Big night out in a drunken haze

It's the kind of behaviour you would expect to see on a British reality TV show - rowdy scenes of young women in tiny skirts living it up on the streets in the early hours of the morning.

But spend a night out in the city hot spots of Kings Cross, George St and Pitt St and you will see just how widespread the problem has become locally.

When Chelsea Taylor, from the Blue Mountains, goes out she said she liked to party as hard as possible.

On Saturday night she started out drinking at the Piano Bar to celebrate her birthday before heading to several other venues in Kings Cross.

"Girls can party just as much (as men)," she said. "I love a good night out. I don't get a chance to do it as much, so it's go time."

Kylie Wiggins, 20, and Rattany Deng, 20, from Potts Point go to Kings Cross every weekend. "We love it here, we love the atmosphere and the good-looking boys," Ms Wiggins said.

The pair also like the area's 24-hour hotels and planned to keep partying until the sun came up.

"We're staying all night till 5 o'clock," Ms Wiggins said.

She also boasted they could drink their male friends under the table.

"We can drink a lot more but we're much (more) tame," she said.

But the girls said they don't drink too much and were not like the ladettes we see on our television screens.

"We just drink like this when there's a special occasion," Ms Deng said.

Jose Duarte, from Prairiewood, said while his friends were not ladettes, that type of girl was becoming a common sight in the city.

"Sydney's full of them," he said. "Full of ladettes and wannabe ladettes."

Rebecca Cooper, from Bondi, said she preferred Oxford St because it had more 24-hour clubs.

"I like that I can stay out all night," the 26-year-old said.

Young Australians aged 18 to 24 have the highest prevalence of risky alcohol consumption of all age groups, according to the 2004 National Drug Strategy Household Survey.

On average, 264 young people die as a result of risky drinking each year.

By 18, 50 per cent of men and women are risky drinkers, but the majority classify themselves "social drinkers".

Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation chief executive officer Daryl Smeaton said latest research showed young women were drinking as much or more than young men.

This was a worry because they were getting themselves into dangerous situations, such as violence and sexual assaults. "Alcohol is a disinhibitor, you do things when you're having a few drinks that you wouldn't dream of doing when you're sober," he said.

"It's a phenomena that's of great concern. The issue with women of that age group is they have often have good jobs, good income and no responsibilities. The average age for women to get married is 29. I came from a generation where women were married at 21."

Mr Smeaton said the high number of venues with 24-hour licences was also a problem. "I think we have an environment that's encouraging risky drinking," he said.

James Pitt, the CEO of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre Odyssey House, said the number of women who were presenting at accident and emergency departments throughout the city had grown astronomically in the past few years.

In the past 12 months, 30 per cent of people who came to Odyssey House seeking help listed alcohol as their primary concern.

"That's the first time in over 30 years of operation that that has happened," Mr Pitt said.

Daily Telegraph

Should the drink-drive limit be lower?

One in six deaths on the region’s roads are caused by drink drivers, yet UK motorists are allowed to consume more alcohol than those in any other European country.

Hundreds of lives are wrecked every year when motorists choose to knock back booze before they put their car keys in the ignition.

Drink drivers are responsible for more than 16 per cent of deaths on North roads.

And while this snapshot of human tragedy is mirrored across Europe, their governments have decided to take action.

As part of an ongoing road safety initiative, EU countries which used to have a legal limit of 80mg of alcohol in the blood — the same limit as Britain — have reduced the permissible level to 50mg, and in some cases 20mg, in bid to cut the road carnage down.

Ireland will also follow suit next year.

Campaigners say it’s time we followed their lead, saying a similar reduction could prevent 65 deaths a year as well as 230 serious-injury accidents.

Jeremy Forsberg, of the Northumbria Safer Roads Initiative, said: “Drink driving is wholly unacceptable and if that means restricting the amount of alcohol allowed before driving that might be something that needs to be seriously looked at.

“Research by the NHS shows that a half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine is enough to impair your judgment. People may think they are OK to drive but this shows that they are not.”

Inspector Dave Brown of the strategic road policing unit of North Yorkshire Police believes drink-drive laws should be consistent across Europe.

