Alcohol...again

This report yet again draws our attention to the epidemic of binge and underage drinking in the UK.

Why do we drink so much as a nation, and as an age bracket?

Here are my reasons for doing so (I appreciate I'm not an underage drinker, but still I do my fair share every weekend):

1) It's fun (everything is funnier when you're drunk).

2) Things happen that wouldn't normally, which is always interesting (ie because inhibitions disappear, people say and do things out of the norm. So it's kind of like stepping into a different world for a few hours, an alcohol induced Narnia if you will).

3) Escapism from a heavy workload during the rest of the week.

But are these reasons valid? Or have we lost the ability to go out and have a laugh without pickling our internal organs?

I never sit there on a Sunday worrying what damage I've done to my body the night before through drinking. I just drink a shed load of water and think it'll be fine. But the report did make me consider that every weekend I am putting my body through quite a trauma.

Does anyone else ever consider the health issues? Has this report had any effect on you, or are you all die hard hedonists who don't care?

Girl dies after internal bleeding went undetected in hospital

Check this out:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1082265/I-need-water-Im-dying---Tragic-patients-agonised-help-doctors-ignored-her.html

Kathleen Doherty went into Royal Preston hospital to have her gall bladder removed in what should have been a simple routine operation.

But after the operation doctors said they were too busy too assess her, despite her calling out for water and screaming "I'm dying." She suffered a massive postoperative bleed but the newly qualified physician didn't think she needed a review.

Her parents plan to sue for negligence after Preston Coroner's Court heard how a series of blunders caused her death.

What do you think should happen to those who dismissed her calls for help even though she was thrashing around on her bed, clearly in pain?

Drinking during pregnancy

Hi everyone,

A report this morning announces that drinking in small amounts might actually be good for your baby during pregnancy.

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Before you can say 'tequila slammer', pregnant women may misunderstand the result, and think it's ok to have a couple more units than they would have done. It is potentially misleading, and could invite excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Let's face it, how good can alcohol be for a foetus? And if an 'amount' of alcohol is good for the baby, it's not going to be more than an eye bath full I bet. And what's the point in having a sip of wine for its 'health' benefits? Why not just do something else that's good for the baby's development, like eating a healthy diet rich in vitamins and iron?

Opinions please???

I need to speak to some pregnant Preston women on this matter...

Cervical cancer vaccine

What does everyone think? Should 13 year old girls be offered this vaccine for free? I certainly think so. But there was a Catholic school, in Bury I think it was, who refused to offer it to their pupils. I wonder what the general consensus is in school around Preston?

What does everyone else think? Are we really encouraging sexual promiscuity if we offer a vaccine helping to protect against an STD virus? Or is it just plain common sense to educate teenagers about the risks, then back this up by providing protection? I'm with the latter.

Welcome to the Preston blog

Hello,

My name is Alexandra McGowan. I am training to be a newspaper journalist at the University of Central Lancashire.

Welcome to my blog about health and social services in Preston town centre.

Aside from my specialist areas of interest, I will also be investigating the general goings on around the town centre. No matter how seemingly insignificant, I'll be looking into it.

You never know when an exclusive is round the corner...so let me know if you see or hear anything exciting.