Somabar The Robotic Bartender - Kickstarter

Somabar is the robotic bartender we've all been waiting for. Thanks to the team behind the project, we can all enjoy a cocktail, freshly prepared at the touch of a button from an app on your smartphone.

You just use an app to build your cocktail and the device does the actual mixing and preparation.

All drinks are customizable through the app and the air-tight containers (Soma Pods) you fill and attach to the Somabar.

Somabar is currently running a Kickstarter campaign. Though it has already reach its modest $50k goal, there's still 2 weeks left for you to contribute and snag yourself a pre-order on this intelligent device for just $399.

Alcoholic Drinks That Won't Ruin Your Diet This New Year

Christmas and New Year aren't the easiest time to watch your calorie intake and the last thing that you want is to undo all the previous hard work. Fear not! there are some ways to curb your alcohol intake and still enjoy yourself without  sacrificing taste

• Red Wine - Fewer calories than white wine, which makes it an obvious first choice for drinking with meals. Rioja wines contain tempranillo red grapes, which can help to lower cholesterol and any cabernet, syrah or merlot reds are full of antioxidants and have less sulphites, which means less terrible hangovers.

• White Wine - There are lighter versions you can drink (sensibly) and still feel virtuous. White wine still has the same health benefits as red, but the volume of the good stuff, such as antioxidants, is much lower

• Tequila - Tequila is grain and gluten free. Well, the good stuff is. 100% pure agave tequilla is free from any added sugars, which you will find in cheaper versions. It's only the mix of tequilla and sugared alcohol that will give you a headache the next day

• Vodka - At only 97 calories in a shot of vodka, which makes this a sensible choice for the cocktail bar, where a glass of wine would set you back over 100 calories. Keep it simple, with soda and lime to stop the calories adding up with your sweet mixer

• Mulled Wine - Cloves are anti-inflammatory, cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar and oranges are full of vitamin C. Top that off with iron rich, antioxidant-filled red wine, and you practically got yourself a health drink...
• Champagne - New no-sugar versions are now available, it's practically guilt free too. Regular Champagne only has 91 calories per glass, so finishing a versions with even fewer is a Christmas present in itself.

Source

Who's Taking You Home Tonight

Hard hitting advertising campaign for the Christmas period.  Food for thought!

Ban booze for under-21s, says dad of girl who died from liver disease aged 24

Jim Thomson the dad of one of the youngest people in Britain to die from alcohol-related liver disease has called for a US-style ban on booze sales to anyone under 21.

His eldest daughter, Leigh, died from the condition aged just 24. She had been drinking excessively since 16, but it was only when she developed advanced liver failure at the age of 22 that her condition was picked up by doctors.

Jim, of Cambuslang, near Glasgow, Scotland, said: "It's worrisome for any parent to know their child was able to get such easy access to cheap alcohol at the age of 19. I think it's time we brought in laws like the USA have where you can't purchase alcohol until you are 21 years old.
 
"The government is happy enough to rake up the revenue and put 'drink responsibly' on the bottles, but how can you tell someone with an alcohol problem to drink responsibly?

Leigh was described as an intelligent and outgoing woman who volunteered with the British Red Cross and attended Felmington-Hallside Parish Church, However behind her positive front she had been secretly drinking three litres of cheap cider for the seven years leading up to her death.

Jim, whose wife Alice, Leigh's mother, died from alcohol-related problems in 2009 at the age of 42, said: "Leigh didn't come from a dysfunctional home. She was amazing, funny, articulate, and intelligent. She never got drunk in public. She was never falling about drunk. She would take a bottle of wine up to her room and not bother anyone. She'd get up in the morning, put her make-up on and she'd look immaculate. I took her to Alcoholics Anonymous and various meetings. It worked, but only for so long. She would be off the drink for three or four months and she would look brilliant. Then she would relapse."

Leigh's life slowly fell apart and she was unable to take up her place at college and lost her job as a carer. She gradually stopped seeing her friends and became increasingly isolated to the point where she was drinking at least two bottles of wine a day. She would get really ill, She would swell up and her skin would go yellow and her eyes would be bloodshot. She was really ashamed of her drinking.

