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?

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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.

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