DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK (EDITED)

DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK
"அ) இன்றைய தனியார் துறையில் அன்டர்கிரவுன்ட் வேலை செய்ய முடியாது ஆ) சரக்கு இருப்பவர் எந்த சாதியினராயினும் அவர் முன்னேற்றத்தை தடுக்க முடியாது. எ. கா : ஒரு பெரிய தனியார் கைபேசி சேவை நிறுவனம். ஒரு டிப்பார்ட்மென்டில் : ஒரு வி.பி, ஒரு ஜி.எம், மூணு மேனேஜர்கள் (அடியேனும்), இரண்டு உதவி மேனேஜர்கள். ஒரு மேனேஜர் இஸ்லாமியர், ஒரு உ.மே பிராமணர் அல்லாதவர். இன்றைய நிலை : வி.பி ரிட்டயர்ட் ; ஜி.எம் பாவம் இப்போ சத்யம் , அடியேனும் ஒரு உ.மேவும் வேற நிறுவனம் , இன்னொரு மேனேஜரும் எஸ்கேப். அந்த பிராமண அல்லாத உ.மே. இப்போது உதவி ஜி.எம். அவரது சம்பளம் மூன்று ஆண்டுகளில் 300% உயர்வு. அடுத்த வருடம் ஜி.எம் ஆகி விடுவார். காரணம் அவரது திறமை. டெலிகாம் பில்லிங்கில் புலி. சாதி இல்லை. இன்றும் என்னுடைய மிகச்சிறந்த நண்பர். மகா கஞ்சன். இன்னும் எங்களுக்கு தண்ணி பார்ட்டி வைக்கலேன்னா---------------------------------------------------------------------- பார்த்துக்கோங்களேன்."------------------------------ I TOOK THE ABOVE STATEMENT FROM www.karuthu.com/forumThe gentlleman who wrote the above appears to be a Tamil Brahmin.His language and the punch, content says so.My point is, he wants " thanni party"(liquor party) from his non- Brahmin miserly friend.Is it okay for you if Brahmins drink liquor?Is it progressiveness?
www.bbc.co.uk
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"The HeartOver time, alcohol consumption can lead to atrial fibrillation, whereby the smaller chambers of the heart fail to contract properly and may harbour potentially-dangerous blood clots. Chronic drinkers are thus more prone to both heart disease and stroke, and are at a higher risk of sudden death due to heart failure, especially during a drinking session"
www.ayushveda.com
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"Alcohol is a potent central nervous system depressant. It has large number of side effect. Alcohol intake not only affects the one part of the body its bad effects reaches to the whole body.When a person drinks alcohol, the alcohol is absorbed by the stomach, enters the bloodstream, and goes to all the tissues. The effects of alcohol are dependent on a variety of factors, including a person’s size, weight, age, and sex, as well as the amount of food and alcohol consumed.Effects When you drink alcohol it affects the body. It instantly has a depressant effect. Some of bad effects of alcohol on body are mentioned below:• Heart- Alcohol increases the workload of heart that results to irregular heartbeat and high blood pressure efficiency of pumping blood is also affected. Blood flow in the whole body. High level of alcohol may results in irregular heart rhythms, shortness of breath and also cardiac failure.• Eyes- Alcohol causes blurred vision. Eyes became unable to see anything clear after having high amount of alcohol.• Sleep- Alcohol affects mostly the sleep. Alcohol may cause of easy sleep but it affects the sleep quality. It leads to later part of sleep cycle and in some cases it results to early wakeup. Without sleep you can’t feel relaxed and it gives way to many mental problems.• Kidneys- Alcohol can stop the proper functioning of kidneys. Kidney maintains a proper functioning of body fluids and minerals if there is no proper supply of minerals that means no proper energy.• Pancreas And Gut- If the intake of alcohol increased in body it can irritate the lining of the gut. Sometimes pancreas become inflamed chronically. This gives way to severe pain.After having knowledge of above mentioned effects of alcohol on the body, everybody should say good bye to alcohol.The disinheriting effect of alcohol is one of the main reasons it is used in so many social situations. Other effects of moderate alcohol intake include dizziness and talkativeness; the immediate effects of a larger amount of alcohol include slurred speech, disturbed sleep, nausea, and vomiting. Alcohol, even at low doses, significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Hangovers are another possible effect after large amounts of alcohol are consumed; a hangover consists of headache, nausea, thirst, dizziness, and fatigue"
HEALTH PROBLEMS
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Alcohol affects everyone's health in different ways - but the good things are still outweighed by the bad.
Mind and emotions:
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Alcohol is a drug that depresses the brain. We all know the cheeriness that can come with the first drink, but alcohol can actually cause severe depression. 'Letting go', another effect which can initially be pleasant, gets some of us into difficulties, because when our petty or angry side gets exaggerated by alcohol, friendships or marriages can be threatened.
Does alcohol improve sex?
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Alcohol can certainly increase our desire and, by reducing tension, enhance our enjoyment. In men however, large doses of alcohol block the nerves necessary for erection. If this happens once or twice, a man can become worried about his sexual ability - which is a sure way to impair erections from then on - unless confidence is re-established with a sympathetic partner. In addition, the loss of inhibition that accompanies alcohol intake can lead to a failure to consider the need to practice safe sex, by using a condom. Not using a condom has potentially devastating consequences - whether it be an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia or HIV.
Hidden physical effects:
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Some effects of alcohol on the body are obvious - such as a deterioration in complexion, and the nausea and headache that can accompany a hangover. However, if you are a heavy drinker, think about what you are doing to the parts of your body that you can't see. Liver disease is one of the more common diseases linked with a high alcohol intake - it can cause varicose veins in the stomach lining which may have been swelling up due to liver blockage to suddenly burst, and the bleeding can be very difficult to stop. Only a blood test can really reveal when the liver is under strain.
