That’s right, Big Brother. Alcoholic indulgence is still a prolific issue in England, and now British doctors are calling for the removal of alcoholic advertisements from television. Sadly, in all likelihood this would do little to ebb the flow of spirits down young people’s throats.

“The move was necessary to challenge Britain’s dangerous drinking culture,” Associated Press reports said Tuesday. In a recent report, The British Medical Association makes the assertion that “a rapid increase in alcohol consumption among young Britons in recent years was being underpinned by ‘clever alcohol advertising’,” as well as the fact that a prohibition on alcohol-related publicity was needed to help turn the situation around.

Although the idea here is only to prohibit the appearance of advertisements (for now), red flags shoot up any time I see the “P word”. Removal of a company’s right to promote their product is a step in the right direction toward ultimately turning Britain into a dry country, although to jump to such conclusions at present may be a bit far off base. Nonetheless, when looking back at the history of Prohibition of alcohol in the United States, we are given some indications of ways that, socially, problems could get far worse if England ever does decide to tighten it’s grip on alcohol consumption.

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To be a properly cultured member of society, it is imperative that you at least tolerate, if not love sport. Whether it be polo or soccer, baseball or boxing, it should be on the agenda of everyone to have a passing knowledge of the primaryentertainment genre in the world. You can’t go to a party and overhear a discussion about baseball, and decide to participate by commenting that the Brooklyn Dodgers are your favorite team. It is entirely possible that the crowd will give you an approving nod, if they take it to mean that you’re a lover of the classics (afterall, what member of the sophisticated elite is not?), but it is more likely that they will take it to mean that you haven’t paid attention to sports in 50 years (the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958). Therefore, I will assume it’s obvious that you understand this, and have also noticed that there is an integral link between sports and alcohol…

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Although recent statistics reveal that alcohol-related hospital admissions are on the rise in the UK, a very interesting (if not seemingly counter-intuitive) bit of information has been making the rounds today here in the states. An article released by the Health Behavior News Service suggests that drinkers are more likely to be getting regular exercise.

The information stems from a new study appearing in the American Journal of Health Promotion, where lead researcher Michael French, Ph.D shares the following: “Alcohol users not only exercised more than abstainers, but the differential actually increased with more drinking.” French also states that “there is a strong association between all levels of drinking and both moderate and vigorous physical activity.” However, he warns that these results don’t suggest that people “should use alcohol to boost their exercise programs, as the study was not designed to determine whether alcohol intake actually caused an increase in exercise.”

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A study featured in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry has found surprising new links between memory loss suffered by Alzheimer’s disease patients and alcohol consumption. The article, titled “Alcohol Consumption as a Risk Factor for Dementia and Cognitive Decline: Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies” describes how the relationships between alcohol consumption, dementia and cognitive decline were investigated in a systematic review that included the combined results of 15 prospective studies.

The study found that in moderate consumers of alcoholic beverages (compared with abstainers), male drinkers reduced their risk for dementia by 45 percent, and women by 27 percent. This information was gathered from 14,646 participants who were evaluated for Alzheimer disease, 10,225 participants evaluated for vascular dementia, and 11,875 who were evaluated for various other kinds of dementia.

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According to the journal Addiction, people who avoid drinking alcohol may be at higher risk for becoming victims of depression. A new study the journal recently featured titled “Teetotallers more likely to be depressed” describes that “there has been mounting evidence that low levels of alcohol consumption may also be associated with poor mental health possibly due to abstainers having other health problems or being reformed heavy drinkers.“

According to their website, Addiction publishes peer-reviewed research reports on alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco and behavioral addictions, bringing together research conducted within many different disciplines. This new study drew from resources including the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT Study) based in Norway, taking into consideration the drinking habits and mental health of over 38,000 individuals. Using this compilation of data, the authors gave a compelling argument that people who drank no alcohol for two weeks were actually more likely than moderate drinkers to report symptoms of depression during the same period. Of particular interest, people who specifically labeled themselves “abstainers” yielded the highest risk of depression. Age and a variety of physical health problems, as well as social relationships accounted for some, but not all of this increased risk.

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As much as I praise the joy and wonders of responsible alcohol consumption at this website, there are actually a few instances where I would rather not be caught holding a beverage of the alcoholic variety. For instance, the mornings that follow the occasional over-indulgence are some of the best times I can think of not to even look at liquor. Similarly, I wouldn’t want to be caught speeding down the highway with a Mint Julep in-hand, either (this, of course, wouldn’t be very responsible at all)! However, perhaps the very worst time to have an alcoholic drink in your paws would be while handing it off to an underage drinker.

