The debate continues to rage about how much the coalition government is doing to address the huge issue of alcohol related deaths. Sir Richard Thompson, President of the Royal College of Physicians asked “how many more people have to due from alcohol-related conditions….before the government takes the situation as seriously as it took tobacco?”.

The doctors, lead by Professor Sir Ian Gilmore said “Alcohol is not an ordinary commodity like soap powder…It is a drug, it happens to be legal, but it is a drug and there are more the 1.5 million people addicted to alcohol. We think, like other areas of public health, like smoking, like seatbelts, there is a strong case for tougher regulation and the most effective regulation would be around price”.

The current situation in the UK has been compared to 1960s France when liver disease deaths were related to the consumption of cheap alcohol – changes in marketing and price regulation altered this situation. Can the same change happen here? Surely as well as a change in price there has to be a significant shift in the way that addiction is recognised and treated? What are your thoughts?

Read the above article for a review of the controversial American organisation, Project Prevention, run by Barbara Harris, whose aim it is to provide drug users with long term contraception or sterilisation to prevent them having children she believes they are unwilling or unable to care for. Who do you agree with?…. Barbara or her critics who claim that her non for profit organisation is a form of social engineering?

Click on the link above to find out how your drinking could affect you in terms of health and finances.  The ‘Newsbeat’s Booze Calculator’ converts the alcohol you consumed into calories, money and units and compares it to how many units are recommended per week.

Are you surprised by your results?�

The above link refers to a news story called ‘Should alcoholics be given drinking zones?’. The link describes a trial that may be conducted in Essex that will see the creation of designated drinking areas in which heavy drinkers are allowed to drink without being moved on the police. Public opinion seems to be mixed about the benefits of this trial; with many reporting that this will create a safe environment for street drinkers and many feeling that designating areas will not help the individuals or the over all problem of alcoholism. This drinking zones trial follows the controversy regarding the decision to create wet day centres around the country. The aim of these wet centres is to ‘provide support, help and treatment for severely disadvantage and chaotic people, including street drinkers…..and to tackle the anti-social behaviour problem for city centres in a constructive, non-criminalising way”. What do you think, are wet day centres and designated drinking areas helping the individuals or just moving the problem?

“As a fellowship of recovering addicts, Sex Addicts Anonymous offers a message of hope to anyone who suffers from sex addiction….. The basic principles of recovery practiced by SAA are found in the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. Although we are not affiliated with AA or with any other organization or agency, we are, indeed, grateful for permission to modify and apply the Steps and Traditions to sex addiction, making recovery possible for us.”(http://saa-recovery.org/)

What is Sexaholics Anonymous? (SA)

“SA is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover.. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop lusting and become sexually sober. There are no dues or fees for SA membership; we are self-supporting through out own contributions….Our primary purpose is to stay sexually sober and help other sexaholics to achieve sobriety.” (http://www.sauk.org/)

If you need help with sex addiction steps2rehab is here to help. http://www.steps2rehab.com/addictions/sexual-addiction/

The above link relates to an article expressing a call to ban self-service tills for buying alcohol. The Scottish National Party’s Stewart Maxwell is suggesting to retailers that they act responsibly and voluntarily end the use of self-service tills for the sale of alcohol. It is suggested that having one supervisor overseeing a number of self-service tills makes it difficult to accurately monitor customer’s ages, hence allowing under age customers to buy alcohol undetected. Many self service tills require manual authorisation by an assistant when age restricted items are being purchased, do you think this is enough to prevent under age drinkers from purchasing alcohol or should the use of self-service tills be banned for all age restricted items?

The above link refers to the MSPs Alcohol Bill aiming to tackle Scotland’s historical alcohol problems.  Key measures including a minimum drink price and raising the purchase age for off licence sales have not been included in the bill.   It aims to end the sale of alcohol at heavily discounted prices, as well as offers such as buy on get one free.   It is hoped that the bill with ‘pave the way for the introduction, in future, of a “social responsibility fee” on retailers who sell alcohol.

Do you think that these measures will significantly impact the social and health damage caused by alcohol consumption in Scotland or will they just stratch the surface?

