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