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Anheuser-Busch Cos. will stop making and selling caffeinated alcoholic drinks as part of a settlement with 11 state attorneys general, the attorneys general said Thursday. The states' top lawyers began an investigation of the U.S.'s largest brewer by sales a year ago. They alleged that the St. Louis company had failed to adequately disclose negative health effects of its Tilt and Bud Extra drinks on their labels, made false or misleading marketing claims that they help users stay up late for partying, and illegally targeted minors with its advertising. "Quite simply, alcohol mixed with high amounts of caffeine is a...

Kids Connect Alcohol Odors With Mom's Emotions ScienceDaily (June 25, 2008) — How children respond to the smell of alcoholic beverages is related to their mothers' reasons for drinking, according to a new study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center. When asked to choose between the odor of beer and an unpleasant odor, children of mothers classified as 'Escape drinkers' were more likely than children of Non-escape drinkers to choose the unpleasant odor. "Children's responses to odors provide us with a window into their emotions," says study lead author Julie Mennella, PhD, a Monell biopsychologist. "When given a choice between...

Just four mid-sized beers will be classed as binge drinking under new national guidelines due out next month. The new minimum limit for a single drinking session follows a review by the National Health and Medical Research Council and will apply equally to men and women.

- In Sweden that is. All the same, if various experts are right, the Nordic countries are not only the richest part of the world, but also global leaders in the domain of QUALITY of life. Therefore, living in this part of Stockholm is probably as good as life gets, or? The article: "The Stockholm suburb of Danderyd is the best municipality in which to live, according to a new ranking by the magazine Fokus. Lund and nearby Lomma in southern Sweden follow closely behind. Ljusnarsberg municipality in the Bergslagen region of central Sweden ended up in last place. The...

<p>POLICE and teachers who told a group of high school students that two dozen of their classmates had been killed in road smashes had to admit it was just a hoax when the teenagers became hysterical with grief.</p> <p>The fake announcement was part of a road safety campaign meant to scare the students off drink-driving.</p>

Drinking Alcohol Cuts Risk Of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis In Half, Study Suggests ScienceDaily (Jun. 5, 2008) — Alcohol cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to 50%, reveals research published ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The Scandinavian researchers base their findings on more than 2750 people taking part in two separate studies, which assessed environmental and genetic risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis. Over half the participants (1650) had the disease and had been matched for age, sex, and residential locality with randomly selected members of the general public. All participants were quizzed about...

A regular tipple cuts the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to half, Swedish research suggests. The Karolinska Institute assessed 2,750 people in two studies, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases reports. The risk was up to 50% lower for those who drank the equivalent of five glasses of wine a week compared with those who drank the least, they found. However, arthritis experts warned that drinking too much alcohol increased the risk of a range of health problems. Rheumatoid arthritis - an auto-immune disease caused by a malfunctioning immune system - is a condition which results in tender, stiff...

Heather Squires was the designated driver. Never exactly a fun thing, but a college buddy of her husband's was driving up from Tucson to celebrate his acceptance into law school. So when her husband, Jason, asked, Heather said yes. It's not safe to be the designated driver these days, either. At Chuy's in Tempe, Heather's brother and her husband and the soon-to-be-law-school student knocked off four pitchers of beer. Everybody was having a great time. Around 9:30 p.m., they decided to head home. So they piled into Jason Squires' new pickup truck. As planned, Heather drove. They didn't get very...

Red wine may be much more potent than was thought in extending human lifespan, researchers say in a new report that is likely to give impetus to the rapidly growing search for longevity drugs. The study is based on dosing mice with resveratrol, an ingredient of some red wines. Some scientists are already taking resveratrol in capsule form, but others believe it is far too early to take the drug, especially using wine as its source, until there is better data on its safety and effectiveness. The report is part of a new wave of interest in drugs that may...

