Greg Tigney alerted me by email to the latest BBC propaganda on alcohol.
Drinking “just a little more than they should” puts people at risk of serious illness including heart disease, stroke and cancer, the government is warning.
Here we go again… How much is likely to affect one adversely will depend on variable factors, so each case will be unique. There is no one size fits all here. Yes, too much alcohol will do you harm. So will too much water. So all we have here is the latest outburst from the temperance movement who have managed to handcuff the ears of government to their poisonous little mouths. And, of course, we are regaled with the scary big “C” in order to put us off. Never mind that consumption is falling anyway. Let’s not let the truth get in the way of a good scare story.
Talking of which, there was one that passed my by completely – going back to 2009. I became aware of it rather sharply yesterday when out with the riding school. At lunch I was sipping an energy drink. As I can no longer drink coffee, I tend to drink these instead. A 250ml can is equivalent to a cup of coffee – certainly the coffee I would normally choose to drink (i.e. not the dire Nescafé instant muck).
I was told that the school didn’t allow such drinks as the IAM and DSA disapproved. I raised my eyebrows. Well, I was told, they can be worse than alcohol… My eyebrows disappeared beneath my hairline.
On checking, I discover that is not quite what the IAM said, although it’s bad enough.
An IAM spokesman added: “Excessive caffeine consumption can cause similar symptoms to alcohol intoxication.”
I pointed out that as this was merely a 250ml can, that was no more likely to overdose my adrenal glands than a decent cup of coffee, which, most certainly is not verboten. I just can’t drink it as it will trigger my migraines. Their response was along the lines of they preferred not to encourage students. Presumably upon seeing me drinking one they will be unable to control themselves, will rush out to the nearest outlet and overdose on Red Bull.
Okay, so it’s their gaff, their rules and I’ll abide (I need the work) – I can live without such drinks with my lunch. It just happened that it was convenient to put one in my bag before setting out for the day. In itself, no big deal. I’ve made my point and it was acknowledged, but what struck me is that no one seems to have even thought about questioning the obvious hyperbole. Yes, sure, if you quaff these drinks until they come out of your ears, your adrenals will suffer overload and you will become hyper. People have been known to do this with coffee. As always, moderation in all things. Just because some people behave like idiots, it doesn’t follow that the rest of us will. The DSA examiners have commented, apparently, that some candidates have presented themselves for test and have been so jittery that they have failed a test they might otherwise have passed.
The dangers of caffeine intoxication have been noted by the American Food and Drink Administration, which described it as having similar effects to drunkenness, including irritability, muscle twitching and slurred speech.
You are going to have to drink one massive amount to do that. Seriously, how many people drink this stuff to that level of excess? I quite like it, but one 250ml can is plenty for me – it’s too sweet for more than that.
Suggesting that folk lay off such drinks prior to taking a test would be sensible advice, perhaps. But as is usual, the DSA, IAM and local schools just follow the line without thinking it through. I am all for sensible proportional advice. But “similar to alcohol” on the basis of a tiny proportion of the population? Give me a break.
Never having drunk Red Bull or its ilk (it’s the citric acid that sets me off to migraine land) can one decant the can’s contents into a water bottle or flask? That’s what I would do, a quiet little sidestep of stupid rules…
It has a very distinctive smell, so that would give me away… 😥
The point is why the fuck any one should have to go to such lengths for something that is LEGAL?
And XX Their response was along the lines of they preferred not to encourage students. XX
Yeeess. That appears to be the case with MOST “teachers” these days.
In this case, they are specifically talking about what they perceive as bad habits. Although I disagree with their assessment of this being a bad habit, the general attitude of not encouraging bad habits is sound.
They always go to the very extreme first and foremost (the ‘worst first’ principle), their arguments and pleading are trivial and irrelevant if they don’t. It’s true in every sphere from fizzy drinks to paedohysteria. They should all be locked up for anti-social behaviour which is damaging the human experience, but …
But being alergic to coffee aren’t you drinking it for medical reasons? They can’t stop that.
Coffee intoxication? You’d need to drink at least two to three litres a day to get that bad. As for Red Bull, the 80mg per 250ml can means you’d have to imbibe eight cans within a very short period to get anywhere near properly wired. A similar dose could be obtained from drinking half as much again of tea. Green or English breakfast, doesn’t matter which.
Personally, I think someone has read an article in some ‘Natural Health’ journal and done the hundred metres conclusion jump without researching further.
If you truly need a lunchtime lift, try Jolt Cola, definitely more bang per buck than Red Bull. Although you might have to get your supplies from Ireland or Sweden.
Considering alcohol consumption is going down there can’t be much of a link with oral cancer. So this just a little bit more malarky is bunkum. Consider a different source of alcohol in the mouth – mouth wash. Is it more likely that increased use of this (it’s advertised like mad on TV) will be causing the cancers or beer? And not forgetting that such cancers take years to make their effects known so the current lot of oral cancers are from decades ago, when drinking was more common than now.
