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25 Feb 2012 09:43

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U.S.: New study links medical marijuana laws to lower suicide rates

  • 11% reduction in the suicide rate of men ages 20-29
  • 9% reduction in the suicide rate of men ages 30-39 source
  • » Who would have guessed that getting high reduces stress? While the study stopped short of conclusively saying that medical marijuana was the direct cause of the lower rates, the authors did note that, when used in moderation, cannabis acts as an anti-depressant. The authors also found that states with medical marijuana programs saw a reduction in alcohol consumption by young men, and note that alcohol is a known depressant. Read the full results of the study here.

10 Jan 2012 14:39

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U.S.: College age booze-bingers average 9 drinks per binge session

  • So says the Center for Disease Control. Their study on binge-drinking, released today, trumpets this very concerning figure, though some vital context is missing; obviously, what type of alcohol is being consumed is going to play a role in just how dangerous this is. There isn’t really a type of alcoholic beverage you can consume nine times over that wouldn’t leave you blindingly or dangerously drunk, however, and as a public health issue this can’t be ignored. (Photo by libraryrachel) source

04 Jul 2011 17:58

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Culture: Daniel Radcliffe steps away from the bottle, sets an example

  • Harry Potter liked to party. At least until he deduced that alcohol wasn’t such a boon to his personality: “I became so reliant on alcohol to enjoy stuff… I’m actually enjoying the fact I can have a relationship with my girlfriend where I’m really pleasant and I’m not f–king up totally all the time.” In addition to doing away with his drinking habit, Radcliffe has his sights set on doing away with the “curse” of being a successful child star: “If I can make a career for myself after Potter… in the biggest film franchise of all time, no other child actor who comes after will ever have to answer those same bloody questions.” We applaud Radcliffe’s determination, but we’re skeptical if one Daniel Radcliffe could ever cancel out, say, one Kirk Cameron. (Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures) source

31 Mar 2011 00:39

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Politics: Montana legislator: Drunk driving is “a way of life,” shouldn’t be illegal

  • If you thought, as we did, that anti-DUI laws were more or less non-controversial, State Rep. Alan Hale of Montana has a few words for you. Hale launched into a stirring speech on the floor of the state House, defending the right of Montanans to operate motor vehicles after downing a couple Vodka tonics. Anti-DUI laws, Hale claims, are “destroying a way of life that’s been in Montana for years,” and hurting small businesses in the process (primarily bars and taverns, like the one Hale himself owns). We’re all for supporting local businesses as a means of maintaining communities, but we’re not sure legalizing drunk driving is the best way to accomplish this. On the upside, we do like the tie he’s wearing. source

09 Dec 2010 10:47

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World: Cablegate: Know a prince and Saudi? Well then, it’s time to party

  • The full range of worldly temptations and vices are available – alcohol, drugs, sex – but strictly behind closed doors.
  • A leak from Wikileaks’ Cablegate series • Suggesting that Saudi Arabia is in fact not as conservative as it seems behind closed doors. Apparently, it goes like this; the Vice Police tends to go after people into sex/drugs/alcohol, but they tend to leave Saudi princes (of which there are thousands) alone – especially if they have a direct lineage to King Abdullah. So, as a result, if a Saudi prince is at your party, it’s time to GET DOWN. source

18 Nov 2010 10:50

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U.S.: Four Loko: The FDA’s ban leading to people buying it en masse

  • Just today we sold 10 cases. I think the news is helping sales.
  • DC liquor store cashier Shashi Sharma • Mentioning how the FDA’s coming ban on Four Loko is having something of a Streisand Effect on the remaining product. Reports of sellouts of the drink far and wide have made it a hot commodity, one which may lead to lots of people actually taking this video seriouslysource

16 Nov 2010 23:13

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Biz: Four Loko makers Phusion Products decaffeinate potent drink

  • All the bad press finally got to them. In a statement tonight, the drink makers, Phusion Projects, announced they’d be losing caffeine, guarana and taurine from the controversial “blackout-in-a-can” beverage. The company’s three co-founders explain it like so: “We are taking this step after trying – unsuccessfully – to navigate a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels.” They say they have readily worked with regulators to ensure that their product was legal. The steadfastly claim, however, “that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is safe. If it were unsafe, popular drinks like rum and colas or Irish coffees that have been consumed safely and responsibly for years would face the same scrutiny that our products have recently faced.” Either way, Four Loko is now One Loko – alcohol.  source
 

16 Nov 2010 11:17

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Biz: Yuengling Beer: Keeping it in the family, keeping it regional

  • You don’t want to just go out there and throw beer into a marketplace and hope you succeed, because it’s a formula for failure, in our opinion.
  • Dick Yuengling • Explaining why his family’s very popular beer, known all along the East Coast, hasn’t gone national yet, and doesn’t look like it’s going to. All you crazy cats in California are missing out, because it’s widely distributed over here to the point that that it’s a very common (and very good) alternative to your standard Budweiser product. That’s not to say it’s not expanding greatly – it is – but it has a major difference between your Budweiser and Miller beers. See, it’s American-owned – and family owned – still. source

16 Nov 2010 11:05

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World: Blackout-in-a-can Four Loko getting stink eye from FDA

Now the FDA’s getting involved in stopping this menace. It’s all fun and games until someone mixes a lot of caffeine and a lot of alcohol into one can. source

09 Nov 2010 22:07

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U.S.: Protip to teenagers: Text a lot and you’ll get high, drunk and laid

  • cause Teenagers like to text each other a lot, and some of them send over 120 a day (five an hour). Us old people won’t understand the reasoning behind this.
  • effect Those teens are more likely to take drugs, drink alcohol and have sex. Translation: They get invited to all the good parties because they text so much. source