As President-elect Barack Obama's transition team gathers steam, word is leaking out that recently retired Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) -- a strong advocate for addiction treatment and recovery -- could be in the running for the position of Obama's "drug czar."
Drugs -- and the addiction issue in general -- got very little attention during the recently concluded presidential campaign, but now that Obama has won, his duties prior to taking office on Jan. 20 include selecting candidates for some of the top positions for his forthcoming administration. And although the job of director of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has seemed almost invisible in recent years, in fact the "drug czar" is officially part of the president's Cabinet -- technically on par with the Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of State.
No candidates for the drug czar's job have been officially announced by the team running Obama's search for a successor to current ONDCP head John Walters; the search is reportedly being led by Christopher Putala, Washington, D.C., consultant and former senior Senate Judiciary Committee staffer for then-Chairman (and now vice-president elect) Joseph Biden (D-Del.); and Donald Vereen of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, a former NIH researcher and deputy ONDCP director between 1998 and 2001 under President George H.W. Bush.
The Capitol Hill newsmagazine Politico first reported that Ramstad was being considered as a possible head of ONDCP in the Obama administration. Dean Peterson, a Ramstad spokesperson, told Politico it was "gratifying to hear Jim's name being mentioned for drug czar"; however, a Ramstad spokesperson contacted by Join Together would not comment on whether the nine-term Congressman was in the running for the job.
More Reputed Candidates
Other potential candidates for drug czar floating around the blogosphere and Washington have included Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton, drug-policy researcher and author Mark A. Kleiman of the UCLA School of Public Affairs, current Center for Substance Abuse Treatment director H. Wesley Clark, and Tom McLellan, Ph.D., director of the Treatment Research Institute.
However, Bratton told L.A.'s City News Service that he's not interested in the job, stating, "That is not something I am seeking, it's not something I have been approached about." Likewise, Kleiman recently posted the following to his blog: "I am not, have not been, and could not be under consideration for Drug Czar. Not only have I taken positions that make me politically radioactive, I'd also be absolutely terrible at actually doing the job, which is 10 percent thinker, 30 percent manager, and 60 percent schmoozer."
Ramstad co-founded the bipartisan Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recovery Caucus with Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-Mass.) and has been an outspoken advocate for addiction treatment service, candid about his own recovery from alcoholism, and a driving force behind the recent passage of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
Eric Goplerud, Ph.D., director of Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Programs and a research professor at the George Washington University Department of Health Policy, said that the next drug czar needs to be someone who takes a public-health approach to drug issues, not a military one. "Ramstad would definitely have that orientation," he said. "He's inspiring; he has a broad vision of how substance use related to the issues of health and mental health in this country, and he has the credibility to work with Capitol Hill and the administration. He would be a strong leader."
However, word that Ramstad might be under consideration as Obama's drug czar has not sat well with some drug-policy reform groups. "While we applaud Rep. Ramstad for his courageous and steady support for expanding drug treatment access and improving addiction awareness, and honor his own personal and very public triumph over addiction, we have strong reservations about his candidacy for the drug-czar position," states a sign-on letter being circulated by the congressional office of the Drug Policy Alliance. "In his 28 years in the U.S. House, Rep. Ramstad has consistently opposed policies that seek to reduce drug-related harm and create common ground on polarizing issues."
The letter portrays Ramstad as being out of step with some of Obama's stated positions on drug policy, noting that the GOP Congressman voted to permanently ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs and to block federal efforts to prevent the arrest of medical-marijuana users in states where such use is legal. "We urge you to nominate for drug czar someone with a public-health background, who is committed to reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C and other infectious diseases, open to systematic drug-policy reform, and able to show strong leadership on the issues you believe in," the DPF letter said.
The Qualities of a Future Leader
Peter Reuter, professor of the School of Public Policy and Department of Criminology at the University of Maryland and founder of RAND's Drug Policy Research Center, sees two key qualification for an effective drug czar under Obama: stature and substantive balance.