He added that he never enabled or encouraged her drinking habits or gave her money, and because she was not on benefits he never knew how she was able to pay for the alcohol.
He said: "It is not a learnt behaviour. I am not a drinker. Alice was not a drinker until the last four years of her life. We didn't display that kind of behaviour. It may be part societal. If people don't go and drink and go to the pubs here, what else is there to do?"

Alcohol Associated With Better Memory For Those over 60

Researchers have found that for people 60 and older who do not have dementia, light - Medium  consumption during late life is associated with higher ability to recall memories of events.
alcohol

This study used data from more than 660 patients who completed surveys on their alcohol consumption and demographics followed by a battery of neuropsychological tests. The amount of alcohol consumption had no impact on normal functioning or overall mental ability.

To read a more scientific and lengthy version of this article please visit this site http://www.sciencecodex.com

Scottish Breathalyser

We were emailed this joke and we thought that it was so great we just had to share

Devon Bars Piloting Breathalyser Scheme For Christmas

Party goers may find themselves turned away from Devon bars and clubs this Christmas as police launch a new campaign to tackle alcohol related crime.

The #RU2drunk scheme will see bouncers posted on doors at popular venues in Torquay.  The bouncers will  breathalyse any customers they think may be too drunk to gain entry.

The joint campaign by police and licensees will run at 23 of the resorts busiest pubs, clubs and bars and Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Hogg, said he was “delighted” to see traders united in taking action on the issue.

“The impact of alcohol related crime on our communities and public services is not sustainable, If we are to address this issue we need everyone to play their part; public services, communities, licensees and drinkers. Drinkers need to realise there are immediate consequences of getting too drunk on a night out. Drink too much, too early and your night out may never get started.”

The force said that around 20% of all violent crime in the seaside town was attributable to the evening and night time economy and the majority of these offenses happen in the harbor side area.
They have already increased patrols in the area, but said they now want to work more closely with licensees who identify “pre–loading” as one of the biggest contributors to the problem.

Each premises involved in the breathalyser pilot will decide if they want to set a limit, but anyone giving a high reading may be refused entry.

Door staff have been trained by police to use breath boxes normally used for roadside tests.
A similar scheme was trialled last winter in Norwich. Figures revealed a 32% reduction in violence and sexual violence offenses and a 66% reduction in drunk and disorderly arrests.

Around 95% of the businesses who took part said they would recommend it as a method of combating alcohol related violence, and it has now been adopted on a permanent basis.

Force lead, Chief Inspector Neil Ralph, stressed that the new scheme was not being introduced “to ban fun”.
“This pilot is to keep Torquay safe so everyone can have an enjoyable evening, free from trouble,” he said.
“In December we usually see an increase in alcohol related crime and we hope the ‘breathalyse on entry’ pilot will be an effective tool in reducing this.

“Trials in other parts of the country have seen a decrease in alcohol related offending, contributing towards safer evening and night time economies.”

He also praised venues for their support with the campaign: “It demonstrates a commendable attitude to making what is already a safe environment even safer.”

Results from the pilot will be analysed by a team from the University of Exeter.

 

Source

Children as Young as 14 Caught Drink Driving

Hampshire’s road cops have a message to teenagers contemplating drink-driving - YOU will get caught

It comes as shock figures revealed that children as young as 14 (three years under the legal age for driving on public roads) are being caught drink-driving in the county.

Children’s charities say figures showing that in 2008, 2009, and 2011, drivers aged 14 were caught drink-driving are “terrifying”.


Hampshire is one of the drink-driving hotspots for under-18s in the country, with 276 offenders caught between 2008 and 2013 (74 were under the age of 16). The youngest offender in the country was just 11.


Hampshire Constabulary’s Sergeant Rob Heard said: “Interestingly the figures for 2012 and 2013 are significantly reduced by more than two thirds compared to the figure from 2008. This ongoing decline seems to demonstrate that our educational messages to young drivers are being heard clearly.
 
