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.