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  • RSA Update: Reducing Drink Driving

    It seems like almost every day someone somewhere in Oz is caught for drink driving despite efforts to educate the public about the dangers of getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol.

    The most recent incident reported by www.News.com.au was of a man who was detected driving with a blood alcohol level, 4 times over the legal limit.

    Drink driving is dangerous for so many reasons, one of them being because it makes obeying the rules of the road and rational thinking difficult. The man involved was not only over the limit but was also speeding.

    Before drink driving, drivers should consider the consequences and penalties that drink driving can cause. For example your licence can be suspended which in itself is more than just inconvenient, especially for those whose livelihood is somehow dependent upon being able to drive.

    Drivers be aware of the consequences of drink driving which can be much greater than the consequences of abstaining from drinking if you have to drive or calling a taxi. In addition to having his vehicle impounded for 28 days the man also had his licence confiscated for 12 months. However this is still luckier than he could have been, he could have been killed or caused the death of other innocent road users had a crash occurred.

    Below is the post from News.com.au detailing the incident:

    A MAN’S car has been impounded after he was allegedly caught driving with a blood alcohol reading more than four times the legal limit yesterday on The Parade at Magill.

    About 4.25pm, police conducting laser duties on The Parade allegedly detected a silver Nissan four-wheel-drive vehicle traveling at 62 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

    After submitting to a breath test, the driver recorded a reading of 0.207.

    He was issued a 12-month instant loss of licence notice and had his car impounded for 28 days.

    The 67-year-old man from Magill was reported for exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol, and exceeding the speed limit.

    He will appear in court at a later date.

    Source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/driver-blew-four-times-alcohol-limit/story-e6frfkp9-1226624145261

    Alcohol Servers: What you can Do to Reduce Drink Driving

    Alcohol servers should learn what a standard drink constitutes and know more or less the alcoholic content of drinks you serve so that you are able to advise patrons accordingly and assist them in remaining sober. Learn what a standard drink is and stick to the government’s recommended daily standard drink. This will allow you to remain within the limits of the law when serving patrons or drinking yourself. Advise your customers not to drink and drive and encourage them to call a taxi or friend for a lift home. Have a phone that patrons can use if they need to call for transport home.

     

  • Can Excessive Drinking be Harmful to would-be Dads?

    A recent study looked into the harm that excessive drinking can do to men and the children they have later on. WA researchers have urged men to limit their alcohol consumption before starting a family because a link has been identified between alcoholic spirits and childhood brain tumours.

    While the negative effects of pregnant women drinking excessively on their children has been well documented, it has only now emerged that men’s drinking habits too could affect children. This is even more motivation for men to drink in moderation.

    The WA study looked into 690 Aussie families with a child suffering from either acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or childhood brain tumours and discovered that men who consumed up to seven drinks a week in the 12 months before conception increased the risk of childhood brain tumours by almost 50 per cent.

    An article on Yahoo News website explains more about the study and its findings:

    The Telethon Institute for Child Health Research study also found men who drank 21 or more beers a week might also be placing their future children at greater risk of leukaemia and brain tumours.

    Study authors Elizabeth Milne and Carol Bower said with recent data showing 8 per cent of men between the ages of 30 and 39 consumed at least four standard drinks a day, “a large number of men may be putting their future offspring at risk”.

    The study concluded that men, as well as women, “should limit their alcohol intake when planning a pregnancy”.

    Professor Bower said while there was a great deal of research on the impact that women drinking while pregnant had on babies very few studies had looked at the effects of paternal alcohol consumption.

    “We don’t know too much about the causes of leukaemia or brain tumours, so there will certainly be a lot more work being done in this area,” she said.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/16931166/alcohol-alert-for-dads-to-be/

    According to Prof. Bower our entire society is drinking too much and there is evidence that suggests this drinking in fathers, especially of spirits in the year prior to conception may have a negative effect on the child.