Jackie Ballard, chief executive at Alcohol Concern, said: “The fact young people have been illegally driving while under the influence of alcohol is terrifying. The Government has to get a grip on the fact that young people are bombarded with alcohol advertising which tells them drinking is a normal and positive thing to do and it is often available at pocket money prices. They can start to change this culture by introducing a minimum unit price and restricting alcohol advertising.”

Women Who Sit Next To Alcoholic Drinks Seen As More Likely To Consent To Sex

Writing this as a woman I can totally see how the statement "Women Who Sit Next To Alcoholic Drinks Seen As More Likely To Consent To Sex" would be true. 

According to a recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review, women who simply sat next to a beer at the bar were perceived by both men and women as more flirtatious and more likely to consent to. Some men perceive alcohol consumption in women as an indication of sexual intent. 

The truth of the matter is that a women’s sexual interest is actually diminished by alcohol, says the Mayo Clinic. Ethanol reduces both men’s and women’s sexual sensitivity with regular and prolonged drinking. In men, alcohol can pose a challenge for getting and maintaining an erection, while for women it can reduce lubrication, ability to orgasm, and the intensity of the orgasm. Meaning that  alcohol is anything but an aphrodisiac.

A team of researchers at Deakin University School of Psychology in  Australia, sought to determine whether assumptions of sexual intent can extend to the simple presence of alcohol. A total of 147 sexually experienced participants

•  69 male 
•  78 female

were recruited for the study. The cohort was shown a brief video of social interaction between a man and woman depicted with either a bottle of water or alcohol. The participants were asked to rate the female target on sexual intent to determine the association between gender and alcohol placement of processing sexual intent.

The findings revealed men rated the actress in the video as more flirtatious, promiscuous, and seductive when she was sitting next to the beer, compared to the women participants.

Scottish Police Sense of Humour

This brilliant BBC sketch depicts some Scottish policemen carrying out a rather unusual breath test!

I don't want to ruin it by telling you what happens so just watch and enjoy!

Calorie Counting Campaign to Drink Less Alcohol Targets Women

A CALORIE counting campaign is being launched in the UK to encourage weight-conscious women to drink less.

British MPs and peers think that alcoholic drinks should all display the number of calories that they contain.

Tory MP Tracey Crouch, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Misuse said “We’ve seen an increase in the number of women drinking and relating that to calorie numbers will have a positive impact,”

She insists that the ‘tiny’ voluntary logos on wine bottles warning consumers to drink responsibly are not enough. I don’t see why alcohol labels shouldn’t include evidence-based health-warnings such as ‘excessive alcohol consumption can harm your liver,’


The number of calories in your evening drink:
Pint of Guinness (draught) – 210
Gin and tonic (25ml Gordon’s with standard tonic) – 169
Small glass of white wine (125ml of 13% strength) – 114
Shot of whisky (40ml) – 100
Pint of lager (4% strength) – 189

Should Parents Let Their Kids Sip Alcohol?

According to a common line of reasoning. Early sips of alcohol and parental supervision of drinking can protect children from alcohol abuse later,  As evidence of this many parents point to Europe, where legal drinking ages are lower or unenforced, and table wine flows at every meal.

In a recent report, experts on addiction compiled evidence on alcohol sipping among children and attempted to link it with statistics about problem drinking later in life.

• 7% of 12-year-olds had consumed an entire standard alcoholic beverage
• More than 1/2 of 12-year-olds have already had a sip
• About 1/3 have by age 8

The question for parents will be: 'Does that matter?’

There isn’t much national data on the topic. So the researchers, led by Dr. John E. Donovan, a psychiatrist and epidemiologist at the University of Pittsburgh, used community surveys conducted in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County. They call it the Tween to Teen Project, from which they've just reported two main findings.

children who said they had tasted alcohol said their parents were OK with it. The parents, in interviews, confirmed their children’s perceptions, indicating at least a common understanding between the parents and their children about alcohol use before the age of 12.Scientists discovered that these children were no more likely than their non-sipping peers to be involved “in other kinds of problem behavior in adolescence.

