Melbourne, September 17 (ANI): A volatile new breed of weekend drinkers is staggering into emergency wards across Australia, defined as the "'wide-awake drunk'" pulsing on a cocktail of alcoholic uppers and downers.
Leading medicos have spotlighted the links between youth violence and the mixing of stimulant caffeinated energy drinks with depressant alcoholic spirits.
"'It's the stimulant versus the sedative," News.com.au quoted Australian Medical Association president Dr Steve Hambleton as saying.
"'Your perception of your level of intoxication is decreased. So people are getting more and more intoxicated because they're a 'wide-awake drunk' you might say. It started off with the alcopops but, really, it's gone to another level," he said.
High-proof alcohols mixed with taste-masking, high-energy drinks results in spilling into the floors of emergency wards every Friday and Saturday night, said Dr Hambleton.
"'People (are) presenting with glassings, broken cheekbones, depressed fractures, broken jaws, broken noses from punches,'" Dr Hambleton said.
"'Then every Monday morning everyone follows up after the weekend. Doctors run through their lists of fractured noses and facial reconstructions and next week it's all on again.
"It's appalling. We have doctors who train for a decade to get to the start of their specialty, highly experienced medical people treating damage that is avoidable. They're spending the first part of their week - every single week of their career - treating avoidable harm. That is not what a health system is about," he added. (ANI)
