“Beware the side effects of alcopops.” That’s the warning from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). It equates drinking so-called alcopops and weight gain. (Alcopops are really flavored malt beverages or malternatives. The group says that, in terms of calories, “putting away three on Friday night gives you the equivalent of a …
Category: Misinformation
Alcoholic Content of Alcoholic Drinks: Beer, Wine & Distilled Spirits: Important to Know
Alcohol Equivalence It’s important for drinkers to know the alcoholic content of alcoholic drinks. In short, standard drinks of beer, wine and spirits have the same amounts of alcohol. It’s about six-tenths of one ounce of pure alcohol in each case. A glass of white or red wine, a bottle of beer, and a shot …
Legal Drinking Age: Science vs. Ideology Battle Continues
Some Assumptions Debate over the legal drinking age continues. It’s largely between scientific findings and ideological beliefs. Underlying current minimum age laws are the assumptions of American prohibitionism. Drinking alcohol is dangerous and undesirable. Consuming any amount of alcohol is equally undesirable. Moderate social drinking is the forerunner of chronic inebriation. Drinking typically results in problem …
Effects of Combining Energy Drinks and Alcohol: Surprising Facts
Energy Drinks and Alcohol Many writers* have suggested that consuming energy drinks and alcohol can be harmful. They fear it might reduce the sense of intoxication. In turn, this might lead to drinking more alcohol. This concern has led to laws and policies about combining energy drinks and alcohol. Researchers reviewed the scientific evidence on …
Cognitive Behavioral Education & Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral education (CBE) should not be mistaken for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or vice versa. Unfortunately, their names are similar. Worse, their acronyms, CBE and CBT, sound almost identical. This confuses the public. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy is a highly evidence-based therapeutic approach widely used for alcoholism and drug addiction. This technique …
National DARE Day Celebrates an Ineffective Program
National DARE Day celebrates an ineffective educational program. It’s a triumph of ideology, emotion and hope over science and truth. DARE is Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. Dr. Marsha Rosenbaum, director of the Safety First Project, made the these observations. Drug Abuse Resistance Education I first heard of Drug Abuse Resistance Education when my daughter, Annie, …
DWI and DUI Facts and Fiction: Urban Myths
Many myths surround the subject of DWI and DUI.* Scientific information and evidence is used here to correct some of those myths. It’s fun to discover DWI and DUI facts and fiction. Share them with your family and friends! Myth: Sucking on pennies will lower a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reading. Fact: Sucking on …
What is Social Norms Marketing? A Way to Reduce Alcohol Abuse
What is social norms marketing? It’s an effective and efficient way to change behaviors. And it’s an inexpensive and rather easy way to do so. It’s often also called the social norms approach or social norms clarification. So don’t be confused by that. College professor Dr. H. Wesley Perkins developed the social norms marketing approach. In …
Understanding Alcoholism: Its Nature, Causes & Possible Cure
For well over half a century we have poured billions of dollars into a failed attempt at understanding alcoholism. What’s its nature, causes, and possible cure? Each promised breakthrough to understanding alcoholism has failed miserably. I. Problem of Confusion There isn’t even agreement on defining alcoholism. Nor is there agreement on whether or not it …
Control Your Drinking: Tools to Drink in Moderation
Want to control your drinking? Controlling Your Drinking: Tools to Make Moderation Work for You is a practical guide. It’s also for those who want to stop drinking. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is the major alcohol agency in the U.S. Its research shows that many alcoholics learn to lower their drinking. …