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Tag: Responsible Service of Alcohol

  • Drink without Destroying Your Diet

    We’ve often heard that alcohol contains empty calories, providing no nutritional benefits but holding a lot of calories, so naturally it can have an impact on our diet.

    According to a nutritionist, gram for gram alcohol provides 29 kilojoules (protein and carbs have 17, while fat has 38).

    The typical serving size of wine in a restaurant is 150mLs, which contains about 418 kilojoules  or 100 calories and cocktails are even worse with a standard mojito containing 710 kilojoules or 170 calories.

    While red wine is beneficial to your heart health and numerous other health benefits are associated with moderate drinking, excessive drinking has a converse effect, linked to many diseases like cancer and diabetes.

    Ultimately, being aware of how much you’re drinking is the key. How many standard drinks are you consuming and how many calories are contained in that drink.  Also it’s important to stick to the guidelines – no more than 2 standard drinks a day for an adult.

    Find out more https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/nutrition-tips/yes-you-can-drink-alcohol-without-ruining-your-diet-heres-how/news-story/7a2d28cc5b83632baff486e9062f11f9

  • Next Day Drinking Anxiety and Why it Hits

    Is your day-after-drinking hangover usually accompanied by feelings of anxiety, if so you’re not alone.

    According to a professor from Curtin University, Professor Nicole Lee, drinking disrupts the chemicals in your brain. When we drink we have a surge of dopamine which is the feel-good neurotransmitter. But the next day all our chemicals and hormones are out of balance.  Our dopamine is depleted which can make feelings of anxiety worse, that is why we can feel pretty emotional when recovering from a hangover.

    Read more at https://www.nambuccaguardian.com.au/story/5861043/over-the-limit-and-under-the-water-when-fun-turns-fatal/

  • Safety Campaign Tackles Drunk Drowning

    A summer safety campaign aims to stop drunk drownings which spike over the warmer seasons in Australia.

    Data from the Royal Life Saving Society shows that 2760 men lost their lives due to drowning over the past 15 years between 1 July 2003 and 30 June 2018, and 18 per cent of those deaths were linked to alcohol. In 42 per cent of cases the blood alcohol content was not known, so this number could have been even higher.

    Remember while you’re out enjoying the beach or the swimming pool, or any other water sports, avoid drinking alcohol, that’s the message from Royal Life Saving Society.

    The campaign ‘Don’t Let Your Mates Drink and Drown’ is the campaign reminding men of the serious issue surrounding drinking alcohol near water.

    Alcohol impairs judgement and delays reaction time of drinkers, it also reduces coordination increasing the risk of drowning.

    Of the males who drowned while under the influence of alcohol, they had a blood alcohol level on average 3 times the legal driving limit.  For more visit https://www.nambuccaguardian.com.au/story/5861043/over-the-limit-and-under-the-water-when-fun-turns-fatal/

  • Seven US States with Strict Alcohol Rules

    You may have heard of the Prohibition in the United States which was repealed in 1933 but there are some modern alcohol laws that you may not have known of that you could find surprising.

    Before 1984 each state had the right to set its own minimum drinking age but an act by congress was passed that meant that all states had to comply with the minimum drinking age of 21.

    There are some alcohol laws that are unique to certain states – for example,

    • In North Carolina drink specials are illegal.
    • In Alaska bars and liquor stores can’t open until polls close on election days.
    • In Pennsylvania, hard liquor can only be bought at state-run stores.
    • In Utah you must order food if you’re going to order alcohol at a bar or restaurant.
    • In Massachusetts, out-of-state IDs aren’t proof of age at bars.

    Source: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/states-with-strict-alcohol-laws-2019-1

  • Government Contributes to Development of Anti-Binge Drinking App

    Thousands of Australians will benefit from a new program designed to help them cut down on alcohol, which the federal government has invested in.

    The government pledged $3million towards the program- a mobile app called the Daybreak Program. The app offers access to professional health coaching. It also offers an anonymous support platform.

    Health Minister Greg Hunt recently said of the government’s investment that alcohol is the third highest risk factor for premature death and disease in Australia. He said early intervention is important which is why the government is getting involved.

    Read more at https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/new-online-tool-to-reduce-binge-drinking/news-story/5b0a98aded5446a2766e6790c3208772

  • Alcohol’s Positive and Negative Links to Dementia

    There are a number of factors that you should consider when deciding whether or not to have a drink and how much alcohol is safe for you. Alcohol in moderation has been proven to benefit your health, actually lowering the risk of heart disease for some people and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and gallstones.

    Excessive drinking on the other hand has been linked to a host of diseases including various forms of cancer.

    There have also been studies that link moderate alcohol consumption to good brain health but most of those studies focused on elderly people and their recent drinking habits, which doesn’t really help us assess the effects of lifetime drinking patterns on the brain, until now.

    A researcher at Inserm, Severine Sabia and her colleagues researched the effects of alcohol consumption on middle aged people and its effect on dementia later in life.

    The study analysed data from a large UK database of more than 9000 middle-aged people between 35 and 55 and the findings were published in BMJ. The study showed that people who abstained from alcohol and those who drank more than 14 glasses of wine a week were at a higher risk of dementia than people who drank one to 14 glasses of wine a week/ moderate drinkers.