He said: “The concern is that we shouldn’t have different levels, rules and regulations across the EU.

“With open borders across the EU this means it can be legal to drink in one country, travel over the border and be breaking the law.

“If we had a reduction in the allowed alcohol limit combined with systematic enforcement then we would see a big reduction in the number of road deaths and accidents.”

However, there are concerns that lowering the limit could lead to innocent people being arrested.

Northumbria Police made 2861 drink-driving arrests last year, while Cleveland police arrested 200 drivers over the summer.

If the legal limit were dropped down to either 50mg or 20mg many more people would fail the test . . . but critics argue some of those arrested could simply fall foul of the law for using medicines or mouthwashes that contain alcohol. Barrister Deveral Capps, the programme leader for Northumbria University’s Bar course has represented drink-drivers in court and also helped prosecute them.

He said: “There is even an asthma inhaler that can register a reading on the equipment used by the police.

“There is always an opportunity to raise any exceptional circumstances in court, however.”

Road watchdog the RAC Foundation is also concerned, claiming some innocent drivers could end up being stripped of their driving licences.

Their spokeswoman said: “If you have a legal level of zero alcohol in the blood this could cause problems because, at present, the limit allows for those who consume alcohol in medicines or even a sherry trifle.

“We have not campaigned to have the alcohol levels restricted and believe the issue should be tackled by vigorous policing instead.

“There a lot of people who believe that they can get away with it. If there was more random testing done then it would help to remove the temptation of drink-driving.

“Educating drivers that even small amounts of alcohol impair judgment and that it is anti- social to drink and drive is the key to this problem.”

Sunday Sun

Alcohol-related arrests up at IU Southeast

The Indiana University Southeast Campus Police Department is now dealing with a problem many campuses have had for years — alcohol offenses.

For the first time, IUS offers on-campus housing for students this year. With residents comes more students trying to test the limits.

Less than two months since the residence halls opened, campus police have already made nine alcohol-related arrests. Several others have been cited or given referrals. By comparison, IUS reported only two on-campus alcohol violations and six referrals from 2004 until 2006. The 2007 crime reports will be released next month.

“This is something we’ve never really had to deal with before,” said Dennis Simon, campus chief of police. “We’ve had very few arrests in the past.”

In fact, the police department is in the process of changing its crime reporting system so that an arrest log will be available in the campus police office. In the past, there were so few arrests they never had to worry about that.

So far, two arrests were made and three citation issued for minor consumption. There have been four operating while intoxicated arrests, two disorderly conduct arrests and one possession of marijuana arrest.

Simon believes the number of alcohol violations will continue to drop as students realize campus police and school administrators will not tolerate alcohol on campus.

“Problems have decreased significantly after the first two weeks,” he said. “We indicated to people that you can’t get away with breaking the rules.”

Most of the problems have involved non-students visiting students on campus, Simon said. Six out of nine people arrested were not students.

The university prohibits alcohol, tobacco and weapons on campus. The only exception is when alcohol is allowed at certain events approved by the chancellor.

Simon met with Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson earlier this year, and both agreed to let the school handle minor offenses like alcohol consumption. In those situations, campus police will issue referrals and Student Affairs decides the discipline. The range of penalties include probation and suspension or even removal from campus housing for repeat offenders.

“We want students to have a good college experience,” Simon said.

Simon also thanked the Community Advisors, students who are selected to monitor residence halls, saying they had been “vigilant.”

News and Tribune

An end to binge drinking? Not yet

Anybody who has had the misfortune to wander through a town centre late on a Saturday night will know the story. What used to be a largely good-natured emptying of the pubs has turned into something reminiscent of a scene from the film Trainspotting. The milling and aggressive crowds, the fighting, the vomiting and the general bawdy behaviour are no great advertisement for modern Britain. It is now recognised that cheap booze and liberal licensing laws have given us not a continental-style drinking culture but a source of national embarrassment.

It is also a source of considerable national expense. Hospital admissions directly linked to excess alcohol have more than doubled in the past 10 years. Alcohol-related crimes and accidents have risen sharply.