"The office has lacked prestige since William Bennett; though General McCaffrey was a visible public figure he did not have much standing in the senior levels of government," Reuter told Join Together. "If the new director is to be taken seriously by cabinet agencies, he or she must be sufficiently well known and respected to get phone calls returned. Without that, the director reverts to a minor budget and operational coordinator."
Added Reuter: "The major challenge for the new director is to tame the enforcement machine, initially at the federal level but then at the state level. This requires someone whose credentials will not be challenged by law enforcement but who has enough knowledge of the rest of the field to make a good case for what can be accomplished through other programs."
Goplerud said that the Whole Health Campaign, a coalition of more than 70 addiction and mental-health organizations, has been working with the Obama transition team to ensure that treatment and prevention issues are considered as appointments are made throughout the government, from the Department of Labor (which will play a role in parity implementation as well as drug-free workplace issues) to the Interior Department (which includes the Department of Indian Affairs) and the Medicaid program, which directly impacts addiction treatment for thousands of Americans.
Goplerud also had praise for Obama's nomination of former Sen. Tom Daschle as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, noting Daschle's past work on the issue of fetal alcohol syndrome. "We will have a healthcare reform czar who knows our issues," he said.
Other announced nominations, such as Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff, Eric Holder as Attorney General, and even Joseph Biden as Vice President have received some criticism from drug-policy reform groups, who view the trio as "pretty aggressive drug warriors," in the words of columnist Radley Balko. Similar complaints have been aired regarding ONDCP transition team leader Donald Vereen, called a "a completely unreconstructed drug warrior" by one respected source who spoke to Join Together but did not wish to be identified by name.
Ramstad Seen as Possible Obama Drug Czar
What Are the Risks of Risky Drinking?
To examine the adverse consequences of risky drinking,* researchers assessed baseline drinking among 22,122 adult national survey participants who had consumed at least 1 drink in the year preceding the baseline interview and measured the 3-year incidence of selected outcomes.
* At baseline, 60% of subjects reported no risky drinking. Seventeen percent reported risky drinking <1 time per month; 9%, 1 to 3 times per month; 8%, 1 to 2 times per week; 3%, 3 to 4 times per week; and 3%, daily or near daily.
* The risk for adverse consequences increased as the frequency of risky drinking increased. In adjusted analyses, participants who reported risky drinking 1 to 2 times per week were more likely than those who reported no risky drinking to have incident alcohol abuse (odds ratio [OR], 3.3); alcohol dependence (OR, 2.7); drug use (OR, 1.6); drug dependence (OR, 2.3); tobacco use (OR, 2.7); nicotine dependence (OR, 1.8); and any liver disease (OR, 2.8). They were also more likely to divorce or separate (OR, 1.3) and lose their driver's licenses (OR, 1.8).
* In similar analyses, the risk for adverse consequences was generally higher in subjects who reported risky drinking on a daily or near-daily basis.
*In this paper, risky drinking was defined as 5+ drinks in a day for men and 4+ drinks in a day for women.
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Does it mean people are giving up on drinking?
Participants in this comprehensive, long-term health study generally drank less as they got older and later generations drank less than their predecessors, WebMD Health News reported Aug. 6.
Study subjects also were found to drink less beer and more wine as they got older, with that shift more pronounced for men than for women. Beer made up at least half of men's alcohol intake before they reached their mid-30s, but only about one-quarter by their mid-70s.
The study of residents of Framingham, Mass., included 50 years of data of 8,600 white adults, all of whom were born between 1900 and 1959 and were at least 28 years old when they began reporting in detail on their health and lifestyle habits.
The study found that heavier drinking gave way to moderate drinking as later generations' behaviors were analyzed. Yet it is uncertain as to whether these findings reflect national trends, since a study published earlier this year by different researchers suggested the opposite -- that alcoholism may be increasing among women born after 1953.
Researcher Yuqing Zhang, D.Sc., of the Boston University School of Medicine, said researchers did not attempt to determine why participants from each generation tended to drink less as they got older.
The study was published in the August 2008 issue of the American Journal of Medicine.
Fla. Man Dies After Taking 23 Shots in 30 Mins.
