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  • Recognising the Symptoms of a Hangover

    Everyone who has over indulged knows the feeling of dizziness, thirst and headaches experienced the next day. Although hangovers are common in the morning they can occur at any time of the day or night. Depression is also a sign of a hangover, even though most people think it is just related to the physical feeling of sickness that they feel depressed but alcohol is a stimulant and as the person comes down off the stimulant they begin to feel depressed.

    How bad the hangover is and how long it lasts is related to how much alcohol is consumed and whether the person has had enough water and rest. Dehydration, caused by the alcohol, can make the effects of the hangover even worse.

     

    Normally the hangover will subside within 24 hours but this is not always the case.

     

    Symptoms are not pleasant and include unquenchable thirst, headache, bloodshot eyes and even nausea. In some cases people suffering from a hangover can include anxiety, aching muscles, diarrhoea, dizziness and an accelerated heart rate. Vomiting is a common hangover effect and can last several hours.

    Hangovers are definitely something you want to avoid. The only way to do this for sure is to drink responsibly and in moderation to save yourself from the unnecessary, self-induced sickness of a hangover.

     

  • Recognising a Problem Drinker

    Alcohol servers as well as everyday people should be able to recognise the signs of a problem drinker. If you are a bartender or waiter you want to be able to tell if a person has a problem and if you notice these signs in a friend or family member, you should take action for their wellbeing.

    These are a few of the alarm bells:

    1. They only visit places, people and events where they know there will be alcohol.
    2. They suffer from withdrawal when they don’t have a drink for a few hours. Withdrawal symptoms include sweating, rapid heartbeat, anxiety and shakes.
    3. The person’s tolerance to alcohol increases meaning they need to intake more alcohol to get drunk as compared to others.
    4. The person craves alcohol and cannot rest until the craving is fulfilled.
    5. Family and friends will recognise the symptom that they often make promises they don’t keep and miss special occasions and dates, uncharacteristically. They also lie quite a lot.

    Moderate drinking is the only acceptable form, if a person finds themselves craving alcohol more than normal, they should consider a period of abstinence rather than risk developing an addiction that has the potential to destroy lives, relationships and a person’s health and may even result in death.

  • Article Posts for Week Ending October 26,2012

    Here is a list of the articles posted on our blog this last week:

    Danger of Mixing Alcohol and Minors

    Is There Any Danger Involved in Mixing Energy Drinks and Alcohol

    How to identify alcohol abuse in Teens

    Binge Drinking Linked to Alcohol Abuse

    Is Liquid Nitrogen Really Dangerous?

    Possible Solutions to Alcohol Fuelled Problems

     

  • Possible Solutions to Alcohol Fuelled Problems

    A number of suburbs around Australia are battling to find ways to combat alcohol fuelled violence and crimes that are causing major distress to residents. One such suburb is Scarborough, the beach front suburb which has been hit by a number of alcohol related incidents recently with drunken thugs taking over the area. Residents of the suburb are now fighting back and I it works this may be a solution that other suburbs could also implement to obtain similar results.

    One of the demands of the residents is that police enforce the law by confiscating alcohol from those consuming it on the beach and surrounding area. One of the other suggestions was setting up a police post on the beach during the holiday season. Residents have been attacked with bottles, assaulted and robbed and have had enough and are calling on authorities to act and help them take back their community.

    Perhaps more police patrolling the area will make a difference as an increase in police presence has been effective in other parts of the country in reducing alcohol fuelled violence.

    Alcohol retailers, pubs and bars in the area also have a role to play in ensuring that they supply alcohol in a responsible manner, this involves not providing alcohol to intoxicated patrons or underage minors.

     

  • Is Liquid Nitrogen Really Dangerous?

    Although liquid nitrogen has been identified by authorities as harmful, people in the industry disagree which led me to wonder if liquid nitrogen is a dangerous as they say or if it’s just been given a bad rap?

     

    Liquid nitrogen cocktails have become popular because they bubble and let out smoke, which adds a “wow” factor to cocktails. The use of liquid nitrogen has become extremely controversial since the incident which left a British teen in a critical condition in hospital.

    It seems the problematic issue with liquid nitrogen is that its use is not regulated which means that even inexperienced bartenders are able to use this potentially lethal ingredient in their concoctions. When used safely by well-trained bartenders, liquid nitrogen is not dangerous, but for patrons how can we tell the difference?

    The danger involved with liquid nitrogen use is that it expands more than 600 times its volume when it changes from a liquid to a gas, which can cause serious damage to the human body if this change were to take place within it (this is what happened to the girl in The UK). So basically if the liquid enters the human stomach and turns into a gas, it can explode.

     

    Although authorities are likely to ban the use of liquid nitrogen if you do decide to try a cocktail made with liquid nitrogen, do not drink it until the nitrogen has evaporated. Be careful because nitrogen has no colour or taste, so it may be difficult to detect.

  • Minimum Pricing Rejected by Alcohol Industry

    The Federal Government’s intention to introduce a minimum floor pricing plan has been met with opposition from the liquor industry. The government’s strategy would eventually result in an increase in the cost of alcohol, with hopes that this will reduce the number of alcohol related violent and criminal innocents induced by drinking

    But the Australian National Preventative Health Agency (ANPHA) which is part of the federal; government recommends the new taxes be introduced as soon as possible. This would result in the increase in the cost of cask wine to $47.70 for a four litre.

    The alcohol industry has however slammed the proposal which it believes would harshly impact responsible drinkers who simply cannot afford to purchase the more premium alcohol products such as pensioners. They have also expressed their opinions that this strategy would do little to combat the underage drinking and binge drinking which the government aims to target. The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) also rejected the minimum pricing strategy because of its impact on pensioners.

    The problem with the new strategy, according to those in the liquor industry is that it will negatively affect both responsible and irresponsible drinkers. Major retailers have joined in to criticize the government’s plan which it believes should be targeted at the specific problem community and not to the entire nation in general.

  • Ways to Become the Best at Bartending

    Let’s face it the ultimate goal of being a better bartender is to make more money, by generating more tips. In order to do this, bartenders need to be at the top of their game. Some of the measures that can be implemented include:
     
    • Always Maintaining a Good Attitude. No matter how bad a day you’re having, keep a good attitude and always smile.
     
    • Always Be Professional. Maintain a professional attitude and appearance. Being professional will make customers trust you and therefore return to your bar time and time again.
     
    • Make Suggestions. If customers are unsure of what to order Make a suggestion to show that you care. Most customers will look to you for advice as they view you as the expert and most will show their gratitude with tips.
     
    • Don’t Fixate on Tips. Although the tip may be most of your income, being obsessive about tips and counting your tips each time someone hands it to you is unprofessional.
     
    • If unsure, ask for proof. Part of responsible service is making sure the people you serve are of legal drinking age. If you doubt about a customer’s age, ask for a proof of ID.

  • Article Posts for Week Ending October 5,2012

    Here is a list of the articles posted on our blog this last week:

    Former pub boss in court – A warning to other Publicans

    Perfect Summer Mixers

    Responsible Service of Alcohol Update: How to Say No to an Intoxicated Customer

     

  • Article Posts for Week Ending September 28,2012

    Here is a list of the articles posted on our blog this last week:

    Prosecutions for Underage Drinking

    New Coffee Flavoured Vodka

    Study Shows Alcohol is the Gateway Drug

    Responsible Alcohol Service Update: Learn how to recognise Signs of Intoxication

    Dangers of Drink Driving

    Should Nursing Mothers be Drinking?

    RSA Update: Beware of Binge Drinking

  • 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.