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Tag: Binge Drinking

  • 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.

     

  • Wealthy Women Most at Risk of Binge Drinking

    As an alcohol server, it is important to know which sectors of our customers are most risk of binge drinking, so we can be prepared.

    According to a new OECD report wealthy, middle-aged women are most at risk of drinking too much. This is interesting because these women don’t necessarily fit the profile of what we would imagine as “a drunk”.

    Young people are also drinking at exceedingly higher levels.

    Read more about the findings here.

  • Developed Nations Drinking Less – Report Shows

    According to a report by  the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) drinking in developed nations has declined by 2.5 per cent over the past 2 decades.

    Despite the decline, risky drinking is on the rise which is why the report advises people to avoid excessive alcohol consumption. It also notes that drinking among the youth has also increased.

    Find out more here.

  • Drinking Habits Connected with Weight

    We’ve all heard it being said that our alcohol habits are connected to our waistline, in other words the more we drink the more weight we gain, but a new study examines why certain women who drink frequently develop a “beer belly” while others can drink daily and not gain weight.

    Most drinks are a combination of carbohydrates, sugar and ethanol. The ethanol is absorbed into your bloodstream while the remainder of the drink (sugar and carbs) is processed by the body as other foods are, the normal digestive system. The alcohol or ethanol however is diverted to the liver instead and burned off quite quickly. The sugars and carbs mix with whatever else is being digested by your body and is likely to be stored as fat.

    Just as certain foods are more fattening and make you gain weight when you eat them excessively, so too alcoholic drinks with a high calorie content will have the same effect.

    Researchers therefore point out drinking is not the problem, it is how often we drink and how much we drink that is likely to contribute to our waistlines.

    An article from FoxNews.com discussed the issue at great length, here is an excerpt from that post which should shed some light on the issue:

    A 2010 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine may be the best news for booze since the 21st Amendment. Researchers found that women who had one or two alcoholic drinks a day were actually less likely to gain weight than those who shunned the sauce. And they did it while consuming more calories overall (from food and drink) than both heavy drinkers and teetotalers.

    Short of striking a deal with the devil, how did they manage to pull that off? Researchers believe that the bodies of long-term moderate drinkers somehow adapt to metabolize alcohol differently than heavy or occasional drinkers. They use more energy, burning the calories in the drink—or even more than that—while digesting it, Dr. Lu Wang, the lead researcher of the study and an instructor in medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said.

    Read the full article: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/06/14/drinking-alcohol-to-shrink/#ixzz2WTMHM6y1

    So what should you do to avoid excess weight from alcoholic drinks?

    The truth is that researchers have collected data which proves that moderate drinkers actually enjoy healthier lives than teetotallers, so abstinence is not necessary, however moderation is advised.

    Never ever drink alcoholic drinks on an empty stomach and if your do intend on snacking while drinking, which is recommended, choose healthier options rather than unhealthy, greasy options which normally accompany a night of drinking such as crisps, chips, burgers and other fast foods.

    Eat a healthier dinner before you start drinking rather than drink on an empty stomach. Order or cook before you start drinking so you’re not tempted to go for the less healthy options once you start downing alcohol.

    Pace yourself by taking small sips and again don’t feel pressurized into keeping up with your friends. Drink at a pace that you are comfortable with and avoid binge drinking.

    Don’t overdo it! Binge drinking is never a good idea, for your physical health, mental health and overall wellbeing.

     

  • Binge Drinking Death Toll Too High

    I recently came across an article on the British Guardians website which highlighted the extremely high death toll attributed to binge drinking.

    According to the article in 2011-2012 there were over 1.2 million alcohol related hospital admissions in England, which is more than double the admissions a decade ago.

    There has also been a wopping 500 per cent increase in deaths from liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol abuse in the last 4 decades in that country. These problematic drinking trends are largely mimicked in countries such as Australia, where similar binge drinking problems have been identified.