A Florida man who drank at least 23 shots of vodka mixed with Red Bull energy drink in about 30 minutes quickly collapsed at the bar where he was drinking and later died, ABC News reported June 27.
Eric Morris, aged 26, 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, ordered dozens of "cherry bomb" shots at a Seffner, Fla., adult nightclub called Angels Show Bar. "Witnesses told us that the bartender kept setting up glasses of shots for [Morris] and then for whatever reason decided at shot glass 24 or 25 that she wasn't going to serve him anymore," said Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokesman J.D. Callaway.
Shortly after being refused any more alcohol, Morris reportedly staggered from the bar and collapsed. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead a few hours later.
Morris formerly worked as a bouncer at the bar, and was recently released from prison. His sister, Jacqui, said that her brother may have been trying to prove his strength by drinking so much. "It's just because we had to be tough," she said. "We were raised to be tough."
"They should have cut him off after the first five," she added.
Ban Indoor Smoking, WHO Advises Nations
A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) says that indoor-smoking bans can prevent heart disease, encourage smokers to quit and protect children, Reuters reported June 30.
The study said there is more than enough evidence that banning smoking in bars, restaurants, and other workplaces has public-health benefits.
"Implementation of such policies can have a broader population effect of increasing smoke-free environments," according to the report from the International Agency for Cancer Research. "Not only do these policies achieve their aim of protecting the health of nonsmokers by decreasing exposure to secondhand smoke, they also have many effects on smoking behavior, which compound the health benefits."
The report was published in the journal Lancet Oncology.
Movie directors using more Marijuana
It may not signal a return to the Cheech and Chong days, but marijuana use has definitely staged a comeback on the big screen, drawing laughs and establishing cultural credibility among young moviegoers, Time magazine reported in its July 7 issue.
Movies by hot director Judd Apatow, including the 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and the forthcoming Pineapple Express -- named after a potent (but fictional) strain of pot -- have prominently featured marijuana. Movies and TV shows like Weeds, The Wackness, the Harold and Kumar films, and Humboldt County also have marijuana themes and stoner characters.
"I'm always a proponent for the comedy involved in people who are under the influence," said Apatow. "I just think it's fun watching anyone acting like an idiot."
"[Film star] Seth [Rogen] and I always argue whether or not [Pineapple Express] is an anti-pot movie," adds Apatow. "To me, it clearly is. Most of the film is people trying to murder these two guys, them trying not to get murdered, and it's all because they're smoking pot. Seth thinks that's too subtle."
In The Wackness, Sir Ben Kingsley plays a psychiatrist turned drug dealer. "For me, the pot was just a device," says Kingsley. "Through it we tell the lovely story of a fatherless child and childless father. And because I become his assistant in dealing with the stuff he's selling, I'm revealed to be the child."
In many films, marijuana users aren't portrayed as outsiders but rather as delayed adolescents. Ironically, portrayals of cigarette and tobacco use in films seems to be generating more protests these days than marijuana use.
McCain Praises Colombian Drug War
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) toured Colombia this week and praised the government of President Alvaro Uribe for its anti-drug efforts, the Associated Press reported July 2.
"Drugs is a big, big problem in America. The continued flow of drugs from Colombia through Mexico into the United States is still one of our major challenges for all Americans," said McCain, whose itinerary included a look at Colombia's drug-interdiction efforts in the port of Cartagena.
McCain also praised Plan Colombia, the multi-billion-dollar U.S. aid package to support Colombian drug interdiction and eradication efforts. McCain said that the program had helped raise the street price of cocaine in the U.S.
However, McCain also urged Uribe to work to improve Colombia's human-rights record. "I've been a supporter of human rights for my entire life and career," McCain said. "We have discussed this issue with President Uribe and will continue to urge progress in that direction. I believe progress is being made and that more progress needs to be made."
Researchers Said "Heavy Marijuana Use Shrinks Brain"
Brain scans show that the hippocampus and amygdala in 15 individuals who smoked five or more marijuana cigarettes daily for more than 20 years were smaller than those of nonusers, Reuters reported June 3.
