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The Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-12-09, Page 910 Lucknow Sentinel • Wednesday, December 9, 2015 Huron County med. officer reminds public of alcohol risks Dr. Jan Owen Acting Medical Officer of Health for Huron County With the holiday season here, this is a good oppor- tunity to talk about alcohol. There tend to be lots more opportunities to partake in a celebratory drink or two, or... We know that nearly one in five Huron County resi- dents age 12 and over are heavy drinkers, according to the Canadian Commu- nity Health Survey. Heavy drinking is defined as con- suming five or more alco- holic drinks on one occa- sion, once a month or more. As you all know, if alco- hol is misused, it can affect your health. In pub- lic health one of the tasks we are required to do is help reduce people's alco- hol consumption as a way to prevent chronic disease. You might wonder what the link is between alcohol consumption and chronic disease. After all, isn't some alcohol good for your heart health? There is far more evidence of the ravages of alcohol on our health than there is for any small benefit that you might get from moderate alcohol use. As with many things in life, there are trade-offs but I cannot imagine any health pro- fessional encouraging someone to take up drink- ing as a preventive meas- ure against heart disease. There are so many other things you can do to pro- tect your heart without increasing your risk of many other problems such as cancer. Alcohol is known to cause a number of types of cancer. Unfor- tunately there is no safe amount of alcohol when it comes to cancer. A sober- ing thought. There are a few things you can keep in mind when celebrating the holidays this year. If you are going to drink, in order to minimize the risk, try following Canada's Low -Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines. The guidelines recommend that women have no more than 10 drinks a week, with no more than two drinks a day most days. Men should aim for no more than 15 drinks a week, with no more than three drinks a day most days. But what constitutes "one" drink? It's easier to tell with the regular size beer and coolers (12 ounces) how many you've had, but our count can become fuzzy when it comes to pouring wine or spirits. Did you know that a standard glass of wine is 5 ounces? That's just over half a cup! A standard shot of hard liquor (e.g., whiskey, vodka, gin, rum) is 1.5 ounces. It's easy to over -pour; a shot glass is a good measurement. It's also important to know when zero is your limit, such as limes when you'll be driv- ing, taking certain medica- tions, or are pregnant or planning to be pregnant. Safer drinldng tips: • Set limits for yourself and stick to them. • Drink slowly. Have no more than two drinks in any three-hour period. • For every drink of alco- hol, have one non-alcoholic drink. • Eat before and while you are drinldng. • Always consider your age, body weight, and health problems that might suggest lower limits. I wish you all a very merry and bright holiday season. Stay tuned for more Public Health Matters in the new year. nwmo NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION SOCIETE DE GESTION DES DECHETS NUCLEAIRES NWMO Learn More Centre The Township of Huron -Kinloss is one of nine communities involved in a process of learning about Adaptive Phased Management (APM), Canada's plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is working collaboratively with the community to advance preliminary assessment studies. Learn about APM, meet NWMO staff, ask questions and offer your thoughts. Drop in to the NWMO community office and Learn More Centre in Ripley. Everyone is welcome. Erin Gilchrist to host Christmas songs Dec. 17, heads to Kenya in January Erin Gilchrist is looking forward to returning to Kenya in January to work with the community at the Rita Rose Garden and Sus- tainable Farm, which sup- ports vulnerable children at the Kisumu Children's Res- cue Center in Kenya. She is a Global Advocate with the non-profit organi- zation Mama Hope, which is dedicated to helping local leaders access the resources they need to make positive and sustainable change in their communities. Having grown up in the Lucknow area, Erin has seen what an important role agriculture plays in bringing a commu- nity together. She is very excited to have the opportu- nity to help the community in Kisumu, Kenya experi- ence the benefits of a thriv- ing agricultural hub. Our Lady of Perpetual Support (OLPS), the organization that established the Rescue Center, believes that "by providing a safe and empowering home to those who have little guidance and opportunity, they can become productive, healthy, and confident con- tributors to the community." The farm is crucial in ful- filling this vision, as it is responsible for providing the children with nourishing food. In addition to this, the team at the farm is working NWMO Learn More Centre (Huron -Kinloss) 80 Huron Street, Ripley ON 519.386.6711 Wednesday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Submitted photos/Tom Kubik Children cheer at the Kisumu Children's Rescue Center. Women pick maize at the Rita Rose Garden & Sustainable Farm, which supports the Rescue Center. hard to expand and improve its sustainability, with the goal of earning enough income from selling produce at the market to cover all of the Rescue Center's opera- tional costs and the chil- dren's school fees. Gilchrist is inviting the public to join her at the Luc - know Town Hall Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. for Carols for Kisumu: An Evening of Christmas Songs. This will be a great oppor- tunity to learn more about her project, sing all of your favourite Christmas songs, and participate in a silent auction to support the pro- ject in Kenya. There is no charge for this event, but donations to the project would be greatly appreciated. RVilla's Bertha Tout turns 102 Submitted Bertha Tout celebrated her 102nd birthday at Ripley's RVilla seniors community on Dec. 4, 2014. Tout celebrated her birthday alongside Joyce Courtney, who turned 86, along with music by Glen Boyd's Band.