Alcohol disease 'hits young hard'

[Taf]

Doctors are seeing rising numbers of patients in their late teens and early twenties with severe alcohol-related disease, many of them women.

Of 115 specialists who replied to a BBC questionnaire, 77 said they had treated at least one patient aged under 25.

Many said the social acceptability of heavy drinking was the most important influence on young people.

Twenty-four organisations, representing doctors and charities, have joined together to form the Alcohol Health Alliance.

It wants the government to make alcohol misuse a higher priority.

Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said the government had already drawn up a plan for concerted action.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7092347.stm

First tobacco, now alcohol... Brown must be wringing his hands in glee at the extra tax he could raise until drinking is banned.....

[Lisa]

we'll be living on lettuce soon

[Taf]

Haven't you heard of the Salad Tax?

It comes in just after the fat tax, the biscuit tax, the cat tax and the sleep tax....

[Spite]

  As a man who seems to pick his drink on strength, (And you do, you know.  Quite regularly, you advertise the strength of your booze.) is this just a case of a responsible adult, not accepting that the lowest common denominator in society, just can't handle their pop?

[Taf]

Before all this legislation and tax-by-strength appeared, British (and Continental) Ales and Lagers were always "strong" in alcohol as this gave them a long shelf life and taste. Many sold nowadays are so weak in alcohol and malts/hops that they are no more than gassy water (AKA American beer), and CO₂ MUST be added to preserve the drink.

I have chosen to drink a small amount of flavoursome "strong" beers, rather than submit to the dishwater many (multinational) breweries produce. I don't drink to get drunk like many people do, I can't get drunk easily as my tolerance over the years has built up. I like the taste.

Underage drinking is often the fault of spurious shop-owners/landlords who see profit before anything else, but hefty fining is now reducing this a fair bit. The same landlords also know they are breaking the law serving drunks.

This "binge drinking" everyone is now talking about has been happening since pubs first appeared. Before Public Houses, families drank at home as ales/beers were part of the regular healthy diet for ALL the family. The home-drinking died-out and adults only were able to drink after work due to restricted licencing hours, and sometimes days (as in the no-alcohol Sundays that existed in Wales).

Then the horrible habit of "drinking in rounds" appeared, which had slow, moderate drinkers being rushed to drink at the same rate as the "quaffers". It also led to the rounds where one person would "only drink double malt whiskeys" which meant poor value-for-money for the other members of the round. Around here, the "quaffers" in rounds got into the habit of stepping out of the round to buy themselves an extra drink whilst the others "caught up". This worked until bars got so crowded, or so poorly-staffed, that "stepping out" wouldn't work as this meant long waits at the bar, and away from the mates' (often inane) conversation.

The troublesome "binge-drinkers" are often so unhappy in their lives that they see alcohol as a release, and only a change in life will help them. Increasing the cost, or reducing the availability of alcohol to this group, will not stop them drinking, in fact IMHO it will make them worse as they see more-and-more of their income going to the Chancellor.

No smoking bars, and increased prices in bars, have led to more more home-drinking of cheaper (not cheap) shop-bought alcohol. People often throw down spirits before going out with the mates to reduce costs, and to start the session already squiffy and boisterous, so drunks are seen much earlier in the day.

The Belgians banned all but beer in pubs many years ago, to stop workers getting tanked-up during breaks, plus landlords over there are particularly aware that they could easily lose their publican's licence FOR LIFE if they serve drunks.

Education by the State won't work in most cases, neither will price-increases or reduction in availability (one group wants alcohol only available in hotels, bars and restaurants). "24 hour" licencing hasn't had a bad effect around here, as people can't afford to drink all day, but it is nice to be able to buy a drink when you feel like one.

Another thing that needs to be addressed is the cost of non-alcoholic drinks in bars/clubs/ restaurants/etc. Many will not drink a soft drink in a pub because they cost more than alcohol!! My own (ex) local serves cola from a 39p 2 litre (3¹/₂ pint) bottle at £1.90 per pint!! That's £6.65 return for 39p outlay!

[Spite]

  You're right on the subject of rounds.  It's a nasty, pernicious habit, that causes the weak to fall by the wayside, (Often with someone impaled on the end of their glass.) I won't buy them, myself.  I'll buy someone a drink, and if I've invited a friend, then I'll pay for their booze all night long, (So long as I'm not out with the reincarnation of Oliver Reed.), but I don't expect anyone to buy my booze in turns all night.  In fact, I'm uncomfortable with even close friends buying me a drink.  The one exception is my Dad, on the rare occasions I see him.  He owes me a damn sight more than a few drinks...

[sabell]

In the long term, alcohol is more damaging to the body than any of the 'illegal' drugs, in my experience

[Spite]

  Personally, I'd legalise all drugs.  Think of the revenue for the Government!