I have to admit that the Dailymail in the United Kingdom is one of my favorite reading sources. In addition to interesting articles, some of it total gossip, they also have great photos.

A recent article caught my eye (in more ways than one) that I thought I would share with my readers. The subject of the article was addressing the question as to why so many British professional women choose to drink to extreme excess. As reported in www.dailymail.co.uk.

This will be the first blog looking at this issue, and if a few of my female British readers want to chime in – I am all ears.

As a counselor for both in-class and online alcohol classes I have had a number of students that fit this role.

I have not been part of the British party scene for decades, and I was barely old enough to partake the last time I was there. The Dailymail describes the scene in Cardiff, Wales as women (many) so inebriated as to be slumped in the gutter with men urinating everywhere. People carry sex toys. Police fight with angry drunks and one girl is so drunk she is out cold and being loaded into an ambulance.

I know my English grandmother would roll over in her grave to see young women behaving in such a way. Perhaps British schools should implement mandatory alcohol classes from onlinealcoholclass.com?. Do you think fewer British women who have solid professional jobs may choose not to tart it up so much?

Was the disappointment of getting booed on the hit Fox television show X Factor enough to drive Lexa Berman to drink? Of course that was a terrible pun as the former X Factor contestant was recently arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.

Berman may have missed her ticket to the next round of X Factor, but her Dui behavior in Del Ray Beach, Florida punched a quick ticket to jail. As reported in www.sun-sentinel.com.

The 22-year-old who auditioned for the X Factor talent show in front of Britney Spears and Simon Cowell was arrested for DUI after a crash just after midnight.

Berman first collided with another car and she then crashed into some bushes and a block wall just down the road.

She admitted to police that she had two drinks at a show in West Palm Beach earlier in the night. Knowing she could never pass a field sobriety test, Berman attempted to charm officers by claiming she couldn’t even pass one of those tests sober. A clear admission of guilt.

Not surprisingly, Berman failed the test. She was unable to balance while walking heel to toe. She stumbled into the bushes.

I know alcohol affects each person differently, but there is not a person on the planet who would register a blood-alcohol concentration like Berman’s after only two drinks.

The results of a breathalyzer showed a .288 and .275 — more than three times the legal limit in Florida.

Berman auditioned for The X Factor in San Francisco, taking the stage in front of Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid. Berman then sang Alex Clare's song "Too Close." But her performance was a flop: The crowd booed. Cowell interrupted. Spears called her "boring."

Hopefully the next round of her life will find her in a good DUI class. If she is to pursue a successful life she most-likely should seek to pursue an alcohol-free existence.

Mixing alcohol and medicines is something pharmacies across the country preach. A doctor will not prescribe medication without severe warnings not to mix it with alcohol. The same needs to be true about other recreational drugs.

People taking medications should always read the product warning labels to determine whether it would require abstinence from alcoholic drinks. Quite often they do not. As reported in tribune.com.ng.

You would have probably seen on some medicines a warning to avoid alcohol. Many medications can interact with alcohol, leading to increased risk of illness, injury, or death. It is estimated that alcohol-medication interactions may be a factor in at least 25 per cent of all emergency room admissions.

Alcohol combined with medication also can cause 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 the body.

Here are a few medications that should not be mixed with alcohol.

Antibiotics are used to treat infectious diseases. In combination with alcohol, some antibiotics may cause nausea, vomiting, headache, and possibly convulsions.

Vasodilators

Medications like Viagra, which produce vasodilatation, should be taken cautiously, if at all, with alcohol because the summating effects of these medications then can produce a dangerously low blood pressure with a dizzy spell or a blackout.

I encourage you to not only listen to your doctor’s advice but take both an online alcohol and drug class to learn more about the way alcohol affectas the body when combined with prescription medication.

How can a MIP class save your grade point average? Students may not realize it, but alcohol, that if excessively used, can have a negative impact on performance.

Alcohol affects the body for more than the few moments of inebriation. Ask anyone trying to recover from a hangover. As reported in www.westernherald.com.

One of the most interesting – and useful – statistics I often cite is how long our bodies take to recover from a night of drinking. Any night that students have five or more drinks, it takes their bodies three full days to recover.

A heavy night of drinking will affect a number of functions, including the ability to get a restful night’s sleep, the abilities to concentrate, solve problems, pay attention, think critically and form memories, all of which are important skills for being a college student, especially when it comes to studying.

Alcohol most-certainly does not help you sleep – despite being able to pass out quickly and sleep through your alarm clock. The alcohol circulating in your body doesn’t allow you to get into the deeper, more restorative sleep cycles.

It takes about five days to recover if you were to drink two nights in a row. She recommends that if students find themselves in a cycle like this, they should take some time off from drinking and pay attention to how they feel in class, when they wake up in the morning.

So take a Minor in Possession of Alcohol class and save your body and your GPA.

The effects of alcohol on the development of many cancers are numerous. Alcohol is categorized as a class 1 cancer-causing substance. Does that make it as dangerous as other proven human carcinogens such as benzene and heavy cigarette smoking?

Should it really matter? It is a class 1 cancer-causer! As reported in www.science20.com.

Not surprisingly, the risk tends to increase with the overall amount of ethanol consumed and, with certain cancer types, females are more at risk.

One study has shown that even one large glass of beer or wine per day could increase bowel cancer by as much as 18% and liver cancer by 20%. If that doesn’t keep you from “needing” your nightly drink what will?

For those of you who read my blog regularly, let’s remember that alcohol is poisonous to the human body. Without the miraculous work of the human liver, people would perish from consuming alcohol. Some still do if they drink such a large amount that the liver is unable to process it. This is called alcohol poisoning.