Alcohol has been banned in the southern Iraqi province of Basra. The provincial Basra Council has approved a new law enforcing the ban in the territory, the Voices of Iraq news agency cited Council president Nasif al-Ibadi as saying. The alcohol in the province was approved late on Wednesday, al-Ibadi said. "You will not be able to cross the borders between Iraq and other neighbouring countries carrying loads of alcohol to other parts of the country," he stated. The local administration applied the change under Article 2 of the Iraqi constitution that includes the application of Sharia law. The alcohol...

For the harried office worker, the life of a Welfare recipient must seem like an eternal vacation. Not so, as the number of networks increase and the number of online porn outlets multiply, people on welfare are finding less time to drink booze and take drugs separately. This compressed schedule has made multi-tasking necessary. “I swear to God, it’s like I got two jobs,” George Wallace Foreman, of Tyrone, said. “I thought technology would make my substance abuse easier. Boy, was I misled!”

Like most patients assigned to my substance abuse clinic these days, John, a stylish 22-year-old cosmetology student, did not arrive voluntarily. After two drunken driving violations, one in which another motorist was injured, a judge ordered John to attend a weekly recovery group I conduct for young adults facing similar legal troubles. But that was hardly the biggest stick the judge had at his disposal. “This Scram keeps me from even thinking about drinking,” John immediately told me as he raised a pant leg and pointed to a boxy plastic ankle bracelet that looked neither cool nor comfortable. Scram, for...

Tesco is refusing to sell alcohol to parents shopping with their children under rules designed to tackle underage drinking. The supermarket has told cashiers not to supply alcohol if they suspect an adult is buying the drink for an underage youth. Staff have been told to “err on the side of caution” when interpreting the policy, leading to cases of parents out shopping with their children being told to put alcohol back on the shelves. Tesco says it believes parents will support the policy and it would rather apologise where it has misjudged the situation than sell to underage drinkers....

Dozens ask state for license to sell it. Record high oil prices haven't helped the bottom line of local gas stations, so many retailers have started selling something more profitable -- alcohol. During the past two years, more than 150 gas stations across the state have added suds and vino to the pop, juice and milk that have long filled their coolers, according to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. And dozens more plan to follow the trend as a way to remain competitive, industry experts say. Alcohol abuse prevention experts worry that the additional alcohol outlets will result in more...

Today's article on smoking restrictions and the "wellness" movement makes no mention of a politically incorrect truth: some people smoke because they find net positive benefits in it. Nicotine is not just an addictive drug, it is a powerful drug which affects the mind in ways that are often positive. Now let me add that I do note advocate people taking up smoking. I have no financial interest in tobacco, have never owned a tobacco stock, and if tobacco companies have advertised on American Thinker, I have not noticed it. (I would not get rid of their ads if they...

GEORGETOWN, Texas (AP/KXAN) -- A state lawmaker who helped pave the way for major toll road projects and stiffer drunken driving penalties now faces a DWI charge. Rep. Mike Krusee of Williamson County is the Republican chairman of the House Transportation Committee. He was charged with first-offense driving while intoxicated after a state trooper noticed his car moving erratically in northwest Austin Wednesday night. The license plate on the vehicle also had expired last December. Elected state officials all have personalized license plates. Therefore, the trooper would have known he was pulling over a state official before asking for identification....

Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-N.Y.) was arrested overnight in Alexandria and charged with driving while intoxicated, court records showed today. Fossella is scheduled to appear in Alexandria General District Court on May 12 for an advisement hearing, the records said. No other details were immediately available. Reached by phone, Fossella's communication director had no immediate comment on the report. Fossella was elected to Congress in a special election to represent the 13th Congressional District of New York in November 1997, according to a biography on his Web site. The district includes Staten Island and the Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and...

The Value of Drink "Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams . If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver." ~ Jack Handy WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell...

Wisconsin leads the U.S. in drunken driving rates — and Minnesota is not far behind. So says a federal government report released today. A CLOSER LOOK It's estimated more than a quarter of Wisconsin's adult drivers drove under the influence in the past year. Rounding out the worst five states — all from the Upper Midwest — were North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. WHICH STATE WAS THE BEST?Utah had the lowest incidence of drunken driving. It was the only state where fewer than 10 percent of adult drivers reported driving drunk. Next came West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky and...