Research is demonstrating that problem drinking is more prevelent in some parts of the country compared with others (see above link to BBC news article).   Recent research published by the North West Public Health Observatory has found some stark regional divisions, with two thirds of alcohol related harm occuring in the north. 

Health minister Lord Howe said the government was already taking action to stop the sale of alcohol below cost and to review alcohol taxation and price.  However he acknowledged that increasing the cost of alcohol alone will not tackle the huge amount of alcohol related health problems and crime our nation is experiencing:

“Supply and price are not the only factors fuelling misuse though, attitudes are crucial. We need to understand better the psychology behind why different groups of people drink too much. Legislation or initiatives will not work unless we have a better understanding of what drives people’s decisions.”

What are your thoughts?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10784060

‘24-hour drinking culture failed’.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “The benefits promised by the 24-hour drinking ‘cafe culture’ have failed to materialise and in its place we have seen an increase in the number of alcohol related incidents and drink fuelled crime and disorder.”

This comes before an expected plan to overhaul licensing laws to tackle alcohol related violent crime, which has increased since the implementation of 24-hour drinking.

The new laws are intending to support local communities and to punish those venues that are deemed to facilitate violent crimes.

Does it come as a surprise to you that the 24-hour drinking laws in the UK have not produced any benefits, but rather caused more problems? Do you think the concerns about trying to encourage a cafe culture should have been considered more carefully before the laws were passed or is it only with hindsight we can see what a failure this concept has been?

The above link refers to a story published on the BBC website that describes the UK as ‘floundering’ in its attempts to control the online mephedrone market.

Mephedrone and other similar drugs are a thriving trade – as is the case with mephedrone and Naphyrone, once one substance is banned there is another waiting to takes its place. So what is the answer? The quicker one drug is banned and replaced the less we know about the new transient chemical – surely this is increasing the health risk? Most of the time experts advise that users don’t even know what chemical they are taking, let alone the sort and long term consequences of the drug? In fact it is unlikely that the internet dealers that are selling the drugs know exactly what it is that they are selling.

So what do we do about this problem? If all new chemicals are banned (think about the logistics of actually doing this!) will it make any difference or will it just increase the health risk people know less and less about what they are taking?

Whilst different drinks vary in size and strength, below is a rough guide to how may units of alcohol are in what you are drinking:

Beer, Lager and Cider:

4% - 330ml Bottle = 1.3 units,  440ml Can = 1.8 units, 568ml Pint = 2.3 units

5% - 330ml Bottle = 1.7 units,  440ml Can = 2.2 units, 568ml Pint = 2.8 units

6% - 330ml Bottle - 2.0 uniits, 440ml Can = 2.6 units, 568ml Pint = 3.4 units

9% - 330ml Bottle - 3.0 units,  440ml Can = 4.0 units, 568ml Pint = 5.1 units

Spirits (40%):

25ml Small Measure - 1.0 units, 35ml Large Measure - 1.4 units (multiply by two for double measures)

Wine (red, wine, rose or sparkling):

10% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.25 units, 175ml Standard Glass = 1.75 units, 250ml Large Glass = 2.5 units

           Bottle = 7.5 units

11% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.4 units,   175ml Standard Glass = 1.9 units,   250ml Large Glass = 2.8 units

           Bottle = 8.3 units

12% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.5 units,   175ml Standard Glass = 2.1 units,   250ml Large Glass = 3.0 units

           Bottle = 9 units

13% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.6 units,   175ml Standard Glass = 2.3 units,   250ml Large Glass = 3.3 units

           Bottle = 9.8 units

14% - 125ml Small Glass = 1.75 units, 175ml Standard Glass = 2.5 units,   250ml Large Glass = 3.5 units

           Bottle = 10.5 units

(http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_084637.pdf)

Above is a link to a BBC news story that speculates that a review of the drink-drive limit being published later is expected to recommend that it be nearly halved.  The report is expected to suggest that the current limit of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood is reduced to 50mg per 100ml of blood, bringing it in line with other Eurooean countries’ current legislation.

How much you can drink before you are over the limit is not a simple question to answer, as the drink itself (size, strength) and the person’s weight and metabolism have an impact on how alcohol effects an individual.  However,.. “The police argue that any amount of alcohol can affect a person’s ability to drive. So they have a simple solution to the “how much can I drink?” question.

