Stop Drinking Now - Useful Tips To Quit Drinking Alcohol

By Eddie Philips

The intake of alcohol is damaging to both your physical and mental health. It could end up ruining your personal relationships as well as your career. There are so many ways to assist you to stop drinking alcohol.

The first task that needs attention is to actually identify the main reasons why you have the desire to give up drinking. These reasons will general on the whole, but there will also be some more specific to you personally. You may require the assistance of a close friend or family member in order to complete the list.

This most important list should always be kept handy for personal reference in order to keep your commitment on track. It might be a good idea to make photocopies of the list and have them visible in several key locations such as the fridge and the bathroom mirror and keep one in your wallet too.

Normally the more hardened or chronic drinkers can stop drinking completely from one day to the next, although an easier alternative is to reduce quantity on a gradual basis. A laid out day by day plan showing daily reductions will help to get to the final goal of quitting completely.

A constant progress evaluation would be advised over a 4 week period until the new behaviour pattern becomes a habit itself. You will begin to feel better and make a note of these changes but you may encounter negative feelings too. If you do stumble on the way, pick yourself up immediately and always share your experiences with others and learn from them too.

On occasions these self-help programs just don’t work out, but don’t loose heart. Remember that alcoholism is a disease and could have made serious roots into organism provoking certain chemical alterations in your biological system.

This disease can lead to seriously damaging our body organs such as the liver, the pancreas, the heart, the kidney or the digestive system. These complications will require medical therapy which can overcome the addiction of alcohol. So don’t hesitate in asking for medical assistance as this terrible habit really does need professional supervision.

You will always find obstacles on your path towards success and important decisions in you life will have to be taken. The most important one is the friends you wish to be with and you may even have to change your lifestyle in order to avoid any contact with alcohol. A good tip would be to substitute alcohol for something healthy like fruit juice and chewing gum is a great ally too.

There are a number of rehab centers including AA and AVERT which are internationally renowned for helping alcoholics. The members include many x-alcoholics who give valuable support and tips based on their own experiences. These people are really understanding and are always there if you get into deep trouble.

The great thing with these groups is that your identity will always remain anonymous. You can find similar groups online in your town that will be more than willing to draw up a personalised plan that will suit you for cutting out alcohol from your life.

It will be very difficult to turn down old friend’s invitations for a good night out, but you must be firm and polite in refusing the invite. Stay strong to your word and don’t falter so early on in what will be a tough road to success. Become active by taking up sport or a new hobby and spend more time with your family and friends who support you. Diversion is the name of the game and you must always reward yourself for every objective you meet and every hurdle you get over.

Discover how to Stop Drinking Alcohol In 21 Days - Guaranteed. by expert Ed Philips

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Warning over teenage binge-drinking

From Nursing In Practice:

Thursday 6th September 2007

Teenagers who binge-drink are more likely to use drugs or become alcoholics when they grow up, research claims.

The study involving more than 11,000 British children found that teenagers who drink heavily are storing up health problems for when they reach the age of 30.

Binge-drinkers at the age of 16 are 60% more likely to be addicted to alcohol at 30, and 70% more likely to regularly drink heavily than those who avoided excessive alcohol consumption.

They are also 40% more likely to use illegal drugs, and 60% more likely to be homeless.

….

Original Source was .. UCL Institute of Child’s Health

               

Dealing With Alcoholism in Yourself or Someone You Love

By Ian Henman

It might be you, a loved one, or a friend dealing with the problem. No matter who it is alcoholism could very well be one of the most difficult issues you’ll face over the course of your life. Similar to taking drugs or smoking alcoholism becomes a very big burden to carry around with you. Knowing it can lead to great disaster and even death of the person it directly effects. When ever you find yourself dealing with alcoholism you should prepare yourself for the worst, but hope the best will come of it all.