Hard numbers: Illegal alien drunk drivers in North Carolina By Michelle Malkin • April 19, 2008 WRAL reports on a new statistical breakdown of illegal alien drunk drivers in North Carolina. It’s a blood-pressure-raising look at the deadly revolving door, catch-and-release, the deportation abyss, and the danger of sanctuary policies embraced by those sworn to defend and protect the public: Seven-year-old Marcus Lassiter won’t see his eighth birthday. George Smith was on his morning commute to Duke University but never made it to work. Betty Coates might struggle with daily tasks for the rest of her life. Johnston County Sheriff...

Thousand Island dressing stirs Muslim row Website calls on Israeli Arabs to avoid dressing after consumer discovers it contains alcohol Roee Nahmias Published: 04.13.08, 10:28 / Israel Culture No dressing for you – another product banned by MuslimsPhoto: Dana Kopel A website affiliated with the northern branch of Israel's Islamic Movement warned its readers to avoid a brand of Thousand Island dressing produced by a well-known Israeli company. The warning was issued after a local Arab discovered that the dressing contains alcohol. The Palestine 48 website called on its readers to stay away from the dressing after being approached by...

CROWN POINT -- Hillary Clinton showed her Midwestern roots by enjoying a couple mugs of Old Style on Sat. night at Bronko's restaurant. She also drank a shot of Crown Royal whisky with mayors David Uran of Crown Point and Tom McDermott of Hammond before settling in for pizza in the bar. She chatted with McDermott and Uran and his family for a half hour as patrons of the packed restaurant looked on. "I pulled them draft Old Styles, and then I asked the senator if she wanted a shot of Crown Royal," bartender Russ Panning said. "She said 'Sure,'...

Democratic presidential hopeful ,Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., tosses back a shot of Crown Royal with Bronko's owner Nick Tarailo, second from right, and Ed Hall, right as she stops at the bar during a campaign stop at Bronko's restaurant in Crown Point, Ind., on Saturday, April 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

PITTSBURGH—Barack Obama ridiculed rival Hillary Clinton for a shot-and-a-beer photo op over the weekend in Indiana as he sought to counter the controversy over remarks he made about “bitter” feelings in small-town America.

Obama slams Clinton’s beer-and-whiskey photo-op By Klaus Marre Posted: 04/14/08 11:37 AM [ET] Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) on Monday, after enduring three straight days of criticism for appearing “elitist,” struck back at his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.). “Around election time, the candidates can’t do enough for you,” Obama told the Alliance for American Manufacturing in Pittsburgh. “They’ll promise you anything, give you a long list of proposals and even come around, with TV crews in tow, to throw back a shot and a beer.” The remark was an obvious attack on Clinton, who...

I'm Absolut Swedish but NEVER EVER again will I buy Absolut Vodka and I will, at least, TRY to avoid other products of V&S Group (their repertoire is a pretty broad one though and I kinda party from time to time..), a former Swedish company which recently was sold to French Pernod Ricard (for the sum of €5,626 billion). I've also managed to convince my father and some of my friends to join my initiative and I'll continue to campaign! The background is, of course, the already infamous Absolut Vodka ad with the words "In an Absolut World" slapped over...

Marijuana is among the most frequently used illicit drugs by women during their childbearing years and there is growing concern that marijuana abuse during pregnancy, either alone or in combination with other drugs, may have serious effects on fetal brain development. There is strong evidence that THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana, crosses the placenta, that maternal marijuana abuse results in intrauterine growth retardation and that infants exposed to marijuana exhibit a temporary syndrome that includes lethargy and decreased muscle tone. Fetal exposure to THC can also result in attention deficits, learning disabilities and behavioral problems. A new study...