Personally I can drink coffee just before going to bed, the only affect it has on me is the diuretic effect.
Longrider, even if you had an energy drink in your flask, isn’t the reason why the school bans it is because others will see the can. If your flask doesn’t have the logo then no one will really know and so can’t be “persuded” to go and drink 10 cans of it. Push the medical aspects too. Then you have your human rights up against the bansturbaters. A bit like the right to religion vying for supremacy against the right to sexuality.
This could be Deja Vu but didn’t one of the original working party members (can’t remember his name, Stephen Fry quoted him) relating to ‘units’ recently say it’s all a load of bollox? According to him, they couldn’t find a number of units but were pushed on by the DoH. Then they said it could be anything from 21 to 65 and the DoH responded with “We can’t say 65” and we’ve ended up with the finger in the air minimum.
All bollox. I stopped listening a while ago. Seemingly, so have a lot of others which is why they have to keep pushing for legislation.
Ok this is so funny!
Let’s see, the caffeine content of a number of beverages is well known. Red Bull at ? 80 mg per 250 ml can.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/caffeine/AN01211/METHOD=print
This lists a number of food and beverage contents, have a look at the ‘sweets and candy’ contents (Don’t tell the boss or you’ll not be able to eat chocolate at lunch either).
The level at which it has been judged that some evidence of caffeine toxicity occurs (a guestimate) is an acute ingestion of ? 300 mg. Why acute? Because clearance occurs within around 5 hours (Oh and smoking significantly increases your clearance rate, so no smokers getting toxicity lol). Either way, the effects are not extreme (palpitations, tremors, increased micturation, etc.) without some underlying additional problem or interaction with medication (which should be made clear by GP and pharmacist anyway).
The real problem level is listed as the LD_50 (the amount at which 50% will die). This is sen as being ? 150 mg/kg. So, for the average 70 kg male, that equates to 10500 mg. (for children the level is around 35 mg/kg)
So your employer is right to discourage all those impressionable students. After all, if they see you sipping a Red Bull with lunch they will obviously rush out and consume 3.75 cans in one sitting (resulting in them being a bit jittery and peeing a lot) or continue and consume 131.25 cans and face a 50% chance of death.
Do these people have even the slightest idea what they are talking about or are they just following the inane, uneducated, advice of some supposed health journalist?
I just give up! I really do.
Re “Able” I wonder how much Russian coffee you would need to kill you?
Take one 5 liter cast iron pot (or ali, if you already have alzheimers), Fill it and pour in 5 kilo coffee (Ground from beans, or beans.) Then boil the fuck out of it over a camp fire, until half the water is away. Then refill, and another five kilo of coffee. Just keep repeating, and serve in “shot glass” doses.
This is garunteed to keep you AWAKE (!!!) for 48 to 72 hours (although you may have difficulty in things like….. watch repair, fine jewellry making, key-hole surgery, etc). Then take your second glass full.
I have yet to see any one die of it. Although the dregs DO make a wonderfull dye.
One word of warning. GROWING OF A BEARD IS, IN THIS CASE, A SURVIVAL TRAIT!
Furor Teutonicus
Hmm, as a Pratchett aficionado (OK fanatic) I’d say that sounds a lot like Klatchian coffee:
“Klatchian coffee has an even bigger sobering effect than an unexpected brown envelope from the tax man. In fact, coffee enthusiasts take the precaution of getting thoroughly drunk before touching the stuff, because Klatchian coffee takes you back through sobriety and, if you’re not careful, out the other side, where the mind of man should not go.”
Sam Vimes is my role model, why?
“‘He only drinks when he gets depressed,’ said Carrot.
‘Why does he get depressed?’
‘Sometimes it’s because he hasn’t had a drink.'”
So, I’ll give a mug a try, Hey I already have the beard (a rather fashionable goatee, I’ve never been fashionable before, it’s a novel experience! I’m still hoping for either flares to come back or maybe a burnoose, I’d make a really good Jedi!).
As you can tell, I’ve been depressed for a while! 😉
Also a Pratchett aficionado , and also a MASSIVE Vimes fan.
Just had a terrible thought; Sto Lat cabbage water with Klatchian coffee chasers!
Make you fart through the eye of a needle. :-))
Personally I feel a kinship with Sam Vimes (I do like a bit of something black and crunchy in my fried egg and my BLT sandwiches seem to lack a certain amount of L and T) and agree wholeheartedly with his economic theory of boots.
Whilst he is my role model, I worry I am more akin to Rincewind (somebody is definitely out to get me and I do believe in self-defence via a half-brick-ina-sock). My only worry about this Pratchett mania is that I have a certain ‘thing’ for Granny Weatherwax (I’ve met a few tall, handsome, intelligent and capable ladies in my time but they all fall short of the ideal as they refuse to wear the black pointy hat and large boots 🙁 Ah well, dream on!).
Pass the Bearhuggers
We’ve got salt pork. Take it or leave it.