With the holiday season high, there is festive cheer, family gatherings and also an undeniable increases in alcohol consumption that fills the air. Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations to spring break and bachelor parties and sporting events that bring together huge crowds for celebrations mean that drinking becomes synonymous with partying. But behind the revelry lies a much darker behavior: high-intensity drinking.

Alcohol is the most widely used substance in the United States; it has been reported that 84% of adults aged 18 and older reported lifetime use. Moderate drinking is socially acceptable, but high-intensity drinking is an alarming trend. The behavior of consuming eight or more drinks over a few hours for women and 10 or more for men exceeds binge drinking and significantly increases risk for harm.

High-intensity drinking is far from being just a mere passing concern; it is instead a public health crisis. The burden is even greater as 29 million people in the United States suffer from alcohol use disorder. That has caused over 140,000 deaths annually while accounting for 200,000 hospitalizations and 7.4% of visits to emergency departments in the United States. However, only 7.6% of these affected get treated, thus forming a glaring gap in handling this concern.

What Is High-Intensity Drinking?

High-intensity drinking is a dangerous escalation from traditional binge drinking, characterized by consuming double or triple the standard binge amounts. While binge drinking involves four or more drinks for women and five or more for men, high-intensity drinkers often surpass these levels, leading to blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) exceeding 0.2%—a level that significantly impairs judgment and motor skills.

According to Dr. George Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), high-intensity drinking is one of the factors that intensify the risks of injuries, overdose, and death. It is also very highly associated with the onset of AUD, since the chance of addiction increases with increased alcohol consumption per occasion.

Blackouts and Memory Loss Risks

One of the most troubling consequences of high-intensity drinking is alcohol-induced blackouts, periods of amnesia where individuals may appear functional but are incapable of forming memories. Blackouts occur when alcohol disrupts the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory formation.

Blackouts are often categorized into two types:

1. Fragmentary Blackouts: Characterized by spotty memory, where recalling certain details can trigger partial recollection.

2. En Bloc Blackouts: Significant amnesia for hours, wherein no memory is created at all, even if tried to be recalled.

Aside from memory loss, intense binge drinking is linked with poor decision-making, violence, injury, and conflicts in personal relationships.

Why Holidays and Special Events Are Hotbeds for Excessive Drinking

Holidays and celebrations create the perfect storm for high-intensity drinking. According to research, adults drink nearly double the amount of alcohol during holidays like Christmas and New Year's Eve than they do at any other time of the year. It is during these periods of social gathering, holiday stress, and seasonal sadness that people drink in excess.

For college students, experiences like spring break and 21st birthdays increase the danger. Some studies indicate that students, especially those who travel with buddies to spring break, indulge in more alcohol and make more serious decisions than any student who remains at home or goes with their family to other destinations. Sporting events are, too, notorious for promoting drunk consumption, especially among male customers. Alcohol consumption usually goes high during Super Bowl Sunday, thus leading to games day violence and arrests.

Consequences of Heavy Intensity Drinking

High-intensity drinking impacts not only physical health and mental well-being but also social relationships.

Acute Risks

- Alcohol poisoning

- Severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances

- Hypoglycemia

- Risky sexual behavior

- Injuries and accidents

Chronic Risks

- Liver damage, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis

- Cardiovascular diseases such as arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy

- Neurological damage, including memory deficits and blackouts

- Progression to alcohol dependence or AUD

Psychological Impact

High-intensity drinking is strongly linked with increased risks of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Poor decision-making during episodes can lead to long-lasting consequences, including damaged academic, professional, or personal outcomes.

How to Address the Problem

Combating high-intensity drinking requires education, early intervention, and accessible treatment options. The NIAAA has defined high-intensity drinking to be distinct from binge drinking and has called for targeted approaches to decline prevalence and associated harms.

One promising treatment option is naltrexone, which a medication helps control alcohol cravings. Encouraging in preliminary evidence, more extensive clinical trials will be necessary to ascertain its efficacy more specifically in high-intensity drinkers.

As we head into the holiday season and other special occasions, it is important to heighten awareness of the dangers of high-intensity drinking. A good understanding of long-term consequences and seeking help when alcohol-related issues arise can be the difference between life and death. Celebrations should be about joy and connection, not about the gateway to harm.

