to assist in reducing the inflow of grog. Commissioner White will review the restrictions in 6 months.

    Mayor Steve Baines agreed with Mr White that this is a huge problem which requires attention.

    Mayor Baines was quoted as saying,

    “In the last 11 months there have been 18,200 casks of wine sold. Now we’ve got a population of 1,700 people. That’s 500 casks of wine per week, on top of 18,400 bottles,” says Mr Baines.

    Aboriginal legal advocates and the community think Coober Pedy’s been overwhelmed by people escaping grog bans elsewhere.

    “The illnesses that people get, the alcohol related violence that flows from alcohol getting into dry communities is really very severe and a very serious problem, and we think that an important impulse to stop this is to get a summit of all communities, get them all together at the same table and talking to government authorities about more effective rules to stop the liquor getting into dry communities because that’s what they want,” says Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement member Chris Charles.

    Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/26/south-australian-communities-prepare-severe-alcohol-ban

    Detox and rehabilitation facilities are expected to be inundated with calls for rehab services as people’s alcohol source is cut off due to the restrictions. Medical facilities and rehab facilities are apparently braced for this influx.

    The article goes on to explain,

    “We don’t not have a single rehabilitation service specifically for Aboriginal people in this state, and whether that’s all the other health and allied services that we need, we cannot fix the problem simply by these sort of bans; they are part of the solution, they are not the solution,” says Greens MP Tammy Franks.

    Federal funding allocated 7 years ago for rehabilitation facilities remains unspent.

    Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/09/26/south-australian-communities-prepare-severe-alcohol-ban

  • Road Safety Campaign aimed at Young Drivers Launched

    Young drivers are often the ones who fall victim to road crashes linked to alcohol. Now in an effort to tackle this problematic issue among the youth, Insurer AAMI and Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH) have joined forces to implement a new road safety campaign aimed at young drivers.

    There is an increasing body of research that shows underage drinking as the leading cause of deaths in teenagers. Causes of teen alcohol related deaths range from drink driving, suicides and homicides related to drinking but drink driving is one of the greatest factors.

    The cleverly named P.A.R.T.Y Program aims to bring high school students into the hospital to see trauma patients first hand in an effort to shock them into doing the right thing. (P.A.R.T.Y stands for Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth). The group hopes that young people will begin to better understand the consequences of drink driving, drug driving as well as distracted driving if they see it first-hand rather than just being told of the dangers.

    According to statistics provided by AAMI, 15 per cent of young people between 15 and 25 years of age who came to NSW hospitals for treatment were there as a result of severe traumatic injuries.

    Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that over the last 5 years, 1638 young people in the same age group died as a result of road trauma without even making it to the hospital for treatment.

    A post on www.themotorreport.com.au explains more about the initiative:

    According to AAMI research, 54 percent young drivers in NSW admit to exceeding the speed limit by 10km/h or more “some of the time”; while 13 percent admit to exceeding the speed limit “at least half the time”.

    More than half admitted to sending or reading text messages while driving and 31 percent had used a phone or tablet to read emails while on the move. An alarming 90 percent said they had updated their Facebook status while driving.

    And it’s not just mobile phones and speeding that are concerning the insurer: 10 percent of young drivers admit to having driven with too many passengers in the car while 11 percent admitted to ‘making out’ while driving.

    Source: http://www.themotorreport.com.au/57384/aami-and-royal-north-shore-hospital-launch-party-road-safety-campaign

    The post also explains that students will be given time to spend with the staff from various departments in the hospital from the emergency ward, intensive care, burns unit, spinal, neurological and rehabilitation wards because these are the wards that deal with victims of road crashes and other alcohol induced mishaps.

    According to a doctor at the hospital, by exposing young people to the consequences of drink driving, it is hoped their perceptions will change and will hopefully result in more responsible behaviour.

    The post goes on to explain:

    Head of Trauma at RNSH, Dr Tony Joseph, said the students will spend time with staff from the emergency, intensive care, burns, spinal, neurosurgical and rehabilitation wards who deal with the impact of trauma on young lives.

    “By exposing them to the traumatic consequences of risk-related behaviour, we hope to change their perceptions and have a positive impact on the choices they make in the future,” Dr Joseph said.

    Source: http://www.themotorreport.com.au/57384/aami-and-royal-north-shore-hospital-launch-party-road-safety-campaign

    A similar program was carried out at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and of the students who participated, 70 per cent expressed the positive impact that the program had had on them, hopefully the NSW program will be equally successful.

