IS YOUR DESIGNATED DRIVER TOO DRUNK TO DRIVE?

DESIGNATED DRIVERS OFTEN
FAIL TO ABSTAIN FROM DRINKING

www.wyso.org - We might need to change the definition of a designated driver from noble abstainer to something along the lines of not as drunk as you. The idea of having one person in a group agree not to drink so that everyone else can get home safely after a night of alcohol-fueled fun has been promoted as a way to reduce the dangers of drunken driving, especially among teenagers and young adults. But when researchers put the idea to the test, the results weren't all that reassuring.
Breath tests of young adults leaving a bar on Saturday night, they found that 41 % of the designated drivers had been drinking. Almost 20 % had been drinking enough to be considered impaired drivers. It may be that these youthful bon vivants interpret the duties of designated driver differently than do safety advocates. 

In this study, researchers at the University of Florida tested the blood alcohol levels of 1,071 people leaving bars in Gainesville on Saturday night, after a Gators home football game. There were 165 people who said they were designated drivers. The breath test showed that 41 % had been drinking. Seventeen % of the designated drivers had blood alcohol levels of 0.02 or below, so they might be able to make the case that they were kind of safe behind the wheel. But 18 % had blood alcohol levels of 0.05 or higher. Uh-oh.
All of the participants were above 18; their average age was around 30, and about half of them were students. The drinkers who weren't designated drivers did have higher blood alcohol levels than the designated drivers, on average ... if that's any consolation.

The Abstainer, the Chosen One: designated drivers are known by many names, but according to a recent study, one name that many designated drivers don't live up to is “sober,” says the reporter Richard Read. Researchers found that 165 participants who identified themselves as designated drivers, 35% admitted that they had consumed alcohol during the course of the evening. “To parents of college-age kids, that's very important to keep in mind,” he explained. “If you've got children of your own, talk to them about the importance of choosing a designated driver wisely and in advance.” If they can not refrain from drinking alcohol, there is always the option of calling a cab.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Intoxication is one of the more obvious sinful activities because so many people develop addictions to it. Whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or caffeine, addiction to intoxication is very common.  Considering the fact that our senses are impossible to satisfy, it is no surprise that many take to intoxication in an attempt to break free of the senses.  Instead of trying to escape the senses, the Vedas tell us to purify them through practicing devotional service to God, or Bhakti yoga. ... The easiest way to refrain from these activities is to always keep yourself engaged in God’s service wherever you are and whatever you may be doing. Keep chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” and you will be guaranteed of success.

Krishna’s Mercy - Jai Shri Krishna :
“The Four Regulative Principles” - Posted on Feb 15, 2009
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/the-four-regulative-principles/ http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/Teachings/FourRegulativePrinciples/tabid/85/Default.aspx

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

RUSSIA FACES ‘10 DAYS OF HELL’

RUSSIA’S TOP DOCTOR WARNS OF
‘10 DAYS OF HORROR’ FOR CITIZENS

http://en.ria.ru/russia - The 10-day New Year holidays that begin in Russia on Sunday will be “ten days of hell,” the country’s top public health official warned on Thursday. “Most of our citizens will be left to their own devices. And there is no worse enemy for a Russian than himself,” Gennady Onishchenko told journalists. Russians finish work on December 29 to prepare for New Year and do not go back to work until January 9. The period invariably sees an increase in public drunkenness and fires. 
Onishchenko predicted rampant alcohol consumption and gluttony leading to an “unhealthy atmosphere” in households across the nation over the festive period. He urged Russians with children not to drink on New Year’s Eve. “You will be greeting the New Year with your family and, as head of the family, you will be setting a bad example,” he said. “Or are you not happy to be with your family?”. 

At least come 2015, the government will crack down on smokers and “those who worship the pagan deity Bacchus,” Onishchenko said, referring to a Roman god of wine. A harsh anti-smoking law was filed in the Russian parliament earlier this year, and legislation aimed to curb alcohol consumption is also in the works. Some 23,000 people die of alcohol poisoning annually in Russia, while another 75,000 die of alcohol-related diseases, according to official statistics. Russians were the world’s fourth heaviest drinkers in 2011 with annual consumption of 11 liters of pure ethanol per every citizen older than 15 years, according to the World Health Organization. Only Moldova, the Czech Republic and Hungary drank more. 
The “ten days of horror” will also see most of the public turned into couch potatoes by “mindless” TV programs, Onishchenko said. Onishchenko, 62, who has held the post since 1996, has made a name for himself by being able to find a public health angle in almost any public event.

