Many of us believe that we are great drinkers and that alcohol does not affect us as much. People who are able to drink without showing any sign of inebriation are known as social drinkers. In short, they are not addicted to alcohol but will not turn down the opportunity to have a good time! While it may seem like it doesn’t affect you, new studies suggest that it is just an illusion, even if you have high tolerance, alcohol affects your cognitive and motor functions more than you think.

The study reveals the below implications and techniques:

• Researchers used a new MRI technique to precisely measure brain electrical activity.
• By comparing brain scans before and after drinking, scientists identified specific areas affected by alcohol and how much brain activity slowed down.
• Participants were chosen to be regular social drinkers without alcohol addiction, ensuring the study focused on the effects of alcohol alone.
• MRI technology provided reliable data on brain activity changes caused by alcohol consumption.

How does the brain react to alcohol?

Think of it as the foundation for your brain's performance. When brain conductivity is high, information flows smoothly, and that helps your brain in rapid processing and response. On the other hand, low conductivity can hinder cognitive function, leading to slower thinking, impaired memory, and difficulties with coordination.

A study conducted at the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Science unveiled a startling connection between alcohol consumption and brain conductivity.

What is the connection between alcohol consumption and brain activity?

While many people brush off the effects of alcohol as temporary changes in behaviour, the reality is much more complex. Beyond the obvious impacts on coordination and judgment, alcohol significantly alters brain function. Alcohol dramatically slowed down brain activity, especially in areas responsible for decision-making, planning, and physical coordination. This decline was so significant that it resembled the brain changes seen in normal ageing. This means even one drink could temporarily accelerate the ageing process of your brain.

Alcohol and Brain activity: What does the study Imply?

The implications of this research are far-reaching. It provides compelling evidence that alcohol consumption has a direct and measurable impact on brain function. The discovery that alcohol can significantly reduce brain conductivity opens new avenues for understanding the neurocognitive effects of alcohol abuse and dependence. While you may not feel like alcohol is affecting you and you have a high tolerance, it most definitely changes and affects your decision-making abilities and impulse control.

Furthermore, the MRI technique employed in the study could be a valuable tool for assessing the impact of other substances on the brain and for developing interventions to mitigate alcohol-related brain damage.

Long hours, jet lag and rapidly changing time-zone are few of the perils of aviation jobs.

Just days after a study revealed that pilots and flight attendants are at a higher cancer risk than the general population, a French court ruled in favour of a former flight attendant, recognising her breast cancer as an occupational disease.

The ruling has exposed the serious risks of exposure to ionising radiation at high altitudes.

About The Lawsuit

A court in Bayonne has recognised former Air France flight attendant Sophie Lainault's breast cancer as an occupational disease, marking the first such ruling for France’s aviation industry.

The court considered her long-term exposure to cosmic radiation, night shifts, and passive smoking during her career that spanned almost three decades.

Lainault, now 59, worked for Air France from 1989 to 2019, first as cabin crew and later as a purser on long-haul flights. She logged more than 12,600 flight hours, including over 6,500 at night.

She told AFP, "It is truly my dearest wish that this opens the way for other women who might not have dared until now."

Also read: Why Flight Attendants, Pilots Face Higher Risk Of Radiation-Linked Cancer Deaths Than Other Occupations?

What Does Flying Have To Do With Radiation Exposure?

The higher you travel, the thinner the atmosphere becomes. At commercial cruising altitudes, there is therefore less atmospheric protection against cosmic radiation.

Aircrew can accumulate substantially more occupational radiation exposure than people working at ground level because they spend hundreds or thousands of hours at high altitude during their careers.

The French court specifically cited ionising radiation as one of the occupational factors in Lainault's case.

It also considered night shifts and second-hand smoke, which was particularly relevant because smoking was permitted on Air France flights until 2000.

The ruling does not mean that radiation alone was the reason behind her breast cancer. The court considered several workplace exposures which may have contributed to her diagnosis.

Also read: Daraxonrasib: US FDA Approves Once-Daily Pill for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

New Study Added To The Concern

The ruling comes just days after a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine examined cancer risk among pilots, flight attendants, and other airline staff who spend several hours at high altitudes.

Researchers analysed more than 12.7 million deaths from 2020 to 2024 across 503 occupations. Flight attendants had the highest proportion of deaths from radiation-related cancers, while pilots ranked second.

Radiation-related cancers accounted for approximately 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% among pilots, compared with about 5% in the general working population.

The cancers examined in the study included breast cancer, melanoma, prostate cancer, leukaemia and cancers involving the central nervous system, among others.

The researchers, however, have cautioned against interpreting the findings as proof that cosmic radiation caused these deaths. Aircrew also experiences night work, disrupted circadian rhythms and other occupational exposures, which can contribute.

Also read: ‘Sunscreen Is A Health Essential’: UK Skin Cancer Survivor Urges Govt To Scrap Tax

What Does This Mean For Frequent Flyers?

The recent study speaks about the occupational hazards faced by pilots and flight attendants, who may spend thousands of hours in the air over decades of their careers. That is very different from someone taking a few commercial flights each year. Airline staff who fly regularly are at higher risk due to the cumulative effect of radiation.

Air France said it was not a party to Lainault's case and had not been informed of the court's reasoning but said the “health and safety of employees at work is an absolute priority.”

A Phase 3 trial of the new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate VPM1002, sponsored by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, has fallen short of showing that it is as effective as the over 100-year-old BCG vaccine at preventing TB infection in newborns, according to results published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

VPM1002 is a live recombinant vaccine created by genetically modifying BCG. It was originally developed in Germany and licensed to the Serum Institute of India.