The two brain regions are involved in memory and emotion and fear and aggression, respectively.
Researchers also found that chronic, long-term marijuana users performed more poorly on memory tests and exhibited signs of mild psychotic disorders. "Our findings suggest that everyone is vulnerable to potential changes in the brain, some memory problems and psychiatric symptoms if they use heavily enough and for long enough," said Murat Yucel of the ORYGEN Research Centre and the University of Melbourne in Australia.
"These were people who were essentially stoned all day every day for 20 years," said Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Bruce Mirken. "This study says nothing about moderate or occasional users, who are the vast majority -- and the (study) even acknowledges this. The documented damage caused by comparably heavy use of alcohol or tobacco is just off-the-charts more serious, and you don't need high-tech scans to find it."
The study was published in the June 2008 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
World No Alcohol Day
World No Tobacco Day has become an established rallying point for global tobacco prevention efforts, and now advocates would like to see a similar annual event aimed at alcohol use.
The Times of India reported May 27 that a group of 11 Southeast Asian nations has proposed that the World Health Organization (WHO) establish Oct. 2 -- Mahatma Gandhi's birthday -- as World No Alcohol Day. The proposal was made by India and accepted by the World Health Assembly this week.
A final vote on the plan would take place at the assembly's executive board meeting in January 2009. "It could take a year for the proposal to be granted official approval. We are confident that it will go through," said an official of the Indian health ministry.
A Framework Convention on Alcohol Control also is being considered by WHO, and all 193 WHO member nations this week signed a resolution pledging to reduce alcohol-related harm.
SCOTT WEILAND Checks Into Jail
According to People.com, former VELVET REVOLVER singer Scott Weiland checked into a Van Nuys, Calif., jail on Monday (May 12) to serve eight days for a second DUI conviction.
The STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman surrendered at 8:55 a.m., according to the sheriff's inmate web site.
Weiland was sentenced on April 28 to 192 hours in jail for a November 2007 DUI in Los Angeles. The singer also received four years' probation, was fined $2,000, and was ordered to take part in an 18-month alcohol program. He was potentially looking at a year behind bars for DUI with a prior conviction. At the time of his November arrest, Weiland had just finished a previous three-year-probation for a 2004 DUI arrested. He declined to take a chemical test after the November incident. He was booked and released after posting $40,000 bail, subsequently checking into a rehab facility in February.
Bam! Pow! Go to Jail. Nick Bollea Sentenced to Eight Months in Jail
Hulk Hogan's Son Nick Bollea Sentenced to Eight Months in Jail. Nick Bollea was sentenced to eight months in Florida’s Pinellas County Jail for felony reckless driving Thursday after pleading no contest in in court.
A judge also handed down five years probation, 500 hours of community service and a three-year drivers license revocation. Nick will not be able to drink for the duration of his probation, and will attend DUI education classes within one year.
The 17-year-old donned a light colored suit to Pinellas County Court and stared straight ahead as the sentence was read.
Sitting behind him was a black-clad Hulk, who prayed during the proceedings and grew teary-eyed, sister Brooke, who wore a top with the shoulders cut out and Hulk's soon-to-be ex-wife, Linda.
Nick was arrested last November on reckless-driving charges stemming from an August 26 crash. An eyewitness told police that Bollea and a pal were drag racing upwards of 100 mph when Nick’s yellow Toyota Supra slammed into a palm tree. Two hours after the crash, alcohol was detected in his bloodstream.
John Graziano, who was in Bollea's passenger seat and not wearing a seat belt, was seriously injured. A report filed in court in September said he likely spend the remainder of his life in a nursing home.
10 Essential Health Tips
Some great tips I found in the Internet and here these are for you.
(The Basics to Practice Every Day)
"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Smoking
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that smoking was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of tobacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in smoking in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late smoke cigarettes. Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood smokers. Thought for the day: Give up just one cigarette…. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
Florida Woman Murdered in Undercover Drug Sting
A Florida woman arrested for possession of marijuana and ecstasy was pressed into service as a drug informant, then murdered during a sting operation where she was told to purchase 1,500 ecstasy pills, cocaine, and a gun from a pair of drug dealers.
