The longer nights, the wind, the chill – all great for Halloween.

Halloween is big in the US with 96.95% of 25 to 34 planning to celebrate in some form – this is more than the 18-24 crowd (93.18%). The holiday come to the US in the 19th century was with my traditional coming  from the Irish and Scots, and ^{Cajuns. It is now a huge season and worth a record $12.2 billion in spending. This is a significant increase the $8 billion spent in 2020. It is also one of the top 5 drinking and top 10 marijuana holidays in North America.}

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The word “Halloween” is derived from “All Hallows’ Eve,” which refers to the evening before All Saints’ Day. As Irish immigrants brought their traditions to America in the 19th century, Halloween evolved into a community-centered holiday characterized by activities like trick-or-treating, costume parties, and pumpkin carving. Interestingly, the first jack-o’-lanterns were made from turnips, not pumpkins, as they are today. The traditional colors of black and orange with black symbolizing death while orange represents the fall harvest.

Halloween costumes were originally vampires, ghosts, skeletons, scary looking witches, and devils. ^{Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, popular memes, ninjas and princesses. In the 1940s, Halloween retailers Ben Cooper, H. Halpern Company (Halco), and Collegeville started licensing costumes for existing characters like Superman and Donald Duck. These store bought outfits were more appealing and easier for kids and adults. You didn’t have to think, everything was all put together. The Ben Cooper company were the first to premier the very popular Richard Nixon mask in the late 1960s, which sold as equally well as its Ronald Reagan mask even in the late 1980s.  The women’s lib and gay revolution introduced the sexy costume in the 70s. These cultural events made way for the normalization of sexy costumes today.}

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On average, children eat around 7,000 calories and three cups of sugar on Halloween, which is equivalent to almost 169 sugar cubes.  Adults eats about 3.4 pounds during the time around the holiday – about 222 sugar cubes.

The most popular candy for Halloween is:

• M&M’s.
• Reese’s Cups.
• Sour Patch Kids.
• Skittles.
• Starburst

At your next event, you can share these fun facts about Halloween.

The change of seasons has started – so why not add some autumn cocktails?

The leaves are changing, the air is bit more brisk and sweaters and jackets are being pulled out of the closet. Summer is over and autumn is here, and with it is a desire for full, refreshing drinks that have a richer, deeper flavor. You will for for these autumn cocktails which will help brighten the evenings.

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Pumpkin Pie Martini

Canadians and Americans spend over half a billion dollars on pumpkin spice products annually, and Starbucks alone sells than 20 million Pumpkin Spice Lattes each year. So why not up the game and make it into a cocktail?

Ingredients

• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Lemon wedge
• 4 oz vodka
• 3 Tbsp half and half
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• Whipped topping, for garnish
• Cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Create

1. Combine sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a shallow dish
2. Using a lemon wedge, wet rim of martini glasses, then dip glasses in pumpkin spice sugar to coat rim
3. Fill cocktail shaker with ice and add vodka, half and half, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup
4. Shake vigorously until well chilled
5. Strain into glasses
6. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of the remaining pumpkin spice sugar

Black Russian Cocktails

• Ice
• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz Kahlúa or coffee liqueur
• Orange slice or Maraschino cherry for garnish

Create

1. Fill a large measuring glass with ice
2. Add vodka and Kahlúa and stir with a bar spoon or another long-handled spoon until mixture is chilled, about 30 seconds
3. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass
4. Garnish with an orange slice or cherry

Autumn Old Fashioned

The Old Fashioned is an OG drink since it  was first created in the 1800s. First known as the Whiskey Cocktail, it followed the basic formula for cocktails which included a spirit, sugar, water and bitters. As it was quick and simple to make with just some standard readily-available ingredients, it was originally enjoyed first thing in the morning as a hangover cure. Over the years, bartenders have tweaked the drink again and again….so why not add an autumn twist to yours?

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Pear-Ginger Shrub

Shrubs are the hot new things a great option. These mocktails have all the flavor without the alcohol. They are an old way of preserving fruit in vinegar that has found new life in the cocktail world. The result is a sweet-tart syrup that can be added to cocktails, or served on its own with a splash of club soda or seltzer.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ripe pears (about 4 medium)
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger with skin, grated
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, raw or pasteurized
• 3 to 4 ounces club soda, chilled, to serve

Create

Chop pears, with skin, into 1/2-inch dice

Combine pears with the sugar in a nonreactive container (glass or plastic), tossing the pears to evenly coat them, and lightly crushing them.

Add the ginger and cover the pear and ginger mixture with a tea towel

Let it sit in a cool, dark place for 48 hours, stirring the mixture twice during this period

After the resting period, strain through a fine strainer into a jar or bottle that can accommodate an additional 1 1/2 cups of liquid

Pour in the apple cider vinegar and stir to combine

Seal the jar and refrigerate for 10 days, after which it is ready to use (The shrub will keep for up to 6 months refrigerated)

Combine 1 ounce of the Pear-Ginger Shrub with 3-4 ounces of chilled club soda. Stir gently to combine.

Hope you fall for these autumn cocktails.

It is clear tobacco is bad for the lungs and body, but what about cannabis?

More people are consuming marijuana, and it is taking a toll on the alcohol industry. But while marijuana is healthier than alcohol, what about tobacco? Is smoking marijuana bad for your lungs? There are multiple ways to consume cannabis – gummies, oils, vapes and smoking. Smoking is currently holding on to the most popular way to consume, but new users consider it “old school”.  One key reason is the effort needed to smoke.  Vapes and gummies are easier to use “on the go” and have don’t have the smell. So they are easier in larger social situations. But there is still a faithful core committed to smoking.  And for them, the lung question is important.

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Smoking marijuana damages the lungs and can lead to chronic respiratory issues. Regular marijuana smokers often experience symptoms like chronic cough, increased phlegm production, wheezing, and acute bronchitis. The smoke from marijuana combustion contains many of the same toxins, irritants, and carcinogens found in tobacco smoke.

Interestingly, studies have shown mixed results regarding marijuana’s effects on lung function measures. Some research indicates marijuana smoking is associated with airway inflammation and increased airway resistance. However, other studies have found that low to moderate marijuana use may not significantly impair lung function and may even be associated with increased lung capacity. The reasons for these conflicting findings are not fully understood, but may relate to the bronchodilating and anti-inflammatory properties of some cannabinoids.

Emphysema rates appear higher in marijuana smokers compared to tobacco smokers and non-smokers. Marijuana smoking has been linked to large air pockets forming between or within the lungs, especially in heavy users. However, the evidence for increased risk of lung cancer or COPD from marijuana alone remains inconclusive and requires further research

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While marijuana smoke contains harmful compounds similar to tobacco smoke, there are some key differences. Marijuana is typically smoked less frequently than tobacco, leading to lower overall exposure.

But Marijuana smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold smoke in their lungs longer, potentially increasing damage.  And additionally, unlike tobacco, marijuana smoke is usually not filtered, which may increase toxin exposure.

Occasional use cases much less harm, so this information is for more for daily consumers, which can lead to other issues.