Alcohol

On April 15, Midshipman Mark Harper died with enough alcohol in his blood to be well over the legal limit. He smashed his car into a guardrail on Bay Ridge Avenue, illustrating what Naval Academy officials say is their biggest problem: alcohol abuse.Now, Adm. Charles R. Larson, who took over as academy superintendent in August to repair the image of a school racked over the past six years by several sexual harassment cases and the largest cheating scandal in Navy history, is attacking the alcohol problem.

A U.S. District Court judge has ruled that Good Guys Bar & Grill, a nude dance club in North Laurel, no longer can let patrons drink alcohol if it continues to feature nude dancing.But the owner of the nearly 3-year-old club already plans an appeal and says he will deny patrons the privilege of bringing alcohol into the club rather than halt nude dancing."It's obviously a sad day for me," said Behnam Zanganeh, 48, who sued to block a state law prohibiting alcohol and nude dancing in a public place.

Four teen-age boys were charged with underage possession of alcohol Saturday after officers received a tip alleging that a Severna Park liquor store was selling alcohol to minors, county police said.Police said officers from the Eastern District and tactical units were watching Cork'N Keg Liquors in the 500 block of Ritchie Highway when a young man bought a case of beer without being asked for identification. When officers found the young man, identified as Patrick Michael Lachapelle of the 100 block of Berrywood Drive, was 19, he was charged, police said.

Q: I have gotten mixed messages about the effects of alcohol on the heart. Some articles indicate that alcohol harms the heart while others state that it is good for the heart. Which of these positions is correct?A: Mixed messages concerning alcohol and the heart are unavoidable because it can have both beneficial and harmful effects.On the positive side, moderate alcohol use (no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink daily for women) is the most potent lifestyle step possible for raising the level of protective HDL cholesterol.

Q: My son and I are having a dispute about something he learned in his high school science class. He says beer contains as much alcohol as a mixed drink. I say beer has less. Who's right?A: It sounds like your son has learned his lessons well. A 12-ounce can of beer, 6 ounces of table wine (white or red) and a mixed drink (which usually contains 1.5 ounces of liquor) all contain the same amount of alcohol.Many people, including teens, erroneously believe beer is milder than drinks made with "hard liquor."

Though a depressant, booze can sometimes make you peppy. And caffeine, that elixir of pep, has no power without the brain's help.Those are just a couple of the myth-busters in "Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine," a new book by science journalist Stephen Braun.Some examples: Women get drunk faster than men not because they are smaller or have different body fat composition but because alcohol-destroying enzymes found in the human stomach lining work better in men than in women.

WASHINGTON -- The federal highway safety agency has overstated the effectiveness of state laws that lower the level of alcohol in the bloodstream needed to classify an individual as legally drunk, a government review has found. The review concluded that lowering the blood-alcohol limit alone did not demonstrably reduce the number or severity of alcohol-related car crashes.The review, by the General Accounting Office, challenged the findings of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in several published studies commissioned by the safety agency, which supports tighter restrictions on drinking and driving.

Q: We have a 1-year-old daughter, and we don't know whether we can have a drink with dinner or if we shouldn't drink in front of her at all.-- Leah Jewell, Fresno, Calif.A: The best thing you can do is to be a role model. "If the parents have wine or beer with dinner, this is how the child is going to learn to use alcohol responsibly," says Kathy Seisdedos, a reader from Healdsburg, Calif. "She will be seeing how to drink, where and when to stop."Alcohol consumption is an emotional issue in American culture, and decisions should take into account the family's moral, ethical and religious beliefs as well as the cultural background.

Worcester County authorities say a 21-year-old Ocean Pines woman has acknowledged buying alcohol that was served to underage drinkers at a post-graduation party in June. A 20-year-old charter boat mate was killed after leaving the party and driving his pickup truck into a tree.Police say that Kristie Abate told investigators last week that she accompanied a 17-year-old youth to a Fenwick Island, Del., liquor store June 1 and bought alcohol that was served at a party at a waterfront farm near Ocean City.

Carroll County Liquor Board members have fined Carriage House Liquors, a Westminster package goods store, $1,000 for selling alcohol to a minor for the second time in three months.During a July 5 hearing, Howard C. Fitzgerald -- co-owner of the store with Roel J. Fitzgerald -- pleaded guilty to the charge that an employeesold alcohol to a state police cadet during a series of random compliance checks throughout the county June 10.The liquor board, in decisions issued yesterday, also fined three other establishments for alcohol sales to minors.