RSA Course Online

Tag: alcohol abuse

  • Non-drinkers Use An Array of Methods to Avoid Alcohol at Work Events

    Many workers feel pressurised to drink when at a work party, simply because everyone else is. The pressure to fit in doesn’t stop in high school in fact it can get worse for some people.

    For someone who doesn’t drink or for those avoiding alcohol for whatever reason, there are a number of “Tricks” used to avoid alcohol.

    From being the designated driver to pretending they are trying to lose weight, a study found workers use a variety of excuses because they don’t want to be seen as a condescending non-drinker or a stick-in-the-mud.

    If you’re the one doing the drinking, don’t intimidate others or force them to drink. Read more about the study here.

  • Alcohol Servers – Don’t Make This Mistake

    Don’t let this happen to you. A venue owner on The Sunshine Coast has been fined $1500 for serving alcohol to an already drunk patron.

    The licensee and an employee of a hotel in Gympie pleaded guilty to supplying liquor to an intoxicated person resulting in a $1500 fine for the licensee and the employee was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond with a recognisance of $600.

    No one at the venue made an effort to stop the patron from consuming more alcohol although he was already intoxicated. That is why Responsible Service of Alcohol training is so important.

    Find out more about this incident here.

  • Official Stats Show that Sydney Lockout Laws are Effective

    Official statistics released recently indicate that lock-out laws have had a positive effect on Sydney’s  night life.

    Lockout laws, limiting the sale of alcohol in the CBD and Kings Cross and access to alcohol has been given a thumbs up by top criminologist and director of the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn.

    The bureau’s study shows a 40 per cent fall in the number of assaults in the CBD and a fall of 32 per cent in Kings Cross following the introduction of the laws.

    Read more here.

     

     

  • Attention Women: Excessive Drinking can Lead to Psoriatic Arthritis

     

    According to a  US Nurse’s Health Study women who drink excessively have a higher risk of developing psoriatic arthritis.

    On the other hand moderate drinking has many positive effects on the health of women according to experts. Lowering the risk of heart attacks, heart disease and strokes are some of the benefits of moderate drinking for both males and females.

    Read more about the benefits here.

     

  • Indigenous Organisations call for Inquiry into Drinking

    Indigenous communities have called for an effective inquiry to be launched into alcohol abuse in their midst.

    The communities want community consultation to be included in the new federal government inquiry into alcohol consumption in Indigenous communities.

    The new parliamentary inquiry which was originally intended to delve into the issue of alcohol related violence across the country, has now been adjusted to deal with Indigenous communities in particular.

    Health groups in Indigenous communities are hoping that the inquiry will help the government develop better strategies for dealing with alcohol abuse. They are also hoping that Indigenous communities are included as part of the process.

    According to an article by Michael Kenny on Sbs.com.au, the inquiry is to be conducted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs which is to be chaired by Liberal MP Sharman Stone. The inquiry will examine patterns of supply and demand for alcohol in these communities and the problem of alcohol fuelled violence also prevalent among Indigenous communities – as well as non-Indigenous communities across the country.

    The inquiry is also expected to examine how alcohol consumption impacts babies both unborn and newborn. Strategies of other countries in dealing with alcohol abuse will also be examined.

    The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, explained that the point of the inquiry was not to victimise Indigenous Australians, he went on to explain:

    “This is about poverty, not ethnicity. But I acknowledge that there have always been and we have never really seen a break, particularly in reports of domestic violence, defence injuries, alcohol, deaths through alcohol…. through cars….and violence.”

    Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/19/inquiry-alcohol-abuse-indigenous-communities

    The inquiry will also apparently examine socio-economic backgrounds and how they are linked to alcohol abuse. Meanwhile the opposition labour party in the NT has criticised the inquiry saying it is an insult to Indigenous Australians.

    Although the inquiry has received some criticism, some believed it could be a good way to begin tackling alcohol abuse.

    The medical officer with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Dr John Boffa who has worked with Indigenous communities for over 2 decades says that the inquiry is “long overdue”. The article went on to explain:

    “This is a useful inquiry. Alcohol problems are obviously very prevalent in Aboriginal communities. But I think if the inquiry is done well, it’s got the potential to provide some solutions that will address alcohol misuse, not just amidst Aboriginal people but amongst the broader population as well.

    Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/19/inquiry-alcohol-abuse-indigenous-communities“

    Even the chairman of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Justin Mohamed said that the inquiry would be a valuable opportunity to examine what policy approaches are working and those that are not when it comes to alcohol abuse among Indigenous Australians.

    The article goes on to quote Mr Mohamed as saying:

    “You need to look at the community. You need to engage the community in the initiatives and the things that can work have to be owned and obviously embraced and I think once you achieve that, the more successful things that I’ve seen, heard about and read about have been ones where there’s been some real leadership from within the community and from the leaders and organisations that are obviously providing services and looking after their community interests.”

    Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/19/inquiry-alcohol-abuse-indigenous-communities

  • Experts Want Liquor Figures Publicised

    Experts in NSW want liquor figures publicised because they believe monitoring consumption is the key to combating problems associated with alcohol.

    According to a leading alcohol researcher Professor Tanya Chikritzhs, from the National Drug Research Institute, the NSW government is oblivious to the amount of alcohol being consumed in the state, so it cannot effectively monitor whether alcohol related policies are working.

    The government is now being urged to force the liquor industry to hand over its sales data which Prof Chikritzhs says is vital to monitor whether alcohol related policies were actually working, especially when you consider the great lengths the state government has gone to implement the new alcohol measures in Sydney.

    According to the professor the fact that researchers don’t have even basic information on alcohol use in NSW is unacceptable. Researchers don’t even know whether alcohol use is higher than expected or desired or different for different communities.

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics collects national data using tax information but doesn’t define alcohol consumption by communities or areas.

    ”It’s quite a bizarre situation when you consider it’s a regulated substance and nobody’s actually watching how much of it is being sold,” she said.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/alcohol-sales-experts-call-for-figures-to-be-publicised-20140120-314w8.html#ixzz2sr3qpZrq

    Apparently states and territories routinely collected alcohol sales data until 1996 however this came to an end when the High Court ruled they could no longer levy taxes on alcohol. The only states who continued to collect the date were Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and now the ACT has joined in the Project run by Professor Chikritzhs to collect the information.

    Currently the Victorian Justice Department is deciding whether to restart data collection. That would leave NSW, Tasmania and SA as the only states where data is not collected. According to Professor Chikritzhs the reluctance of the liquor industry to participate is the reason for this.

    Chikritzhs went on to explain:

    ”I think there’s concern which is yet to be fully mitigated that it’s an unfair imposition on the industry,” she said. ”And I suspect there are quarters of the industry that resist quite strongly governments having more knowledge about what’s happening with their industry.”

    Meanwhile, public health expert Dr Alex Wodak said he would ”wager a huge amount of money that the word ‘tough’ would be used in the cabinet announcement 20 times and there would not be a single evidence-based recommendation”.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/alcohol-sales-experts-call-for-figures-to-be-publicised-20140120-314w8.html#ixzz2sr3qpZrq

    The NSW government held alcohol summits in 2003 and 2013 but according to the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) there has been little progress since then. Following these summits, just 19 of 107 preventative recommendations were adopted. Most of the measures that were implemented were awareness promoting measures which have made little impact. FARE supported making the liquor figures known. The article on Smh.com.au went on to explain:

    FARE policy director Caterina Giorgi said that knowledge about what could work in relation to alcohol abuse had grown in 10 years yet the challenge was making governments rely on evidence and break away from the hotels and alcohol lobby.

    Dr Wodak said it was clear the government ”has outsourced alcohol policy to the liquor industry and that’s really why we have the Thomas Kellys and Daniel Christies”.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/alcohol-sales-experts-call-for-figures-to-be-publicised-20140120-314w8.html#ixzz2sr3qpZrq

     

  • Calls for National Alcohol Summit to tackle Booze Issues

    The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for a national alcohol summit to tackle the problematic issues surrounding the misuse of alcohol in Oz.

    Doctors are apparently calling for the Abbott Government to take a stand against what they call an “epidemic” of alcohol abuse beginning with a national summit to discuss ways to changes the nation’s problematic boozing culture – the root of numerous related issues including alcohol fuelled violence.

    The AMA want the federal government to convene a summit to bring together the state governments, local councils, health experts, industry members, police and those affected by alcohol related violence.