The initial step taken when dealing with alcoholism is the alcoholic, or yourself must admit that a problem exists. Like any addiction, until the person addicted realizes there is a problem to them there isn’t one. How can you decide if a person has a problem with alcohol? Is their drinking out of hand, is it having a negative impact on their life, work, and relationships with others. If this sounds like someone you know then there is a good chance they do have a problem. How ever you recognizing it doesn’t mean there is a solution close by, dealing with alcoholism is a two way street. Remember you can’t help someone with a problem, if they themselves haven’t realized it yet.

Now of course all this is not to make you feel as though that person is lost or doomed. There are places an alcoholic can go for help dealing with alcoholism. Likely the most used and heard of alternative is AA or alcoholics anonymous. The people of AA have developed a universal tried and tested plan to help recovering and drinking alcoholics overcome their addictions. There are many people who even after they quite drinking continue to rely on the ways of AA to help guide their lives. To go along with AA there are similar support groups and programs that family members of alcoholics can attend dealing with alcoholism. These programs help them deal with the person, and how to help them cope with their new found sobriety.

Never forget that alcoholism is indeed a disease. While you may have trouble showing pity to those who suffer from it remember it could cause the death of a friend, or loved one. If you are dealing with alcoholism, and feel you have no where to turn there are places you can turn for help quick. The Internet for one can link you to online support forums, and also the closet AA meetings in your area. Don’t let yourself live under the guidance of alcoholism, find help and beat it.

For more information about dealing with addictions, and treatment articles please visit our website at Overcoming Addictions

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How To Cope With The Cravings For Alcohol

By Rahul Nag

If you stop drinking for any length of time, your body is going through some changes, both physically and emotionally. Since alcohol is a powerfully addictive drug that is toxic, your body had to make some physical changes to keep you from being poisoned. Your body’s chemistry, especially that of your liver, had to change to keep you alive while you were drinking. However, once your body chemistry changed to accommodate the presence of alcohol, it cannot be un-changed. This is why you are experiencing physical cravings for alcohol; your body wants it back! These cravings are most intense in the first six months of abstinence from alcohol. Thus, this is when most relapses occur. Here’s how you can beat alcohol cravings today, right now:

Cravings occur on a Bell curve: they start out mild, grow in intensity until they peak, and then gradually they return to the “baseline” of no cravings. When you feel craving begin, now you know what’s going to happen - you’re ahead of the game right there! As your craving peaks in about 30 minutes, do something else. Anything; exercise, go to your recovery group’s web site and talk through your craving, call a friend, read your email, go to a movie, read a book, watch TV, just get your mind onto something else. The craving will begin to recede slowly, and soon it will be gone altogether. This process takes about an hour. Keep telling yourself “I won’t give in. This is going to pass.” And it will! Your self-confidence will be raised significantly as you enjoy this success.

If you continue to feel intense cravings and are afraid you will relapse, ask your physician to prescribe a drug called Campral for you. This medication greatly reduces, or completely eliminates, alcohol cravings. If Campral isn’t available where you live, you can find it easily in a mail-order pharmacy.

What about your psychological craving for alcohol? This type of craving occurs because when you were drinking, you had an established routine for when, where, and with whom you drank. Now that you are not doing this daily routine, your emotions are confused. We do many things on “autopilot” and never realize it! When we stop or alter our routine, we feel a psychological need to go back to that routine where we were comfortable. Here’s how you can defeat psychological cravings today, right now:

Understand what you’re dealing with. It is not the alcohol that you’re craving, it’s the habit and routine that you built around alcohol use that is causing the craving. The obvious solution to this type of craving is to make a new routine that does not involve drinking. The fancy psychological term for this process is that first you must use “pattern interruption,” which simply means that you stop drinking. However, you must have another behavior to do instead of drinking; this is called “pattern development.” You can’t just leave a big hole in your life without filling it with something else; this is a sure-fire relapse trigger.

There’s an old saying in recovery: “If you hang around a barber shop long enough, sooner or later you’re going to end up getting a haircut.” To beat psychological cravings now, stay away from the people, places or situations that were part of your drinking routine. Stay out of bars and clubs. Don’t hang out with your former drinking buddies; make some new friends and develop new interests. If you are stressed or angry, and accustomed to drinking in these situations, read a book or complete a workbook on anger and stress management. Just fill the hole where drinking used to be!