“Ten days of horror.” That’s what Gennady Onishchenko, Russia’s chief health inspector, calls the traditional holiday period in the country, which encompasses New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and Orthodox Christmas on January 7. He’s referring to Russians’ penchant for imbibing mass quantities of alcohol during the festive season. And not just during the holidays. “There is no worse enemy for a Russian than himself,” says Onishchenko. Russians can claim the fourth-highest rate of alcohol consumption per capita in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO says that 1-in-5 Russian men will die due to alcohol abuse. The world we live in is likened to a dream, and in our effort to achieve happiness we increase the illusion by alcohol or drugs; but unfortunately it will increase our miseries.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Intoxication is one of the more obvious sinful activities because so many people develop addictions to it. Whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or caffeine, addiction to intoxication is very common.  Considering the fact that our senses are impossible to satisfy, it is no surprise that many take to intoxication in an attempt to break free of the senses.  Instead of trying to escape the senses, the Vedas tell us to purify them through practicing devotional service to God, or Bhakti yoga. ... The easiest way to refrain from these activities is to always keep yourself engaged in God’s service wherever you are and whatever you may be doing. Keep chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” and you will be guaranteed of success.

Krishna’s Mercy - Jai Shri Krishna :
“The Four Regulative Principles” - Posted on Feb 15, 2009
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/the-four-regulative-principles/ http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/Teachings/FourRegulativePrinciples/tabid/85/Default.aspx

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

MONSTER ENERGY DRINK LINKED TO FIVE DEATHS

WHEN CAFFEINE KILLS: MONSTER
ENERGY DRINKS UNDER SCRUTINY

http://vitals.nbcnews.com - The Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports that five people died and one survived a heart attack after consuming energy drinks. It is not yet clear whether the drinks actually caused - or even contributed to - those adverse events, said FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess. “So far there’s been no causal link,” Burgess said. “There could have been other products involved. We don’t know that yet and that’s why we’re taking this seriously and looking into it.” 
The six reports were entered into the FDA’s system voluntary reporting system over an eight year period, with the first surfacing in 2004. This system doesn’t necessarily show that a food or drug caused a problem, the two events could be coincidental. Last week, the parents of Anais Fournier of Hagerstown, Md., sued the company that makes Monster Energy Drinks, saying caffeine in the drinks killed the 14-year-old girl.

The autopsy report attributed her death to “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.” She had consumed two 24-oz. Monster Energy drinks in a 24-hour period, the last drink just hours prior to her death. “The two drinks combined are believed to have contained approximately 480 milligrams of known caffeine, the equivalent of almost 14 cans of Coca-Cola,” her lawyer said in a statement. Monster energy drinks contain a long list of ingredients, including sugar, ginseng, amino acids such as taurine and L-carnitine, salt, guarana seed and B vitamins. 
The Center for Science in the Public Interest says the drinks contain about 10 mg of caffeine per ounce of drink, which would mean 240 mg of caffeine in a 24-ounce energy drink - not much more than two stong cups of coffee. How much caffeine is too much? Some people who take in 500 to 600 mg a day of caffeine may suffer insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, a fast heartbeat and stomach upset.

Reports of five deaths and a heart attack linked to Monster Energy drinks should bolster efforts to get the Food & Drug Administration (USA) to regulate caffeinated energy drinks. The combination of caffeine and natural ingredients that also act as stimulants in the drinks, can be risky for people with undiagnosed heart conditions. Emergency room visits involving energy drinks increased tenfold between 2005 and 2009, especially when the energy drinks are mixed with alcohol or drugs. On its website, Red Bull says “there is no scientifically substantiated reason why Red Bull Energy Drink should not, like any other drink, be mixed with alcohol.” However, health experts explains that energy drinks “mask the effects of alcohol”: People drink more because they are highly stimulated.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Intoxication is one of the more obvious sinful activities because so many people develop addictions to it. Whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or caffeine, addiction to intoxication is very common. Considering the fact that our senses are impossible to satisfy, it is no surprise that many take to intoxication in an attempt to break free of the senses. Instead of trying to escape the senses, the Vedas tell us to purify them through practicing devotional service to God, or Bhakti yoga. ... Success in spiritual life requires training and austerities from us just like in any other discipline. In order to attend college, we had to suffer through twelve years of grade school. Practicing Medicine is not allowed until one undergoes the long training and passes many exams. Olympic athletes train rigorously for four years in order to perform at their peak.  Similarly, we have to train ourselves now so that we may think of God at the time of our death.

Krishna’s Mercy - Jai Shri Krishna :
“The Four Regulative Principles”
Written by Keshava - Posted on Feb 15, 2009
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/the-four-regulative-principles/

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/