    In an article on Smh.com.au the AMA’s president Steve Hambleton was quoted as saying:

    ”We have a major national problem that requires a major national solution,” AMA president Steve Hambleton said.

    ”The NSW Government has this week introduced some very tough and very welcome new laws to address alcohol-related violence on the streets of Sydney, and we now have to look at the broader harmful effects of alcohol misuse in every corner of the country.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/ama-wants-a-national-summit-to-curb-alcohol-abuse-and-related-violence-20140122-3196w.html#ixzz2rALFEYUz

    He also went on to state that a co-ordinated and nationally consistent approach by all governments was needed on alcohol issues such as alcohol marketing, pricing, taxation, venue licensing and operating hours.

    Earlier this month Mr Abbott said he was concerned about the number of alcohol fuelled violent incidents but also cautioned that we shouldn’t rush into “knee jerk reactions”. He placed most of the responsibility on state governments.

    The opposition leader, Bill Shorten has on the other hand backed the AMA’s call for a national summit. He has called on Mr Abbott to support the call, the post on Smh.com.au went on to explain:

    ”As a community, we must stand up against violence in all its forms and do what we can to prevent it,” Mr Shorten said.

    Labor oppositions in NSW and Victoria also backed the idea.

    Labor’s Victorian health spokesman Gavin Jennings said he would attend if invited.

    ”Labor would be supportive of a national summit to discuss a national approach that deals with the excess use of alcohol,” he said.

    NSW Labor health spokesman Andrew McDonald, who is a paediatrician, said the summit was an excellent idea.

    ”We need to listen to the evidence and develop bipartisan policies,” he said.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/ama-wants-a-national-summit-to-curb-alcohol-abuse-and-related-violence-20140122-3196w.html#ixzz2rALFEYUz

    What the experts say

    According to Professor Mike Daube the Public Health Association of Australia’s spokesperson, we already have the evidence when it comes to alcohol abuse, we need to now decide on what to do about it and how to take action not setting up more reviews.

    Although the federal government has placed most of the responsibility on state governments, Michael Thorn, chief executive of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education said he believed the federal government should be part of the solution. Sandra Jones, the head of the Centre for Health Initiatives at the University of Wollongong, said Australian culture was too set in alcohol marketing.

    With all of these differing opinions on what the root of the problem is and what actions need to be taken, perhaps the idea of a national summit to bring all of these ideas together is not just a bad thing?

  • Football Legend Suffers due to Excessive Alcohol Consumption

    The importance of Responsible Service of Alcohol training goes beyond just legal compliance, it has far reaching consequences on the community. That is why every worker in a licenced venue must undergo RSA training to ensure that they are equipped to handle serving alcohol to patrons in a responsible manner that will not negatively affect them or you.

    When we hear stories of people whose entire lives have been destroyed by alcohol, the real reason for RSA training sinks in. I recently read an article about legendary footballer Paul Gascoigne whose entire life has been destroyed by alcohol abuse.

    According to the media, Paul Gascoigne’s physical health is now being negatively affected. He is reportedly suffering from stomach pains because of his years of alcohol abuse. The ex-footballer even has to stay away of certain foods because they cause too much pain because of the damage already done to his stomach.

    In the article it is explained that the star has altered the way he eats and drinks because of the irreversible damage done.

    Read this excerpt from the article on DNAIndia.com which explains,

    Troubled football legend Paul Gascoigne is reportedly suffering from stomach pains because of alcohol abuse and cannot eat anything acidic because it gives him severe gut pain. Staff at the favourite watering hole of the former England star have said that they had to start watering down their smoothies which he loves to order as the drinks contain acidic fruits such as orange, apple and lemon.

    Revealing that Gascoigne would come in to the bar and drink their healthy smoothies in public, when presumably he was knocking back the alcohol in private, a barman said that the they had to water down their orange and apple juice as his stomach had rotted after all the boozing. According to the report, the England football legend, who went into rehab in the USA earlier this year to try to end his addiction for good, has been a major cause of concern for his family and friends.

    Read more at: http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/1864579/report-gazza-s-tummy-has-rotted-due-to-chronic-alcohol-abuse

    Alcoholics not only suffer physically and emotionally but they often inflict suffering on others. Some engage in illegal activities such a stealing, robbery and brawling while others turn on the people closest to them. The article goes on to describe Gascoigne legal problems linked to his assault of his ex-wife and a security guard. The post goes on to explain:

    Gascoigne has been charged with two counts of assault on his ex-wife and a security guard, adding that he also has been charged with being drunk and disorderly. The former Newcastle United and Tottenham midfielder was arrested for assaulting his ex-wife Sheryl and a security guard at the railway station and was later released on police bail.

