Blog Search - "Drugs & alcohol "

Featured: Red wine is not the only heart felt drink

Red wine has long enjoyed the spotlight for heart health though a lesser known fact is that there are two alcoholic beverages, also made from grapes, which are rich in antioxidants and may have unique health effects.

Comments (2) Posted on Mon, 12 Oct 09

Surprisingly small amounts of secondhand smoke can kill

Despite the tobacco industrys concerted effort to down play the hazards of second-hand smoke exposure (passive smoking) up to 75% of non-smokers have a greatly increased risk of coronary heart disease due to passive smoking (1). Even very low levels of exposure to cigarette smoke are remarkably detrimental. It is now clear that low exposure to tobacco smoke, such as passive smoking or in those who only smoke 1-2 cigarettes a day, acutely affects cardiovascular health in a way that is comparable to that of a heavy smoker (2). What is important is not how much tobacco smoke you are exposed to, but whether you are exposed to it at all.

Comments (1) Posted on Thu, 27 Aug 09

That is not tobacco you are smoking

Even though the major side effect of smoking, death, is three fold that of non-smokers in middle age (35-69), smoking is on the rise, particularly in developing countries. In 2006, approximately 5.763 trillion cigarettes were manufactured, thats 2.4 per day for every person on earth (1,2). The underhanded behaviour of the tobacco industry is infamous and exemplified by the ingredients, beyond tobacco that are used in cigarettes. Since the 1970s the tobacco industry has been adding hazardous unregulated chemicals to cigarettes. If its not only tobacco people are smoking, what is it?

Comments (3) Posted on Tue, 25 Aug 09

Alcohol: a double edged sword

Although alcohol is often the feature of social gatherings excessive drinking may have dire health consequences, in fact in the United States alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable deaths and each year alcohol is responsible for 20-30% of deaths worldwide(1,2). While responsible consumption of alcohol may benefit health by reducing the risk of heart disease this benefit is often outweighed by the effects of heavy drinking which include road traffic and other injuries, violence, chronic liver disease, cancers, alcohol abuse disorders and heart diseases such as stroke and high blood pressure (3). So how much alcohol is too much?

Comments (1) Posted on Mon, 17 Aug 09

The health effects of chronic cannabis use

During the late 1960s a relatively unheard of drug emerged to become the most popular illicit drug on earth. In contrast to the popular notion that marijuana (Cannabis) is harmless it is problematic for a number of people, especially adolescents, and may have serious health consequences.

Comments Posted on Fri, 26 Jun 09

Where there is smoke there is Obama

An estimated 4.9 million deaths due to tobacco use occur annually and smokers experience a very poor quality of life as well as impaired mental health [1]. Despite the clear health risks of tobacco use it has been estimated that in 2006 approximately 5.763 trillion cigarettes were manufactured, an average of 2.4 per day for every person on earth [2].