     

     

  • Policewoman Caught Over the Alcohol Limit: Why Alcohol and Driving Should Never Mix

    No matter what your vocation, drink driving is unacceptable and illegal as one Queensland policewoman has discovered. No one is above the law, even those tasked with enforcing it.

    A Queensland police woman recently crashed her car and as is mandatory, was issued a breathalyser which tested positive for alcohol. Not only was she drink driving she was also well over the legal limit when the crash occurred.

    The 38 year old woman was involved in a crash while recording a reading of 0.198, hers was the only vehicle involved in the accident, a testament to her intoxication.

    In addition to appearing before the Petrie Magistrates Court, the officer may also face internal disciplinary action. The following excerpt was taken from an article on Yahoo News about the incident:

    A Queensland policewoman has tested positive for drink driving after crashing her car.

    The sergeant from the State Crime Command has been given a notice to appear for drink driving while off duty in a private vehicle.

    The 38-year-old recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.198 per cent after she was involved in a single-vehicle crash at Murrumba Downs, north of Brisbane on Monday.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/19195082/qld-policewoman-above-the-alcohol-limit/

    It seems across all states drink driving is a huge problem but there is another issue which may actually be surpassing that of drink-driving, that is drug driving.  According to another post on Smh.com.au, more drivers in NSW tested positive for driving under the influence of drugs than alcohol during a police blitz recently.

    Over a weekend blitz in NSW, which involved 3 separate traffic operations, 5 times more random tests were issued for alcohol than drugs but there were still more people caught for drug driving than driving under the influence of alcohol.

    The following excerpt taken from the Smh.com.au post explains,

    The operations, at Cabramatta in Sydney’s south-west as well as Lake Illawarra and Shoalhaven both south of Sydney, detected 14 drivers allegedly under the influence of drugs out of the 735 tested.

    At the same time eight drivers were allegedly over the legal blood alcohol limit from the 3824 tested.

    “This is a concern that more people are taking the risk of being under the influence of an illicit drug before getting behind the wheel,” Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander Assistant Commissioner John Hartley said.

    “However the weekends operations were just a small sample of drivers.”

    Eight drivers were detected allegedly under the influence of drugs out of the 202 tested by police at Lake Illawarra, four at Cabramatta and two in the Shoalhaven.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/drug-offences-overtake-alcohol-for-weekend-drivers-20130930-2unpd.html#ixzz2gbLxmF6z

    In Lake Illawarra and Cabramatta only 4 people were caught for drink-driving and in Shoalhaven no one tested positive for alcohol despite the fact that 1454 breathalyser tests were issued. Although the improvement in drink driving is good, the number of people seemingly replacing alcohol consumption with drugs is extremely alarming.

    Motorists have been warned that police will continue to be on the lookout for both drink and drug driving perpetrators.

     

  • The NT gets tough new alcohol restrictions

    According to the Northern Territory’s police commissioner, those who are critical of the government’s moves to push through tough new alcohol legislation should consider the women and children who are suffering in the NT because of alcohol abuse and drunken partners and parents.

    The new restrictions include alcohol protection orders which will ban people who are charged with committing a serious offence while intoxicated from possession or drinking alcohol or entering a licensed premises for 3 to 12 months.

    According to the Chief Minister Adam Giles this is significant because a staggering 70 per cent of domestic violence incidents in the NT are as a result of alcohol abuse.

    The orders can be issued to any person who is charged with an offence that would attract a potential jail term of 6 months or more and could be implemented before they are found guilty by the courts.

    Giles explained that if people want to avoid these restrictions, they should simply refrain from “bashing” their wives and don’t drink to such an extent that they end up punching someone in a licenced venue or drive home drunk.

    The police commissioner, John McRoberts echoed the sentiments of Giles and said that the aim of the restrictions was to deal with those who behave badly under the influence of alcohol, he went on to explain:

    “This legislation, as far as police are concerned, is designed to deal with harmful effects of alcohol and target those who behave irresponsibly,” Police Commissioner John McRoberts said.

    “Far too often we see people mourning the morning after, because what started out as a pleasant night out for some has turned into an utter catastrophe for others.”

    It will be up to police to stop banned people entering licensed venues and buying alcohol, and licensees may be provided with photos and names of those banned so they don’t unknowingly serve them.

    Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/28/15/53/alcohol-orders-set-to-pass-nt-parliament

    One would think that this move would be bad for business and therefore would not be supported by businesses, but the Australian Hotels Association says it is supportive of the move because it helps staff of licenced venues who would otherwise have to deal with these drunken offenders.