    Alcohol costs the British economy around £25bn each year (more than Aus$39billion) because of the huge impact on health, crime, societal woes, workplace and family problems. It has also been found to further entrench health and social inequalities.

    These are some of the other findings, as reported on www.guardian.co.uk

    The most socially and economically deprived have up to 10 times greater alcohol-related mortality and admissions to hospital. Approximately a third of all A&E attendances are alcohol-related, reaching up to 80% at weekends. Something has to be done.

    Traditionally, we associate alcohol-related harm with the middle-aged, and it is true that this age group, especially men, have the highest rates of liver disease. However, liver specialists are now caring for teenagers with cirrhosis, or life-threatening necrosis of the pancreas, after just five years of sustained, heavy binge drinking.

    Young women are especially vulnerable, since they have less body water than men, resulting in higher blood alcohol concentrations for the same amount of alcohol drunk. I have seen five women in their 20s die from cirrhosis due to alcohol.

    Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/03/alcohol-killing-many-minimum-unit-pricing

    The article also describes the risks of heavy drinking on the health of drinkers, which includes high blood pressure, increased risk of strokes and developing cancer. There are extremely high and unacceptable numbers of young people, still in the 30s with permanent alcohol induced brain damage according to the article. These people require long term, supervised care which in addition to be highly expensive, there is a major shortage of.

    Over the last decade an ease of availability of alcohol has led to increased abuse and subsequent social problems. Whereas before people went to a bar or pub to buy alcohol, now they need only venture as far as their local supermarket, where also is also being discounted so that customers are more encouraged to buy. Just like in Oz were a bottle of water can cost more than alcohol, alcohol in Britain is cheaper than bottled water and is almost 45 per cent more affordable now than it was in the early eighties.

    The article goes on to explain:

    The introduction of a 50p minimum unit price in England could bring a nearly 7% reduction in average alcohol consumption and prevent more than 3,000 alcohol-related deaths and 98,000 hospital admissions each year. In addition, it could reduce annual alcohol-related crimes by more than 40,000, including 10,500 violent crimes.

    In British Columbia in Canada, a 10% increase in alcohol prices led to a 32% reduction in alcohol-related deaths and a 22% fall in the consumption of higher strength beers.

    Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/03/alcohol-killing-many-minimum-unit-pricing

     

  • 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.

     

  • Police Weekend Blitz Yields Hundreds of Arrests

    Last weekend saw police making hundreds of arrests related to alcohol fuelled misconduct. In addition to numerous arrests, many people had to be hurled away in stretchers as this video demonstrates. According to the video the numbers of alcohol fuelled incidents have decreased however, they are still unacceptably high. Binge drinking in entertainment districts is still a major problem with partygoers continuing to abuse alcohol and refuse to behave appropriately.

    http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/watch/eef2554e_edd6_33d0_afc9_f2b23fc7c54b/police-blitz-on-alcohol-related-violence/

    Alcohol servers in these districts have a major role to play bringing down the volume of alcohol fuelled incidents. This can be done by not serving alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age and never serving alcohol to unduly intoxicated patrons.

    Serving alcohol to a person that is already intoxicated is contributing to the violence and assaults that are so rife in the entertainment districts each weekend. Servers who continue to serve alcohol to unduly intoxicated patrons are not only harming the person but the public as well who may be injured or affected by the person’s intoxication, people end up in hospital, jail, or even dead because of the consequences of binge drinking.

  • How to Avoid Binge Drinking this Weekend

    So you’re planning an evening out with your mates but usually an evening out means an evening of binge drinking and nothing but regrets the next morning.