ILL EFFECTS ON NERVOUS SYSTEM
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Alcohol is a depressant, which slows down the central nervous system and can cause drowsiness, relieve pain and induce sleep. - Drinker experiences mild euphoria and loss of inhibition as alcohol impairs region of the brain controlling behavior and emotions. Alcohol impairs behavior, judgment, memory, concentration and coordination (shortened attention span, impaired problem solving abilities), as well as inducing extreme mood swings and emotional outbursts. - Alcohol acts as a sedative on the central nervous system, depressing the nerve cells in the brain, dulling, altering and damaging their ability to respond appropriately. Large doses cause sleep, anesthesia, respiratory failure, coma and death.- Impaired or distorted visual ability and hearing (affects ability to distinguish between sounds and perceive the direction they are coming from) ; dulled smell and taste (reducing the desire to eat) and loss of pain perception; altered sense of time and space- Impairs fine motor skills, and slows reactions.- Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs caused by nerve damage from depletion of thiamine (B vitamin); when severe, can damage other nerve endings, causing staggering, etc. (Wernicke's Encephalopathy). - Long term drinking may result in permanent brain damage (Korsakoff's Syndrome or 'wet brain'), serious mental disorders, and addiction to alcohol.
ON THE LUNGS:
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Lowered resistance to infection.- High amounts of alcohol may cause breathing to stop, then death.
ON THE LIVER
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Chronic heavy drinking may cause alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation and destruction of liver cells) and then cirrhosis (irreversible lesions, scarring, and destruction of liver cells). Impairs the liver's ability to remove yellow pigment, and skin appears yellow (jaundice). - Liver damage causes fluid to build in extremities (Edema).- Decreases production of blood-clotting factors; may cause uncontrolled bleeding- Liver accumulates fat which can cause liver failure (“alcoholic fatty liver”), coma and death.
REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
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Male and Female- Sexual functioning can be impaired and deteriorate, resulting in impotence and infertility, sometimes irreversible. Females also have a high risk of developing breast cancer. - In men, may lead to sterility, atrophy of the testes and enlargement of the breasts.- Early menopause and menstrual irregularities are common in women who drink excessively.- Drinking during pregnancy significantly increases chance of delivering a baby with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; small head, possible brain damage, abnormal facial features, poor muscle tone, speech and sleep disorders, and retarded growth and development.
HEART:
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Weakens the heart muscle and ability to pump blood (Cardiomyopathy).- Abnormal heart signals, irregular heart beat and heart enlargement.- Increases blood pressure, risk of heart attack and stroke.- Inhibits production of both red and white blood cells
MUSCLES:
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Due to lower phosphate, muscles become weaker and atrophy; pain, spasms and tenderness. STOMACH/INTESTINAL/DIGESTIVE
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Irritation and damage of esophagus lining, induces severe vomiting, hemorrhaging, pain and difficulty swallowing. Can contribute to throat cancer. - Irritation of stomach lining, can cause peptic ulcers, inflammation, bleeding lesions and cancer. Minute blood loss may deplete the body's iron stores, causing irritability, lack of energy, headaches and dizziness. - The pancreas becomes stressed from having to create insulin to process the sugar present in alcohol. This creates a significant risk of pancreatitis, a chronic inflammation that can be fatal. - rly menopause and menstrual irregularities are common in women who drink excessively. of sugar in alcohol. n severe, - Irritation of the intestinal tract lining and the colon- Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, sweating and loss of appetite are common. - Alcohol impairs the small intestine's ability to process nutrients and vitamins.- Chronic drinking may result in inflammation, ulcers, and cancers of the intestines and colon
BONES:
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Alcohol interferes with the body's ability to absorb calcium, resulting in bones being weak, soft, brittle and thinner (Osteoporosis)
DR.RACHEL HAJER MD.,FACC
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Harmful effects of alcohol
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The long-term harmful effects of alcohol abuse on the body are also great. Fifty percent of chronic liver disease is caused by alcohol abuse. Alcohol is also associated with many other diseases, including pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, peripheral neuropathy, dementia and other central nervous system disorders, and the fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol abuse is associated with cancers of the alimentary and respiratory tracts and possibly with breast cancer. High amounts of alcohol or long-term ingestion increase insulin resistance, triglyceride levels, blood pressure and all-cause mortality. Binges may result in arrhythmias. Alcoholics have elevated levels of plasma homocysteine, which has been linked to premature vascular disease" DR.RACHEL HAJAR,MD, FACC

