The following article appeared in the front page of the Metro this
morning (25 08 2011).
Hospitals feel pain as drink cases soar
By Fred Attewill
THE number of people treated in hospital every day for drink related
illnesses has risen nearly half in just five years.
In total, there were 1.1 million admissions in England in 2009/10 – a
rise of 879 a day, new research reveals.
Some cities in particular are in the grip of Britain’s binge drinking
culture. For example, one in 30 residents of Liverpool is taken to
hospital because of alcohol.
Prof Ian Gilmore, chairman of Alcohol Health Alliance UK, told Metro
the figures
showed the softly-softly policy of working with the drinks industry to
combat alcohol abuse was not working.
He said:’With hospitals under increasing pressure, as a nation we
simply cannot afford this increasing burden which affects everyone in
our country – not just the drinkers themselves. This reinforces the
need for much tougher action to target ridiculously cheap drink.’
The figures, from Liverpool John Moores university, show hospital
admissions for alcohol-related conditions – which may include accidents
or injuries – rose 44 percent between 2004/5 and 2009/10.
The number for conditions such as liver disease, which are solely down
to alcohol abuse, rose by 25 percent.
Far more men than women are affected but the numbers for both sexes are
increasing
at the same rate. One in 12 adult is classified as at ‘higher risk’.
Health Minister Anne Milton said the government wanted to change
attitudes towards drinking. ‘that is why we have banned below cost
alcohol sales and we are tightening licensing laws’, she added.
* * * * * *
I do not think the British Government’s efforts to change attitude
towards drinking has been successful. Alcohol prices are hiked every
year routinely in order to boost revenue. There has not been any
appreciable change in the licensing laws either.
I would very much like to know in detail, that is, with facts and
figures, what the government is doing to control alcohol consumption
in Assam.- bhuban
_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
[email protected]
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