ABC News reported May 13 that the body of Rachel Morningstar Hoffman, 23, was found two days after she disappeared following a meeting with the drug dealers. Hoffman had agreed to take part in the staked-out drug buy in return for leniency in her drug case, where she faced possible prison time for possession of 200 grams of marijuana and a handful of ecstasy pills.
The dealers changed the location of the meeting at the last minute, and Hoffman went along with them despite a warning from investigators. "Safety is paramount," said Tallahassee Police spokesperson David McCranie. "The investigator said 'Don't do it.' We call these things off all the time. But Rachel went ahead and met [the dealers] and that ultimately lead to her murder."
The Tallahassee police have been sharply criticized for placing the recent Florida State University graduate in danger and failing to inform her attorney about the leniency deal.
"They're asking her to do something that would put her in a life-or-death situation," said lawyer Johnnie Devine. "I have never had any time where the police department has not called me to tell me this is what's happening ... She had never worked as an undercover agent. She had no experience or training in this matter."
The Florida Attorney General's office plans to conduct an independent investigation into the case.
Bill Would Ban All Cigarette Flavors Except Menthol
A bill in Congress that would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco products also would ban all flavored cigarettes -- except menthol. That's an exception that worries many public-health experts, who point out that menthol cigarettes are especially popular among African-Americans.
The New York Times reported May 13 that the bill would prohibit a number of popular cigarette flavorings, including clove and cinnamon, but allows menthol-flavored cigarettes in an apparent concession to the tobacco industry. Menthol cigarettes comprise about a quarter of the $70 billion worth of cigarettes sold in the U.S. each year.
Philip Morris USA relies heavily on sales of menthol cigarettes, and is the only major tobacco firm to endorse the FDA bill.
"I would have been in favor of banning menthol," said Sen Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) "But as a practical matter that simply wasn't doable."
"The bottom line is we want the legislation," said William S. Robinson, executive director of the National African-American Tobacco Prevention Network. "But we want to reserve the right to address this issue at some critical point because of the percentage of people of African descent who use mentholated products."
The legislation does give FDA the power to remove cigarette additives, including menthol, if they are proven to be harmful to smokers.
"I think we can say definitively that menthol induces smoking in the African-American community and subsequently serves as a direct link to African-American death and disease," said Robert G. Robinson, formerly an associate director in the office of smoking and health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Philip Morris contends that there is little evidence that menthol cigarettes are any more addictive or dangerous than other cigarettes, a position backed by rival Lorillard Tobacco.
Men More Likely to Drink for Stress Relief
Depressed men are more likely than women to crave alcohol and develop alcohol-related disorder, according to researchers at Yale University.
CBC News reported May 12 that the study of 54 healthy adult drinkers studied responses to stressful events such as relationship problems and job loss.
"Men's tendency to crave alcohol when upset may be a learned behavior or may be related to known gender differences in reward pathways in the brain," said researcher Tara Chaplin. "And this tendency may contribute to risk for alcohol-use disorders."
The study was published online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Heavy Marijuana Use Linked to Coronary Risk
Heavy marijuana use may be related to an increase in a blood protein linked to heart disease, although researchers did not look at whether study subjects actually had heart problems, Reuters reported May 13.
Researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse found that levels of apolipoprotein C-III, which is involved in metabolism of triglycerides in the blood, were higher among 18 long-term heavy marijuana users than among a control group of 24 non marijuana users. High levels of triglycerides can cause hardening of the arteries, raising the risk of stroke or heart attack.
"Chronic marijuana use is not only causing people to get high, it's actually causing long-term adverse effects in patients who use too much of the drug," said lead researcher Jean Lud Cadet. "Chronic marijuana abuse is not so benign."