Indeed, the greatest obligations of the mature, sophisticated, and responsible drinker include protecting themselves (i.e. not drinking and driving or engaging in other activities that may endanger those around us), and most certainly, protecting young people around us who may begin to show interest in alcohol consumption before they are able to do so legally. Therefore, with recent information which suggests many alcohol advertisements actually do target teens, it seems noteworthy here to delve into the reality of teen alcohol consumption, and ways it can be prevented.

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Recent legislation has introduced tough new anti-smoking laws in the U.S., which now give the federal government sweeping power over how cigarettes are made, packaged, and sold. Recently, President Barack Obama commented that, “Along with legislation to protect credit card owners from unfair rate hikes, homeowners from mortgage fraud and abuse, and taxpayers from wasteful defense spending, this kids tobacco bill would be the fourth piece of bipartisan legislation that I’ve signed into law over the last month that protects the American consumer and changes the way Washington works and who Washington works for.”

Cigarettes displayed for sale

“It will force these companies to more clearly and publicly acknowledge the harmful and deadly effects of the products they sell,” said the president, “and it will allow the scientists at the Food and Drug Administration to take other common sense steps to reduce the harmful effects of smoking.” The intention here, I believe, is honest and good. Also, I think that we members of the cultured alcohol elite would all agree that keeping potentially harmful products like cigarettes away from minors, much like preventing underage drinking, is of great merit without question. Still, the notion that the tobacco industry is being handed over to the FDA to be regulated doesn’t sit well, since it evokes the beginnings of something we already know is inherently flawed: Prohibition.

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You may be an alcoholic if you talk to your beer... but what happens if it talks back? Creepy...

FOR YEARS, studies have claimed that the black cream of the Greenwood, Guinness stout, can actually be beneficial to one’s health. Researchers have found that antioxidant compounds in Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for health benefits that include strengthening the heart because of the way they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.

Along these lines, you may be familiar with some of the artwork from the 1920s Guinness ad campaigns, in which colorful (sometimes rather odd) themes were used based on findings from market research. Perhaps most famous of all these was how people often told Guinness employees that they “felt good” after downing a pint (come on, who wouldn’t), thus birthing the popular slogan “Guinness is Good for You”. Later, Guinness was told to stop using the slogan, and since that time Diageo, the company that now manufactures Guinness, still will make no official health claims for the drink.

However, back in 2003 BBC News reported that a study performed around the time found a Guinness pint per day “may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks.” Apparently, drinking lager beers does not yield all the same benefits, according to experts from the University of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin team tested the health-related benefits of stouts against lagers administering the brews to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease (lucky dogs… no pun intended. This could hardly constitute poor treatment of animals in lab tests, eh?).

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Australian news sources are reporting a perceived decline in alcohol purchases, with experts now urging politicians to support the Australian federal Government’s “Alcopops tax”. This tax, part of a strategy which adds a 70 percent tax hike on ready-to-drink products, was intended to curb binge-drinking by young drinkers.

Bacardi Breezers, Tropical Lime and Ruby Red Grapefruit flavors, are considered "Alcopops"

After being implemented, the tax does appear to have caused pre-mixed drink sales to fall as much as 26 percent; but could the information be skewed?

Alcopop refers to bottled mixed-drink malt or wine beverages, and is a general term which describes a variety of brands and beverages. However, the spirits industry does not condone the use of the term, fearing that obvious associations between “alcohol” and “(soda) pop” may bring negative press for being attractive to individuals below the legal drinking age.

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It’s Friday… and many Americans will be going out to enjoy a few beverages this evening. Of this massive number of socialites who will be hitting the bars, at least a good portion of them may be hitting the floor also… that’s right, not everyone can be convinced that excess isn’t always best! This being the case, the unpleasant after effects of drinking too much can rear their ugly heads in the form of a hangover.

A hangover (the technical name for which is veisalgia) is the combination of ailments that follow the heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. Most commonly reported characteristics of hangovers include nausea, headaches, sensitivity to light and noise, thirst resulting from dehydration, and even mood swings that often favor sadness and displeasure. No doubt, since man first discovered spirits and their uplifting, intoxicating effects, he has similarly sought to find a remedy for the unpleasant mornings that follow any such evening of drunken euphoria.

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