Health - Wine Drinkers at Risk

The government’s efforts to clamp down on alcohol abuse have so far targeted young or under-age drinkers but now a new group has been singled out: older drinkers who regularly enjoy wine at home in the evenings.

The government are planning an audit to look into the cost of alcohol abuse to society and the National Health Service. People that drink several glasses of wine at home each evening could well be putting themselves at risk healthwise, without even realising the damage they may be doing to themselves.

The government plan a three-pronged attack on the nation’s drinkers, which include the notorious underage drinkers and the 18-24 age bracket. A new ‘zero’ limit has also been suggested for drinking during pregnancy.

Indeed, the British Medical Association plans to study the way other countries tackle the issue of excessive alcohol consumption. For some time, medical experts have pushed for clearer warnings about alcohol units to enable pub drinkers to monitor their levels more closely. Ministers plan to highlight the ever-increasing burden on the NHS attributed to drink-related injuries and diseases. During the next 10 years, the aim is to make drunkenness as socially unacceptable as driving driving, or indeed smoking.

A spokesperson for the Royal College of Physicians is quoted as saying: “There’s a very significant percentage of the population already drinking at potentially hazardous levels.” A major cause of the rise in alcohol abuse is increased availability and reduced price: alcohol costs 54% less than it did in 1980 for example. Health experts are recognizing that tackling price and availability is a sure way to influence consumption.

Plans are afoot to display clear warnings about alcohol units and the dangers of excessive consumption although the BMA believe this approach may not be enough to have significant impact.

www.businessinberkshire.co.uk/health

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