The study subjects smoked between 78 and 350 marijuana cigarettes per week. "We're talking about people who are stoned all the time. We're talking about the marijuana equivalent of the guy in the alley clutching a bottle of cheap wine," said Bruce Mirken, a spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project. "If you do anything to that level of excess, it might well have some untoward effects, whether it's marijuana or wine or broccoli."
Mirken added, "Even if you take this finding at face value, it's not at all clear that it has any relevance to the real world because there is still no data showing higher rates of mortality among marijuana smokers. If this was a significant cause of cardiovascular disease, where are the bodies?"
The study appeared in the May 13, 2008 issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Beer Pong
The drinking game Beer Pong has become mainstream entertainment, moving from ad hoc games in college campuses to professional tables and tournaments in bars. Beer Pong players try to bounce ping-pong balls into opponents' cups of beer; a successful toss compels the other players to drink. Critics say the game encourages binge drinking. There is nothing to say good about it and its based on social drinking. Its becoming more and more popular these days on various bars. Even in January there was World Series of Beer Pong, held in Las Vegas, 296 teams from the U.S. and Canada competed for a $50,000 grand prize. But beyond public entertainment its more concerning about public health. Drunk driving, Amnesia, Rape etc are increasing rapidly. Here are some bad side of Beer drinking:
"Beer belly"
Heavy beer drinking may promote abdominal obesity in men. Though many scientific researches attribute it to the high calorie snacks eaten along with beer and not beer itself.
Heartburn
Beer may induce gastroesophageal reflux and cause heartburn . Beer contains powerful stimulants of gastric acid secretion.
Blood pressure
Daily beer consumption (approximately 40 g of alcohol) may increase blood pressure .
Gout
Beer contains much higher amounts of purines than other alcoholic beverages. Researchers found that regular beer intake increases the risk of gout .
Dehydration
Alcohol is a dehydrating agent.
Intoxication
Alcohol is a downer that reduces activity of the central nervous system. High amounts of alcohol can turn into intoxication and hangover. The alcohol intoxication causes loose muscle tone, loss of motor coordination, slower reaction times, lowering of caution and other negative effects.
Impairment of driving-related skills
Even low amounts of alcohol can adversely effects attention and motor skills. In fact, many serious accidents are alcohol related.
Interactions with medications
Alcohol may interact harmfully with a great number medications: anticoagulants, medication for diabetes, beta blockers, antihistamines, antibiotics, antidepressants, pain relievers, sleeping pills.
Pregnancy
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause a number of birth defects, ranging from mild to severe. Alcohol is quickly transferred from the mother's bloodstream to the baby's. Researchers have not been able to determine the exact amount of alcohol that is "safe" for the development of the baby.
Alcoholism
Heavy drinking can develop into an addiction.
Drinking water or poison?
Recent news form AP different dangerous Drugs found in drinking water. As the report says A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.
To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.
But the presence of so many prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.
These drugs get into the water everyday. As we take pills and other medicines, our body absorbs the required materials and rest of it are wastes and ends up at our toilet. Then its dumped into the ocean water. Then the ocean water is filtered and used as drinking water. But most of the treatment plants doesn't purify all the drugs.
But this is really concerning all the people. As we don't know all the bad effects of this problem. This could be a disaster or will be safe in the future.
"We know we are being exposed to other people's drugs through our drinking water, and that can't be good," says Dr. David Carpenter, who directs the Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany.
Energy Drinks!!! Energy or alcoholism??
Energy drink sellers like Miller Brewing and Anheuser-Busch selling energy drinks containing huge amount of alcohol. Young and Adults both are addicted to such drinks. Parents are concerned about these "Energy Drinks". They cant control their children from drinking energy drinks and later becoming alcoholic.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), an alcohol-industry watchdog, is seeking a court injunction banning Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company from selling alcoholic energy drinks, contending that the products appeal to underage drinkers and lack government approval for their mix of ingredients.
The group will seek a permanent injunction to prevent the companies "from manufacturing and offering for sale any alcoholic beverage that contains caffeine, guarana, or any other stimulant, or taurine, ginseng, or any other ingredient that is not generally recognized as safe for use in alcoholic beverages," as well as prohibiting Anheuser-Busch and Miller from making claims about the energy-boosting attributes of the products or their ability to counteract the effects of alcohol. CSPI also said it plans to ask the courts to require the companies to disgorge all profits from the sales of these products, which would then be placed in a charitable fund.