    Most people don’t intend to get hammered on a night out but once you down your first few drinks, it’s like you can’t say no, somehow alcohol helps us lose our inhibitions and leaves us worse for wear the next morning. So how do we avoid excessively drinking and just enjoy one or two drinks without it turning into an all-out binge? Here are a few pointers on how to drink moderately and responsibly:

    • Lose bad company. The old saying about birds of feather really is true when it comes to habits like binge drinking. The biggest cause of binge drinking is culture and peers. Most people drink because all their friends drink and when we go out especially on the weekend, we tend to want to get intoxicated together, not many people enjoy getting drunk alone, unless they have a drinking problem. So lose the bad company until you are strong enough to say no and drink according to your own limits. Remember what your friends can handle may not necessarily be what you can handle.
    • Be extra cautious when you are drowning your sorrows or when you are celebrating. Make sure that you are in control and aware that you may be using alcohol to feel better. Be mindful as you can end up feeling even more depressed when it wears off. If you suspect that you are possibly depressed and not coping, then seek advice and help instead of masking it with drinking. If you are drinking to cope with a setback be responsible and arrange safe transport home.
    • Consciously monitor the amount of alcohol you consume on a night out. Make it a rule and a habit to have a glass of water in between every drink and eat a hearty meal before drinking. Set a limit for yourself and stick to it. If you are a woman, make sure that you are consuming less than your male friends because it takes less to get you drunk than it does them.
    • Remember that we get very thirsty when we drink because alcohol is a diuretic and the trick is to drink water. If we don’t, we tend to drink more alcohol to quench the thirst, making the problem worse.
    • Have “small” drinks and dilute in as much soda or water as you can. Find the drink that you enjoy the taste of and sip it. If it is a wine or beer and if your chosen drink is a spirit, dilute it in water or soda, this will keep the added sugar content down.
    • If drinking with a group of friends, make sure there is a designated driver that doesn’t drink even one drink. Not only can this person drive you home but they can look out for your safety and wellbeing while you drink. They can also monitor how much you drink and help you stick to your limits because they are thinking clearly whereas you will probably not be after a few drinks.

  • New Website to Educate Teens about Alcohol

    Out tonight? Party Right

    A new website has been launched to hopefully educate teenagers about the dangers of binge drinking. The website launched by the State Government is trying to spike the interest of youngsters in Narromine and Trangie by helping them discover and understand the potential consequences of drinking alcohol. Dubbo MP Troy Grant is alerting senior high school students to the creation of www.partyright.nsw.edu.au

    The program was developed by the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing and the Department of Education and Communities and is aligned with the NSW school curriculum. The website’s lessons include video games and guide to learning “how to have fun, celebrate safely and stay on the right side of the law”

    Read more about the new program below with an article from www.narrominenewsonline.com.au

    In highlighting the website to the community, Mr Grant said he was not being approached by concerned constituents.

    “However, given my background in policing and my current role as a member of the legislative assembly committee’s public hearings into under-age drinking, I am aware of a growing trend in this issue,” he said.

    “The drinking of alcohol by minors causes serious risk to their brain development and puts their general safety at considerable risk.

    “That is why I support any effort to promote awareness and deter underage drinking wherever possible.”

    Mr Grant said the online program’s lesson topics included binge drinking and partying, sexual activity and alcohol, and drinking and your health.

    NSW minister for hospitality George Souris launched the website this month and committed the government to implementing measures to help reduce high-risk drinking and alcohol-related assaults.

    “Our whole-of-government approach includes strong regulation of licensed venues, including targeting irresponsible venue operators through our Three Strikes disciplinary scheme,” he said.

    Source: http://www.narrominenewsonline.com.au/story/1319578/website-to-focus-on-downside-of-teenage-drinking/?cs=1238

    Statistics show that around 90 per cent of Australian teenagers have tried alcohol at least once. 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. Not only are teens at risk of teenage pregnancy, contracting STDs, being involved in drink driving crashes and other violence but they are also damaging their health which could have long term consequences.

    Especially in Australia teenage consumption of 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.

    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, especially if they are going provide the alcohol.

    According to the minister educating teenagers about responsible drinking and safe attitudes toward alcohol is important in educating the next generation and safe guarding them against alcohol related harm, that is plaguing this generation. Hopefully initiatives such as these will help teenagers make better decisions when it comes to alcohol and help RSA staff fulfil their responsibilities in not serving alcohol to minors.