If you or someone you know drinks at dangerous levels or have an alcohol use disorder, there is help available. Remember, for suspected cases of alcohol poisoning, dial 911. In this way, we can foster healthier relationships with alcohol and create safer environments for everyone.

Even as injectable aesthetic procedures are gaining popularity as "cosmetic" treatments in beauty clinics and wellness centers across the country, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has tightened rules around cosmetic use.

In a new public notice issued this week, the CDSCO stated that cosmetic products that come in injectable form do not fall under the definition of cosmetics under the law. It said that such products are not permitted for use by consumers, professionals, or aesthetic clinics.

"Cosmetic means any article intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled or sprayed on, or introduced into, or otherwise applied to, the human body," the notice said.

It added that cosmetics are for "cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance."

Thus, "products supplied in the form of injectable preparation do not fall under the definition of cosmetics. No cosmetic is permitted to be used as injection by consumer/professionals/aesthetic clinics," the notice added.

What Can No Longer Be Done

The new rules bar professionals and stakeholders from using or manufacturing any cosmetic product intended for injection or medical purposes.

The move also seeks to curb misleading advertising and unauthorised cosmetic practices by clinics and individuals.

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The regulator also warned against misleading claims and the use of prohibited ingredients in cosmetic products, saying such violations attract action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Cosmetics Rules, 2020.

"Use of prohibited ingredients in cosmetic products, misleading claims on label, use of cosmetics for treatment, and application of cosmetics through injection attracts violations of the said Act & Rules," the notice said.

The regulator stated that no person shall alter, obliterate, or deface any inscription made by the manufacturer on the container or label of the product intended for use as a cosmetic.

The notice added that the list of generally not recognised as safe (GNRAS) and restricted ingredients is published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

It has also encouraged the public and users to report any instance of misleading claims or violations through email and state licensing authorities.

Also read: _{Extreme Summer Heat, Pollution Can Take A Toll On Your Eyes: Here’s How To Stay Protected}

Why Injectable Beauty Clinic Therapies Are Under Scanner

The move follows several incidents of sub-standard cosmetic products found to be sold in the market, ranging from Botox parties in upscale salons to glutathione “skin whitening” drips offered in local aesthetic clinics.

Social media trends, celebrity endorsements, and growing demand for “preventive anti-ageing” treatments among younger consumers have driven the market for injectable beauty products, especially Glutathione drips, as well as detoxifying therapies, in the country.

Medical experts have also been raising concerns over their long-term safety and efficacy. As per experts, unregulated injectable procedures carry risks ranging from allergic reactions and infections to liver and kidney complications in extreme cases.

The new norms, thus, are part of the government's plans to strengthen the regulatory mechanism for cosmetics.

The government is also reportedly planning to designate a Central Cosmetics Laboratory to test cosmetic samples and may also designate any laboratory under its control for testing, according to Mint.

In addition, manufacturers will have to keep details and records of each batch and raw materials. Records are to be maintained for three years after the expiry of each batch. Imported cosmetic products shall bear a code number as approved by the State Licensing Authority.

Amid continuing heatwave conditions in northern India, prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures can trigger serious and potentially fatal medical emergencies, particularly among elderly individuals and cardiac patients, according to an expert.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of severe temperatures across several states.

"Heat wave to severe heat wave conditions likely to continue to prevail over northwest & central India during the week and over East India during the next 5 days," the IMD said, in its latest update on May 20.

It added that severe heat conditions will persist for at least the next 72 hours across Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. Temperatures in several cities are expected to touch 47°C to 48°C, with Banda currently emerging as the hottest place in the country.

Dr. Vaibhav Mishra, Senior Director & Head, CTVS, Max Super Speciality Hospital, told HealthandMe that heat-related illnesses are not limited to discomfort or dehydration alone, and can rapidly worsen if early warning signs are ignored.

Heat Exhaustion Vs Heat Stroke

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There are two major heat-related illnesses that people must understand so that timely precautions can be taken — heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

"Heat exhaustion is a milder and more common condition and typically occurs after prolonged exposure to high temperatures or intense physical activity in the outdoors," Dr. Vaibhav said.

