Remind me - how many are hospitalised annually for cannabis use? If
cannabis is as dangerous as alcohol, I'd expect about 80,000, as there's
about 10 times more boozers than tokers.
I'm sure the Dourly Moral would have mentioned that.
"Obviously individuals have to take responsibility for their drinking, but
others, including the industry, also have a role to play."
I agree: but why is that the police take responsibility for someones
toking?
Drinks industry facing tough laws
By Nick Triggle
Health re****ter, BBC News
Ministers have told the drinks industry to act more responsibly or face
new laws governing alcohol sales.
A review of retailers showed many were not following a voluntary code
calling on them to display details on units and to encourage sensible
drinking.
Ministers have responded by launching a consultation on proposed laws
covering happy hours, promotion and labelling.
It comes as figures for England suggest the scale of alcohol-related
hospital admissions is much higher than thought.
NHS Information Centre data had suggested the figure for hospital
admissions was just over 200,000 last year.
But this only covered illness caused directly by alcohol such as liver
disease.
Department of Health figures for England showed that when deaths from
cancer, heart disease and strokes were taken into account the total topped
800,000 last year.
The figure represents a doubling of the numbers in the past four years,
leaving the cost to the NHS standing at £2.7bn.
Doctors said drinking levels were now a major health concern.
But public health minister for England Dawn Primarolo preferred to focus
on the role of industry, saying the response to the voluntary code - parts
of which were introduced in 1998 - was "disappointing".
"The evidence clearly makes this the right time to consult on a far
tougher approach to the alcohol industry.
"Obviously individuals have to take responsibility for their drinking, but
others, including the industry, also have a role to play."
Happy hours
But she dismissed suggestions that the relaxation in licensing laws had
made the situation worse.
The consultation, which will run until October, covers a range of
initiatives which would be applied UK-wide. These include:
• Curbs possibly being introduced on happy hours
• Checkout displays in shops
• Labelling to show how many units each drink contains and what the
recommended drinking levels are
On labelling, the industry was first asked to display the number of units
in each drink back in 1998, but a recent survey by consultants KPMG showed
43% of products did not display the information.
The review also revealed that just 3% were displaying the labelling scheme
in its entirety.
However, the deadline for the recommended limits is not until the end of
the year.
Another review is planned to coincide with that, by which time the
government's review of the impact of pricing on alcohol consumption will
have been fully completed by Sheffield University.
Interim findings published to coincide with the consultation suggested
cheap prices encouraged increased consumption in the young and heavy
drinkers.
This re****t is seen as a key piece of evidence as experts have claimed
that the rise in consumption seen since the 1970s is intrinsically linked
to falling prices.
Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians and
chairman of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance, pointed out one in four adults
is drinking more than the recommended daily amount.
Alcohol 'too cheap'
"This is not just something affecting a small minority, it is not about
the binge-drinking culture, it is affecting a large part of society.
"If we don't get to grips with it, it will have serious health
repercussions.
"The key to tackling this is price. Alcohol is too cheap and that has
driven up consumption."
But industry representatives said new laws were unnecessary.
Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association,
said the proposals would just increase the price for responsible drinkers.
Instead, he said ministers should concentrate on using the current
framework to promote moderation.
"Culture change will take time, but we should start by enforcing the
numerous laws we have and build on the education and information
programmes."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7518843.stm
--
Dr John Watson
Baker Street
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