Hello, this is my first post and below are my questions.

The benefits of ONE glass of wine a night are documented how many of you would support giving prescriptions to the general public? This does not include mixed, hard liquor, or beer.

I have worked in along term facility where it was prescribed for a elderly pt. but the staff refused to give it to him at night.

What about the proven benefits to cardiac pts.

Reason: I was hit by a stolen truck with 3 drunk occupants and died for about 5 minutes.

Maybe if we closed down all bars and made it prescription we could control the amount people drink better.

Thanks,

sal2009

If a night drink is prescribed for a patient and not given - this is a contravention of a medical direction - and better be well documented.

I've seen it given out many times - mostly for quality of life rather than cardiac.

I would rather not see alcohol prescription only - it didn't go down too well in the prohibition years and will simply become another illegal substance to combat.

well, somehow i dont buy that. i dont think whatever may the study says...it is really hard to believe that any doctor can prescribe alcohol

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Gifts for Nurses

Certain types of alcohol encourage appetite and others help to gain calories. I too have seen alcohol prescribed - sherry, brandy and guinness spring to mind.

If it were banned people would just make their own. marijuana is illegal but people grow their own. In some countries people actually drink wine as a proper social phenomenen and few are alcoholics. It is a cultural thing and banning such substances doesn't work.

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Julie
http://www.lifeinthenhs.wordpress.com

I've seen alcohol prescribed, pleanty especially in long term care facilities where a person has always had a nightcap for their entire lives, it's something you accomodate-you definitely don't want them to go through withdrawl-it's scary for them and no fun for you.
I know of people who already brew their own beer and wine, so to completely ban it won't do anything-like Julie said marijauna is illegal and people still choose to grow it and use it.
Banning outright won't do a thing. I was raised in a Dutch family and it is quite common to have a glass of beer or wine with dinner and a "lighter" after such as port, sherry,or brandy. None of the people I know are alcoholics as a result or get roaring drunk and endanger others around them.
In BC they now have a system for those charged with DUI where they are required to along with other punishment do a breathalyzer prior to starting the car (so they do the test and if they are ok the car can be started) it's pretty brand new but should be interesting to see how it works.
That's my 2 cents!

I haven't see it being 'prescribed', but I have seen it as part of care plans in low level care settings (nursing hostels).

Although there are good results in some cardiac patients, it is still a poison and is harmful in any amount (like tobacco). The line goes, if you are going to drink we have found that 1 glass (125ml?) of alcohol can be beneficial.

Well we all know how prohibition went down in America! Australia has alcohol black lists in some communities (where there is a high percentage of alcohol related violence) where you have to shown you are not on the list to buy alcohol, it is also an offense to by for other people.

Harsher penalities for drink driving? National data base of banned drinkers? Ban the lot? Either way someone will find a way around it.

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'Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiselingand scraping and polishing. - BC Forbes'