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Tag: drinking

  • Problems Associated with Drinking in Teenage Girls

    The problem of teenagers drinking excessively and then endangering themselves by engaging in activities such as unsafe sex, fighting and brawls and other criminal activity and misconduct has become a serious issue, in NSW and throughout Oz. There has also been a marked increase in the rate of girls jailed or under community-based supervision over the past 10 years in NSW, new national data shows which has been linked to alcohol.

    According to NSW Justice Minister Greg Smith, drugs and alcohol are to blame for this increase and abuse of these substances in particular needs to be dealt with. It was revealed in a recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report that there has been a 70 per cent increase in the number of underage girls being held in detention centres for some or the other reason.

    Read what an article on Smh.com.au explains about the spike:

    ”It is believed the rise in the rate of young female offenders under supervision by Juvenile Justice NSW can be attributed to a number of factors including drug and alcohol abuse and a rise in the number of serious crimes committed by young female offenders,” a spokeswoman for Mr Smith said.

    The head of the AIHW’s child welfare and prisoner health unit, Tim Beard, said it is too early to tell what is driving the trend among female 10- to 17-year-olds because the numbers were still small.

    ”This is really fascinating. It [the rate] has come down in the past year, but if you look at the longer term trend it has actually gone up,” Mr Beard said.

    In 2000-01, the number of female juveniles under supervision in NSW on an average day was 5.2 per 10,000, representing 193 detainees, increasing to 9.1 per 10,000 in 2011-12 (329), according to the AIHW report, Youth justice in Australia 2011-12: An overview, released on April 30. Supervision refers to community-based and detention orders.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/alcohol-factor-in-rise-of-girls-in-detention-20130509-2jab2.html#ixzz2SsWwXpcn

    The data obtained is backed up research done by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research which indicates a 33 per cent increase in the number of underage female offenders in the last decade leading up to June 2009.

    According to statistics the rate of female juvenile offenders under supervision has increased slightly in Victoria and has increased more dramatically in Tasmania. The rate has dropped in the ACT, Queensland and South Australia.

    Facts such as these make it more evident as to why responsible service of alcohol is so important. RSA staff are often the only thing standing between minors and alcohol which makes their job even more important.

    It is vital the RSA staff such as bartenders, waitrons and licenced venue employees refuse alcohol to anyone who looks underage and anyone who is not able to produce an ID proving their age, especially if they look under the age of 25. Parents too play an important role and should teach their children the dangers of drinking too young and excessive consumption.

     

  • Alcohol Promotions at NSW Events may be Banned

    NSW festivals and events may never be the same again if calls for alcohol promotions and sponsorships to be banned come into effect.

    People travel from across the country to attend festivals and events in NSW, so this issue has relevance for everyone.

    Alcohol promotions and sponsorships at North Coast festivals are frequented by young people many of whom aren’t even of legal drinking age. A NSW Upper House inquiry has heard that alcohol sponsorships and promotions should therefore be banned.

    The parliamentary inquiry into alcohol abuse in young people, the Byron Youth Service made its submission to have alcohol promotions and sponsorships banned. The group called for a review into the regulation of alcohol service at festivals and events such as Splendour in the Grass, Schoolies, Blues Fest and even New Year celebrations.

    The Byron Youth Service says that alcohol at festival bars in glamourized which thereby promotes heavy drinking especially amongst young people and encourages these impressionable youth into consuming alcohol.

    The submission also noted that the high profile crime in the area, related to alcohol appears to have escaped the State Government’s radar.

    According to a report on MyDailyNews.com.au this is what the BYS (Byron Youth Service) had to say:

    It says an area, which has 30% more liquor licences and significantly higher crime statistics than most of NSW, heavy tourism traffic and a shortage of taxis, is in desperate need of funding for safety programs.

    The street-based program, run by BYS every weekend and throughout special events and peak periods like Schoolies for the past 13 years, was working, according the submission but lacked “sufficient, ongoing funding”.

    Byron High students suggested funding for school-based programs, more RBTs at “high risk” areas like Byron, western Sydney and the Gold Coast and curfews for P platers, could help deter young people from binge-drinking.

    The submission, penned by school captains Taylor Kempnich and Brodie Snow and vice captains Danika Saul and James Dennett, said the focus should be on “prevention rather than the cure” if the State Government wanted to “save money, time in the workplace, but most of all, lives”.

