News
Alcohol Gravest Threat to Society, Claims Sacked Scientist - 5.11.09
The minimum drinking age should be increased to 21 and the price of alcohol tripled in order to tackle what will soon be the "biggest killer" in modern society, claimed the sacked head of the government's drug advisory body.
Professor David Nutt said that he had deliberately provoked a debate in order to force the government to curb the growing "time bomb" that is the abuse of alcohol. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph and a press conference, he said that the government's response to the problem had been "puny" and he needed to act to stop the "tidal wave" that is engulfing the country.
"When I say alcohol is more dangerous than ecstasy, cannabis and LSD, I mean it," said the former chairman of the Home Office's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
"The Government has to wake up to this time bomb and the health risks of alcohol. This whole row is about alcohol. I want parents to know 'alcohol will kill your kids, not ecstasy'."
He said he spoke out because ministers had repeatedly blocked attempts to put meaningful pricing controls on alcohol or increase the minimum drinking age.
Liver disease due to alcohol was likely to become the major public health problem in the next few years, overtaking heart disease as the biggest killer, he said.
That along with the numerous social problems and huge number of deaths on the roads caused by alcohol meant it was one of the greatest threats to modern society.
He said alcohol was the biggest "gateway drug" to harder substances and increasing the minimum age from 18 to 21 would save numerous lives.
"A shifting of the starting age would also reduce the damage to brain and body and the likelihood of becoming dependent," he said.
"There are hundreds of kids lying in hospital beds waiting for transplants that will never come."
The Home Office performance figures showed that more than one in four people believe that alcohol is blighting their community.
Source: Daily Telegraph, 5th November 2009
Richard Alleyne, Cassandra Jardine and Richard Edwards
Liver & Oral Cancers - October 2009
Primary liver cancer cases tripled in 30 years - from 865 in 1975 to 3,108 in 2006 - reveal statistics from Cancer Research UK. The three main risk factors for liver cirrhosis - alcohol, obesity and hepatitis C (usually spread by drug users) - are more common nowadays. Cancer Research UK also revealed that diagnosis of oral cancer rose by 28% among men and 24% among women in their 40s. It blames the UK's heavy drinking culture, rather than tabacco, for the surge in oral cancers.
Source: Addiction Today, September/October 09
Drink-related deaths have soared 40% - July 9th 2009
The number of people drinking themselves to death has soared by 40% in the past ten years.
There were 7,341 deaths last year compared with 5,287 people who died in 1999, figures showed.
Worryingly, the number of women who lost their lives to drink has risen by 32% to 2,501 while the number of men has soared by 43% to 4,840.
There has also been a 24% rise in the n umber of young adults – under the age of 40 – who died from alcohol.
Shadow home office minister James Brokenshire, who obtained the figures during a parliamentary question, said the government ‘seemed completely unaware of the enormity of the problem’.
He added: ‘The impact on services like the NHS really can’t go on’.
Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said Britain’s ‘drinking culture’ was to blame.
‘This is horrifying evidence of the scale of the alcohol crisis,’ he added. ‘Ministers cannot continue to ignore the fact that thousands of people are dying because of excessive alcohol consumption.’
Alcohol Concern said the price of drinks should be raised as a deterrent.
Chief executive Don Shenker said: ‘There’s no magic bullet to change our drinking culture but putting a stop to the irresponsible sale of low cost alcohol would be an effective step in the right direction.’
Ministers said they were spending millions educating people to the dangers of alcohol with every pound spent saving the public purse £1.20.
‘Alcohol is one of the most challenging public health issues we face. We are working harder than ever to reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions and to help those who regularly drink too much,’ said a government spokesman.
Source: Metro, July 9th 2009
Striving to be happy - 24th June 2009
Mandy Saligari, Director of Charter Day Care, has recently contributed to a book called 'Finding Mr Right' by Annie Harrison, published by JR books in May 2009.
"...So many components of that relationship reflected issues I had with my own background. I began to be able to distance myself from my experience and started to view all my relationships more objectively, seeing them as symtoms of my unhappiness. As many of us could, I looked back on my childhood and pointed the finger, but then I felt guilty. My parents had done the best they could with what they had; they has suffered their own disappointments, so why should they be held accountable for my inability to have a committed relationship too? But home life has an impact on a child and I was no exception. I had been dealt a hand and had to learn how to play it to my best advantage. That meant that I had to know my cards and so once again I looked at my childhood, but this time without the blame that obscured the view and abdicated me from responsibility. Without disclosing too much about them, it was clear that until I resolved my relationship with both my mother and father, and came to terms with the impact their relationship - and subsequent divorce - had had on me, my chances of forming a healthy relationship with anyone were compromised. Nurture had indeed its part to play.'