According to Pc Jon Lansley, a traffic officer with Hampshire Police, the answer is simply do not drink anything and drive…. The last thing I want is to have myself or a colleague pull you over. You’ll be arrested, you’re likely to go to court, it will change your life. ”

Do you think a lower drink drive limit will bring down the amount of accidents/deaths associated with alcohol related driving?

The link above refers to a story published this morning on the BBC website. The story advises that a health watchdog has now backed the call for a minimum price per unit of alcohol in the UK.

Do you agree with opinion such as that of Dr Robin Purshouse of Sheffield University that raising the  cvminimum price per unit of alcohol will result in fewer alcohol related deaths and hospital admissions and alcohol related crime OR do you agree with opinions such as that of Simon Litherland of Diageo GB: “Minimum pricing, self evidently, is not going to address alcohol misuse by heavy drinkers because people logic alone tells you that people who have a problem are going to go to any end to actually obtain alcohol.”

The link above refers to a BBC news story about a student in Sussex University selling mephedrone to an undercover reporter.  Does the story reflect that criminalising mephedrone has had any impact on its use in the UK aside from increasing the price per sale?

The ban was partly put in place in reaction to a number of deaths associated with the drug, however conclusive evidence of cause of the deaths is yet to be established.   Has criminalising mephedrone had an effect on how many young people are using it and what else could be done to prevent mephedrone related deaths?

Did you know that the UK is one of only two European countries with a drink-drive limit higher than the EU-recommended limit of 50mg alcohol per 100ml blood? 

The link above points to an article published yesterday by the telegraph.co.uk that refers to a story about public support for lowering the drink driving limit and changes to drug driving legislation so that people driving under the influence of ‘impairing’ substances can be prosecuted in a similar way to drink drivers.

What do you think about current drink driving laws?  Did you know that they are largely different in the UK to other European countries in terms of drink drive limits?

With research coming from organisations like Brake showing that someone driving with the maximum permitted level of alcohol is five times more likely to crash than if they were driving without any alcohol in their system, should we be considering banning drink driving all together?

When it’s your turn to be the designated driver do you drink to your limits or avoid alcohol for the evening?

Sometimes, because we are so emotionally invested in a loved one,  our well meaning efforts actually empower the addict to continue using - often this is because our reactions to the alcoholic or drug addict allow them to carry on with the same patterns and actions, but they avoid the consequences of their behaviour.  This is enabling.

Of course you care about the person and you don’t want to see them encounter social, financial or legal problems, but by allowing the person to continue with no consequences, effectively giving permission to continue on the same path, is not the best way to help the one you love. 

In the same way that physical problems are treated by a medical professional, addiction problems require the support of a addiction specialist to help the addict address what is motivating their substance abuse.  We wouldn’t expect ourselves to be able to match our GP in their clinical knowledge so we shouldn’t expect ourselves to be able to match the skill of a addiction clinician.  What we can do is get some help - both for the ones we love and for ourselves, to gain an understanding of the complex nature of an addiction and ultimately help our loved ones to regain control and live free from the constraints that their substance abuse has put on them.

Enabling is a complex relational issue and one that most people may not realise they are doing, but there is help available.

It is worth asking yourself - “if there was a miracle detox drink why isn’t it well known?”, “if detox drinks worked why would the dangers of detoxing alone be so widely publicised?”, “would it be better to get some professional advice than risk my job and health on an unknown quick fix?”, “if I need a detox is this really going to help me in the long term?”

What are your thoughts?

This link above refers to a news article published on the BBC website about the first mephedrone related arrest in Wales.

Is this the kind of news story you expected to see two weeks after mephedrone was banned?  Do you think that the ban will reduce the number of people using mephedrone in the UK?

The link above refers to a BBC news story about ‘Tanorexia’ - people who are addicted to sun beds and sun lamps.  The story comes from a study conducted by researchers in the US that have found that ‘around a third of people who use sunbeds may become addicted to the tanning effects’.

Valid piece of research or lacking in scientific merit?… you decide…