Author Archives: Doris Aiken

21 drinking Age Saves Lives of Teens

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There is no link between the 21 drinking age and teen binge drinking. The 21 drinking age saved the lives of 25,000 youths since 1985; its sole purpose is to stop teens from driving to bars with their friends, drink up, and drive home at great risk to all of us.

Parents should treat their young to the same anger and fear for safety in connection with alcohol use as they do with the other illegal drugs. We are all swimming in an alcoholized media environment that promotes drinking on every possible occasion on the internet, cable & broadcast ads, sports events, clothing, cops, T-shirts, most aimed at youth. “Beer is food” is a popularT-shirt logo for teens. Parents wake up, explain to their teens and sub-teens that the developing body during puberty is more vulnerable to alcohol addiction and alcohol poisoning than adults. The fastest growing percent of AA clients are teenagers. The last drink before teens are arrested for DWI was provided at home, or a friends’ home(90%). Parents are the keys to deter underaged drinking.

College Presidents wrong on drinking age

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Many more youths die of alcohol overdose drinking mainly vodka, disguised as water in commercial water bottles. They drink alone in dorms, on campuses(1,700 die annually there of AOD). Colleges aren’t educating teen peer groups to recognize the symptoms of alcohol abuse and what to do about it. Many needless deaths occur for lack of this vital information.

However, parents and evidently the Amethyst people who offer education on college campuses, don’t know why teens shouldn’t drink alcohol. This is why: The myelin, a thin sheath surrounding the nerve leading to the brain is thin during puberty, then thickens with age, thickest at age 22. The thin, young sheath admits alcohol quickly to the brain, causing heart rate and breathing to slow. The disease of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) involves the breakdown of the myelin sheath often leading to death.

If we were scientific about health issues, the drinking age should be 22. The old disclaimer from the alcohol industry that soldiers should be allowed to drink at any age is a myth. The best soldier is sober, can aim his gun, has peripheral vision and sharp reflexes, all of which begin to fail at the .04 BAC  Level according to former US Surgeon General Koop.

If parents don’t educate their 12-14 youths about this basic health information, hold beer parties at home for the kids, think “beer is food” and “know when to say when”, we will continue to develop an increase in alcohol dependency by the time these youths reach their twenties and thirties. It is shameful that none of the presidential candidates don’t push for a sane national alcohol policy at the Federal level to require health alerts after each ad aimed at youths; that drinking alcohol fast can kill in a matter of hours. No college that accepts alcohol ads on campus should receive tax dollars from the government unless they have a mandated alcohol education program involving parents. For example, no student could play sports if they failed to bring a parent to the alcohol education program held in the evening or weekends. Presidential candidates should not appear drinking “boiler makers”, a kind of binge drinking, to win votes and contributions from the alcohol industry.

Presidential Canidates Ignore AOD

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How is it that none of the presidential candidates mention the toll of over 4,000 youths who die from alcohol overdose annually, more than the total deaths of soldiers in the 5 year war in Iraq.

Are they more interested in appealing to the alcohol industry by drinking Boilermakers on national TV?

Is this a great example for the millions of youths who regard the candidates as icon?

Hillary Appealing to Good Ole Boys

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I saw on TV Hillary drinking a beer from a bottle, then toasting and swigging a shot of whiskey, surrounded by a group of blue collar men, smiling broadly . This nationally televised picture was a clear example of Senator Clinton’spandering to the “Good Ole Boys” in order to get votes in Kentucky and Pennslyvainia. She won the Democratic primaries in those states, handily. 

Her campaign Manager, Terry McCauleff who poured shots of Puerto Rican Rum on the “AM Morning Joe Show” with the host,  Mica Breizinske after Hilary won the Puerto Rico election was obviously proud of her. As a feminist, it seems unseenly to emulate the good ole boys to get votes. I don’t believe for a minute that Hillary drinks boilermakers or beer from a bottle. Why doesn’t she indulge with her favorite drink; martinis or champange. What’s wrong with alittle wine? I was disappointed that Senator Clinton use this opportunity to appeal to a certain demographic. However, I am sure that while this bar scene had the feel of being spontaneous, the decision to bottom up was well researched within her polling department.

 

Soares gets tough with problem drinkers

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District Attorney David Soares  in Albany County with a new ruling to lower the bar for DWI offenders who have a BAC of .15 or higher has targeted a group who are perceived to be problem drinkers.

Soares says he was inspired to act in this area after a double DWI fatality occurred in Albany with both passenger and driver having extremely high BACs. While some in the criminal justice system have said this measure goes too far, it’s the kind of enforcement that certainly can save lives.