These techniques won’t work for you unless you put them into action. Change doesn’t happen by itself; you are fully in charge of the changes in your non-drinking life. Use your power now and defeat physical and psychological cravings.

Rahul Nag is the London, England based former problem drinker who was drinking too much but gave up and now found he has an even better time than before. He has designed a course on how others can either cut down or give up drinking alcohol without ruining their social life. To get your free 5 part course, please visit www.alcoholfreesociallife.com

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Effective Alcohol and Drug Treatment

By Morgan Hamilton

Alcohol and drug treatment has evolved quite a bit of past few decades. The first forms of alcohol and drug treatment were actually quite primitive compared to what’s available today. In the dark ages it was thought that addictions were caused by demonic possession, which had many different prescribed ‘cures’ ranging from blood letting to being burned at the stake. In the 19th and early 20th century, alcohol and drug treatment had made some strides towards improvements as opposed to when addictions were then considered forms of insanity and the treatments of choice involved straight jackets, padded rooms, and electric shocks. Could you imagine? You have to wonder what they were thinking?

What we consider today as modern alcohol and drug treatment didn’t really start until the second half of the 20th century. This was no doubt one of the well-known and often repeated ’12 step’ program designed by Alcoholics Anonymous. Doctors and practitioners slowly came to realize that effective alcohol and drug treatment was in fact a possibility. Some of the first forms of alcohol and drug treatment centers formed in this time were not much more than centers where the 12 step program could be taught. The treatments were actually more psychological than anything else.

Even well into the 1980’s handing someone a ‘big book’ (the Alcoholics Anonymous guide) and telling them to go to 90 meetings in 90 days was a common and acceptable form of alcohol and drug treatment. We have made great strides from then in our understanding of what does and what does not work as far as drug and alcohol treatment is concerned.

Please don’t misunderstand me, the 12 step program can be effective for some individuals. One often really wonderful things about it is that it is for a show anyone who needs to help can take advantage of, there are no economic barriers. There is no reason to pay exorbitant fees for alcohol and drug treatment only to get a copy of the big book and a list of nearby meetings. Finding listings for meetings in your area is as simple as calling on the Internet or looking through a phone book.

This doesn’t mean that alcohol and drug abuse treatment isn’t necessary. The treatment should be seen as a supplement to two other programs and not relied upon as a stand-alone solution. When you do decide to seek alcohol and drug abuse treatment be sure that you select one that is known for providing services beyond just 12 step model functions. I myself am a counselor and a recovering addict from my experience I can say with some confidence that the most effective way to help yourself in recovery is to try out many different forms of alcohol and drug treatment, don’t limit yourself because we are all different. If you follow this advice you are sure to find at least some methods that will be effective for you.

Morgan Hamilton offers his findings and insights regarding health and medicine. You can get interesting information here at Alcohol and Drug Treatment

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Binge Drinking In Texas Is Not Responsible

By Paul Belleau

Even though alcohol consumption is legal for individuals in Dallas, Houston or anywhere in Texas who are 21 or over, it should be remembered that alcohol is still a harmful, dangerous drug. Sure, it seems like “everyone” drinks, and sometimes it even seems like everyone drinks a lot. But that’s not really the truth. There are a lot of people who don’t drink at all, and the vast majority of adults don’t drink at all heavily.

What Defines Binge Drinking?

When it comes to heavy drinking, the phrase “binge drinking” comes to mind. It used to mean heavy drinking that lasted for days. Now, the meaning has changed to irresponsible, heavy drinking that often comes under the disguise of fun and games. Binge drinking is not only dangerous to the drinker, but to the people around him or her.

Binge drinkers, by definition:

* Drink “to get drunk.” The goal is to lose control.

* They drink large quantities, five or more drinks at a time.

* They drink quickly.