    The post goes on to explain:

    “I don’t think this puts the onus on staff,” AHA NT senior vice-president Mick Burns said.

    “It targets the problem, it doesn’t target 99 out of 100 people that do the right thing and go out and enjoy a drink and don’t do the sort of things we read about on the front page of the paper.”

    Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/28/15/53/alcohol-orders-set-to-pass-nt-parliament

    The restrictions do have some critics who believe that it will criminalise drinking. The post goes on to explain:

    Critics of the legislation say it will criminalise alcoholism and disadvantage Aboriginal people, and say that it’s more cumbersome than the previous Labor government’s Banned Drinkers Register, which created a centralised system for bottle shops and licensed premises to scan patron IDs and refuse service to those banned.

    Source: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/28/15/53/alcohol-orders-set-to-pass-nt-parliament

     

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol News: Parramatta Alcohol Violence gets Out of Hand

    While many parts of the country are experiencing progress in the fight against alcohol fuelled violence, there are some areas where alcohol fuelled violence is still alarmingly high. In fact in some areas the levels of alcohol fuelled violence are on the increase. Parramatta and its CBD in particular are one such area.

    Police have expressed major concerns over alcohol fuelled violence and other anti-social behaviour in Parramatta’s CBD especially over the weekend.

    Last weekend was no different with police from the Parramatta Local Area Command and the Alcohol and Licensing Enforcement Command (ALEC) removed 2 intoxicated men from a bar in Parramatta’s Church Street. The 2 men became argumentative and aggressive when approached by the police.

    The police officers managed to remove the 2 troublemakers from the bar but a large crowd joined in and became aggressive towards police and tried to intervene in the arrests. Because of this behaviour, officers had to be brought in from the Public Order and Riot Squad to assist in dispersing the crowd.

    Read what happened according to a post by www.ParramattaSun.com.au

    Police will allege during a number of inspections of the bar they located two men in seriously intoxicated states.

    One man refused medical treatment while another was allegedly so intoxicated he had to be taken to Westmead Hospital for treatment.

    A third man was allegedly found in the car park of the premises in a drunken state and also had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

    A number of people were charged or infringed for alcohol-related offences.

    This included three men who were charged with failing to quit licensed premises.

    Another man was issued a court attendance notice for assault police, resist arrest and offensive conduct while three people were issued criminal infringement notices for offensive language and re-entering the premises after they were excluded.

    Source: http://www.parramattasun.com.au/story/1781531/alcohol-fuels-trouble-in-parramatta/?cs=12

    According to Acting Parramatta commander, Superintendent Karen Webb the police need pubs and clubs to work with them in the responsible service of alcohol to reduce alcohol fuelled incidents such as assaults caused by excessive and irresponsible drinking.

    All employees, management and owners of licenced venues need to ensure that they are properly trained on Responsible Service of Alcohol measures and are enforcing RSA rules when they supply alcohol to customers – it is vital to overcoming alcohol fuelled misconduct.

    The police have vowed to continue to conduct patrols of licensed premises to ensure the safety of patrons. The article goes on to explain:

    “Every weekend police are out on patrol to ensure the safety of the community but we can only do so much,” she said.

    “More often than not, those who drink to excess find themselves making poor choices, passing out in the street or leaving themselves vulnerable.

    “It is sad people feel the need to get blind drunk to have a good time and it is about time people took responsibility for their actions.”

    Superintendent Webb assured the community and local businesses that police were committed to reducing alcohol-related crime in Parramatta.

    Source: http://www.parramattasun.com.au/story/1781531/alcohol-fuels-trouble-in-parramatta/?cs=12

     

  • Could Alcoholism be linked to Genetics

    Alcoholism, what causes it and how it can be better treated is a subject that has long fascinated scientists. Now a group of scientists in the UK may have found the cause of alcoholism or at least the reason why some people tend to gravitate so strongly towards alcohol while others don’t.

    The research which was conducted on mice showed that a mutated gene could be causing certain people to drink more than others.

    According to researchers the gene that regulates alcohol consumption Gabrb1 can sometimes become damaged and this causes excessive drinking in mice and possibly in humans too.

    The lead researcher on the project had this to say about the findings:

    Professor Howard Thomas, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said: “We know from previous human studies that the GABA system is involved in controlling alcohol intake. Our studies in mice show that a particular subunit of GABAA receptor has a significant effect and, most importantly, the existence of these mice has allowed our collaborative group to investigate the mechanism involved. This is important when we come to try to modify this process first in mice and then in man.”