Now it seems that the government is trying to do something about it. Proposals from the Home Office and the Department of Health aim to curb the excesses by banning bars from offering free drinks to women and limiting so-called “happy hours” in pubs and clubs.

The new code for the drinks industry is far-reaching. In the same way that the authorities have become more aggressive about the health dangers of cigarettes, there will be sensible drinking messages wherever alcohol is consumed. Wine glasses will have to be clearly marked with the measure. “I think you’ve had enough” could become the norm, with bar staff trained to prevent excessive consumption by customers. Drinking games will be outlawed in bars. Sex on the Beach, a cocktail and not a general practice, will be banned, as will promotions that link alcohol with sex.

Many who abhor excess will welcome these proposals. But we should pause for a moment. Is this not the same government that gave us 24-hour drinking, despite warnings that it would reinforce the binge culture? And isn’t it all a bit nanny state? Many might not want to participate in a happy hour, but would defend the right of others to do so. The government has got itself into an almighty mess over drinking. A naive attempt to turn Britain into a cafe culture has failed and ministers are desperately trying to save face. They won’t rescind legislation but will try to limit the damage.

Even so, it is worth a go. The smoking ban may be hated by some but it is gradually reducing the number of smokers. In the same way, restrictions might help to curb excessive drinking. A significant problem will remain, however. Cheap supermarket alcohol allows binge drinkers to stoke themselves up before a night on the town. If the government had the courage of its convictions it would raise the tax on booze. But even that might not be enough to curb our embedded drink problem.

Times Online

Binge drinking linked to breast cancer

A leading surgeon says breast cancer rates could soar unless young women cut back on binge drinking - and that mammograms are being "oversold".

Dr Trevor Smith said alcohol was among the lifestyle choices that contributed towards New Zealand's having one of the highest breast cancer rates in the world.

He called on the Government and breast cancer groups to "radically change" the way they tackled the illness by focusing on education rather than treatment.

"Almost all funds are channelled into screening, treatment and the search for a cure, instead of educating the public that prevention is your best protection. It's astonishing."

Smith said alcohol had been proven to be carcinogenic and the risk of breast and other cancers increased with the amount consumed.

"One glass of wine a day increases your breast cancer risk by 10 per cent. And I'm talking a small glass - 100ml. Imagine what binge drinking is doing to [young women's] risk; it's massive."

About 2500 Kiwis are diagnosed with the disease each year.

Smith, who didn't mind being "a bit of a maverick" on the issue, has detailed his thoughts in a new book, Breast Care.

He told the Herald on Sunday he was critical of the Ministry of Health because it concentrated on reacting to breast cancer, rather than empowering women and the 1 per cent of men it affects, with knowledge.

Smith also said it was a "cop-out" that many in the industry took money for mammograms without also giving women information on other ways to reduce the risk.

Mammograms failed to detect 15 per cent of cancerous lumps, he said.

Smith said World Cancer Research Fund findings released last November revealed a staggering 30-40 per cent of all cancers could be "avoided" by lifestyle changes.

He also recommended women had children before their 30th birthday and breastfed for as long as possible.

Breast Cancer Foundation medical committee chairwoman Dr Belinda Scott said she believed "enough was being done" in the fight to prevent breast cancer.

Associate Health Minister Steve Chadwick said the Government had made heavy investment in prevention and screening programmes.

The Cancer Control Strategy included significant prevention activities to reduce the incidence of all cancers and addressed proven risk factors.

Smith's findings were presented to the Breast Cancer Network's meeting in May and will be in the New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday.

NZ Herald

Parents asked to join in alcohol battle

Police in Angus are asking for parents’ help in the fight against under-age drinking.

A recent crackdown on the problem at Brechin has resulted in the seizure of alcohol from youngsters. Police have also charged a 19-year-old man for buying alcohol for a group of young people after suspicions were raised among local supermarket staff. They alerted the police who charged the man under licensing legislation and a report is to be sent to the fiscal. With the help of special constables, dedicated patrols have been carried out in the town in an effort to deal with its under-age drinking problem.

Inspector Kenny Hart said the issue is of major concern across the Tayside Police area. As well as resulting in antisocial behaviour, Insp Hart also said children were extremely vulnerable while under the influence of alcohol.