* They do foolish, potentially deadly things like drive drunk, start fights, and take unnecessary risks.

New Study on an Old Problem.

According to a recent study issued by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in New York, about half of U.S. college students binge drink or abuse drugs, and the number who abuse prescription medication such as painkillers is up sharply.

The report found that 49 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 binge drink (consuming five or more drinks at a time), or abuse prescription drugs such as painkillers or illegal drugs like cocaine and marijuana. That translates to 3.8 million students.

In 2005, 23 percent of these students met the medical criteria for substance abuse or dependence, the report said. That’s about triple the proportion in the general population.

The percentage of students who drink remained about even with a similar 1993 report — 70 percent then and 68 percent in 2005. Binge drinking stayed at 40 percent of students.

But the proportion of students who binge drink frequently, defined as three or more times over two weeks, rose by 16 percent from 1993 to 2005. Drinking 10 or more times per month rose 25 percent, and drinking three or more times per month rose 26 percent.

Substance abuse has contributed to alcohol-related deaths and injuries, and sexual assaults against female students, the report said. “College presidents, deans and trustees have facilitated a college culture of alcohol and drug abuse that is linked to poor student academic performance, depression, anxiety, suicide, property damage, vandalism, fights and a host of medical problems,” the report said.

The report was based on results of a nationally representative telephone survey of 2,000 students, surveys of approximately 400 college and university administrators, interviews with researchers in the field and other data.

Binge Drinkers can be Troublemakers.

Researchers at Kansas State University have also found that college students who drink alcohol may get themselves into trouble not necessarily because of how much they drink, but because of their risk-taking attitudes while they are drinking, which can be modified to reduce harmful consequences. Males tend to be greater risk takers when it comes to alcohol, while women tend to use more protective strategies. They recommend the following steps to all college students who drink as a way to avoid dangerous drinking episodes:

* Limit the number of drinks consumed

* Use self-protective strategies

* Limit money spent on alcohol

* Drink with friends

* Pour your own drinks

* Develop low-risk attitudes

While the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University report has shown that substance abuse on college campuses is nothing new, it is taking a more extreme and dangerous form, with higher rates of frequent binge drinking and prescription drug abuse, which equates to more negative consequences for students such as arrests and risky sexual behavior.

The Risks of Binge Drinking.

Many people don’t think about the negative side of drinking. Although they think about the possibility of getting drunk, they may not give much consideration to being hung-over or throwing up.

You may know from experience that excessive drinking can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life. But binge drinking carries more serious and longer-lasting risks as well.

Alcohol Poisoning.

Alcohol poisoning is the most life-threatening consequence of binge drinking. When someone drinks too much and gets alcohol poisoning, it affects the body’s involuntary reflexes — including breathing and the gag reflex. If the gag reflex isn’t working properly, a person can choke to death on his or her vomit.

Other signs someone may have alcohol poisoning include:

* Extreme confusion

* Inability to be awakened

* Vomiting

* Seizures

* Slow or irregular breathing

* Low body temperature

* Bluish or pale skin

If you think someone has alcohol poisoning, call 911 immediately.

Other Health Issues.

Studies show that people who binge-drink throughout high school are more likely to be overweight and have high blood pressure by the time they are 24. Just one regular beer contains about 150 calories, which adds up to a lot of calories if someone drinks four or five beers a night.

Binge drinkers have a harder time in school and they’re more likely to drop out. Drinking disrupts sleep patterns, which can make it harder to stay awake and concentrate during the day. This can lead to struggles with studying and poor academic performance.

Drinking Responsibly.

It’s possible to be a responsible drinker, but it means paying close attention to your drinking behavior. Adults who do drink responsibly have a few key things in common:

* They don’t drive after drinking.

* They don’t drink “to get drunk.” They may like the taste of the drink, or may be seeking a mild relaxing effect. They stop drinking before they feel “drunk.”

* They drink less – usually far less – than four drinks on any one occasion.

* They drink slowly, often with food, and have non-alcoholic drinks in between alcoholic drinks.

