Alcoholic myopathy is a condition that causes loss of function and strength in your skeletal muscles in response to long-term or heavy drinking. It can come on suddenly after binge drinking or can happen over time after regular alcohol use.

Alcoholic myopathy happens in about one-third of people who have alcoholism. It’s more common in people who have other alcohol-related diseases like liver cirrhosis. 

There are two types of alcoholic myopathy: acute and chronic.

• Acute alcoholic myopathy. This type happens after binge drinking 4 to 5 alcoholic drinks that cause a blood alcohol level of 0.08 grams per deciliter or more. It can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called rhabdomyolysis, in which alcohol causes muscle tissue to break down and release into your blood.
• Chronic alcoholic myopathy. This type of muscle condition is linked to a lifetime of drinking high amounts of alcohol. Over time, too much alcohol leads to tissue damage and deficiencies in B vitamins, iron, zinc, potassium, and vitamin D. This causes problems converting protein into muscle and repairing muscle. (Source: WebMD)

Also see

A new scientific study concludes there is no safe level of drinking alcohol.

For your Health – No Amount of Alcohol is Safe

Alcohol and other drug overdoses are a significant public health problem and a common cause of death among young adults. This study assessed whether alcohol use at age 15–16 years is a risk factor for alcohol or drug overdose, or poisoning requiring medical attention, by the age of 32–33 in a population-based Finnish cohort study

• First alcohol intoxication at age ˜12, and high alcohol tolerance were associated with an increased risk of intentional overdose.
  

Comments: This cohort study suggests that specific alcohol use patterns in adolescence are associated with increased risk of alcohol and other drug-related overdose later in life. Overdose prevention efforts could include early identification and intervention during adolescence/young adulthood for people with early onset of alcohol consumption, frequent alcohol intoxication, and high alcohol tolerance.

(Source: Boston University AOD Current Evidence May 2023)

Also see www.greaterrisk.com and 21bethere.org.au

 The self-regulatory alcohol advertising system in Australia, ABAC, conducted a review of their code and processes last year, which report is about to be released.

Several health and community groups publicly declined to participate in the review. But more, they released the following statement in relation to the clearly industry subjective, and no doubt, self-affirming process.
“We, the undersigned, refuse to participate in this process of reviewing a scheme which is inherently flawed. No amount of tinkering with the ABAC, which is designed and run by alcohol lobbyists, will ever put the health and wellbeing of our community above the profits of these multinational corporations. We need strong Government-led regulation of alcohol marketing in Australia that is independent of the alcohol industry — a comprehensive legislative framework with enforcement measures that effectively stop harmful alcohol marketing. Many community and health organisations have long recognised and advocated for such an approach.”

What is Really Needed:

• Now, alcohol companies relentlessly market their products to children, young people and people at risk of harm – this must change immediately.
  
• The rules the industry has developed for itself are weak and littered with loopholes. Community complaints are often dismissed, and even when breaches are upheld, there are no consequences because the code is completely voluntary. Or just remove useful but ignored long-standing best practice legislation.
  
• Consequently, it is way past time that all Alcohol advertising needs to be subject to government-led regulation that protects children, families and the broader community.
  

• Australia leads the world in research relating to online alcohol purchasing.

• Bottle Shop in your hand – with much less scrutiny.
  

• Endeavour & Coles account 60% of online sales – Endeavour Group accounts for 50% of sales grossing 1 Billion Dollars in sales. Coles 12% Both groups have experienced significant growth of online sales.
  

• WA Cancer Council reported that there was an alcohol advertisement on social media every 35seconds every single night in 2020 – all during height of Covid and the psycho-social vulnerabilities this created.
  

• Often alcohol supply to people 18 to 24 and those under 18 did not have their ID check at time of order or delivery.
  

• Found deliveries frequently left unattended at point of delivery.
  

• Online deliveries were received on average of only one hour of purchase.
  

• Rapid delivery services extended drinking sessions and add to risks and harms in relation to oversupply and enabling extended binge drinking.
  
  For complete conversation and data go to to Webinar

Also see

• Predatorial Liquor Industry still largely unchecked! And who is paying the awful price?
  
• Victorian Liquor Control Reform Amendment Bill 2021
  
• Alcohol delivery in WA: Results from an audit of online alcohol retailers prior to and following the introduction of WA Liquor Delivery Regulations

Many hospitalisations and deaths involve injury where the person injured had consumed alcohol, referred to here as “alcohol-related” injury. This report presents data from 2019–20 on 30,000 hospitalisations and almost 1,950 deaths from alcohol-related injury. For both males and females, falls, intentional self-harm and assault were the leading causes of hospitalisation. Among all hospitalisations for injury, 1 in 4 intentional self-harm and 1 in 5 assault cases involved alcohol.

Source: Australian Institute of Health & Welfare