    Source: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_26-11-2013-15-15-35

    The Gabrb1 gene, according to researchers changes alcohol preference so strongly that mice carrying either of two mutations in this gene preferred drinking a 10 per cent alcohol solution rather than water.

    Another UK professor explained why the research and its findings are so significant to society and to the treatment of alcoholism:

    Professor Hugh Perry, Chair of the MRC’s Neurosciences and Mental Health Board, said: “Alcohol addiction places a huge burden on the individual, their family and wider society. There’s still a great deal we don’t understand about how and why consumption progresses into addiction, but the results of this long-running project suggest that, in some individuals, there may be a genetic component. If further research confirms that a similar mechanism is present in humans, it could help us to identify those most at risk of developing an addiction and ensure they receive the most effective treatment.”

    Source: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_26-11-2013-15-15-35

    Basically the study found that normal mice generally will choose to drink little or no alcohol when given a choice between alcohol and water. But mice with a mutation in the Gabrb1 gene preferred drinking alcohol over water, choosing to drink 85 per cent of their daily fluid intake as alcohol and even were willing to work to obtain alcohol, for example pushing a lever to get to the alcohol. This behaviour sounds surprisingly similar to that of people with severe alcohol addictions.

    According to one researcher involved in the study, Dr Quentin Anstee, Consultant Hepatologist at Newcastle University and joint lead author, it is quite amazing to consider that a small change in the code for just one gene can have such a profound effect on such complex behavioural patterns such as alcohol consumption.

    The researchers explained that this study is valuable in that it provides somewhat of a guide to develop better treatments for alcoholism in the future.

     

  • Alcohol, can we get the buzz without the side effects?

    It’s a question we often ask ourselves, how can we drink and enjoy ourselves without the horrible after effects associated with a hangover?

    Well soon this may become a reality. “So called “healthy” alcohol may be just a few years away according to a British Professor.

    The professor says that we should have a drink that provides all the positive effects of alcohol but none of the negatives in the next 2 years or so, if someone is willing to fund his research.

    Professor David Nutt, a drugs expert believes that healthy alcohol is the future of alcohol but to continue his research he needs a financial backer.

    An article on News.com.au provided some background on the Professor,

    Professor David Nutt, who once said taking ecstasy was no more dangerous than riding a horse, wants to create a drink that gives people the sensation of intoxication without hangovers, long-term health problems, or addiction.

    The professor, who in 2009 was fired as the UK Government’s chief drugs adviser, claims to have identified compounds which provide the pleasurable feelings of alcohol but don’t lead to aggression and addiction.

    He sees them being added to a range of flavoured cocktails sold in bars alongside normal alcohol.

    He also claims to have an “antidote” to the chemicals to instantly sober you up.

    “You have the pleasure of being inebriated, take another drug, then sober up and drive home,” Professor Nutt claims.

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/healthy-alcohol-the-wonderdrink-that-is-hangover-proof/story-fneuzlbd-1226758133989

    Professor Nutt has discussed this “antidote” before. He first flagged the concept in 2006 after scientists created drugs to mimic the effect of being drunk.

    In 2009 the professor revealed that he had begun working on “healthy alcohol”, claiming it would help combat Britain’s binge drinking epidemic.

    The Professor promises that his research had developed alcohol which did not cause a hangover or any adverse effect on the liver and even claims to have trialled the method on himself.

    Prof Nutt says that when testing the antidote on himself, he was in a state of intoxication and five minutes after was sober and giving a lecture.

    The professor is now appealing for funding and investment into his research which in his words would help solve a very serious problem.

    Prof Nutt says that his “healthy alcohol” mimicks real alcohol by targeting the brains “gaba” neurotransmitter, so you get the benefits without the down side.

    The Professor went on to explain:

    “The other great advantage of this scientific approach to intoxication is that if we target compounds that affect the Gaba system, then it is possible to produce other drugs that could be sold alongside the alcohol substitute as an antidote,” he wrote in the Guardian.

    “The challenge is to prepare the new drink in a fashion that makes it as tasty and appealing. This is likely to be in the form of a cocktail, so I foresee plenty of different flavours. “

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/healthy-alcohol-the-wonderdrink-that-is-hangover-proof/story-fneuzlbd-1226758133989

    The professor expects that his healthy alcohol will be ready to hit the market within the next 2 years, until then we will have to settle for drinking in moderation and being responsible drinkers.