Believe it or not, your drinking habits can influence your individual health insurance rates, now and into the future. So it’s wise to keep your alcohol intake in check when you’re young before it takes its toll in later years. If you’re young and healthy, and you drink alcohol responsibly (or not at all), you deserve a break when it comes to the premiums on your individual health insurance plan. Take a look at the revolutionary comprehensive individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for young, healthy individuals like you. For more information, visit us at our website, www.precedent.com. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans, and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.

Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at www.precedent.com

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Do I Drink Too Much?

By Trevor Kugler

For the better part of ten years this is the exact question that I would ask myself every morning in the shower. I would stand there with the water washing over me and wonder if I drank too much. In hindsight, now that I don’t drink any more, I realize that if I was asking myself the question, “Do I drink too much” everyday, I quite obviously drank too much. But this begs the question, how much is too much?

The answer to this question would probably vary for each individual, but I know the bottom line was that I came to the conclusion that I drank too much. My average had to be a twelve pack of beer a day. Not a twelve pack every single day, some days on the four or five. But then I would have a “good run” a couple of times a week where I would polish off an 18-pack, or even give a case of beer a run for it’s money. So my average had to be around 12 beers a day.

Then one day something happened…….my daughter incarnated into this world and all of the sudden drinking simply didn’t make as much sense to me. I simply couldn’t see myself being a bad example to her. How could I tell her not to drink, when I myself drank? I couldn’t reconcile this, so I stopped. That’s right, I walked away from drinking. Now I don’t drink. Not even a beer with dinner, because what would be the point of that? Because of the taste? That’s what I told myself for years, that I drank beer because I liked the taste. It’s a funny thing though, when you walk away from something after being so deeply entrenched for so long, you come to some realizations.

For me, one of those realizations was that I didn’t drink beer for the taste. I drank beer because of the way it made me “feel”. I refused to admit this when I drank, but after stepping away, I realized that it was true. Why do we as humans spend so much time trying to avoid the truth? Because that’s exactly what I did for a little over fifteen years, I avoided that which was true through drinking. I think Marcus Aurelius said it quite poignantly when he said,” Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” My perspectives had all become clouded.

So did I go to meetings to come to these realizations? Or did I find religion? No, none of those things. The only thing I can point to is my daughter incarnating into this world to, in my new found perspective, save me. I have a very strong knowing that my daughter was literally sent here to save me. Or was it that she was summoned from somewhere deep within myself?

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country… Montana!

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Addictions - Recognising an Alcoholic

By Michael Russell

Learning that your life partner or a close friend or family member is an alcoholic can come as a severe shock. This is particularly true when you have failed to notice that anything was wrong with them over a long period. However, you shouldn’t blame yourself because the nature of an alcoholic is to be secretive and devious so as not to be caught out.

In some households, it is normal practice to have a couple of drinks after work, wine with dinner and maybe even a nightcap. If yours is one of those, then it is even less likely that you will notice if someone is an alcoholic. The same holds true for couples or families who socialise a lot in pubs or restaurants or other establishments, which serve alcoholic drinks. In these circumstances, if someone seems a little tipsy occasionally, the assembled company will probably pass it off as “one too many”, but what’s going on when “one too many” becomes a daily occurrence?

Unfortunately, the signs of alcoholism differ from person to person. Some can consume huge quantities of alcohol, without apparent ill effects, until one last drink tips them over the edge. Others will get drunk very quickly, on what appears to be a small amount of alcohol. However, don’t forget they may actually have been drinking since early in the morning.

Some tell-tale signs are:

- furtive behaviour

- lurking near the drinks tray at odd times of day

- smell of alcohol on the breath at odd times of day

- undue irritability

- defensive responses to innocent enquiries

Some alcoholics are so sure that they have covered their tracks that they will do very strange things indeed. A prime example of this was a man who had two friends who were traffic police officers. His route to work each day took him past their police station, so he decided to drop in and join them for a cup of coffee. However, he had made one fundamental mistake, following his early morning drink of scotch; he had failed to cover up the smell on his breath. He was lucky; one officer took him home and the other drove his car. He could have been caught on the motorway, been breathalysed and lost his licence.

