alcohol

The alcohol industry is not being regulated well enough

What is it that differentiates alcohol from illicit drugs? Alcohol and drugs are both psychoactive substances that alter consciousness, mood and behaviour. Both are addictive and can cause physical damage to the body. Illnesses related to alcohol abuse significantly outweigh those related to illegal drugs however, and, according to a report published in The Lancet in 2010, alcohol is more harmful than heroin or crack (when all the dangers to the individual and society are taken into account).

    Drug use in France

    Drug use, smoking and alcohol: What is happening in France?
    A recent survey on drug use, alcohol and smoking run in March of 2011 by the French Observatory of Drugs and Drug Addiction revealed very interesting results regarding the addictions of French young people. The French Observatory interviewed 32.000 17 year olds, asking them about their levels of drug use, including levels of alcohol and smoke. The most important results of the survey were the following:
    - Alcohol, cigarette and cannabis were by far the substances mostly preferred by the  17 year olds in 2011.

      Alcoholism in Russia

      What are often the first things that come to mind when Russia is mentioned in conversation? Freezing cold temperatures? Communism? Putin? All of these are probably true, yet probably the first thing to pop into a person’s head when imagining Russia is vodka.

        Drinking Patterns Within Groups of Friends in the UK

        When a teenager enters school they make the difficult task of finding their niche, and finding a group of friends to spend their time with. This group of friends shapes their school experience, and most of all shapes their drinking behaviors. I, on the other hand, had a slightly different experience growing up in the United States. I had two groups of friend as a teenager, two groups with different personalities, different backgrounds, different religious views, and most of all different drinking patterns.

          The relationship between HIV and alcohol in India

          Alcohol use has become more widespread in India, whilst HIV infection also continues to grow rapidly. Indian researchers have examined the relationship between alcohol and HIV in India. Research has found that alcohol is a contributing factor to HIV. This can be seen among Nepalese migrants, where high levels of alcohol were found to contribute to HIV infection.

            What does Botellón mean for society

            Botellón, (Big bottle in Spanish ) is a social activity among Spain's youth, who gather in public areas to consume alcohol as an alternative to going  a bar or club. It has been studied by sociologists that define it as: “Mass gathering of young people between 16 and 24 years primarily, to consume the drink that they have previously purchased in groceries, to listen music and dance”.

              Heavy drinkers outlive teetotalers

              We all know alcohol abuse can lead to negative health outcomes and are aware of the 'a glass of wine a day keeps the cardiologist away' philosophy, but new research has revealed something unexpected: Abstaining from drinking is associated with higher mortality rates than alcohol abuse.

                My last drink

                 

                  My Last Drink: A Student's Views on Alcohol

                  I consider myself to be a social drinker. What that means in my head is that I’m happy to drink the equivalent of 1 or 2 pints a night without any desperate need to get drunk particularly, but I wouldn’t be too worried if the evening carried on and it did end up that way. I go to the pub with my friends a lot, and generally try to avoid the kind of people who use ‘being drunk’ as a synonym for ‘feeling confident’, or who pre-drink compulsively before nights out like they’re workers on some kind of alcoholic conveyor belt.

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