“Although communities see this behaviour at first hand they should also take into account its impact on services such as the police and health,” he said.

‘‘The help of parents is required and I would ask all parents to be alert as to what their children are up to. The incident at Somerfield demonstrates that some people are willing to purchase alcohol for children.

“Should you be aware of such incidents we ask that you report these to the police as soon as possible. The support of responsible licensees is also required in continuing to be alert when selling alcohol.”

Press & Journal

Staying sober- it can drive you to Drink

"Google" the word Alcoholism and you will get 25,400,000 search results. Stop anybody in the street and ask them what they associate with the word Alcoholism and the answers will more than likely include the replies, hitting rock bottom,detox, down and out, addiction, messed up life, homelessness, crime blah blah blah. Pay a little more attention and do your research and you can find out that when you drive at night one out of seven drivers on the road are legally drunk. The Medical Research Council states that alcohol abuse costs the South African economy around R9 billion a year and half of all murders are the result of drunkenness. The stats are never-ending and cover all aspects of South African society from child abuse to pedestrian deaths, home violence and the tragic cases of childbirth defects. Almost all events that you consider bad news probably have to a certain degree alcohol involved somewhere or other.

However on the inevitable other side of the coin, studies have found that the use of alcohol has significant advantages in the general treatment of stress, heart disease and related illnesses. Add to this the economic benefits of a massive industry contributing to the nations wealth and job creation and we almost have a stalemate.

Into this balancing act comes the plight of the individual . Somebody once said, and the name escapes me now, that there are stats, more stats and then there is dam lies. But there is no doubt in my mind that this is a problem that has to be looked at very carefully. The general consensus is that approximately 1 in 17 people over the age of 15 years are predisposed to the potentially fatal illness of Alcoholism. Another frightening stat holds the premise that only 1 in 37 diagnosed Alcoholics ever make a full recovery over the long-term. Food for thought indeed.

A few years ago I went through the ordeal and horrors of acute alcoholism. I was one of the fortunate ones. I survived though the grace of God, the love and compassion of my loved ones and friends and the skill and care of the medical profession. I went on to write a feature article for Mens Health which turned out to be my heartfelt account of my spiral into a dark world of despair, desperation and depression.The article itself contained nothing new for students of this silent killer disease. Started drinking. drunk more, made excuses, raged at the world in general, got drunker, screwed up everything dear to me, approached death, ruined my body and my mind and finally thankfully collapsed and went to hospital and dried out . The reaction to my "Unhappy Hour" article was overwhelming. I was soon to realize that this was an epidemic spinning out of control. I was definitely not alone.

I went on to regain my self-esteem and rebuild my life. A close call that many people do not make it out of and then have the luxury sitting and looking back as I have.So now there I sat congratulating myself on beating the odds. Now what?

Well to be brutally honest "now what" involved a new phase of my life that would require me to bite the bullet all over again, except this time this was not going to be solved with a 10 day detox and sleep therapy, in some overpriced private hospital. My Doctors words started to resonate in my brain. " It's simple Alan, do not drink again and you'll be fine. Drink, you'll die"

That was it in plain English. The only problem was that I was having a problem coming to terms with that concept. Let me get this straight. I was 45 years old and let's say I lived until 80. 80 minus 45 gives you 35 years. A long, long time in anybodies world. That's a hell of a lot of braais, weddings, celebrations, bad days, shit bosses, traffic jams, disappointments, closing deals and watching the Boks beat the All Blacks and Chuck Norris 50- nil. Maybe the medical guys had made a mistake. Maybe I was not an alcoholic. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Time was to prove them right. I had not beaten the odds. Eighteen months later on one particular bleak July day in a not so sunny Margate I sunk a bottle of my favourite hard tack and ended up in the emergency room waiting for a stomach pump. For some obscure reason only known to the big guy upstairs I made it out of the hole again. As my relationship, business and health were back on the line once again, I finally made the decision. My version of mothers milk and Alan Butterworth had to part company and this time for good.