    Surprisingly the study found no evidence linking maternal alcohol consumption before pregnancy with cancer in children, but of course there may be other serious consequences for mothers who drink during pregnancy.

    The study also showed some evidence linking wine consumption to a reduced risk of both childhood brain tumours and leukaemia, but according to researchers this did not change the fact that drinking while pregnant should be avoided.

    The article went on to explain:

    Mike Daube, director of the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth, said the study was significant and carried important messages.

    “This will certainly need to be further explored, but it shows just how far-reaching the impact of alcohol can be,” he said.

    “While many people – though not enough – are aware that women should avoid alcohol in pregnancy, this tells us that men as well as women should exercise great caution about alcohol use if they are thinking about having a child.” He said the message was especially important because about half of all pregnancies in Australia were unplanned.

    Source: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/16931166/alcohol-alert-for-dads-to-be/

     

  • 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 do You Know When you’ve had Enough

    Knowing when to quit is an important quality that we need to develop in order to become responsible drinkers. But the problem with this is that once we start drinking, the alcohol relaxes us and gives us a sense of euphoria which is difficult to quit. So the more we drink, the more we want and often we don’t feel inebriated until it’s too late. For this reason it’s best to count the number of standard drinks we consume, set ourselves a limit before we even start drinking and stick to it.

    Calculating a standard drink is the next thing we need to learn. It’s not rocket science and rather than counting glasses or bottles counting the number of standard drinks we consume is a more reliable way of keeping track of the actual quantity of alcohol we have already downed.

    Bottles, glasses and cans contain varying amounts of alcohol and so counting these can be misleading and not give us any indication of where we are in terms of the legal limits. Whereas a standard drink is a unit of measurement for measuring how much alcohol is contained in a drink, so it is a more reliable way of keeping track of the alcohol we consume.

    A standard drink by Australian standard is any drink containing 10 grams of alcohol. One standard drink always contains the same amount of alcohol regardless of the container size or alcohol type consumed. The number of standard drinks in an alcohol beverage is always shown on the label of the container.

    This is how you calculate it:

    Volume of container in litres

    X % alcohol by volume (ml/100ml)

    X 0.789*

     =number of standard drinks

    (Multiply the volume of the container in litres by the alcohol volume and multiply that by 0.789.)

    This will allow you to plan your consumption more carefully and be a responsible drinker.

     

  • 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.

     

  • How to identify alcohol abuse in Teens

    Although it is illegal to serve alcohol to minors, teenagers do find ways of getting around laws and some parents do allow their children drink. However this becomes problematic when teenagers develop alcohol addiction problems, which is why recognising the signs is so important.

     

    While the symptoms can be similar or exactly the same as adult alcoholic’s symptoms, some of the most common symptoms of alcohol abuse in teenagers include lying, making excuses, breaking curfew, staying in their room, becoming verbally or physically abusive toward others, having items in their possession that are connected to alcohol use, the smell of alcohol on their breath or body, mood swings, stealing, and changes in friends.

    Teenagers often suffer from alcohol poisoning because they don’t know when to stop and their bodies are not fully developed to cope with the amount of alcohol they may put in it. This is the potentially fatal result of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time, the body is not able to process the amount of alcohol introduced to it.

     

    While parents play the biggest role in influencing teenagers, peer pressure is also a major cause of drinking. Parents can’t prevent their teenagers from experimenting with alcohol, but they can encourage sensible drinking habits and display a good example for their children to follow.

     

  • 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.

  • Alcohol and Sports. Do they mix?

    So with the Olympics on everybody’s minds it crossed my mind, should athletes be drinking? It’s obvious that alcohol has an effect on ones performance while intoxicated or hung over, but are there lasting effects that could jeopardise an athlete’s ability to perform optimally in the long run.
     

    In addition to waking up with a pounding headache, dry mouth, nauseous with an upset stomach drinking alcohol can affect an athlete’s performance because it dehydrates them. Alcohol also lowers the action of the anti-diuretic hormone. This is the hormone that tells the kidneys to conserve water. When this hormone is reduced it increases the need to urinate and increases the risk of dehydration.  This puts serious stress on the kidneys.
     

