The Alcohol
Epidemic
--
Dr R Neerunjun Gopee
In
an article entitled “BMA demands crackdown on alcohol
misuse” which was published in the British press on a week
ago, the author highlights the strong measures that the
British Medical Association is advising the government to
take so as to curb the ravages being caused by alcohol
misuse, among the young in particular, the situation being
so alarming as to be labelled a public health emergency, in
fact an epidemic by the BMA. In truth it is not only the
health impact – alcohol-related diseases and deaths –
but the adverse social consequences as well that are the
cause of major concern.
When
two studies were published a few years ago in serious
medical journals showing the beneficial effects of small
amounts of alcohol, doctors were naturally reluctant to give
wide publicity to these results. People might misunderstand
and use this as a pretext to consume more instead of using
alcohol “responsibly.” Here in Mauritius, we are seeing
the dire outcomes of alcohol abuse every single day: the
unabated level of social violence reported in the papers,
almost all being linked to alcohol. Friends and relatives
are killing each other as fast as the screws in their brains
are loosening; children are being sexually assaulted mostly
by their close, drinking/drunk relatives; others are driving
themselves to death in nasty road accidents.
Doctors
have lost count of the number of cases of gastritis, heart
attacks, strokes, delirium that they are called upon to see
daily, the peak being on weekends and Mondays: the “Monday
morning” syndrome is only too well know to industry as the
cause of much absenteeism which affects productivity. Unless
equally dramatic measures are taken, we will sink further
and further into a spiral of disease, deaths and destructive
violence. The evidence stares us in the face. We cannot say
that we haven’t been warned -- it is worth reproducing the
complete article:
‘"The
British Medical Association is not a killjoy," declared
Sir Charles George, chairman of its board of science, at the
launch of a package of proposals amounting to the most
draconian assault on beer, wine and spirit drinkers in a
generation.
As
Tesco became the first of the leading supermarkets to break
ranks with its rivals by calling on the Government to ban
the sale of cut-price alcohol, the BMA said yesterday that
the country was in the grip of an epidemic of alcohol misuse
which successive governments had failed to address.
In
a report spelling out the harm caused by excessive drinking,
the association demanded swingeing increases in the tax on
alcoholic drinks, a cut in licensing hours, and a sharp
reduction in the number of licensed premises – both off
licences and bars and pubs.
Two-for-one
offers, happy hours and similar promotional activities
should be banned, and a statutory code of practice on the
marketing of alcohol introduced.
The
report also calls for a reduction in the drink- driving
limit from the current 80 mgs per 100 mls of blood to 50
mgs. This is in line with most other European countries but
would limit drivers to "one small pub measure".
Sir
Charles said it was recognised that alcohol had been
consumed for hundreds of years and had brought pleasure and
some health benefits to generations of drinkers. "But
when it is misused it causes harm," he said. The level
of harm had risen dramatically with rising consumption.
Asked
if the association's demands amounted to an assault on the
majority who used alcohol responsibly to protect the
minority who used it irresponsibly, Vivienne Nathanson, the
BMA's head of science and ethics, said: "It is a public
health issue – 30 to 40 per cent of young people are
shortening their lives because of alcohol. Perhaps if we
draw attention to the fact that we have a public health
emergency then people might contemplate paying more."
Tesco
said yesterday it would back legislation to outlaw price
cutting on alcohol. Lucy Neville Rolfe, director of legal
affairs, said: "We can't put up our prices because...
that would be commercial suicide, and we can't act together
to put up prices because that would be against competition
law."
Dawn
Primarolo, the public health minister, said the Government
had commissioned an independent review of alcohol pricing
and promotion and its impact on harmful drinking.
Jeremy
Beadles, the chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade
association, said: "Raising tax on drink punishes us
all for the sins of the few."
Doctors'
advice
*
Raise tax on alcohol above inflation, proportionate to the
amount of alcohol in the product.
*
Reduce licensing hours and the number of licensed premises.
*
Ban irresponsible promotions such as 2-for-1 deals and happy
hours.
*
Set minimum prices for the sale of alcoholic drinks.
*
Ban alcohol adverts before 9pm on TV and in cinemas showing
under-18 films.
*
Reduce drink-driving limit from 80mg alcohol per 100ml blood
to 50mg.
*
Ban alcohol industry sponsorship of sporting and music
events for young people.
*
Warning labels stating alcohol content of products, plus
guideline amounts. ’
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