    Byron-based Greens MLC Jan Barham and Lennox Liberal MLC Catherine Cusack are sitting on the committee which will report back to parliament later this year.

    The next hearing will take place in Sydney on May 6.

    http://www.mydailynews.com.au/news/push-ban-alcohol-promotion-nsw-festivals-and-event/1849647/

    Whether or not the BYS will be granted their request, we will have to wait and see but in the interim it is important that people realise that serving alcohol to underage minors is illegal.

    Parents need to understand the daamage that alcohol is doing to their children and the risks that it is placing them under.

    Servers of alcohol, whether in a bar or pub or at a festival or event needs to be aware of the damage that serving alcohol to youth can do. In addition to the harm that alcohol can do to young people, anyone who provides alcohol to a minor is liable to be charged.

     

  • 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.

  • Indonesian Island Promises Crackdown on Alcohol after Aussie Death

    For those who love holidaying in exotic Indonesia but are afraid of drinking when there may have reason to put their concerns to bed. After an Aussie teen died a few months ago after drinking alcoholic drinks laced with toxic methanol, many Australians (and people from around the world) have been afraid to return to the island or consume alcoholic drinks, especially cocktails while on holiday in that part of the world. But now Indonesian authorities have vowed to get to the bottom of the issue by revoking the business licence of any place found to be selling cheap, unregistered alcohol.

    The incident was a wake-up call to many tourists that cheap, homemade alcohol is a common occurrence in many of these developing holiday nations because more money can be made by purchasing cheaper alcohol. Homemade alcohol has now been banned on the holiday island and business risk losing their right to do business if they are caught by authorities.

    Read more below with a post taken from Abc.net.au:

    Tourism authorities on an Indonesian holiday island are cracking down on homemade alcohol after the death of an Australian teenager last month.

    Liam Davies from Perth died from methanol poisoning after drinking cocktails at a bar on Lombok Island near Bali.

    Now the North Lombok tourism office is threatening to revoke the business licences of any outlet found to be selling unregistered alcohol.

    Office spokesman FahmanToriki says they are concerned tourists will stop coming to the popular holiday area unless they clean up the alcohol industry.

    He says they have told all hotels on nearby GiliTrawangan Island that they are not allowed to sell homemade alcohol.

    Mr Toriki says a campaign has also begun to warn tourists against drinking unregistered drinks.

    Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-13/indonesia-holiday-island-vows-alcohol-crackdown/4517354

    A similar incident occurred last year in the Czech Republic when 22 people died after drinking methanol laced vodka. Vodka is a common drink in that part of the world and there has never been too much restriction on alcohol sales until now.

    Although these incidents are extremely tragic, we can learn from them. Even though it is unlikely that we will encounter fake alcohol in Oz, we should still be careful when purchasing alcohol, especially when travelling overseas make sure you know what you’re drinking and that you are buying a sealed bottle from a reputable place.

    The substances the criminals usually make fake alcohol with is poisonous, including chemicals such as cleaning fluids, nail polish remover, isopropanol and as in this case methanol. People are often fooled by these fakes because they give off the same feeling as normal alcohol at first, but it’s only a matter of time before the effects turn deadly. Rather pay more but know that what you are drinking is safe but if you cannot determine for certain whether the alcohol is legit, abstain altogether.

     

  • Drinking Myths Debunked

    While drinking is a way of loosening up and chilling out after a long day’s work, there are some myths about alcohol that people tend to believe as true.
     

    Part of drinking is doing so responsibly and by knowing the effects of alcohol and drinking within the limits you can avoid many of the nasty consequences that over indulging can cause.
     

    • Getting drunk will cheer me up

     

    While drinking is a way of relaxing, it numbs your senses and helps you forget about your problems. However once you are sober again the problems are still there and over indulging in the long run may cause you to become more depressed. Developing an alcohol addiction can cause even more problems such as illnesses and financial problems.
     

    • Drinking coffee will sober me up

     

    Because the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant, you might feel more alert but it does not make you sober. Your blood alcohol level will remain the same.
     

    • I’ll be fine in the morning

     

    Your liver takes about an hour to process one unit of alcohol, regardless of whether you sleep or not.Therefore you can still be over the legal drink-driving limit the next morning.
     

    • I’ll be fine if I drink plenty of water before I go to bed

    Drinking water can reduce the painful symptoms of a hangover by preventing dehydration but you will still be drunk and the harmful effects on your organs will be the same.