Donovan and his colleagues aren’t so sure. Other studies have shown that having a sip before 10 leads to having “more than a sip” before age 15. “Early-onset drinking is associated with numerous negative outcomes."

 Ultimately, they say, it’s best to err on the side of caution until more conclusive evidence comes out. "This research suggests that if children do not see their parents as strongly disapproving of child sipping, the children will be more likely to take a first step into alcohol use."

For more information please view the full story here medicaldaily.com

Alcoholic ice cream?

Melt’On is the brainchild of couple Donna Morris and Dave Pugh, who began making ice cream in their kitchen as a hobby. They started with some standard flavours, but then thought ‘everyone can do that’, so decided to experiment, The first alcoholic one they made was the Teq-key Lime’On Pie (tequila, limes and biscuit). That was back in May 2013, the couple had no intention of making ice cream commercially, however popular opinion soon swayed them.

One problem the entrepreneurial couple had to overcome is the fact alcohol is a natural anti-freeze. Through trial and error, they’ve come up with a solution. It’s a closely guarded secret, but it is natural without the use of chemicals

Donna is proud of the fact the ice cream contains only pure, natural ingredients. “It’s pure dairy, with no egg, no synthetic products, no powdered products. A lot of commercial products you buy contain powdered product and we wanted a luxury product with a great taste and texture,”  The couple continue to work in their kitchen at home – which has a five-star food hygiene rating using a commercial ice cream-maker.

Melt’On is the only company in the UK making alcoholic ice cream. With flavours including Eat’On Mess and Mojit’On Chocolate Chip,  Amarett’On Ginger, featuring almond liquor and ginger, and Whisky’On Chocolate Orange, with Highland Scotch whisky, Seville oranges and Belgian chocolate chips.

Fear not, you can drive after indulging (Donna checked, after a rather large scoop of Eat’On Mess).
“Unless you had a litre of ice cream you’ll be fine,”

The most popular flavour is Eat’On Mess, with Donna’s personal favourite the refreshing Gin and Lem’On Cheesecake.

People abroad have already expressed an interest in franchise, the couple are understandably thrilled with how well the business has done in its first year.

www.melt-on.co.uk

Small Businesses Set to Benefit From Relaxed Alcohol Rules

The government has launched a consultation to discuss the details of a new alcohol licence that could greatly benefit small businesses and charities.

 

The Community and Ancillary Sellers' Notice (CAN) is part of the Deregulation Bill being considered by Parliament. The aim of the consultation is to work out the details of the new licence, such as the exact limits of alcohol that could be served, which businesses will be eligible, how often events can be held and details of the fee.

The result might make it easier and cheaper for businesses like bed and breakfasts to sell limited amounts of alcohol. Currently they have to apply for the same licences as larger establishments, costing anywhere between £100 and £1900, on top of the £75 application fee. This is making the licences too expensive, given the low volume of sales they are likely to make.

The government says the CAN should only apply to small providers of overnight accommodation, who wish to sell small amounts of alcohol as part of the service they already provide, and to community groups such as charities that hold occasional events at which they would like to sell alcohol.

The governments proposal is that for a low, one-off fee, a CAN user would for three years be able to sell a limited amount alcohol between the hours of 7am and 11pm. Community groups would be able to name up to three premises at which they will sell alcohol at organised events, with a maximum of 300 attendees.

The Minister of State for Crime Prevention, Lynn Featherstone, said "The Coalition Government is committed to reducing the unnecessary burdens on responsible businesses, but not at the expense of undermining safeguards against crime and disorder or public nuisance, and we want to get this balance right. "

Landlord Puts Focus on Non-Alcoholic drinks After Near-Death Experience

So Ive come across this story http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk by Pete Grant

Image Credit Bucksfreepress

It is about a landlord that was told by doctors he would die if he carried on drinking.  The news has resulted in him taking his trade in a new, alcohol free direction as he continues his recovery.

Clive Harvison, has run the Kings Head in Little Marlow since 2007, he was rushed to hospital in October last year after an internal hemorrhage caused by alcohol.