I had now became a member of a club that nobody in their right mind wants to join. Serving a life sentence with no parole. The medical advice now became quite specific. Not a drop of alcohol to pass my lips. The 6% or so of us who have this defective gene are advised to not take the chance of alcohol entering our system in any form whatsoever. This unnamed and undetectable gene sends us types dilly and as a result we cannot have a few dops after work or at the weekend just in case we go berserk and drink ourselves into an early grave.

Once I had heard my sentence I now had to work out how to serve it. I've read that real prisoners talk about "hard and soft time". It was at this time that I had an "Oprah" moment. I got it. Regret is too mild a description. I had screwed up big time and now was going to have to pay for it. Big time. Hospitalization had ridden me of my withdrawal symptoms but now I had to deal with the mind games.

The public at large are no doubt familiar with Alcoholics Anonymous and the sterling work that they do to help those unfortunates stricken with this potentially fatal disease. Day by day is their anthem. Most of us initially fight against this prognosis dished up to us and truly believe that we will beat the odds. We start to think that maybe they had got it wrong. Maybe I can have a break and start again. Here came those dam maybes again. So, for many, starts the so-called falling off the wagon and then having to pick yourself up again. But the awful reality is that " they" were more than likely right and you have to make a plan. Somewhere,sometime I came across a quote from one of those old guys in the good old days. I think it was the American poet Robert Frost. As he sat in the countryside he came up with something that, for me summons up this whole fight with alcoholism -

"Two roads diverged in the woods. I took the one less traveled, and it made all the difference."

The difference here is to stay sober even if it kills you.

After leaving the hospital my body gradually began to heal. It desperately needed to. For all those out there who want to hear a few good reasons to not reach the chronic stage of alcoholism and what I like to call the " last legs" phase, here are a few. They are not pretty but they are a reality. They will happen eventually. If you are strong, lucky or just have an angel looking after you you might one day survive to talk about it. If not, have a nice trip.

This phase lasts a few days, weeks or months, depending on your constitution. It is a slide into hell rendering you powerless to prevent an existence on the edge of a gaping black hole. I kid you not. The blood vessels in my eyes started to implode. My legs were uncontrollable and went on a mission of their own. I had no visible veins left. To this day I can only guess what the green gunge spewing out of me was. Medically my liver and kidneys had almost called it a day . There seemed to be no difference between my sleep and my waking hours. I drifted between paranoia, hallucinations and voices in my ear. The phrase "dead man walking" definitely springs to mind.

Within a month or so from leaving the hospital my body started to get it's act together. Every day I got stronger and began to look human again. I rediscovered the glory of food. During the last 20 days prior to my treatment I had eaten nothing at all. It was impossible to keep anything down. I went back to work and generally lived a normal life. Initially I was pre-occupied with just getting my life back in working order but in time that dreaded word for alcoholics, craving, reared it's ugly head. They creep into your life at the most innocuous times and can be the ruination of many good intentions. Coupled with this new threat was a new idea slowly forming that basically questioned the fairness of this whole " new normal" for me. Why me? Was there something wrong with me? Unfortunately these questions have the same meaning as asking how long is a piece of string?

If you sat down with 10 Doctors and Psychologists you might get 10 different answers to why some of us are alcoholics and others can get vrot drunk from time to time and continue living a normal life. The bad news is that medical science is divided on the answers. There could be a defective gene, it might be hereditary, neurotransmitters in the brain have got their wires crossed or it could be due to an addictive personality. What is a known fact is that there is no simple test to determine your risk of developing full blown alcoholism. The medical guys have a nice expression which basically says that you have crossed the line. You will not even know that you are approaching that line and you cross it oblivious to the fact that you are about to turn your life upside down. Realistically it is a subjective call that finally condemns you to carrying the label, "alcoholic" around with you for the rest of your life. That call is mostly based on your alcohol intake and your general functionality in your day to day activities. Not a full-proof system and one that has no appeal to the alkie contesting their life sentence. But in the hands of an experienced practitioner you can be sure that they have, for all intensive purposes called it right.