Excessive sweating leads to significant loss of water and salts from the body, resulting in:

• dehydration,
• fatigue,
• dizziness,
• muscle cramps,
• weakness,
• headache,
• nausea.

"However, if heat exposure continues and the body’s cooling mechanisms begin to fail, the condition can progress to heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. In heat stroke, body temperature often rises above 104°F," Dr Vaibhav told HealthandMe.

What may initially appear as confusion, disorientation, or irrelevant talking can rapidly worsen into:

• altered consciousness,
• seizures,
• coma,
• death.

How Heat Affects The Heart

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Dr Vaibhav said that to cool the body during extreme heat, the heart has to work harder and beat faster so that more blood can be directed towards the skin for heat dissipation.

"This places additional stress on an already weakened heart. Many cardiac patients are also on medications such as diuretics, which increase fluid loss and dehydration. Certain blood pressure medicines may blunt the body’s normal response to heat and delay warning symptoms," the expert told HealthandMe.

Dehydration further thickens the blood and, combined with increased cardiac workload, can significantly raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and dangerous rhythm disturbances.

How To Prevent Heat Stroke

Dr. Vaibhav stressed the critical need for early recognition of symptoms, especially in vulnerable individuals such as elderly people and cardiac patients, who are much more susceptible to heat-related complications.

Simple preventive measures can save lives. These include

• avoiding direct sun exposure during peak afternoon hours,
• maintaining adequate hydration,
• wearing loose cotton clothing,
• avoiding strenuous outdoor activity,
• never ignoring early symptoms such as excessive fatigue, dizziness, or confusion.

Vanessa Trump, , the former wife of Donald Trump Jr., has revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and recently underwent a medical procedure as she begins treatment and recovery.

In a post on social media platform Instagram, Vanessa informed of recently undergoing a medical procedure as she begins treatment and recovery. However, she did not disclose additional details about the stage of the cancer or specifics of her treatment plan.

"I’ve recently been diagnosed with breast cancer," Vanessa wrote in the post. "While this isn’t news anyone expects, I’m working closely with my medical team on a treatment plan."

She also revealed that doctors performed "a procedure earlier this week" and thanked her family, children and medical team for supporting her through the diagnosis and recovery process.

"I am staying focused and hopeful while surrounded by the love and support of my family, my kids, and those closest to me," she added.

The announcement also drew support from members of the Trump family and supporters online, including a public response from Ivanka Trump, who commented: "Praying for your continued strength and a swift recovery. Love you mama."

The post was also liked by Tiffany Trump and rapidly gained engagement as readers reacted to Vanessa’s news.

Vanessa thanked her supporters “for their kindness” and also requested for privacy in her road to recovery.

"Thank you for your kindness and support it truly means more than I can express," she wrote. "I kindly ask for privacy as I focus on my health and recovery."

Vanessa was married to Donald Trump Jr. from 2005 until their divorce was finalized in 2018. They share five children together. In 2025, she began a highly publicized relationship with professional golfer Tiger Woods.

Also read: Breast Cancer To Reach Over 3.5 Mn By 2050, Deaths To Surge 44% Predicts Lancet Study

What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast Cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the breast grow uncontrollably, often beginning in the milk ducts or lobules. It remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide.

A recent study published in The Lancet Oncology projected that global breast cancer cases could rise to more than 3.5 million annually by 2050.

Major Lifestyle Risk Factors

In 2023, 28 percent of the global breast cancer burden (6.8 million years of healthy life lost to disability, illness, and early death) was linked to six potentially modifiable risk factors. These include:

• High red meat consumption
• Tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure
• High blood sugar levels
• High body mass index (BMI)
• Excessive alcohol use
• Low physical activity

Read More:Olivia Munn Opens Up About Detecting No-Symptom Breast Cancer With Lifetime Risk Assessment Test

Regular checkups are the cornerstone of early breast cancer detection. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), early identification of breast abnormalities greatly increases the chances of effective treatment and survival. Women who ignore screenings may face delayed diagnosis, which can complicate treatment.

• Schedule regular mammograms and clinical breast exams
• Perform monthly self-examinations
• Know your family medical history
• Maintain a healthy weight and active lifestyle
• Pay attention to hormonal health
• Watch for physical changes such as persistent pain, swelling, or skin dimpling.