Alcohol has been excessively commercialised, over-hyped and over-sold. It is treated in the market place as if it were just an ordinary grocery item when, in fact, it is a highly intoxicating recreational drug, argues Doug Sellman. There is little doubt that New Zealand has a serious alcohol problem. Every day we are presented with….

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All children from the age of 10 are to be routinely asked by GPs how much alcohol they drink. New guidelines expected from the government’s health watchdog will recommend that family doctors screen youngsters for alcohol abuse on their first appointment or during routine visits. The guidelines aim to curb the health damage caused by….

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Minimum pricing has been supported by a broad coalition of health professionals and drinks industry figures The minimum pricing of alcohol in Scotland should be set at 50p per unit — 10p more than that proposed by the SNP government, according to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The society, whose members include experts in health,….

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Alcohol disinhibits the parts of the brain that control thoughts, feelings and behaviour; that’s why adults drink. Of course, most of us view this less technically in terms of “relaxing” and “enjoying ourselves”. And in most cases, that’s what it lets us do. Yet alcohol’s extraordinary ability to disinhibit other adult impulses is well documented…..

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Millions of Americans suffer from the psychological and physical disease of alcoholism. The resulting emotionally destructive impact on the children of alcoholic parents and the family unit is enormous. Alcoholic parents usually act out their addiction in one of two negative ways: violent and abusive behavior or emotional unavailability and neglect. People who grow up….

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