2020 Q3 Iowa Spirits - 6

WELCOME

TAKING INVENTORY
As Iowa and the nation work to emerge from an unprecedented challenge, it's a great time to take stock, and make sure
we're in charge of our lives.

t's no secret that hard times can bring hard
drinking.
Back in the Great Recession, for example,
there was a significant spike in binge drinking
in the United States.
And the COVID-19 crisis has seen sales of alcoholic beverages go up, even as sales of many
other products go down.
Terms we'd never heard before-"Zoom Happy
Hour," "Quarantini" and others-suddenly entered
our day-to-day world.
And while there is an association between
stress and alcohol consumption, there are also
associations between increased alcohol and
health vulnerabilities, risk-taking behaviors, mental health issues and violence, according to the
World Health Organization.
The timing of this first 2020 edition of Iowa
Spirits provides a perfect window for a quick
review of the tenets of responsible drinking-

FAVORITE
DRINK

those practices that assure that we enjoy alcoholic beverages as one of life's small pleasures,
and not allow consumption to begin to migrate
from our control to the products' control.
Most basic and most important: U.S. Dietary
Guidelines recommend that consumption of alcoholic beverages should not exceed up to one drink
a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
Consuming alcohol at levels beyond that level
of moderation can move some people toward an
unhealthy dependency, and an overemphasis on
alcohol as just one part of a balanced approach
to relaxation and appreciation of life. Other recommended activities geared toward unwinding
include exercise, hobbies, social interaction and
meditation.
And just to keep in mind the far boundaries as
you practice responsible consumption, here are
some of symptoms of alcohol dependency, courtesy of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration:
* Drinking more than intended.
* Trying to cut down, but
failing.
* Drinking more than previously to achieve the same effect.
* Loved ones have made comments about your drinking.
* Drinking interfering with
daily activities or work.
The world is full of an unending array of pleasures and pursuits. May the responsible
enjoyment of your favorite drink
remain a treasured and mindful
choice among them.
-The Editors

6 IOWA SPIRITS

2020 Q3 Iowa Spirits

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2020 Q3 Iowa Spirits