A Brooklyn, N.Y., company is marketing a breath mint that may be so curiously strong it is raising eyebrows of concerned consumers. It’s called "AntiPoleez," and is advertised as a way to eliminate bad breath caused by alcohol, tobacco and food, My FOX New York reports. Critics say the name and marketing angle could promote alcohol abuse, leading people to believe they can pass a police breath test, or encourage underage kids to drink alcohol and attempt to cover it up. The company’s president denies that is the intention of his product. The Swiss president of the company, RNY Group,...

SOURCE http://www.beamglobal.com/cs/news/news_detail?pressrelease.id=231 FUTURE BRANDS BOARD ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT CHANGES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2008 CONTACT: Sarah Devaney Beam Global Spirits & Wine 847-444-7661 Sarah.Devaney@beamglobal.com Jeffrey Moran The Absolut Spirits Co., Inc. 212-641-8720 Jeffrey.moran@absolut.com Kelley McCormick Qorvis Communications 202-683-3125 kmccormick@qorvis.com FUTURE BRANDS BOARD ANNOUNCES EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT CHANGES Future Brands Chairman of the Board Kevin Fennessey and Beam Global’s Bill Newlands Assume Greater Role in Management of the Company as Steve Bellini Plans to Step Down; Board Appoints CFO Deerfield, Ill., – January 11, 2008 – Future Brands LLC, the U.S. sales and distribution services company for Beam Global Spirits &...

Natural Selection Protected Some East Asian Populations From Alcoholism, Study Suggests ScienceDaily (Apr. 3, 2008) — Some change in the environment in many East Asian communities during the past few thousand years may have protected residents from becoming alcoholics, a new genetic analysis conducted by Yale School of Medicine researchers suggests. Scientists have long known that many Asians carry variants of genes that help regulate alcohol metabolism. Some of those genetic variants can make people feel uncomfortable, sometimes even ill, when drinking small amounts of alcohol. As a result of the prevalence of this gene, many, but not all, communities...

For those of you who want to let the Absolut Vodka people know how disgusted you are by their appallingly offensive Mexican marketing campaign, here is a list of e-mail addresses for people at Absolut who ought to hear from you: Ketil.Eriksen@absolut.se - Ketil Eriksen, President V&S ABSOLUT Spirits Anna.malmhake@absolut.se - Anna Malmhake, Global Brand Director, V&S ABSOLUT Spirits tim.murphy@absolut.com - Tim Murphy, VP Marketing, Absolut Spirits Company, Inc. jeffrey.moran@absolut.com - Jeffrey Moran, Director of Public Relations and Events, Absolut Spirits Company, Inc. karl-johan.bogefors@absolut.se - Karl-Johan Bogefors, Global PR Manager, V&S ABSOLUT Spirits

Mounting Evidence Shows Red Wine Antioxidant Kills CancerA natural antioxidant found in grape skins and red wine can help destroy pancreatic cancer cells. (Credit: iStockphoto) ScienceDaily (Mar. 27, 2008) — Rochester researchers showed for the first time that a natural antioxidant found in grape skins and red wine can help destroy pancreatic cancer cells by reaching to the cell's core energy source, or mitochondria, and crippling its function. The new study also showed that when the pancreatic cancer cells were doubly assaulted -- pre-treated with the antioxidant, resveratrol, and irradiated -- the combination induced a type of cell death called...

SYDNEY — A New Zealand man has been sentenced to community service after telling police he was raped by a wombat and the experience had made him speak "Australian".[snip]Cradock pleaded guilty in the local court to using a phone for a fictitious purpose. He was sentenced to 75 hours' community work. Police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Stringer told the court alcohol played a large role in Cradock's life.

TEMECULA – The popular Eagle's Nest and Silk nightclubs in the Pechanga Resort & Casino have been shut down by the tribe because of alcohol-related problems. Pechanga spokeswoman Amy Minniear says “tribal leaders have determined that an unacceptable number of incidents involving alcohol consumption” have occurred at the Temecula complex. Details about the offensive incidents haven't been disclosed. The tribe also hasn't said what will be done with those nightclubs, saying only on its Web site that, “We are working on improving the overall Pechanga experience.” The Silk nightclub attracted up to 3,000 guests each night.

