Alcohol Trends

What Are You Drinking?
In the days of yore, you had to be tough in order to chug down a few ounces of hard liquor. The taste was harsh and often bitter, making it unappealing to many. There was no mistaking the smell and taste of the alcoholic beverages of days gone by. However, today’s alcoholic drinks are cleverly disguised in brightly colored packaging and hidden underneath mounds of sugar and other flavoring in order to create a mass appeal for these beverages. Vodka, once considered the drink of old men now come in flavors such as marshmallow, whipped cream and cookie dough, tempting younger people to imbibe, and leaving unsuspecting parents completely in the dark due to misleading packaging.

The quick buzz – A potential overdose
The biggest concern for parents of children these days is the potential for alcohol overdose. Many of the drinks that are peaking the interest of younger, less experienced consumers, contain higher levels of alcohol and pose a greater risk of alcohol poisoning. Distilled spirits such as vodka have a much higher alcohol by volume (ABV) content than other alcoholic beverages such as beer. Because these drinks are being flavored in order to increase their appeal, many consumers don’t realize how much alcohol they have consumed until they have reached the point of overdose.

This trend has become so prevalent that some U.S. Universities have banned the possession of hard alcoholic beverages on their campuses, regardless of the age of the student because almost all of the emergency room admissions for the previous year had been alcohol related.

Combining alcohol and energy drinks
The combination of energy drink and alcoholic beverage is also another dangerous mix that have many health professionals scrambling. In 2010, Washington state banned the sale of pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks however, bars still serve them and people still mix them on their own. (12 13 mixologist permits.) The issue at hand is that the energy boost that is provided by energy drink masks the effects of the alcohol, making it much more difficult to gauge how much alcohol has been consumed and has led to many more deaths due to alcohol poisoning.

Know what you are drinking and how it affects you
With all of the potential pitfalls out there, the best way to ensure that you stay safe when you drink is to have a true understanding of what you are drinking in relation to what constitutes a standard drink. Remember, it’s not just the size of the drink, but the amount of alcohol contained in the drink that matters the most. Know your limits, make sure you eat and don’t binge. Many people underestimate the benefit of eating before drinking alcoholic beverages, but having food in your stomach slows the rate of absorption and reduces your chances for overdose. 12 Handlers permit. And never accept a drink from someone if you aren’t certain what is in the drink. Make sure that you know how many drinks you have consumed and, in the event you consume too many drinks, it’s important to have someone else looking out for you as well.