    The reason this is particularly relevant to athletes is that the water balance in muscle cells can also be disrupted, because their ability to produce adenosine triphosphate is weakened. Adenosine triphosphate is the fuel that allows muscles to contract.
     
    Excessive alcohol consumption can result in deficiencies in water-soluble vitamins such as niacin, vitamin C and thiamin, all of which are vitally important to muscles. Alcohol consumption also cause the body to have trouble absorbing important nutrients like magnesium, iron and zinc, key minerals that help the body metabolize protein, fat and carbs.
     

    So are those the only side effects? Actually no. Alcohol consumption also hinders balance, hand-eye coordination and skills that require fast reaction time, all abilities needed for athletes to perform at their peak. The body will experience a decrease in strength as well as muscular and cardiovascular endurance. So basically alcohol and athletes don’t mix. Alcohol consumption will decrease an athlete’s ability to train and perform at their best.
     

    So how long after consumption will the alcohol affect an athlete’s performance? Even moderate alcohol consumption can affect your athletic performance for up to 48 hours after drinking, depending on the amount of alcohol consumed.
     

    So alcohol affects athletes in the following ways:
     

    • It increases the risk of the body becoming dehydrated because alcohol acts as a diuretic. It also dehydrates muscles don’t function properly, and shut down sooner. Also, dehydration may cause intense headaches and muscle cramping.
    • It impairs the body’s heat regulating ability which in turn affects endurance. Something that every athlete needs. Alcohol can cause a large number of issues, including heat exhaustion and even death).
    • Alcohol reduced your blood sugar levels which lowers energy level needed for prolonged physical activity.
    • Alcohol impairs your reaction times, coordination and balance
    • It reduces endurance, strength and speed
    • The risk of injury is increased and increases the recovery time needed.
    • Alcohol decreases the body’s ability to absorb necessary nutrients and deplete vitamins already stored. It depletes the body of valuable vitamins and minerals.
    • Alcohol also slows down the respiratory system.
    • Alcohol abuse can interrupt normal sleep patterns and interferes with an athlete receiving a good night’s rest.
    • It delays recovery after exercise by slowing the replacement of muscle and liver glycogen, this is the primary fuel of the body used during exercise.
    • Alcohol consumption also increases blood pressure.
    • Drinking has also been found to delay recovery from soft tissue injuries. Injured athletes need to get back into the game and competition ready as quickly as possible—anything slowing down this process should be avoided including alcohol.
    • It slows down reaction time for 48-72 hours after intoxication depending on a number of factors including gender, weight etc.  It also impairs coordination for up to 72 hours after consumption, something that athletes cannot do without. It can also impair concentration.
    • Athletes are more often than not watching their weight. Alcohol is fattening. It provides a lot of empty calories and has been proven to increase fat storage.
    • Alcohol is a depressant, which can affect a person’s mental and emotional state.
    • It inhibits protein binding (absorption) which prevents tissue repair following a workout. Some have gone so far as to say that athletes may as well throw out that protein shake if you choose to drink alcohol afterwards as it’s not going to have the desired effect.
    • Alcohol also shrinks muscle tissue and lowers natural testosterone levels.

    Athletes should remember to: 

    • Stay away from alcohol consumption for at least 48 hours before strenuous exercise/training/playing sport.
    • After exercise you must re-hydrate with non-alcoholic drinks, but this is something all athletes should know and be doing anyway.

     

  • Wine Appreciation News

    Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards was recently held with The Royal Mail Hotel scooping top honours. The hotel in Dunkeld in Western Victoria was found to possess the country’s best wine list. The competition was judged by a panel of 28 judges, many of which described the hotels wine list as “Exemplary”.
     

    The hotel impressed judges with its wide range of wines on offer, catering to a plethora of palettes. There were also a variety of other winners in different categories and also recognising those establishments that featured outstanding Australian wine lists.
     