Photographs of the novelist Kingsley Amis, taken between his fiftieth birthday in April 1972 and his death in October 1995, sometimes show a resplendent sheen on his forehead, nose, and cheeks. This is what some people call “sweat alcohol,” a common problem among heavy drinkers of shorts and beer. On both of the occasions on which I had the pleasure to meet this funny and distinguished man, he drank whisky throughout lunch and by the afternoon was wearing that slightly bewildered, slightly aggressive, slightly penitent expression known as the “Scotch gaze,” a look familiar to all who have walked the...

NASHUA, N.H.—A senior adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton has agreed to plead guilty to drunken driving and will lose his right to drive for 16 months, police said. Sidney Blumenthal of Washington was arrested Jan. 7, the day before the New Hampshire primary, and charged with aggravated drunken driving. Police said Blumenthal was traveling 70 mph in a 30 mph zone. The case had been set for trial last week, but Blumenthal has agreed to plead guilty to a reduced driving while intoxicated charge, said Nashua police Capt. Peter Segal. In addition to the suspended license, police...

LONDON - His schnoz is not to be sniffed at. The nose of leading European winemaker and taster Ilja Gort has been insured for euro5 million ($8 million), Lloyd's of London said Tuesday. He took out the policy after hearing about a man who lost his sense of smell in a car accident. "I thought it must be a horror to lose your smell," Gort said. "It would mean that you cannot taste wine anymore. Tasting wine is something you do with your nose, not your mouth." Gort, 47, said his nose is essential for him to produce top quality...

According to a pioneering study by a Czech Republic scientist, beer is bad for science because the inebriating effects of beer lower creativity in scientific research. Could this problem be carried over to college students and the general population? Behavioral ecologist Tomáš Grim, of the Department of Zoology at Palacký University (Olomouc, Czech Republic) wrote the 2008 paper, “A possible role of social activity to explain differences in publication output among ecologists.” It appears in the Oikos, the journal of The Nordic Ecological Society. Grim, like all scientists, knew that the number of scientific papers produced each year is a major...

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Igor Volodin believes vodka is no more harmful than chocolate. He is proud to be the first Russian to produce the spirit in a special women's version, designed to be sipped with salad after a workout in the gym. Touted as a glamour product for upwardly mobile women in booming Russia, Damskaya or "Ladies" vodka worries doctors, who fear a fresh wave of female alcoholics in a country already suffering one of the world's worst drink problems. The Moscow Serbsky Institute for Social and Forensic Psychiatry says Russia has 2.5 million registered alcoholics, but adds the real...

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials were rattled last Thursday by the discovery of over 400 bottles of illegal booze, each containing a 10-inch rattlesnake in the bottle, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. After receiving a tip several weeks ago, TABC agents raided Bayou Bob’s Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch in Palo Pinto County after the reptile-infused vodka was sold to undercover agents, the paper reported. 411 bottles of the serpent sauce were seized.

SCRANTON, Pa. - Democrat Barack Obama on Monday promised Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans help with their grievances - save one. "I know it drives you nuts. But I'm not going to lower the drinking age," the presidential candidate said. Army veteran Ernest Johnson, 23, of Connecticut, said one of the things that peeved him before he turned 21 was that he couldn't come home and drink a beer - even though he was old enough to serve in the armed services and die for his country. Obama told Johnson he sympathized, but that setting the legal drinking age at...

SCRANTON, Pa. -- Democrat Barack Obama on Monday promised Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans help with their grievances - save one. "I know it drives you nuts. But I'm not going to lower the drinking age," the presidential candidate said. Army veteran Ernest Johnson, 23, of Connecticut, said one of the things that peeved him before he turned 21 was that he couldn't come home and drink a beer - even though he was old enough to serve in the armed services and die for his country. Obama told Johnson he sympathized, but that setting the legal drinking age at...

