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Tag: Alcohol Mixing

  • Is There Any Danger Involved in Mixing Energy Drinks and Alcohol

    Energy drinks are often used as mixers with alcohol however recently there has been some concern about the safety of these concoctions. This combination carries a number of potential dangers that drinkers should be aware of beforehand as documented by a number of researchers and scientists.

    Energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant. The effects of the stimulant/ energy drinkhides how intoxicated the person really is which prevents them from realising just how much alcohol they have consumed. Fatigue is also masked and this is one of the ways that people often tell that they have had too much to drink.

    The energy drink’s stimulating effect can give the person the impression that they aren’t impaired however it should be remembered that regardless of how alert you feel, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the same as it would be without the energy drink.

    This presents a problem when people misconceive their ability to perform complex tasks like driving. Once the stimulant effect wears off, the depressant effects of the alcohol will remain and could cause vomiting or respiratory depression which can be fatal.

    Energy drinks and alcohol both have dehydrating effects which can hinder your body’s ability to metabolize alcohol and therefore increase it’s toxicity and effects of the hangover the next morning.

  • Responsible Service of Alcohol – News Update – How Safe is it to Mix Alcohol?

    How Safe is it to Mix Alcohol?

    Is it true that mixing different types of alcohol may result in drunkenness? Some people believe that by mixing different drinks they will get more drunk and suffer worse hangovers than if they stick to one type of drink only. For example mixing beer and vodka can make you more drunk than if you drink beer only for the entire night, but is it fact or just an old wives tale? In this post we explore the notion that mixing different types of drinks makes you more drunk.

    This idea may have originated from the rate at which the body processes alcohol. The liver can only efficiently process one standard-sized alcoholic drink per hour, although men can process more alcohol per hour than women.

    The body’s blood alcohol level rises more rapidly after drinking hard liquor than it does after drinking beer, therefore you may feel the effects of intoxication quicker.

    If you drink liquor before beeryou are more likely to feel the effects of the alcohol sooner which may cause you not to consume as much alcohol thereby decreasing the chances of getting sick from over indulgence. On the other hand consuming beer before liquor can make you feel sick because if you felt little effect from the beer you may be motivated to consume more alcohol by consuming stronger drinks.

    Some researchers have found that different types of alcohol contain different amounts of compounds which may cause hangover symptoms. Clear beverages like vodka, gin, and white wine contain less of these compounds than darker liquor like brandy, whisky, rum, and red wine while mixing the compounds may increase stomach irritation and subsequently the intensity of the hangover symptoms.

    Rather than the mix of alcohol you consume it’s the rate at whichyou consume it that determines the level of intoxication and hangover symptoms you will experience. It is common to down shooters or shots which are most often mixed resulting in intoxication. It is the fact that you down these quickly one after the other, rather than the fact that they are mixed drinks, which makes you drunk.

    Drinking mixed drinks and shots means consuming greater amounts of alcohol at a faster rate, and you may become intoxicated faster than you notice.

    Even though you may mix your drinks or drink too quickly there are ways to reduce the intensity of the hangover the next morning. The most important factor to remember when drinking is to do so responsibly, don’t overdo it and arrange for safe transport home. To curb the hangover, eat something before drinking to slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. Alternate one alcoholic drink and then one non-alcoholic one to pace yourself and keep hydrated. Also be more attentive to the alcohol content of the drinks you are consuming.

  • Mixing Alcohol and Prescription Drugs a Deadly Combination

    MIXING PRESCRIPTION PILLS
     

    It seems like not a year can go by when one or the other celebrity isn’t found in their room, having overdosed on alcohol and prescription drugs.  Most recently the death of Whitney Houstan being an example. Both alcohol and Xanax, were found in her hotel room shortly after she died. Combined these substances inhibit the central nervous system and depend on the same enzyme for bodily clearance.
     

    Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson and Anna Nicole Smith are just 3 other celebrities who are said to have died similarly. So if its occurring so often with celebrities, it is probably also affecting the ordinary man of the street as well, just receiving less publicity.
     

    I recently came across statistics that showed that in 2007 alone 27,000 Americans died from unintentional prescription drug overdoses, more lives than those claimed by car crashes.  This is an epidemic which seems to be on the rise.
     

    Painkillers and alcohol are probably the worst to mix, because both slow breathing by different mechanisms and inhibit the coughing reflex.
     

    According to research conducted in The States mixing alcohol and drugs places you at risk of internal bleeding, heart problems, difficulty breathing, headaches, drowsiness, fainting or loss of coordination.  The scary part is that many of the medications that have an adverse effect when mixed with alcohol are available over the counter.
     

    Some prescription and over-the-counter medications also contain alcohol, which increases the effect of alcohol. Alcohol also affects women differently from men and the elderly differently from those who are younger so no one should take a chance.
     

    Because alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, it decreases your motor coordination, rate of breathing and the digestive process. When combined with other depressant drugs it has the potential to shut the body down entirely.  Because some drugs and alcohol also compete for the same method of absorption into the body, the potency of the drug or the alcohol is increased.
     

    Each person is different and the result of mixing alcohol and drugs is unique and unpredictable, which is one of the reasons why mixing is such a dangerous risk to take. Chronic use or intermittent use of drugs and alcohol will lead to liver damage, gastric ulcers, dangerous rise in blood pressure, unusual behavior, memory problems, stroke, coma or sudden death.
     

    Another sad and shocking statistic is the number of teenagers that are engaging in this dangerous practice. While it is being documented in the USA, it can also be beneficial for parents in Oz to be aware of. This post on Livestrong.com.au details the problem:
     

    Teenagers abuse many forms of prescription drugs in an effort to get high, fit in, lose weight, increase academic performance and improve their athletic abilities. A study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2009, 20 percent of high school students in the United States had at some time abused prescription medication.
     

     Basics
     

     Teens remove prescription medications from their parents’ medicine cabinets or buy the drugs illegally via the Internet. They often sell these drugs to other teens, abuse them themselves or provide them for peer groups or at parties.
     

    Parties in which prescription drugs are abused are often termed pharm parties, at which bowls or bags contain a plethora of random pills and are labeled trail mix, according to USA Today.
     

    Teens also mix prescription medication abuse with alcohol. Mixing drugs with drugs or drugs with alcohol can be dangerous combinations. Mixing prescription drugs with other prescription medications can lead to addiction, the use of more addictive drugs, poor judgment, academic failure, relationship problems, mental health disorders and overdose.
     

     Considerations
     

     Abuse of prescription drugs is as common among teenagers as illicit drug abuse and has continued to rise, notes the Teen Drug Abuse website. Teens abuse prescription medications for several reasons: They are generally easily accessible, the teens feel that prescription medications are less risky than other drugs, and their knowledge on the risks associated with mixing prescription drugs for use is limited, reports MayoClinic.com.
     

     Types
     

     According to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy, there are three classes of prescription drugs commonly abused by teens: opioids, central nervous system depressants and stimulants. Some of the specific drugs include but are not limited to codeine, oxycodone, morphine, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate, according to the Office of the National Drug Control Policy.
     

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/234284-about-teenagers-mixing-prescription-pills/#ixzz23BXBTZAg

    Posted by Peter Cutforth