    This post on Hospitalitymagazine.com provides a detailed list of the competitions winners:

     

    “Everyone was thoroughly impressed by the Royal Mail’s extensive choice of wines across different price points, wines by the glass, collections of museum verticals and, of special note, an extraordinary selection of local and international rieslings,” said Rob Hirst, chairman of Fine Wine Partners and Judy Sarris, editor, Gourmet Traveller WINE.
     

    The Royal Mail Hotel also won best Country Restaurant Wine List, Best List in Victoria and Crowther was also awarded the Judy Hirst Award for his role in managing the wine list.
     

    Other state winners at this year’s awards were:
     

     • Rubicon – ACT
     

    • Apothecary 1878 – South Australia
     

    • Me Wah – Tasmania
     

    • Ortiga – Queensland
     

    • Glass Brasserie –  NSW
     

    • Rockpool Bar and Grill, Perth – WA
     

    • Char – Northern Territory
     

    This year saw the emergence of a new award, the Best Listing of Australian Wine, which reflects Australians’ growing palette for locally grown and produced drops, and was presented to Sydney’s Aria.
     

    Other winners on the night were:
     

     • NEW WINE LIST – TONY HITCHIN AWARD – The Trustee, Perth, WA
     

    • REGIONAL WINE LIST – Lake House, Daylesford, VIC
     

    • SMALL WINE LIST – Bloodwood, Sydney, NSW
     

    • FOOD AND WINE MATCHING WINE LIST – Circa, The Prince, VIC
     

    • INTERNATIONAL HOTEL RESTAURANT WINE LIST – Balla, The Star, Sydney, NSW
     

    • WINE BAR LIST – Melbourne Supper Club, VIC
     

    • PUB RESTAURANT WINE LIST – The Botanical, South Yarra, VIC
     

    • CAFè/BRASSERIE WINE LIST – European, Melbourne, VIC
     

    • CLUB WINE LIST – The Brisbane Club, Brisbane, Qld
     

    Source: http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/royal-mail-hotel-praised-with-country-s-best-wine

     

    In related news I came across a new development that may revolutionise the appreciation of wine, by altering the shape of the wine glass.
     

    A new design by the famous French glass maker, Baccarat claims to tame the harsh alcohol taste in the wine to reveal the more subtle flavours and aromas. A feat no other glass maker can claim, according to Baccarat.  The glass makers claim that the vessel enables the drinker to gain that all elusive balance in wines, giving just the right amount of “fire and water”. 
     

    The design of the glass, although strange in comparison to traditional designs, prevents the alcohol content in the wine from overpowering the other flavours and aromas.
     

    The actual shape of the glass is a broad base with sloping sides and an extremely narrow lip at the top of the narrow vertical ”chimney”.
     

    This post on Hospitalitymagazine.com describes the revolutionary glass in detail:
     

    Could a wine glass in the shape of a tulip revolutionise the appreciation of wine?
     

    That’s what French glassmaker Baccarat is predicting with a new glass design that it says can tame the alcohol in the wine and reveal the complexity of wine better than any other glass available.
     

    “People tend to confuse good wine with alcohol in wine, which is not what we want,” Bruno Quenioux, technical adviser of the new glass design in the Chateau Baccarat collection has told Reuters.
     

    “What is complicated with wine is to get the balance between the fire and water. Get too much fire in the wine and you lose the message of the water… But if you put too much water in the fire, then the fire is dead.”
     

    The glass features a broad base, a saucer-like cup, sloping sides and an unusually narrow lip at the end of a vertical “chimney” that Baccarat says prevents the alcohol from overpowering other aromas since it sinks down when the glass is swirled prior to tasting.
     

     The glasses were unveiled in Europe in March earlier this year but have just also been launched in China. 
     

    Source: http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/tiptoe-to-this-tulip-for-better-wine-appreciation
     

     

    Posted by Peter Cutforth