He said: "I have drunk for many years, it’s not something that just happened. But after I had the pub one thing led to another and I ended up drinking more. It’s not nice when you’re trying to carry a cup of coffee to someone and half of it end up in your lap because you’ve got the shakes, then you know you have a problem. And there’s the sweating, the forgetting. The consultant drew me a picture of a cliff and said ‘that is your liver’, and that I was so close to the edge that it would only take a few more steps and once you go over there’s no coming back. In October 2013 I was rushed to Wexham Park Hospital. My wife was informed that there was a distinct possibility I wouldn’t make it and to contact relatives.

"Thankfully I am ok now, and have had great support from my family. I have grandchildren now and I want to see them grow up. My customers have been extremely supportive as well."
Clive said despite his job exposing him to temptations behind the bar, he will not feel forced to give up the trade he enjoys."

As with many people, since clive stopped drinking, he gets annoyed at the lack of non-alcoholic drink options in pubs and restaurants, and criticised them for raising the price of soft drinks.

Clive searched high and low for suppliers of top quality non-alcoholic varieties, to which he devotes a page of his pub menu to offer drinkers something different to their usual tipple.
He said. "I like to go out to eat, and I begrudge paying over £20 for a very nice dish and having to drink lemonade with it, that’s an insult. It’s not just for people on health grounds, but because of drink driving. Somebody has to drive, especially with Christmas coming up. There’s nothing worse for someone who drinks to stop completely. I admire people that can, but for me it’s psychological.
I never judge anyone on their drinking habits, that’s up to them. For me it’s coming up for a year now, but you can still have a laugh without alcohol."

Sarcastic ’Thanks alcohol’ Anti-Binge Drinking Ads

So ive come across these ads which are not in the UK but in Alberta USA.

One of the 4 posters depicts a young man who has vomited all over a woman’s dress, gives his friends the thumbs up and says ‘Thanks alcohol!”

The 4 posters are being distributed to bars and nightclubs across the province as the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) launches a new advertising campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers of binge-drinking among youth.

The sarcastic advertisements were designed to capture the attention of drinkers between 18 and 24-years-old who may otherwise ignore having a conversation about binge-drinking,  the posters portray youth attempting to smile while in distressing situations such as recovering from a fistfight or laying awkwardly in bed with a stranger alongside the sarcastic tagline "Thanks Alcohol"

AGLC President and CEO Bill Robinson said “Nobody has seen this type of ad before. This is new.” he expects the campaign to be controversial.

Dr. Louis Francescutti, a University of Alberta Injury professor and emergency physician, who says he sees people suffering the ill effects of excessive alcohol at the hospital nightly, isn’t so sure this campaign will be enough.“Binge drinking has been around as long as humans have been around, and nobody has been able to solve the problem before, It’s unlikely that, unless we change our culture around drinking, we’re going to be able to change [binge drinking] as well.”

What do you think? Will it work? Would it work here in the UK?

Read More about this story here

New Police Technology Tracks Eyes to Assess Drug, Alcohol Impairment

Photo by Doug Wyllie, PoliceOne

Ocular Data Systems, has just come out with a cutting edge device to assess and record a subject’s eyes for alcohol or other drug impairment. It’s called the DAX.

The DAX is a lightweight, handheld unit that consists of a video screen, an infrared video camera, an integrated pair of pen lights aimed at each eye, measuring sevices and a molded physical interface where the subject’s forehead, nose and eyes would go.

The machine will enable officers to test the eye movements and responses of a subject, he or she simply puts the device on the subject’s face, that FST is recorded on video which can then be played back as evidence when seeking a conviction.

New Legislation Introduced to Cut Scotland’s Drink Drive Alcohol Limit

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has introduced an order in Parliament which will mean that,

The plans will mean that Scotland’s blood alcohol limit will be reduced from 80mg in every 100 ml of blood, to 50 mg in every 100 ml of blood, the move would bring Scotland into line with most other European countries.
subject to approval, a reduced drink-drive limit will come into effect on December 5, 2014, in time for the festive period.

