Is Britain A Nation Of Alcoholics?

[Arthur Little]

Months~old article from the 'Daily Express' ... but followed by a small number of thought-provoking viewpoints, nonetheless:

www.express.co.uk/comment/haveyoursay/123486/Is-Britain-a-nation-of-alcoholics?

:Wine: :Beer: :party-smiley-012:

Are we?

[Michael Parnham]

Don't drink Arthur, so can't comment really!:Erm:

[stevewool]

Give me a cuppa anyday, ok OK a biscuit too:biggrin:

[les_taxi]

Double vodka red bull for me when i'm out late:biggrin:

[stevewool]

Double vodka red bull for me when i'm out late:biggrin:

Double vodka red bull and i would be out Knocked out:Cuckoo:

[Arthur Little]

Not really much of a drinker myself ... :anerikke: ... but neither am I strictly teetotal. :NoNo:

[London_Manila]

Tea total and i cant stand boring drunks
I dont like the taste of it and how it effects people

[Michael Parnham]

Tea total and i cant stand boring drunks
I dont like the taste of it and how it effects people

I agree:xxgrinning--00xx3:

[Rosie1958]

I don't drink alcohol and like others have said, I don't like the taste or the affects it has on other people or their families. I also don't need it to feel sociable :Hellooo:

On the other hand, I can't call myself teetotal either as I don't drink tea or coffee ! :Rasp:

[London_Manila]

Well they lambasted smokers and Tobacco so now they will turn on drinkers and alcohol
overweight people make good targets as well .................our nanny state.......:wink:

Apparently even small amounts of alcohol can cause cancer

[les_taxi]

Well they lambasted smokers and Tobacco so now they will turn on drinkers and alcohol
overweight people make good targets as well .................our nanny state.......:wink:

Apparently even small amounts of alcohol can cause cancer

So can burnt toast! I care not I drink now and again but when i do I make the most of it,I'm not boring :icon_lol:
all sorts of things are bad for you but
hey he ho we all gonna die anyway:biggrin:
I for one don't want to live to an age where I'm in a nursing home pooing my pants:yikes:
I'd rather go earlier with a smile on my face:Jump:

[KeithD]

"Is Britain A Nation Of Alcoholics?" - Nope. Just Scotland :icon_lol:

[Doc Alan]

My answers to the questions raised in this 6 years old Daily Express article :-


• IS BRITAIN A NATION OF ALCOHOLICS ? No – it’s a minority of the population. However, harmful alcohol consumption costs more to the NHS, the economy through lost productivity, consequences of crime, and accidents, than revenue raised through taxes.


• DO BRITS DRINK TOO MUCH ON HOLIDAY? A minority do.



• DO YOU THINK DRINKING EIGHT PINTS A DAY ON HOLIDAY IS TOO MUCH? Yes.


• ARE WE IN DANGER OF BECOMING A NATION OF BINGE DRINKERS? No.



The situation has improved since 2009 :xxgrinning--00xx3:.


• At least 1/5 ( 1/3 in London ) adults have said they don’t drink alcohol at all, especially young adults. Fewer adults now " binge drink " ( over 8 units / day ), especially young adults – although adults in the north of England and Scotland do still appear more likely to binge drink.



• NHS guidelines – suggesting men should not " regularly " exceed 3-4 units / day, and women 2-3 units / day ( with 2 - 3 alcohol-free days / week ) – are due for revision, as " units " are not always well understood, and the evidence for the guidelines is 30 years old.


There are several types of " alcohol misuse " – from dependent street drinkers who frequently attend A + E ; through the now declining number of young binge drinkers ; to the rising number of people, often older, who drink consistently above safe levels at home ( increasingly visiting GPs, hospital outpatients, and eventually needing inpatient care especially for liver disease ).


• Only a quarter of district general hospitals have an " alcohol team " in place. " RADAR " ( RAPID ACCESS TO ALCOHOL DETOXIFICATION ACUTE REFERRAL ) in Manchester is the first service in the country to take patients from different A + E departments ( 11 across Greater Manchester ) to a specialist centre for detox. It – and similar units – could save the NHS millions. Only 6% of adults with alcohol dependence receive treatment ( compared to half of serious drug users ).





• Alcohol misuse CAN contribute to liver and heart disease, obesity, and brain damage - as well as various cancers. However, the absolute risk for UK cancers is 4%. So although " apparently even small amounts of alcohol can cause cancer " , light to moderate drinking is associated with MINIMALLY increased risk of overall cancer in both women and men ( based on two USA studies ). It’s vital to look for " absolute risk " in ANY reports - rather than " relative risk " ( which the media prefers, as it tends to appear more dramatic and unnecessarily alarming :omg: ).


• Treatment is my main concern – but the cost to health and the economy of alcohol misuse does seem to justify controlling pricing, marketing, and availability.