Poisoning caused by binge drinking – drinking excessively within a short period. For men, that’s five standard-sized alcoholic beverages within two hours. For women it’s four or more standard-sized drinks, which is defined as a 12-ounce beer, a 5- ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink with one shot. With excessive drinking, the liver struggles….

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New Zealand needs to address its serious alcohol problem, says an Otago University professor who is holding a public meeting on the Shore. Doug Sellman, a professor of psychiatry and addiction medicine, says at least 700,000 Kiwis are heavy drinkers. “New  Zealand is paying a heavy price through deaths, injuries, chronic diseases, police apprehensions and overburdened emergency departments,….

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Supermarkets have been accused of encouraging binge drinking by continuing to sell alcohol more cheaply than bottled water. Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s are among those selling beer at just over 5p per 100ml. This contrasts with a typical price of about 8p for 100ml of brand-name mineral water. Campaigners claim such retailers are “irresponsible”,….

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Even a modest amount of alcohol can make the mind prone to wandering, but drinkers may be slow to notice it, a new study suggests. Researchers found that when they had a group of men read “War and Peace” after either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink, those who’d imbibed were markedly more prone to zoning….

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For those who don’t know or have never heard of Al-anon, it is a 12-step recovery program that is the counter-part to the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step recovery program. It was initiated by Lois Wilson (the wife of Bill Wilson; one of the original founders of Alcoholics Anonymous) as a safe haven and support group for….

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