Bill on tap to dry up ALL drinking, driving By Laurel J. Sweet and Mike Underwood Monday, March 17, 2008 - Updated 10m ago EmailE-mail PrintablePrintable Comments(89) Comments LargerSmallerText size ShareShare Rate(5) Rate A Taunton state representative wants to make Massachusetts the first state to declare driving under the influence of alcohol - even one green beer - flat out illegal. Rep. James Fagan’s legislation would slash the current .08 blood-alcohol limit recognized nationwide as the standard for being legally drunk to .02. Federal government research indicates a 160- to 240-pound man would register .02 sipping one glass of wine...

Spring break has turned violent and deadly in unrelated incidents on Galveston Island. A 16-year-old girl from Deer Park drowned amid strong winds and currents. Elsewhere, a number of fights capped a concert on East Beach. A dozen were arrested. At spring break destinations everywhere, these scenes are often repeated. Yet psychologist Laurence Abrams says teens are just trying to enjoy themselves and the alcohol, sex and trouble tend to come with that. "They're not trying to hurt themselves. They're trying to have fun. Sometimes they make mistakes, as we all do. I'm not in favor of it. Don't misunderstand...

WASHINGTON — Comedian Ron White is hoping to tour with overseas troops again this summer, as long as the military lets him drink on stage. “We let them know I’m no angel, and I’m not coming over to convert anyone to ‘angelism,’” he said, taking a swig from his ever-present glass of whiskey. “I’m going over there to make some guys laugh who need a good laugh. “Luckily, they’ve been pretty liberal with me in the past.” White, best known for his work in the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, visited bases in Germany and Belgium two years ago as part...

It happens from time to time, a man driving a tank lets his vim and vigor get the best of him. In this case, which took place in Russia where both tanks and vodka are plentiful, an allegedly drunk tank driver smashed into a cinderblock house while on a vodka-and-snack run. "A drunk tank driver destroyed my house," said the victim, who went on to point out a more tragic coincidence: that the army never helped him buy a house when he was in the service, and now army dudes have destroyed the house he managed to build on his...

The urge to binge mindlessly, though it can strike at any time, seems to stir in the collective unconscious during the last weeks of winter. Maybe it’s the television images from places like Fort Lauderdale and Cabo San Lucas, of communications majors’ face planting outside bars or on beaches. Or perhaps it’s a simple a case of seasonal affective disorder in reverse. Not SAD at all, but anticipation of warmth and eagerness for a little disorder. Either way, researchers have had a hard time understanding binge behavior. Until recently, their definition of binge drinking — five drinks or more in...

THINGS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK: 1. Innovative 2. Preliminary 3. Proliferation 4. Cinnamon THINGS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY WHEN DRUNK: 1. Specificity 2. Anti-constitutionalistically 3. Passive-aggressive disorder 4. Transubstantiate THINGS THAT ARE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAY WHEN DRUNK: 1. No thanks, I'm married. 2. Nope, no more booze for me! 3. Sorry, but you're not really my type. 4. Taco Bell? No thanks, I'm not hungry. 5. Good evening, officer. Isn't it lovely out tonight? 6. Oh, I couldn't! No one wants to hear me sing karaoke. 7. I'm not interested in fighting you. 8....

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Bar patrons in Utah, which has some of the nation’s strictest liquor laws, will soon be able to get 50 percent tipsier off one cocktail. Be warned, though: no more “sidecars.” The amount of liquor allowed in the standard cocktail will increase from 1 ounce to 1.5 ounces after the Legislature approved the first major changes in years to the state’s liquor laws. That’s the standard used in most other states and countries. Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman has said he wants the change so Utah won’t appear so strange to the rest of the world....

Aboriginal children in Outback Australia are so neglected by their alcoholic parents that some have suckled from dogs' teats in a desperate search for food, it has been reported. The shocking revelation came from a coroner investigating the appalling rates of suicide among Aborigines living in the remote and beautiful Kimberley region of Western Australia. Earlier this month the prime minister, Kevin Rudd, delivered a much-publicised apology to Aborigines for past injustices, but critics questioned whether his words would lead to any practical improvement in the wretched lives of indigenous people. "The plight of the little children was especially pathetic...