Recent research has shown that mixing alcohol and energy drinks can make drinkers feel more alert, but does nothing to prevent intoxication. Researcher Mary Claire O'Brien and colleagues at Wake Forest University School of Medicine who surveyed students found that those who mixed alcohol and energy drinks tended to drink more heavily and have more drinking-related problems.
We all hope that CSPI will be successful.
Another Hollywood Story
I was searching for another addiction problem of Super Stars of Hollywood. I found this one.......... 
Celebrities who seek addiction treatment often receive a boost to their careers, but the reality could hardly be more different for other workers dealing with alcohol or other drug problems, ABC News reported Feb. 12.
Stars like Pat O'Brien, host of "The Insider," can repeatedly enter treatment for addiction problems and suffer little blowback in their professional lives. "O'Brien and his doctors felt this is the best course for maintaining his sobriety," according to a statement released by the entertainment show after O'Brien recently checked into rehab for a second time.
O'Brien's first stint in a treatment program came in 2005, after he made a series of explicit phone calls to a woman, tapes of which became public.
"Celebrities can have more chances," said Tia Brown, senior editor for the celebrity magazine In Touch. "They are put on a pedestal -- because of a perception of the stress they are under pressure or their position -- and people are more forgiving. And it helps their celebrity."
Such second changes are less common for ordinary workers. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides some protection against discrimination in the workplace, but only to employees who are not current drug users. In most cases, how many chances at rehab a worker gets is completely up to the employer.
"The vast majority of human resource regulations give people one chance and would say that if you get help and do OK, you're fine," said Ronald Hunsicker, president of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. "But a second time you're automatically out."
A Hazelden Foundation survey also found that about a quarter of human-resources professionals say their company would be less likely to hire a worker if they knew that they were in recovery from addiction. "Our survey reveals a stunning disconnect in corporate America," said William C. Moyers, the Hazelden Foundation vice president for external affairs. "Enlightened beliefs aren't translated into the practice of directing employees into treatment, thanks to the stigma of addiction and a lack of knowledge about it."
Licenses, Scanners Could Be Used to Track Drinking Habits
The rising practice of scanning electronic drivers' licenses at bars and restaurants could be used to track drinking and dining habits,
Technology writer Jem Matzen began looking more closely at the practice of license scanning following an incident at a Houstons restaurant where his license was scanned by a waitress without his permission. "It's one thing when a government representative scans your driver's license; it's another thing entirely when a restaurant does it, and records your personal information in the process," he wrote.
Officials at the company which owns Houstons told Matzen that the license was scanned for his own protection -- to detect false IDs -- but also said that scanning also protects the restaurant by preventing service to underage drinkers.
Upon a second visit to the restaurant, Matzen refused to allow a waitress to walk away with his driver's license and scan it; as a result, he was refused service.
Security expert Brian Scheier said that there is not much risk of identity theft from scanning drivers' licenses. But, he said, "Would you like a list of every bar you've visited to be posted on the Internet?," continuing, "Let's say I had a bar -- I could offer a drink special for 10 percent off if you agree to let me sell your drinking data to Bacardi. There's nothing wrong with that because as the bar owner, I'd be telling you about it upfront and you'd have to agree to it. But to do this without notifying people, by collecting data through age verification, is kind of sleazy."
Schneier also said that "the record of your drinking habits could be used in court as evidence -- for instance, in a divorce case if your wife accuses you of being an alcoholic."
Jay Stanley, public-education director of the American Civil Liberties Union's technology and liberty program, called license scanning "a violation of privacy and civil liberties. "It is a violation of the principle that personal information collected for one purpose should not be used for other purposes without an individual's affirmative, fully informed permission," he said. "The fact that you provide information to prove you are complying with drinking-age laws should not require you to give up other personal information about yourself, and to be tracked."
