Drug council goes on attack against booze
(CNS): The National Drug council is mounting an offensive against booze this month to emphasise what it says are the dangers of drinking. Switching its focus to the legal drug which is still considered by the agency as a greater problem than any other drug used in the Cayman Islands officials described it as a “a very powerful and dangerous drug,” in a statement released Friday revealing the anti-booze campaign. “The immediate effects of a small amount of alcohol include: a change in your brain’s chemistry which results in reduced inhibitions, impaired judgment, slowed reactions, slurred speech, memory problems, breathing problems, loss of coordination and in some cases death,” the NDC stated.
Planning a radio, TV and press campaign to scare drinkers sober the government supported agency is calling on people not to be fooled by the lure of alcohol as it warned that those who are under the influence of alcohol are also highly likely to find themselves in unsafe situations. “Alcohol can be a contributing factor in many of our altercations, assaults, car crashes, and deaths,” the agency said.
“Those persons who consume large amounts of alcohol over a longer period of time tend to have a high tolerance, allowing them to mask behavioral cues that might otherwise indicate intoxication,” the NDC warned adding that the long term impact of drinking increases the risk of a catalogue of diseases.
Booze has a well-documented risk of causing liver disease, heart disease, sleep disorders, depression, and stroke, bleeding from the stomach, sexually transmitted infections from unsafe sex, and several types of cancer. Women who drink when they are pregnant increase the risk of causing brain damage along with other serious problems to their unborn babies.
“Don’t be deceived by alcohol’s advertising image or believe the myth that alcohol doesn’t affect you,” officials from the NDC said as they pressed the campaign message home. “The truth is alcohol is a powerful and dangerous drug which carries many risks that include health complications and can ultimately lead to alcohol addiction. No one starts drinking intending to become an alcoholic, contract a sexually transmitted disease or a serious illness. The negative effects and consequences of drinking far outweigh the positive image portrayed in advertisements,” the NDC added.
Category: Health
Mixed message? Understandably we already know alcohol can be a dangerous substance. On the other hand as far as society is concerned..it's socially acceptable. Heineken is allowed to sponsor and advertise at music events. It's all supposed to be fun. But there are no limits set on the amount of alcohol that can be sold and consumed. The message given is the more the merrier as some of the comments point out it's…humorous. I've seen people throwing up in the sand at a Full Moon event…and ordering another. Then stumbling to their Jeep and driving away. Good luck the biggest problem is.. everyone thinks it's good fun to get $hit faced and we can't seem to get together without drinking too. But we can. We have.
Have police park on the west bay strip and the other high profile bar areas at night. Pick them up throughout the night. Have breathalyzers and start enforcing.
Beer is going to change the world…
I dont know how – but it will…
Anyone thought of raising the drinking and alcohol age to 21 years old instead of giving it to teenagers???
It isn't given to teenagers. It's sold to them. For money. We lub money.
15:17, what a great idea, maybe we should lower the driving age and allow 16year olds to own guns aswell!
???
Alcohol leads to All Evil and Cigarettes are a garannteed way to Kill you. And both are legal. And the chidren want to grow up and be like Mommy or Daddy. Now what sense does that make ? Proper Education is needed specially for children.
Cheers!
One of the simplest ways to reduce drunk driving in CI will be to fix the CI taxi and bus services.
If I share taxi with friend it should be a flat fee from point A-B regardless of how many passengers. Then if I go on to C the rate should be from point B-C not A-C. It is highway robbery!
That is if we have managed to avoid the fee jacking after midnight or the fare being raised because it is NYE or because the passenger is really drunk and won't notice if the driver doubles the price.
Like anywhere else, each taxi should have a map ofthe island detailing the rate for ride within each or between each zone.
I like the buses overall but there is no schedule, no way of telling how long the wait will be or what the route is. I appreciate their ability to go off route if there is just a couple of customers, but not thrilled about the bus doubling back through WB if they are not full.
One person marked me as a troll, hmm wonder if they are a taxi driver?
Good move! I'll drink to that!
The NDC is well meaning but useless.
The amount of drunk driving is a concern of mine. Of course we have the annual "high profile" campaign against drunk driving that lasts for a couple of weeks around New Year and then it is business as usual.
Flat out drunks behind the wheel of an automobile is a huge problem and a 12 month problem.
99% of my employees drink all day
I employ almost 100 men
I have No expat employees
Most of them smoke Gunja all day
Most of them are broke all the time
The other day I saw a young Kid walking to school eating a patty and drinking a 345
This Country Has BIG PROBLEMS
Big problems like expats who make up ridiculous stories to put Caymanians down?
BIG problems, yeah! Like stupid employers who hire only alcoholic druggies and pay them so little they are always broke.
didn't the government just have an all island cocktail party in the Brac?
Yes. They were trying to reduce the amount of alcohol on Cayman Brac. My understanding is that Cabinet and their entourage succeeded in depleting the volume of alcohol on the island by a substantial amount. Well done! I only wish I had been there to assist in this worthy cause.
Gotta love the fact that unwanted pregnancies get no mention in their politically correct campaign.
Good move by NDC, it's time they did something to fulfill their mandate.
Its cayman, all “un-wanted” pregnancies are wanted. Its a gift from their god.
Now son, you don’t want to drink beer. That’s for Daddys, and kids with fake IDs.
A hundred times, yes. I know for a fact my family is not the only one that has been marred by the effects of alcoholism. Almost every social event is lubricated by alcohol. We have a disgustingly high rate of alcohol related accidents, as well.
I'm not saying I'm against drinking, but the fact that 'I was drunk' is a commonly accepted excuse for a person's actions is just sad. Caymanians are so quick to vilify the use of cannabis, despite the fact it in no way has the same harmful physical and psychological effects of alcohol. I don't smoke here because it's way too much of a hassle legally than it should be. At the end of a long week, I don't want to go out and party or find drama. I'd like to justcurl up at home, with some nice munch, a smoke and relax. Maybe have a nice chat and go to bed, real simple.
No.1 and No.2 "gateway drugs"……..Ciggarettes and Alcohol.
Statistically, the top two "gateway" substances are air and water. It has been shown by a host of very reliable scientific research that 100% of serious drug abusers have a life-long history of a heavy intake of both of these two substances.
[Hint: before you hate, consider that demonstrating a correlation does not demonstrate cause and effect.]
Yeah! 'I was drunk' as a commonly accepted excuse for a person's negative actions is almost as sad as blaming the devil.