The move should bring many benefits including fewer road accidents and fewer casualties. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:

“I have said before that I am determined we do everything we can to make our roads safer and save lives. Drink driving shatters families and communities and we must take action to reduce the risk on our roads. The latest estimates show that approximately one in ten deaths on Scottish roads involve drivers who are over the legal limit and research shows that even just one alcoholic drink before driving can make you three times as likely to be involved in a fatal car crash. As a result, 20 families every year have to cope with the loss of a loved one and around 760 people are treated for injuries caused by someone who thought it was acceptable to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel and drive. We cannot let this continue. That’s why I have today introduced legislation to lower the drink drive limit in Scotland so that, subject to parliamentary approval, new laws will be in place in time for the beginning of the festive period. This new limit will bring Scotland into line with most of Europe and send a clear message to drivers who continue to ignore the warnings that there is never an excuse to drink and drive. Getting behind the wheel after drinking can have fatal consequences, the advice is simple; if you have had any alcoholic drink whatsoever, don’t drive. No one should be drinking and driving and the new lower limit only reinforces what should already be the case with drivers taking full responsibility and not putting lives at risk. Lowering the drink drive limit will help make Scotland’s roads safer, it is the right thing to do, and most importantly, it will save lives meaning that fewer families have to go through the heartache of a loved one lost”.

Sandy Allan, RoSPA’s Road Safety Manager, Scotland said:
“RoSPA welcomes and strongly supports the Scottish Government’s decision to lower the drink-drive limit in Scotland, which we believe will save lives and prevent injuries on Scotland’s roads. There is a considerable body of research which shows that reducing drink-drive limits is effective in reducing drink-drive deaths and injuries. We would like to see the rest of the UK follow Scotland’s example.”

New Alcohol Breathalyer / GPS Tracker Makes a Difference for DUI Offenders

Over in America a Marion County judge says a new alcohol tracker is making a difference by helping to keep DUI offenders sober, at no cost to taxpayers. The program is used as either a condition for release, or part of a sentence.

It’s called “RADAR,” or Real Time Alcohol Monitoring Detection and Recognition.  Offenders are given random Breathalyzer tests throughout the day.  The results are sent in real-time to correction officers. This of course included the location so that the officer can see if they are in a pub.

The unit alerts the offender that it is time for a test by buzzing and lighting up.  The unit also knows if it is the offender that gives the test (im not sure how that is done as I write this)

Right now, more than 200 people are using RADAR in Marion County.  Superior Court Judge Bill Nelson says it’s not only stopping people from drinking—it’s saving on jail space and tax dollars.

“It’s offender funded, so it’s not costing the taxpayer anything. If I throw someone in jail, it’ll cost the county about $52 a day; the offenders are paying for this up to $12 dollars a day,” he said.
“Some of these people need to go to jail, and they will, but the vast majority of these offenders do not need to be incarcerated,” he said.

To read more on this story and view the video please visit the link below

http://fox59.com/2014/10/21/new-alcohol-tracker-makes-a-difference/

Parental Alcohol Abuse - If your Children Could Choose Would They Choose You?!

This video focuses on "What if children could choose their parents?". It has a very powerful message about 'Parental Alcohol Abuse'. We all know that children can’t choose their parents. But what if they could? Would that change the way we as parents behave?

Drunkorexia - Eating Less to Drink More

Image Credit Breelyn Bowe | The Mirror

Drunkorexia is a new type of eating disprder where a person will eat smaller meals, or no meals at all, in order to allow for more
alcohol consumption without weight gain, it is a worrying trend that has hit college campuses across the nation.

This disorder as with most eating disorders is most prevalent amongst young women. Self-image is already a prominent part of their everyday lives, and with the added pressures of the binge-drinking lifestyle, young women have become more conscious of where they consume their calories.

Whilst alcoholic beverages such as beer and Spirits contain very little fat, they are extremely high in calories and artificial sugars.

In an article about drunkorexia by the Los Angeles Times, Dr. David Heber, director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and professor of medicine at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine, said  “women will skip meals and get their caloric allowance in alcoholic drinks,” the fact of the matter is that this method does not truly prevent weight gain.