    Read more at: http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/1864579/report-gazza-s-tummy-has-rotted-due-to-chronic-alcohol-abuse

    Although we all know the negative consequences associated with excessive alcohol consumption, it becomes even more real when we experience it first-hand or hear the stories of real people affected by these problems, such as Paul Gascoigne’s story, cases such as his highlight the need for RSA training.

     

  • Alcohol Crime Takes Too Much of Police Time

    According to Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione alcohol fuelled crimes are up and are taking a huge amount of the police’s time and resources. The Commissioner says the police are spending around 70 per cent of their human resources on alcohol related crime in NSW, an issue that will feature high on the agenda at the 6th Australian Drug and Alcohol Strategy Conference which will begin on Wednesday.

    The conference will aim to tackle issues in Australia relating to alcohol abuse. The Commissioner who kickstarted the conference told the press that police spent most of their time dealing with offenders, victims and motorists in incidents induced by alcohol.

    It is interesting that Mr Scipione said the number of young people binge drinking was lower but those who were still binge drinking were consuming even larger amounts of alcohol. The Commissioner has urged parents and fathers in particular to educate their kids about the dangers of binge drinking and how to drink moderately and responsibly before they even reach their teen years.

    Read what this post from News.com.au says about the Commissioner’s complaints:

    ALCOHOL-RELATED crime takes up 70 per cent of all police work in NSW, Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says.

    The 6th Australian Drug and Alcohol Strategy Conference kicked off on Wednesday in Sydney with top police brass and academics to deliver presentations and share ideas over the next three days.

    After opening the conference, Mr Scipione told reporters that police on the streets spent the majority of their time dealing with offenders, victims and motorists in incidents that involved alcohol.

    “The reality is about 70 per cent of police time on the streets … is in some way connected to the abuse or misuse of alcohol,” he said.

    “Alcohol is the number one issue on the agenda for police commissioners across this nation.”

    Mr Scipione said the number of people under the age of 25 who were binge drinking was in decline but those who engaged in heavy drinking were consuming larger amounts of alcohol.

    He stressed that parents, especially fathers, should educate their children about alcohol before they became teenagers.

    Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/alcohol-related-crime-takes-up-cops-time/story-e6frfku9-1226601388764#ixzz2O3ck3mjv

    An interesting issue highlighted by the Police Commissioner is the role of parents in educating young people about alcohol before they are old enough to make mistakes involving alcohol. Some of the worst case scenarios that can result from teen drinking is binge drinking, drink driving and unsafe sex which is why abstinence is best for teenagers.

    Particularly in Australia alcohol is tolerated as socially acceptable but it should be remembered that it is still a drug.  It should be noted that alcohol is responsible for most drug-related deaths in the teenage population in Oz and many other countries around the world.

    Additionally alcohol can be associated with a variety of serious health risks which for a teenagers developing body can be detrimental.  It’s difficult to prevent teenagers from experimenting with alcohol, but parents can encourage sensible drinking habits.

     

  • Binge Drinking Linked to Alcohol Abuse

    It is no surprise that binge-drinking can lead to alcohol addiction but now there is a study that proves binge drinking may reduce the ability to control alcohol intake.

     

    Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) conducted the experiment with rats but could have implications for better treatment of alcoholism in human beings. It may also help scientists understand addictive behaviour in humans.

     

    Scientists believe that this early adaptation of the brain to intermittent alcohol use facilitates the move from social drinker to alcohol addict.

     

    Basically alcohol dependence causes changes in the brains such as overactivity of stress-related circuits and a weakening of the prefrontal executive control circuits that normally act as a brake on emotional reactions and impulsive behaviour.

     

    The research confirmed that the rats with intermittent access to alcohol drank drastically more alcohol than those with continuous access after only six weeks.

     

    Binge drinking in the rats showed lowered memory which is an element of executive control and showed withdrawal symptoms which can be likened to cravings in humans.

     

    What can be deduced by this study is that binge drinking is more dangerous to human health than moderate regularly drinking.