Another obvious sign of an alcoholic in the house is empty bottles hidden in strange places, for example:

- rarely used suitcases

- the very back of cupboards

- on top of wardrobes

- in the loo cistern

- in the shed or garage

Many alcoholics will insist on having a drink when there isn’t really time such as just before leaving the house for a dinner party or last thing before bed, having been drinking all evening. If you try to stop them, they will become bad-tempered and argumentative.

When you become convinced that the person in question is addicted to alcohol, check with a few close family friends to have your suspicions confirmed. If they too believe that there is a problem, then there almost certainly is. When you confront the alcoholic, they will vehemently deny that anything is wrong, so it’s as well to have a second opinion to bolster your confidence.

Well, you’ve done the easy bit; you’ve recognised that your friend or lover is an alcoholic; all you have to do now is get them to recognise it and seek treatment.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Addictions

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Alcoholism and Drug Addiction-Change to Recovery

By Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD

The American Psychiatric profession believes, “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Once a drug addict, always a drug addict. Alcoholism/drug addiction is a disease and ‘Relapse’ is part of recovery.”

“Not true” says, Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Holistic Healer. “Using a holistic approach – Body, Mind and Spirit—people can be healed of alcoholism and drug addiction without relapse and without cravings by healing the underlying causes which precipitate the need to use alcohol or drugs to cope. A holistic approach incorporates life coaching, massage therapy, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, yoga, physical fitness, spiritual awakening, as well as Chinese herbology.”

The ‘Once an addict always an addict and Relapse is a Part of Recovery’ paradigm has crippled and doomed many people to a life of struggle and self-deprecation throughout the world. “You are not an alcoholic or an addict. You are not incurably diseased. You have merely chosen a substance to cope with the underlying conditions that you can heal, at which time your dependency will cease completely and forever.”

Today, having healed hundreds of people labeled—alcoholics and drug addicts, I speak with complete certainty that alcoholism and addictions are not diseases.

If not a disease, what are they? The answer is that they are labels used to describe the states in which you find yourself after you have used alcohol or addictive drugs in large quantities or long enough period of time to have developed a dependency on them, meaning that someone addicted can’t permanently discontinue their use without help.

Alcohol and drugs are not the problems; they are what people use to numb the internal pain, thus helping oneself cope. These issues have both physical and psychological components—anything from anemia, hypoglycemia, or a sluggish thyroid to attention deficient disorder, brain-wave pattern imbalances, or deep emotional pain—Depression, Anxiety, Panic, OCD, Anger, Sadness, Fear.

There are Seven Steps to recovery, which address these causes, but foundational to them all is this key premise: When the underlying painful issues are discovered and healed, the need for alcohol or drugs disappears.

The Seven Recovery Steps include: Recognize, Re-Look, Re-Feel, Re-Experience, Respond, Release and Renew.

This process will open your mind to new ways of thinking that will cause you to see your dependency, and perhaps your entire life, in a whole new light. It will help you understand that all dependency is a symptom, not a problem. Seeing your dependency in this new light will enable you to heal yourself more quickly and more effectively than ever before—and permanently.

Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD, Author, Holistic Healer, International Speaker and Inspirational leader. Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life’s challenges as an opportunity for Personal/ Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. www.drdorothy.net

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Alcohol, Nightclubs, and College Students: A Lethal Cocktail

By William L. Smith Ph. D.

Drugs and alcohol are the most common substances abused by teenagers. Alcoholism, also know as alcohol dependence, has symptoms such as craving, loss of control, loss of memory, physical dependence, and increasing tolerance. Approximately, 10 million current drinkers are under the age of 21, about 4 million are binge drinkers; including 2 million who are heavy drinkers all of them are between the ages of 16-21 years old.