A campaign titled Drink Aware has focused on this modern eating disorder and the long-term effects that could arise from it including severe liver damage, of course this is not really just an eating disorder but an eating disorder paired with alcoholism.

For more on this story please visit http://www.uncmirror.com

Last year 52 Children Aged Under 11 Hospitalised With Alcohol Poisoning

Shocking new figures from the Department for Health show that hundreds of children are being rushed to hospital every month with alcohol poisoning, In total nearly 4,000 children were taken to A&E last year (52 of those were under the age of 11)

Sarah Wollaston, chair of the Commons health select committee, warned: “It is a grave risk to young people’s health.”

In total, 3,748 under-18s were admitted to hospital with alcohol poisoning during 2012-13 (more than 300 a month). this has sparked fears of a sharp rise in binge drinking.

Among adults, there were almost 82,500 cases of alcohol poisoning in hospitals last year.

Teens Open "Haunted House of Addictions" to Raise Awareness of Drugs, Alcohol

So ive come acoss a story about a group of high school students in America that are hoping to scare youth straight when it comes to drugs and alcohol this Halloween.

Members of the Walton County Youth Advocacy Board opened the “Haunted House of Addictions” Friday in Monroe to raise awareness of drugs and alcohol and to show youth the dangers of substance abuse.

guests will walk through a haunted house and see vignettes depicting people at various stages of addiction, from the first time they use street or prescription drugs and alcohol to worst-case scenarios such as accidents, death and prison.

Tessa Barnes, the organiser and a sophomore at Monroe Area High School. “Around Halloween, there are plenty of haunted houses, but this one is different because we’re not just trying to scare people, We’re trying to teach the dangers of drugs and alcohol to people of all ages, but in a way that’s also fun. I hope teens who come to the haunted house will see how bad drugs are, I know a lot of teens are caught up in trying to fit in and give in to peer pressure. I hope they realize drugs aren’t fun but are scary and dangerous and can ruin your life in a second.”

I think this is a fabulous way to educate people of the dangers of drugs and alcohol, perhaps someone in the UK will do an event like this next year.  To read more about this event please visit  http://onlineathens.com

Most Angry Post About Sobre October Ive Read So Far

I like to get a balanced view so it would be wrong not to share this piece in the Guardian by Nell Frizzell

Entitled "Sober October: when did giving up alcohol become a heroic act?"

"I love her opening paragraph "If you think that not drinking is heroic then, good God, I hope you never have to rescue me from a burning building. Or pull me out of a river. Or care for me in my hour of darkness."

and actually yes I agree with this statement.

I think that she might be right in many ways, however on the other side I feel that the marketing machines at McMillan are doing their job well, by choosing something that a lot of people participate in and lets face it who doesn't want to be made to feel like a hero!

Benefits to be Paid onto Smart Cards to Stop claimants Spending Their Money on Alcohol or Gambling

Soon benefits could to be paid onto smart cards, the aim being to stop claimants wasting taxpayers money on alcohol or gambling.

Iain Duncan Smith The Work and Pensions Secretary said he was increasingly concerned about the way benefits could currently be used to fuel addictions, instead of putting people on the road to work.

Speaking at the Tory party conference in Birmingham, he said: 'I have long believed that where parents have fallen into a damaging spiral – drug or alcohol addiction, even problem debt, or more – we need to find ways to safeguard them – and more importantly, their families, their children, ensuring their basic needs are met.

Since this announcement Mark Hoban, a former Employment Minister, has questioned the legality of introducing a pre-paid card for benefit claimants.

Mr Hoban, who served under Iain Duncan Smith in the Department for Work and Pensions from September 2012 to October 2013, told a fringe meeting: "I think [this card] has been looked at quite often."

Speaking before Mr Duncan Smith's appearance at the Conservative Conference, he told a fringe meeting that "there may be some legal issues around using it."

Deirdre Kelly, also known as White Dee, from the television show Benefits Street, told the same fringe meeting that she thought the card was "not a bad idea."