September 04

The City Council has launched a Respect for Nottingham initiative.

Great, but surely this includes the pubs and clubs too! Our assessment is that the number of bottles to be found discarded on the city streets in the mornings is growing all the time. The position is clear. If the customer wishes to drink from the bottle, and the licensee is willing to run the risks associated with serving it that way, then the bottle must remain on the premises. That’s Respect in Action in our opinion.

Due to a number of circumstances beyond our control the apas Annual General Meeting 2003/2004 has been postponed. The new date will be Thursday 25 November 2004.

Councillor Jon Collins leader of Nottingham City Council has agreed to be our speaker. Our offices will be open to all from 2pm. Councillor Collins will be speaking at 5pm followed immediately by the business of the day.

Pubs and bars are now required to display the price of SOFT DRINKS. The legislation came in to force on 2 March 2004 - The Price Marking (Food and Drink) Services Order 2003/2253.

entrance, so potential customers have an idea of the likely price of their meal and drink.

At the beginning of 2004 apas implemented a new system for handling our waste products. We now collect and recycle cardboard, waste paper, directories, plastics, glass, steel and aluminium. This has resulted in a 50% reduction in the amount of rubbish collected by traditional waste services and apas is proud to be doing their bit for environment.

It is estimated that at least 70% of people with alcohol problems are heavy smokers. It is well known that smokers drink and drinkers smoke, but why is this? Why do alcohol and cigarettes go hand in hand?

The precise mechanisms of the alcohol-nicotine relationship are not yet fully understood, but involve complex social, biological and chemical aspects. Alcohol and nicotine both stimulate the release of dopamine and endogenous opioids in the mesolimbic reward pathways of the brain, which give rise to pleasurable and reinforcing effects. Therefore, nicotine increases the urge to drink, or is a cue to drinking, and vice-versa.

They are also linked in that they are both used within the same social situations and are used in response to stressful situations. Chemically though, alcohol is a depressant while nicotine is a stimulant and used together, the two may moderate each other’s effects. Physiologically, the body will metabolise alcohol more quickly if nicotine is present, therefore more alcohol will be needed to reach the desired effect for a smoker.

We all know that heavy drinking carries with it serious health risks, as does smoking, but put the two together and the risks to health are phenomenal. For example, alcohol irritates and erodes the mucosal lining of the stomach and intestines leading to inflammation and bleeding. Nicotine increases the volume and concentration of gastric acid, which can cause ulcers and slow healing. Dual dependence not only puts you at a high risk of developing an ulcer in the

first place, but also of causing the ulcer to perforate, which will lead to internal bleeding and can be lethal.

Food for thought for all you couples out there - alcohol lowers the male hormone testosterone, which causes a reduction in the quantity and quality of sperm. Alcohol and nicotine can both lead to erectile dysfunction in men, i.e. the inability to gain or maintain an erection. Nicotine can also contribute to male infertility as it causes the tails of the sperm to mutate. This means their motility is greatly reduced and they are less likely to reach and fertilise the female egg.

Dual dependence of alcohol and nicotine bears a shocking 15-fold risk of certain cancers such as brain, mouth, throat, oesophageal, stomach, pancreatic, liver, bowel, bladder, breast and cervical cancers. The reasons for this may be because alcohol interferes with the body’s ability to convert carcinogens into more harmless substances, which it could eliminate more easily. Alcohol may also disrupt the body’s ability to repair DNA that has been damaged by carcinogens, and as we know, tobacco is full of carcinogenic chemicals.

There are 1,500 deaths every year in the UK from oral cancers and 90% of these are the result of drinking and smoking. It is a sobering thought that the incidence of oral cancer amongst young women is increasing and it seems no coincidence that the prevalence of heavy drinking and smoking amongst this group is also increasing.

Don’t forget that we are open until 7.00pm and on Saturday mornings. Our information and advice services are available to anyone concerned about any alcohol or drug related issue, whoever or wherever you are. The service is free.

Telephone and e-mail requests are welcome. apas direct provides a service to personal callers - no appointment necessary.