Uncorked!
The Hidden Hazards of Alcohol

Uncorked! delves headlong into the deep and real issues of alcohol and its abuse. Making a strong case for reducing alcohol consumption and encouraging the choice not to drink, John Ashton and Ronald Laura provide the background and information to make an informed decision.

This book points out the strong link between drinking and “successful living” on all levels. Whether it’s a new job, a work party, a date or a casual get-together with friends, drinking is portrayed as a near-necessity to those wanting to live a “successful” life in the world.
However, regardless of the “success” linked to drinking, statistics remain the same: in recent years, alcohol consumption has increased 10% with 35% of those drinking doing so at hazardous or harmful levels.
Ashton and Laura analyse alcoholic beverages, how they are made and what makes up the alcohol content in them. But the real core of the book is the negative affects on society, family and the individual. The cost to the community includes health risks, cleaning up after wild parties and general vandalism.
Peer pressure and the media have influenced the increase of teenage drinking with its associated lifestyle of parties, reckless driving and a steeply increased number of teen pregnancies. Sadly, statistics show that more and more teens are drinking and drinking to get drunk. “They are drinking younger and more than previous generations.”
The very real and often overlooked element addressed is that of violence. It affects the general community and mostly families. Domestic violence is a factual link with alcohol.
Alcohol and families don’t mix. Alcohol and teenagers don’t mix. The cost to the community is staggering. How should we handle the freedom to drink? The message in Uncorked! is clear—as a community we should be encouraging each other not to drink. The facts speak for themselves.

Uncorked! The hidden hazards of alcohol,
John F Ashton and Ronald S Laura,
Signs Publishing Company, 2004, 136 pages.

www.alcoholUNCORKED.com