Korea JoongAng Daily: Government asks YouTubers to curb their drinking on camera. “The government has published new guidelines meant to discourage YouTubers from hosting drunk talk shows. Some regard them to be unenforceable. Local reports had previously showed that parents, in particular, are worried that seeing jovial drinking on YouTube will make their children think positively of heavy drinking culture.”
EurekAlert: Smartphones and smart speakers may be able to detect alcohol intoxication by analyzing voice patterns: Study. “Sensors in smartphones and smart speakers could help determine a person’s level of alcohol intoxication based on the changes in their voice, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.”
Florida International University: Teens more likely to use alcohol and marijuana if they see their friends post about it on social media. “Peer pressure hasn’t gone away. It’s just gone digital. Through surveys of more than 260 high school freshmen and sophomores, FIU Center for Children and Families researchers found friends still hold the greatest power over teens’ substance use decisions — rather than influencers, celebrities and other people on social media.”
Racket: A U of M Reporter Explores BORG, the Latest Binge-Drinking Craze. “BORG stands for Black Out Rage Gallon, and yes, it’s all the rage. The recipe is simple and adaptable: Take an empty plastic gallon jug, fill it halfway with water, add a fifth of vodka, and mix in some flavoring like MiO (often the caffeinated kind) or electrolyte powder like Liquid I.V. The BORG’s rise in popularity is tied to TikTok, where its hashtag, #borg, has amassed over 295 million views.”
La Trobe University: New project to track alcohol in Influencer posts. “A new research project led by La Trobe University will use artificial intelligence software to monitor social media influencers’ Instagram posts for alcohol marketing, to inform future regulation and reduce alcohol harms.”
Newswise: New Algorithm Can Identify Images of Alcohol in Electronic Media; Potential Tool to Limit Online Exposure to Alcohol Marketing. “A new algorithm has been found to identify images of alcohol in electronic media with a high degree of accuracy. Possible applications for this algorithm include public health research to quantify exposure to images of alcohol and mobile or web applications to allow individuals to filter unwanted exposure to online alcohol advertising or alcohol-related content.”
The Whiskey Wash: Frazier History Museum Launching An Online Bourbon Subscription Service. “Frazier History Museum, in its role as a keeper of all things history in Kentucky, already has a heavy relationship with the world of bourbon, including being the ‘Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.’ Now, in a move that takes things ever deeper, it is launching its own “online bourbon subscription membership service offering exclusive bottlings and expressions from the greatest names in American whisky.”
Wolfram Blog: Cheers! A Computational Exploration of Alcoholic Beverages with the Wolfram Language . “The science of fermentation—known as zymology (or zymurgy)—is a fascinating blend of chemistry, biology, history and geography. The Wolfram Language now brings a new dimension to the study of alcoholic beverages through an extensive dataset ready to be explored and analyzed.”
News Medical: Social media use puts teens at risk of developing drug and alcohol issues . “New research has found adolescents who are active on social media are being exposed to content that could put them at risk of developing drug and alcohol issues. The study, led by University of Queensland PhD student Brienna Rutherford from UQ’s National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, examined how drug and alcohol use content was portrayed across social media.”
BusinessWire: Distilled Spirits Council Launches DestinationDistillery.com Providing Interactive Map of U.S. Distilleries, Their Stories & the History of Spirits (PRESS RELEASE). “The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) today launched Destination Distillery™ (www.destinationdistillery.com), a new website providing a tourism-driven experience and educational journey into the cultural heritage and history of spirits in America. Visitors to the website will be able to explore many of America’s most famous distilleries as well as up-and-coming ones, state-by-state trails, economic impact of the spirits industry by state, and important sites connected to the history of distilling and spirits in our country.”
Bleeping Computer: Ukraine’s IT Army is disrupting Russia’s alcohol distribution. “Hacktivists operating on the side of Ukraine have focused their DDoS attacks on a portal that is considered crucial for the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Russia. DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks are collective efforts to overwhelm servers with large volumes of garbage traffic and bogus requests, rendering them unable to serve legitimate visitors.”
New York Times: Need a Drink? Get in Line. “New York City’s bars are back and more crowded than ever. Since indoor vaccine mandates were lifted for the city’s bars on March 4, bar and club owners have reported huge lines and a big bump in drink sales.”
New York Times: Alcohol-Related Deaths Spiked During the Pandemic, a Study Shows. “Numerous reports have suggested that Americans drank more to cope with the stress of the pandemic. Binge drinking increased, as did emergency room visits for alcohol withdrawal. But the new report found that the number of alcohol-related deaths, including from liver disease and accidents, soared, rising to 99,017 in 2020, up from 78,927 the previous year — an increase of 25 percent in the number of deaths in one year.”
New York Daily News: Vaccine appointments multiply after Quebec requires shots for weed, alcohol stores. “They’re going shots for shots. First-dose vaccine appointments quadrupled in Quebec after the Canadian province required vaccine passports to buy alcohol and marijuana. Quebec announced the new rules Thursday, when there were an average of 1,500 first dose appointments, the Montreal Gazette reported.”
Washington Post: States rushed to loosen alcohol laws in the pandemic. Heavy drinking went up, some studies say.. “The new rules include cocktails-to-go laws, which allow consumers to pick up mixed cocktails, beer or wine at their local pub or restaurant, and direct-to-consumer laws that allow grocery stores or liquor stores — and sometimes distillers, brewers or winemakers — to deliver alcoholic beverages directly to people’s homes…. But critics say expansion has come at the same time alcohol sales soared and drinking spiked. Studies have found higher rates of binge drinking and alcoholism, and some state coroners have reported a sharp increase in alcohol-related deaths during the pandemic.”
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