It is probably this uncertainty that leads many of us to question our label and in most cases to chance your arm with a few dops. Bad idea guys. You will create history if you do manage to beat the odds. A blind acceptance of your fate is probably a good start to a long lasting "cure". Falling off the wagon is another phrase that we are all familiar with. It happens. In fact the majority of labeled alkies will fall off at some point. The trick is to pick yourself up. I have had the privilege and pleasure over the last few years to consul others and the "fallen hero" syndrome is never far away from your thoughts.Today I can help you but tomorrow is another day.

There is a wide range of support groups out there who are only too willing to come to your aid. The well known AlcoholicsAnonymous exist solely to help those battling with this killer disease. And a huge bonus is the fact that they are free. Staffed by men and woman who have beaten this monster, this is a good start to cleaning your act up. Like many support groups dedicated to this illness their counselors have been there, done that and got the T-shirt. Listen to them and they will pull you out of the black hole that you find yourself in.

After almost coming to terms with your label we come to the crux of this whole sad scenario. How in the hell am I going to not drink ever again? Four words. It Is Nno Easy. We live in a world surrounded by alcohol. Just look around you. Unlike illegal drugs there is a bottle store on every corner. Hell nowadays when you pop in to buy your bread and milk net on die hoek you are confronted by rows and rows of bottles of my favourite poison. Newspapers, T.V. radio and magazines bombard you the whole time. Smoking has become a no-no but alcohol has crept into our nations psyche. I mean our national sports teams are financed by the giants of the liquor industry. Oh look there's Graeme Smith, he's definitely the king of the "castle". In their effort to sell the product they go to great lengths to glamorize life with a dop by your side. Our basic socialization teaches us from a very early age that no event is complete without the requisite alcohol intake. When did you last go to a wedding, promotion party, simple family braai or just plain get-together after work and you all drunk mineral water. You could probably count them on one hand . And these are the happy events. What about the fight with the wife, the retrenchment, the death of a loved one, losing that big deal or just feeling pissed off with life. Alcohol used and not abused is a feature of our fast and modern times. To sit and consider that it is no longer part of your life requires a 360 degree turnaround in your way of thinking. It is no help to try and demonize alcohol. Sure it is probably responsible in one way or other for much of the carnage on our roads, our ridiculous crime levels and the ever increasing women and child abuse in the new South Africa. But there is another side of the coin. Who can deny that a couple of cold ones after a bad day at the office rests the brain. That warm comfortable feeling at the family braai so that even Uncle Flip's nonsense starts to make logical. That awkward corporate do when suddenly Mr. Jones from Regional office does not seem such a prick after all. In all these instances it does not matter that the whole lot of you cannot sentence two strings together. You are relaxed, feeling good and life is not so bad after all.

Besides the physical presence of alcohol around you all the time "club members" have to have eyes in the back of their heads. There are many side-shows that can trip you up. Days after coming out of hospital my better half Mary out of the goodness of her heart decided to buy me an extremely expensive vitamin boosted drink. The object was to get my wasted body back on track. A couple of days later I started to feel as though I needed a drink badly. On investigation with my pharmacist I was informed that it contained elements of ethanol. Enough to make my recently sodden brain recognize that this was an old friend calling again. A close call. As a recovering and sober alcoholic there are many instances when you are tested. Alcohol is a sneaky bastard and pops up in the most unusual places, usually unannounced. Christmas Day and as the restaurant clientele get stuck into their much awaited Xmas pudding , you have to take a rain-cheque. Sorry too much brandy in that one. Mouthwash, sports vitamin drinks, low alcohol beer, even some deodorants can get those brain cells craving all over again. It is very much a case of treading softly and making sure that you avoid even the smallest amount of alcohol. Modern psychology has more or less worked out that the brain is like a camera and records many of your memories. It is like a computer with 100,000GB of memory. The memory of your drunken stupors are recorded and are easily activated. So watch it.