PEDDINGTONALCOHOL TEST
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Worried?If you're worried about the ill effects of drinking too much, start by asking yourself the following questions:Do you ever feel that you should cut down on your drinking?Do you ever become annoyed if people criticise you for drinking?Do you ever feel guilty about your drinking habits?Do you need an eye-opener in the mornings to clear a hangover or to steady your nerves?This is known as the CAGE questionnaire1, and three-quarters of those who answer 'yes' to two or more questions will have an alcohol problem. If you find you have a score of two or more, you should consider talking to your doctor about your concerns. The same goes if you exceed the recommended daily limit2 almost every single day, or if you are admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related problem - these two factors form part of a longer test called the Paddington Alcohol Test.

FROM NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AND ALCOHOLISM
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"May cause DROWSINESS. ALCOHOL may intensify this effect. USECARE when operating a car or dangerous machinery."
You’ve probably seen this warning on medicines you’ve taken. The danger is real. Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause nausea and vomiting, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, or loss of coordination. It also can put you at risk for internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing. In addition to these dangers, alcohol can make a medication less effective or even useless, or it may make the medication harmful or toxic to your body.Some medicines that you might never have suspected can react with alcohol, including many medications which can be purchased “over-the-counter”—that is, without a prescription. Even some herbal remedies can have harmfuleffects when combined with alcohol.Medications are safe and effective when used appropriately. Your pharmacist or other health care provider can help you determine which medications interact harmfully with alcohol.

Did You Know…
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Mixing alcohol and medicines can be harmful. Alcohol, like some medicines, can make you sleepy, drowsy, or lightheaded. Drinking alcohol while taking medicinescan intensify these effects. You may have trouble concentrating or performing mechanical skills. Small amounts of alcohol can make it dangerous to drive, and when you mix alcohol with certain medicines you put yourself at even greater risk. Combining alcohol with some medicines can lead to falls and serious injuries, especially among older people.Medicines may have many ingredientsSome medications—including many popular painkillers and cough, cold, and allergy remedies—contain more than one ingredient that can react with alcohol. Read the label on the medication bottle to find out exactly what ingredientsa medicine contains. Ask your pharmacist if you have any questions about how alcohol might interact with a drug you are taking.Some medicines contain alcoholCertain medicines contain up to 10 percent alcohol. Cough syrup and laxatives may have some of the highest alcohol concentrations.2Alcohol affects women differentlyWomen, in general, have a higher risk for problems than men. When a woman drinks, the alcohol in her bloodstream typically reaches a higher level than a man’s even if both are drinking the same amount. This is because women’s bodies generally have less water than men’s bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol is more concentrated in a woman’s body than in a man’s. As a result, women are more susceptible to alcohol-related damage to organs such as the liver.Older people face greater riskOlder people are at particularly high risk for harmful alcohol– medication interactions. Aging slows the body’s ability to break down alcohol, so alcohol remains in a person’s system longer. Older people also are more likely to take a medication that interacts with alcohol—in fact, they often need to take more than one of these medications.

Timing is important
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Alcohol and medicines can interact harmfully even if they are not taken at the same time.
Remember...
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Mixing alcohol and medicines puts you at risk for dangerousreactions. Protect yourself by avoiding alcohol if you are taking a medication and don’t know its effect. To learn more about a medicine and whether it will interact with alcohol, talk to