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:

http://www.express.co.uk/comment/hav...of-alcoholics?



Are we?

[Michael Parnham]

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

[stevewool]

Give me a cuppa anyday, ok OK a biscuit too

[les_taxi]

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

[stevewool]

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

Double vodka red bull and i would be out Knocked out

[Arthur Little]

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

[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

[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

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

[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.......

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.......

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
all sorts of things are bad for you but
hey he ho we all gonna die anyway
I for one don't want to live to an age where I'm in a nursing home pooing my pants
I'd rather go earlier with a smile on my face

[KeithD]

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

[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 .


• 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 ).


• 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.