Every sober alcoholic has to find his own individual way to deal with his life sentence. I took the middle road of evasive action. I buy wine for my better half. I will feel comfortable in small groups of friends and family who are drinking at a social event. I draw the line at large gatherings. Later in the evening I feel alienated and isolated. As the brews flow I do start to feel uneasy. It is just my way. It is for the individual to work out what works best. For me in a world swimming in alcohol I made the decision to have it around in small doses. A s they say in the classics- whatever floats your boat. Nobody starts out with the intention of becoming an alkie and that magical line creeps up on us unannounced. Beware though once you are labeled your life takes a definite downturn. It is really best to try and head off that day. You all know if a problem is developing. Deep down you now need alcohol rather than want it. The body and mind now require just to give you a shot at getting through the day. What started out as a fun way to relieve tension and stress or just to have a good time is now a preoccupation. Without it you become one sick camper. Body sweats, nausea, shaking, mental confusion and generally one screwed-up constitution are the byproducts of even a few hours abstinence. Take it from someone who has been there, do not go there. Stop it before you wake up one day and suddenly your daily dop is your master. Stop it before your every waking moment revolves around the next drink. It happens so fast and the next minute you become a member of that "club" that nobody wants to join. Have fun with your drink but do not let it become your everything. Take advice from family, friends and work colleagues. They will be noticing your slide way before you will admit to a problem.

Then again the whole question of how to get treatment is fraught with difficulties. A good starting base would be your family G.P. Try and choose somebody who regularly deals with this type of problem. It really does help to actually like the individual. Another base to touch is a Psychologist. I went through numerous Psychologists until I finally found one that I felt comfortable with. Alcoholics by the very secretive nature of their illness are very convincing liars and spend most of their time in self-denial. Modern research has concluded that alcoholism and acute depression co-exist in most cases. The burning question to sort out is" are you drinking because you are depressed or are you depressed because you are drinking". A tricky one but the type of issue a compassionate and experienced G.P. and Psychologist can get to grips with. I will never forget coming out of a session with a Psychiatrist, climbing into the car and proclaiming to Mary that the guy was a nutcase who needed help more than I did. Sad but true. In my confusion I had started to lose the plot.

The range of treatments depend on how long you have been on the slide and your mental and physical state. From simple counseling, anti-depressants to sleep therapy and if the depression is severe and life threatening, the last resort treatment of Shock Therapy. But ultimately the day will arrive when you are on your own and it is time to bite the bullet. Total, absolute and never-ending abstinence is the only route to go. Statistically the odds of you beating the odds are for all intensive purposes, one big fat zero.

Some days are worse than others. The usual and normal day to day activities of everyday life present you with many occasions when a couple of cold ones seems like the answer. Your slide into acute alcoholism followed by your treatment phase will eventually become a distant memory. The days,weeks, months and years of trying to stay sober will be your new reality. Once again I would like to quote another old guy who probably knew what he was talking about. During the dark days of World War Two when his island was been threatened by the ever-growing menace of Nazism, Winston Churchill, who by all accounts liked the odd dram, declared,

" If you are going through hell, keep going"

Better advice was never given. Turn your greatest weakness into your greatest strength. As I wrote in my article a couple of years ago, you are definitely not alone.

American Chronicle

Fears over 'hidden' stay-at-home alcoholics

Soaring costs in pubs and clubs are creating a hidden mass of stay-at-home alcoholics in York, it was warned today.

It is feared many heavy drinkers are not getting the help they need, as they are no longer visible to society.

The warning came as a poll of York’s young people showed 31 per cent were worried about how much their fathers drank; and 40 per cent had seen them drunk.

Coun Nigel Ayre, vice-chairman of City of York Council’s health scrutiny committee, said: “Unfortunately, heavy drinking at home is easily overlooked because it is not visible to the public or emergency services.

“With the price of alcohol increasing, there is likely to be a significant number of people who choose the cheaper option of drinking at home, which has no restrictions, unlike drinking in licensed premises.”

Coun Ayre and colleagues want the committee to work with the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust to get figures for how many people are admitted to York Hospital due to excessive drinking at home. The committee would then address the issue through PCT’s Alcohol Reduction Strategy, which was brought in in May.

It is estimated that 22 per cent of people in York binge drink, compared to 18 per cent nationally. Figures for alcohol-related hospital stays, however, are below the national average.

Kathryn Lievesley, of York Alcohol Advice Service, said demand for the service was increasing, but statistics were not available on how many people drank at home compared with in licensed premises.