One in three college students now drinks solely to get drunk. About 30% of women in college reported poor grades with the increased use of alcohol and drugs, and 60% of college women diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease contacted while they were drunk.

The absence of ongoing oversight by parents and caretakers offers college students the freedom to makes choices, develop personality, and to engage in social experiment. These are all natural and necessary path to adulthood. However, the road to adulthood also create an environment that is susceptible to crime and victimization. Which may include opportunity for drug and alcohol abuse, sexual assault, and hate crimes all common on today’s college campuses and the surrounding communities.

Statistics that support the wide-spread use and abuse of alcohol by teenagers and college students are readily available. This is also true for alcohol-related crimes and anti-social behaviors on college campuses across the nation. However, statistics on crimes against college students, especially women, off campus are not so available. In many large urban cities bars and nightclubs are increasing at a very rapid pace; and their economic survival depends successfully reaching out to the younger patrons, including college students. These establishments act as a magnet for many college students who find them more attracted than the traditional college hing-out. The problem is that many of these nightspots are hunting grounds for hard-core criminals, pimps and predators seeking susceptible and available victims, especially those under the influence of alcohol.

A recent study showed that intoxicated people are more vulnerable to violent crime because they exhibit more risk-taking behaviors. For example, they are more likely to go out alone at night, visit places where violence is most likely to occur, and intoxicated individuals have impaired cognitive problem-solving abilities. In other words, these individuals will go places and things that they sober peers would not do; or they would not do when sober.

While doing the research for this article, the local television news station announced that the police had recover the body of the college student who was reported missing, three days ago after a night of drinking at a popular New York City nightclub. In the past few years New York City seems to have more than its share of violent acts against young women after a night on the town. An examination of recent crime statistics shows that New York City is at its safest in recent memory. However, the discovery of another dead student suggests that it is not very safe for young women drinking in nightclubs and bars late at night.

This latest victim of New York City night life is Jennifer Moore, 18-year old, of Harrington Park, New Jersey. Jennifer Moore was murdered just five months after a female graduate student went missing after leaving a popular bar in SoHo. The student, Imette St. Guillen 24, had been drinking alone, in a bar called the Falls, until closing time. Her naked body was discovered the next day wrapped in a quilt in a swampy area near Belt Parkway in Brooklyn New York. Darryl Littlejohn 41, a bouncer employed at the Falls a career criminal, had been charged with the murder. Draymond Coleman, 34, another career criminal, and a pimp is accused of beating and strangling Jennifer Moore to death inside a Weekhawken hotel. Her body was found in a trash bin in a parking lot, in a squalid area in New Jersey across the Hudson River, West New York.

Further research and we find other cases of similar circumstances involving alcohol and the murder of young women. Last October, Tabitha Perez, a 24 year old saleswoman from the Bronx, was shot and killed outside the Viva a bar in upper Manhattan. In April, a 21- year-old woman from Newark, New Jersey, Jessica Martinez, was struck by a car while crossing the West Side Highway after leaving a nearby nightclub where she had been drinking. Another New Jersey college student, Mark Fisher, 19, was killed in 2003 after a night of partying in Manhattan and Brooklyn, ending with him alone among strangers, two of whom were convicted in the robbery and murder.

According to recent studies, New York City has been under the spotlight due to a sharp increase in bars and nightclubs, but a greater number of homicides occur in other boroughs. Shootings on Saturday nights outside nightclubs in less affluent neighborhoods in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx is a regular occurrence.

Andrew Karmen, a sociology professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that “the drug most implicated with violence is alcohol.” Being under the influence of alcohol has been shown numerous times to raise the risk of being either a victim or an offender.

Dr. William Smith is a psychologist and personal consultant with over 30 years experience working with groups and individuals. Dr. Smith had many successes working, online, with Adult Children of Alcoholic, Survivors of Incest, and other Sexual Trauma, Relationship Problems…Including all forms of quality of life issues. If you have a very personal issue that you feel professional consultation is needed…Dr. Smith is the professional to contact at: insightconsultant.com

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