Drinking alcohol is dangerous and detrimental, regardless of the amount you consume. I would like for you to take an alcohol class, and while doing so abstain from drinking for 30 days. After your 8 hour alcohol class and hiatus from booze you might just choose never to drink again.

Former White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk has been charged with DUI after police in New Lenox said they found him passed out in a pickup truck in a farm field.

Fisk, 64, was at the wheel with the engine running when police arrived around 7:25 p.m. Monday, according to Deputy Chief Bob Pawlisz. Fisk was disoriented when officers woke him, and he declined a blood-alcohol test. An open 1.75-liter bottle of liquor also was in the car, Pawlisz said. As reported in www.chicagotribune.com.

Fisk was treated at Silver Cross Hospital and released Tuesday morning after posting bail and is scheduled to appear in Will County court Nov. 29.

In addition to DUI, Fisk was charged with improper lane use and illegal transport of alcohol.

Police began receiving calls about a truck in the field at Gougar and Spencer roads, near Lincoln-Way West High School, at 7:22 p.m., Pawlisz said. They found the Ford F-150 with a flat tire, he said, adding there was no damage to the vehicle beyond "what might have occurred driving through a ditch."

Fisk provided a Florida address to police. Records show Fisk previously lived in New Lenox, but authorities said they did not know why he was there Monday.

Fisk, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, played the last 13 seasons of his 24-year career with the White Sox, retiring in 1993.

As a recovering alcoholic and drug addict I understand how powerful the temptations to drink and use drugs can be for an addict during the holiday season. Normally a time for joy and celebration, our addictions can make these stressful times almost unbearable.

Whether you are currently drinking or using drugs or have been sober for years, the first step I ask you to take is enrolling in an 8-hour online alcohol class or 8-hour online drug class. These classes help reinforce our belief and understanding of why drinking and using drugs will destroy our lives and continue to provide us with techniques to keep us from relapsing into our past behavior.

The most important way to avoid temptation is to make good decisions. The first decision you make should be not to put yourself in compromising situations. Stay away from places where drugs or alcohol will be consumed.

The brain is a powerful tool. Even a year into sobriety, being at a party and having a glass of champagne is easy for the brain to rationalize having one drink. The only answer for sobriety is total abstinence. Not one drink, not even a sip. Your life is not worth it.

So make a good decision every time and you will enjoy a healthy and sober holiday season.

Bobby Brown has always had a reputation for being a “bad boy.” When he married super-fresh and super-nice pop diva Whitney Houston people hoped she would change him. Unfortunately he changed her. We all know the end result of that relationship.

We had hoped Houston’s tragic death might get Brown to change his ways. Actions speak louder than words – and Brown’s actions speak of a man fighting for control.

Brown was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) for the second time this year. Of course the incident happened in the middle of the night – 1a.m.

The 43-year-old pleaded no contest to DUI earlier this year following a March arrest in Los Angeles and checked himself into a rehabilitation center in August.

Brown's first album in 14 years came out this summer.

Police witnessed his car weaving between lanes. Not surprisingly, police detected a strong odor of alcohol. Brown then failed a field sobriety test and arrested the former member of New Edition.

Brown was previously arrested for DUI in the San Fernando Valley back in March. That arrest came just four days after the Los Angeles County Coroner's office released the results of its autopsy of ex-wife Whitney Houston.

It is obvious a mere alcohol class is not helping this seriously troubled and addicted man. If he does not change his ways I fear he will wind up another Hollywood tragedy like his ex-wife.

As a counselor for both in-class and online alcohol awareness classes I can tell you that an alcohol class will help you discover ways to keep from drinking during the holiday season. Alcohol classes also will help you with ways in which to politely decline alcoholic beverages.

As a recovering alcoholic I can tell you that almost everyone appreciates a person’s attempt to get and stay sober. Unless you are a teenage boy or a college-age male, the support from friends and family are tremendous. When I was first sober (for the 100th time – and knock on wood last time) our family gatherings were alcohol-free.

The fact is many alcoholics are afraid to come out of the closet. They are ashamed that they have an addiction which they cannot control, so even if they are sober, they feel they have to at least have a sip or two during the holidays with their usual friends and family who are accustomed to seeing them drink.

One polite way to decline alcohol is to tell them you are currently taking a medication that the doctor has warned you against combining with alcohol. Another way is to admit you have not been drinking lately and have been feeling much better.

If you are an alcoholic, quit drinking now. If you are sober, stay sober. Believe me your friends and family will understand, appreciate and support your refusal to drink.

Of course the answer to the question posed in this headline is – absolutely not. Nevertheless, thousands and thousands of people will drink and drive this holiday season – just like they do every year. Business will be booming early next year for in-class and online alcohol awareness classes.

Of course, the best way not to get a DUI is not to drink and drive. If you plan to drink make sure you have safe, sober transportation. A designated driver or taxi is mandatory. As reported in www.jsonline.com.

Here are a few other tips to help keep you from getting a costly DUI that will put a serious dent in your bank account.

Watch your consumption of more than just alcohol. Pain or anxiety medicines prescribed for an illness, such as severe back pain, can impair your ability to drive, too.

Second, avoid drinking at office holiday parties. Not only could it lead to a DUI following the party, alcohol can lead to embarrassing situations that could damage your career.

Be aware of sobriety checkpoints. Another strong reason to find sober transportation. If you get stopped at a DUI checkpoint, even if you are sober, it’s important to cooperate with police. Don’t refuse a sobriety test. When you obtain the privilege of driving a motor vehicle, you are effectively giving your consent to DUI testing if a police officer reasonably believes you are under the influence while operating a motor vehicle.

Again do yourself, your family and the rest of us a favor this holiday season by not drinking and driving.