I was pleased to read this article in the South Wales Echo today.
I commented last week on a promotion that a club in Cardiff was running – 10 alcoholic drinks for £10. The concern that we have is that such deals encourage binge drinking which can have long term effects on health.
The club has now withdrawn the offer – hopefully taking on board our comments.
All these promotional activities serve to normalise alcohol as an essential part of every day life, so it is no surprise that young people are drawn to alcohol.
In a bid to tackle the soaring cost of alcohol-related harm, particularly in young people, we would like to see a total ban on all promotional deals like happy hours, two-for-one purchases and ladies’ free entry nights.
There can be no more softly, softly approach. The access and affordability of alcohol must be tackled head on.
Showing posts with label cut price drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cut price drinks. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
Our booze culture
The Western Mail has reported today that the number of people admitted to hospital with alcohol-related conditions has risen by 30% in five years.
These figures are unsettling. The population is drinking more and our society is awash with pro-alcohol messaging, marketing and behaviour.
Over the festive period, the admissions to A&E for alcohol misuse will put a huge strain on NHS resources. Intoxicated patients are dealt with by a variety of medical staff and even security guards if they are violent and abusive. Added to this are the costs of tests and treatment, and if the patient is then sent to a hospital bed on a ward, the costs mount up even further.
Supermarkets offering cut price deals and drinks promotions in pubs and clubs exacerbate the problem as people indulge over this period. All these promotional activities serve to normalise alcohol as an essential part of every day life. It is no surprise that young people are drawn to alcohol - when it is cheaper than bottled water, we have to worry about what message we are sending our children.
Alcohol misuse causes family breakdowns, is a major factor in domestic violence, is often related to crime and disorderly behaviour and it kills. It is related to over 60 medical conditions including heart and liver disease, diabetes, strokes and mental health problems. The public should be made aware of the serious risks associated with drinking, so that they can make informed decisions about how much alcohol they are consuming.
Alcohol can be an enjoyable part of social and cultural life especially over Christmas. But the growing booze culture is creating serious problems for the future. Sometimes people may not even be aware that they are drinking too much – it is easy to do. It is important to keep track of how much you are drinking. We would like to see people enjoying alcohol sensibly without over doing it.
Are you a healthcare professional who has dealt with patients who have been admitted due to alcohol misuse? Share your experiences with us.
These figures are unsettling. The population is drinking more and our society is awash with pro-alcohol messaging, marketing and behaviour.
Over the festive period, the admissions to A&E for alcohol misuse will put a huge strain on NHS resources. Intoxicated patients are dealt with by a variety of medical staff and even security guards if they are violent and abusive. Added to this are the costs of tests and treatment, and if the patient is then sent to a hospital bed on a ward, the costs mount up even further.
Supermarkets offering cut price deals and drinks promotions in pubs and clubs exacerbate the problem as people indulge over this period. All these promotional activities serve to normalise alcohol as an essential part of every day life. It is no surprise that young people are drawn to alcohol - when it is cheaper than bottled water, we have to worry about what message we are sending our children.
Alcohol misuse causes family breakdowns, is a major factor in domestic violence, is often related to crime and disorderly behaviour and it kills. It is related to over 60 medical conditions including heart and liver disease, diabetes, strokes and mental health problems. The public should be made aware of the serious risks associated with drinking, so that they can make informed decisions about how much alcohol they are consuming.
Alcohol can be an enjoyable part of social and cultural life especially over Christmas. But the growing booze culture is creating serious problems for the future. Sometimes people may not even be aware that they are drinking too much – it is easy to do. It is important to keep track of how much you are drinking. We would like to see people enjoying alcohol sensibly without over doing it.
Are you a healthcare professional who has dealt with patients who have been admitted due to alcohol misuse? Share your experiences with us.
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Could the WAG be following it’s Celtic cousin’s lead in tackling binge drinking?
I think the front page of the Western Mail certainly makes for encouraging reading re. tackling the cheap prices of drink in Wales. In response to the Scottish Government deciding to draw up measures to stop sales of cut-price alcohol, it seems the Welsh Assembly Government wants to do something similar. Of course, the WAG can’t implement any licensing changes without approval from Westminster. But pressure will apparently now be put on the UK Government to make sure change does happen.
This can’t come a moment too soon either, with strong action needed NOW to tackle alcohol misuse in Wales. Doctors see first hand how heavy drinking destroys lives. The health consequences of binge drinking are serious and severe. It’s related to more than 60 medical conditions including heart and liver disease, diabetes, strokes and mental health problems.
The BMA has for some time now wanted to see licensing laws altered to take into account the points below;
• Higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and this increase should be proportionate to the amount of alcohol in the product.
• An end to irresponsible promotional activities like happy hours and two-for-one offers.
• Standard labels should be displayed on all alcoholic products that clearly state alcohol units, recommended guidelines for consumption and a warning message advising that exceeding these guidelines may cause the individual and others harm.
• The legal limit for the level of alcohol permitted while driving should be reduced from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml throughout the UK.
One thing’s for sure, if radical action isn’t taken soon on this issue, then the many problems that go hand-in-hand with excessive drinking will get worse and the annual £70-85 million cost to the Welsh NHS of drink-related incidents and diseases will only increase.
This can’t come a moment too soon either, with strong action needed NOW to tackle alcohol misuse in Wales. Doctors see first hand how heavy drinking destroys lives. The health consequences of binge drinking are serious and severe. It’s related to more than 60 medical conditions including heart and liver disease, diabetes, strokes and mental health problems.
The BMA has for some time now wanted to see licensing laws altered to take into account the points below;
• Higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and this increase should be proportionate to the amount of alcohol in the product.
• An end to irresponsible promotional activities like happy hours and two-for-one offers.
• Standard labels should be displayed on all alcoholic products that clearly state alcohol units, recommended guidelines for consumption and a warning message advising that exceeding these guidelines may cause the individual and others harm.
• The legal limit for the level of alcohol permitted while driving should be reduced from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml throughout the UK.
One thing’s for sure, if radical action isn’t taken soon on this issue, then the many problems that go hand-in-hand with excessive drinking will get worse and the annual £70-85 million cost to the Welsh NHS of drink-related incidents and diseases will only increase.
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