The trial compared VPM1002 with BCG in newborns across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Gabon.

What Did The Trial Find?

• VPM1002 did not meet the criteria for non-inferiority compared with BCG.
• After a median follow-up of 35 months, QFT conversion (an indicator of TB infection) occurred in 5.3% of infants given VPM1002 versus 4.3% given BCG.
• VPM1002 also failed to meet non-inferiority criteria for other endpoints, including microbiologically confirmed TB.
• No vaccine-related serious adverse events were reported.

“The results favored BCG over VPM1002 across the efficacy endpoints,” said the research team, which included Videlis Nduba of the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Center for Respiratory Disease Research.

The VPM1002 group had more QFT conversions (184 vs 150), confirmed TB cases (18 vs six), unconfirmed TB cases (92 vs 53) and sustained QFT conversions (44 vs 33), researchers said.

How Was The Study Conducted?

The trial included healthy newborns aged 0–14 days weighing at least 2.3 kg.

• 6,940 newborns were randomized; 6,897 received vaccination.
• Of those randomized, 720 were born to mothers living with HIV, while 6,220 were HIV-unexposed.
• The trial ran from November 2020 to June 2022.

Trial Limitations

The trial recorded only 334 of the 632 planned TB infection events. Researchers also noted that TB blood-test results did not always match confirmed TB infections, while more infants in the VPM1002 group had household TB exposure.

“In this paper, what the researchers have measured is developing ‘TB infection’ after vaccination. This does not mean that all babies had TB disease,” said Dr Swathi Krishna, a TB researcher in Maharashtra who was not part of the study.

“A slightly higher number of babies in the VPM group developed infection as compared to the BCG group. This does not explicitly mean that VPM is inferior to BCG, but it falls short of proving its ability in this particular study,” she told HealthandMe.

Why New TB Vaccines Are Needed

BCG, introduced in 1921, remains the only licensed TB vaccine. While it protects children against severe TB, its effectiveness against pulmonary TB in adolescents and adults varies.

VPM1002 is one of 17 TB vaccine candidates in development. TB affected an estimated 10.7 million people and killed 1.2 million globally in 2024.

“There is an urgent need for new tuberculosis vaccines” that are effective across age groups and can be produced at scale, the researchers wrote.

Helen McShane, professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said the findings show that “there are no obvious shortcuts in tuberculosis vaccine efficacy trials.”

Previous Study Of VPM1002 And Immuvac

A Phase 3 trial published in The British Medical Journal in April found:

• Both vaccines could be safe for adults and children in India.
• Neither provided general protection against TB or prevented latent TB infection.
• Both showed an ability to prevent progression to active TB among those who developed latent TB.
• VPM1002 showed 50.4% effectiveness against extrapulmonary TB across all age groups.

India’s food safety regulator has issued notices to two five-star hotels in Delhi’s Aerocity after inspections uncovered a string of food safety, hygiene, storage and licensing violations, including expired food, pest activity and improper handling practices.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) inspected Andaz Delhi and JW Marriott and found serious violations of food safety and hygiene laws. Samples were collected from both properties, upon which further action will be taken.

87 Kg Expired Sweets Found At Andaz Delhi

At Andaz Delhi, inspectors found around 87 kg of expired sweets in the confectionery area, which were destroyed on the spot. Expired cake bases and bread packets were also among them.

The inspectors also saw pest infestation including cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes and spider webs, along with poor waste management, inadequate temperature monitoring and improper food storage.

Officials also reported concerns over the segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, including cutting boards for both food categories being kept together in the same water container.

Samples of items including ghee, mayonnaise, coconut milk powder, dal, tomato sauce, marmalade and cookies were collected for testing.

Also read: FSSAI Flags Food Firms For Misleading ‘100%’, ‘Energy Drink’, Immunity Claims

59 Deficiencies At JW Marriott

The inspection at JW Marriott, which continued for about two days, recorded 59 deficiencies. These included licensing and labelling problems, unclean utensils and food-contact surfaces, pest activity and improper storage.

Inspectors also spotted fungus-affected apples, rotten tomatoes, uncovered food, damaged storage containers and cut vegetables that were not stored properly.

Also read: Ahead Of Raksha Bandhan & Janmashtami, FSSAI Destroys 490 Kg Sweets, 275 Kg Paneer In UP Due To Poor Hygiene

Hotels Respond To FSSAI Notices

Andaz Delhi's spokesperson said that it had reviewed the deficiencies from an FSSAI inspection conducted in June, reinforced its food safety and hygiene practices and submitted its compliance response.

Its spokesperson said, "Health, safety and well-being of our guests and colleagues remain our highest priority."

JW Marriott also said it is committed to guest wellbeing and maintains “rigorous food safety, hygiene and quality standards.”

Also read: FSSAI Orders Halt Of Ghee Sales Amid Adulteration Crackdown: How To Spot Fake Ghee & Its Effects On Your Health

FSSAI’s Recent Crackdowns

The action against the five-star properties comes amid a much wider food-safety enforcement drive across India. Earlier this month, inspections in Bengaluru targeted multiple five-star hotels, where officials found expired meat, milk and sauces, as well as vegetables with fungal growth.

More than 30 notices went to food-service establishments including KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Domino’s and Costa Coffee, while five Domino’s licences were suspended.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra has witnessed one of the most aggressive state-level food safety drives under FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, with more than 3,000 raids and inspections reported since he took charge in May.

The action has targeted restaurants, hotels, warehouses and major food chains, with licences suspended where serious violations were found. Mundhe told Reuters, "Those who try to not comply, they will face what is expected from the regulator. You are dealing with the lives of people."