    An article on Time.com explained more about the study,

    … dementia was evaluated by medical records and death certificates; variations in how people categorized dementia could affect the results. And Sabia notes that the threshold of 14 glasses of wine (about 112g of alcohol) identified in the study is lower than what some countries recommend as healthy levels of alcohol. In the U.S., the standard alcoholic beverage contains about 14g of alcohol (almost twice that in the standard alcoholic drink in the U.K., for example), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends women drink up to a drink a day, and men consume no more than two drinks a day.

    Source: http://time.com/5355615/drinking-alcohol-dementia/

    According to researchers, excessive alcohol consumption, although not currently included in most countries dementia prevention guidelines, it should be included as a risk factor for dementia.

    They went on to say alcohol in moderation may be beneficial in improving blood circulation by influencing blood-clotting factors that cause blockages in the heart and brain. Healthy blood flow keeps neurons healthy and enables them to communicate in their complex networks.

    On the other hand excessive alcohol can negatively affect healthy tissues, building up in toxic amounts that can compromise nerve function.

    While the findings represent an association between alcohol consumption and dementia, and not a cause-and-effect relationship, Sabia believes they are enough for doctors to start a conversation with their patients about their drinking habits. “As far as the research in the risk factors for dementia, we are still at the beginning,” says Sabia. “There are several risk factors that are likely to be important in midlife a long time before the early stages of dementia appear later in life. I think alcohol should now be added to this list.”

    Source: http://time.com/5355615/drinking-alcohol-dementia/

  • Residents in Country NSW Hit Hard by Alcohol

    Alcohol is also leading to more motor vehicle accidents in rural NSW, where alcohol is a factor in 85 per cent of crashes.In major cities its just 17 per cent.

  • Push to Ban $1.50 Alcohol via Afterpay

    The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) says at risk people are being  lured into purchasing alcohol by the extremely low upfront costs made possible by the growth of “buy now pay later” services.

    FARE and other health groups are calling for government intervention on  the issue and want a ban on the sale of alcohol through services like zipPay and Afterpay. These services allow people to buy alcohol and receive the purchase immediately but only make payment for the purchase over time.

    In a submission to a Senate inquiry into credit and financial services targeting Australians that are battling financially, the health group said these services were becoming increasingly available and making it easier to access alcohol products.

    The risk is even greater to these consumers because it will simultaneously increase their alcohol dependency and credit dependency.

    Source: https://www.smh.com.au/national/increased-harm-the-push-to-ban-sales-of-1-50-alcohol-via-afterpay-20181219-p50nab.html

  • The 5 Types of Problem Alcohol Drinkers

    According to new research from Penn State University, there isn’t just one type of problem drinker. In fact  there are as many as 5 distinct types of problem drinker profiles.

    Researchers found that disordered drinking can vary from person to person.

    For one drinker, problem drinking may involve falling over and getting themselves in dangerous situations while for others it may not seem to interfere with their lives at all.

    Scientists also found that certain drinking profiles were more common at different life stages, for example young adults may be more likely to experience adverse effects such as hangovers and withdrawal symptoms while older drinkers may struggle with alcohol-related injuries more often.

    Researchers outlined the following 5 problem drinking profiles, which may help you identify a problem drinker among your friends, family or patrons,

    1. Alcohol-induced injury: In addition to drinking too much, people in this profile reported getting into risky situations during or after drinking that may have resulted in injury.

    2. Difficulty cutting back: People in this group struggled with wanting to cut back on their problematic drinking but being unable to.

    3. Highly problematic, low perceived life interference: While people in this group reported experiencing many symptoms, they said their drinking did not interfere with their family, friends, work or hobbies.

    4. Adverse effects only: People who fit this profile reported experiencing hangovers or withdrawal symptoms in addition to drinking too much.

    5. Highly problematic: People in this group reported experiencing every symptom of alcohol use disorder.

    Read more at https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/five-types-problem-alcohol-drinkers-one-151748286.html

    According to an assistant research professor at the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, Ashley Linden-Carmichael, author of the groundbreaking study, the findings may have crucial implications for how alcoholism is understood and treated in the future.

    Linden-Carmichael says the research shows that we should think beyond whether a person has an alcohol use disorder and look specifically at what they’re struggling with and whether they’re in a particularly risky category.

    Alcoholism can affect many aspects of a person’s wellbeing, including their physical and mental health.

    According to statistics, the number of people admitted to hospital with alcohol-related behavioural disorders has grown over the past decade by a staggering 94% for people between 15-50 years and by 150% for people over 60 years old.

     

  • Summer Responsible Alcohol Consumption Warning

    Australians are being reminded to be responsible when drinking this summer especially given the mix of holidays, celebrations, hot weather and in many cases the beach, pool or some other body of water.

    While Australia’s alcohol consumption rates are declining, especially among the youth, older Australians are continuing to drink at high levels and put themselves at risk.

    We all know the immediate dangers of drinking too much, alcohol poisoning, risky behaviour etc. but what about the long term effects and risk of injuries.

    Cancer and heart disease are just 2 of the diseases linked to alcohol and particularly in Australia alcohol has been linked to drowning deaths.

    According to statistics around 40% of drownings in Australia can be linked to alcohol as we continue to mix alcohol and swimming.