She said: “It is useful for this issue to be highlighted and discussed at council meetings and I look forward to a comprehensive response, reflected in increased funding across the treatment field, enabling promotion of the services available and an increased level of support to all those affected by their own or other people’s problematic relationship with alcohol.”

Coun Ayre said there was good work being done to combat binge drinking in public places, but said: “Binge drinking at home is not being adequately tackled and this is having a disastrous impact on the health and well-being of many York residents who suffer from this addiction.”

The survey by the YoungPoll website interviewed 1,000 youngsters nationwide, including 89 in York.

Of those, 70 per cent said their dads drank at home at least three nights a week; 59 per cent said their dads were overweight; and 78 per cent said their dads did not exercise.

The figures for mums were less stark, but 16 per cent of York children had seen their mums drunk.

York Press

Remember all the risks of binge drinking

Drinking heavily is not uncommon in Pullman. Whether it’s because of our age, peer pressure or some other reason straight out of the D.A.R.E. program, it happens. And while I’m sure you’re well aware drinking too much equals a hospital visit, there are a slew of other issues you should be aware of before going out this weekend.

Q: I have noticed a lot of friends get carried away with drinking this year. Everyone knows binge drinking causes serious medical problems such as alcohol poisoning, but what are the more immediate consequences of drinking too much?

A: There are a couple of things that scare me at WSU. Like those guys skateboarding down huge hills in traffic. I mean, one pine cone and it’s game over. But the drinking thing definitely takes the unnerving cake. While I completely accept that drinking is a part of the culture in Pullman or any other town, the binge drinking is where people tend to sway off into problem behavior.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming four drinks in a row for women, and five consecutive drinks for men in less than two hours, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Because about 75 percent of the alcohol consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinking, the prevalence is extremely high.

So let’s talk consequences. First of all, the caloric content of alcohol is much higher than a lot of people think. One of the biggest drinking myths out there is that hard alcohol has far fewer calories than beer or other similar beverages. In fact, when you add up the calories both with the alcohol itself and a mixer, it’s about twice as many calories as beer. Consuming this many extra calories on a consistent basis is bound to affect your weight.

Empty calories aside, drinking has serious social consequences as well.

Due to decreased inhibitions, you’re much more likely to do things you will seriously regret when you sober up. Or people.

Sexually, people feel freer. They are less likely to use condoms and therefore more likely to contract an STI or get pregnant. They also become less selective of their partners. Waking up next to someone you don’t know, and probably don’t want to know, doesn’t ever feel good. People have less qualms about acting out. Violence, ego and bad dancing are all magnified by being drunk.

To avoid getting uncomfortably drunk, try to pace yourself. Drink slower and eat with your drinks. If you think you or your friends might have a problem, WSU Counseling and Testing Services offers free treatment for drug and alcohol issues.

Remember, college is college. We are in a unique community that embraces drinking. The important thing to keep in mind is that this is a transitory state we are in. Don’t expect to keep up with the same behavior and get away with it after you leave school. So have fun and be responsible, but this isn’t Never Never Land – everybody’s got to grow up sometime.

Daily Evergreen

Graphic anti-binge drinking campaign welcomed

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation of Queensland has welcomed a graphic new anti-binge drinking advertising campaign.

The State Government unveiled the campaign yesterday and says it is designed to confront parents.

It includes scenes of a teenage girl being sexually assaulted at a party after drinking alcohol her father had bought for her.

Liquor Licensing Minister Andrew Fraser says it will not be shown before 9:00pm.

Mitchell Giles from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation says the shock tactic will help parents think twice about buying alcohol for their kids.

"Parents don't think about the consequences associated with that," he said.

"There's the sexual abuse in this ad but there's also drink driving and falls, burns, drownings - all of those things are associated with intoxication."

Mr Giles says the ad is a necessary step in helping to combat the rising rate of binge drinking

"It's a significant public health issue. The annual cost to the community of alcohol-related social problems is $7.6 billion a year," he said.

"I think there is an increasing awareness and I think there's also the issue of people are drinking a little younger than they were in the past."

ABC News