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Edition 1 - May 2003

What's the right mix for you?

As you've already checked out the website it's safe to assume that you're curious to find out what's the right mix for you. It's not surprising to find that it varies for everyone.

One recent caller - let's call him Bill - thought he had the mix right, but was shocked to find himself on a drink-driving charge. He'd had a few beers after an afternoon of bowls and confidently drove home in the evening. A roadside random breath test revealed that Bill was over the limit at .075 BAC and done like the dinner he never had. After only three light middies? Bill was stumped.

We uncovered some clues after talking to Bill. He drank those three middies in an hour, after a strenuous day in the hot sun - it was over 35 degrees. He hadn't had any other fluids during the afternoon's bowls.

Bill had not eaten anything all day, so the beer raced through his blood stream faster than if he'd eaten a sandwich with his beers. Drinking on an empty stomach can certainly affect the mix.

The final clue? Bill didn't realise that some of his medication contains alcohol. Medication and alcohol are a dangerous cocktail, and in Bill's case, it's likely that the combination helped take him over the limit. He was also on medication for diabetes and was on a pain killer called Tramal, which should definitely not be combined with alcohol. Although these other medications may not have altered his BAC they would certainly have increased the effects of alcohol.

As a rule of thumb, men should drink no more than two standard drinks in the first hour and no more than one standard drink every hour after that to stay under the .05.

Three middies of light beer are equivalent to one and a half standard drinks and at an average weight for a male of his age, it would seem that Bill would normally be OK to drive - so why was he over the limit?

There is no doubt that Bill would have been dehydrated after four hours or so in the hot sun playing bowls and the less fluid in your body the greater the effect of alcohol. He probably needed about one to one and a half litres of fluid to rehydrate. Alcohol does nothing for rehydration.

Also he had not eaten all day and without food in his stomach his BAC would peak quicker and higher than if he had eaten.

Next time, Bill's going to start with water, juice or a soft drink to rehydrate and quench his thirst. He'll have a meal before or with his beer as well. From now on, he'll take into account the alcohol in his medication and the recommendations when deciding when and what to drink.

Bill's had a tough lesson about getting the right mix. From now on, he'll make sure that alcohol will just be a part of his already pretty healthy lifestyle. He exercises regularly and normally has a good diet. He's now just more aware of how to make sure that drinking fits into the mix.

The Cork's Out of the Bottle!

This month, we're celebrating the roll out of The Right Mix information products. Look out for copies at ex-service organisations; DVA, VAN and VVCS Offices; and with health providers.

Click here to order materials from the website.

And the news is good. Alcohol is an enjoyable part of the mix in a healthy lifestyle that includes good diet and regular exercise. However, for some veterans, getting the right mix can involve cutting down or cutting out alcohol.

DVA's project team has worked closely with veterans to produce health promotion information, training and treatment pilot projects to get the Right Mix message out to the veteran community and health providers. Providers and veterans can use the materials when talking about health and alcohol.

Your Stories

At their regular get-togethers, a group of veterans in Victoria insist that everyone starts with a schooner of lemon squash before they can have a beer. This is a practical example of the Right Mix in action and we'd like to hear similar stories from other parts of the country. What do you and your mates do to encourage low-risk drinking?

Click here to email your stories to alcoholproject@dva.gov.au.

Remember, even small changes you make to how much and how often you drink can make a significant difference to your health, lifestyle and relationships.

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