Chief medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson would like alcohol prices to be raised.

Government's top doctor recommends price hike for alcohol
article in the Sunday Telegraph

Extract:

"Chief medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson will tomorrow recommend state limits on the price of alcoholic drinks, meaning that none could be sold for less than 50 pence per unit of alcohol.

The proposal, from his annual report on the state of the nation's health, will say the stark measure is necessary to tackle the scourge of binge drinking among Britain's youth, and rising levels of alcoholism among older people."

I hope this recommendation will be implemented. High alcohol intake damages health, and by impairing judgment leads also to accidents and fights.

Sir Liam Donaldson says new advice is based on research showing serious damage drink can do to children's health.

Children under 15 should not drink any alcohol, says chief medical officer
article in the Guardian

Extract:

"Children under 15 should not drink any alcohol, the government's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said today.

He said the new advice was based on research which showed the serious damage drink could do to children's health.

Donaldson's advice appeared to contradict the government's current policy on alcohol and children. The DirectGov website says there "is no right age" at which teenagers can be allowed to drink.

Donaldson said the new advice was aimed at clearing up confusion among parents over the issue.

"We have a third of a million 11 to 15 years old on a typical weekend drinking alcohol. That's a massive number and we've got to do something about it," he told GMTV.

"The information we got from surveying parents was that actually they are quite confused about the medical and health implications of children drinking alcohol."

He said research said drink could seriously affect brain development in the young.

"We're trying to get the message across that children aged under 15 are still developing, their brains are developing, and drinking alcohol can do some quite serious damage."

More than 800,000 people are admitted to hospital each year with alcohol-related illnesses and injuries — four times the official figure

Alcohol hospital admissions four times higher than official figure
Article in the Telegraph

Extract:

"Figures will show that six per cent of all NHS admissions are in some way caused by drink, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. And the rate of visits to hospital over alcohol-related problems is rising by 10 per cent every year.

The figures indicate the true impact alcohol has on the NHS from accidents, violence and disease. They include for the first time estimates of the number of cancers caused by alcohol consumption as well as heart disease and strokes.

Alcohol is thought to cause about 17,000 cases of cancer a year and £2billion of NHS money is spent every year treating patients with alcohol-related diseases. Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, believes “lifestyle” illnesses will put an increasing strain on the NHS unless people behave more responsibly.

Ministers fear that resources needed to tackle other diseases will have to be diverted if there is no change in behaviour.

A Department of Health source said: “It is important that we get the real figures so no one is in doubt about how widespread and potentially damaging alcohol-related illnesses are. The action can only be taken when the full scale of the problem is known.”

Labour has faced intense criticism over the introduction of 24-hour drinking in 2005.

Amid growing concerns about the level of alcohol-fuelled violence, pubs and nightclubs have been accused of flouting the laws on underage drinking. Last week figures showed that more than 600,000 children admit to drinking on a regular basis.

Supermarkets have faced repeated calls to ban discount alcohol, in particular deals in in which beer is cheaper than bottled water. And ministers are considering plans to tackle the problem, including cigarette-style health warnings on bottles and cans, a ban on “happy hours” where bars sell cut-price drinks and rules outlawing supermarket discounts.

Today’s announcement will strengthen calls for action."

Middle-aged women in the UK will be targeted in a hard-hitting anti-alcohol campaign.

Women targeted in drink campaign

Extract from the Telegraph:

"Middle-aged women will be targeted in a hard-hitting anti-alcohol campaign after research found that just one large glass of wine per night could increase the risk of breast cancer by 60 per cent.

Up to 2,000 women every year die from breast cancer linked to drinking, with a growing number also suffering other cancers, liver damage and fertility problems."

Salt intake also increases the risk of most cancers, including breast cancer, and also damages the liver (and kidneys, et al).

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, vascular dementia, osteopenia, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolaemia, depression, liver and kidney problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

See my website http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/.html (The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

See Sodium in foods and

Associated health conditions

Almost 13 million UK adults are risking their health by drinking too much

Millions more classed as danger drinkers

Extract from the Telegraph:

"Almost 13 million adults are risking their health by drinking too much because of a failure to appreciate both the increasing strength of alcoholic drinks and the trend for larger measures, Government statisticians have revealed.

Wine drinkers, and women in particular, may be at risk as the strength of the average bottle has increased from nine per cent in 1978 to 12.5 per cent today. Wine glasses have also increased in size.

In recognition of the increasing strength of drinks and larger measures, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced its first revision in almost 30 years of the method for assessing safe levels of alcohol consumption.

Until now, one unit of alcohol was a half-pint of beer, a single measure of spirits or a small (125ml) glass of wine.

A large glass of wine will now be counted as three units, a medium glass as two and a small glass as one and a half units.

Men are advised to drink no more than 21 units per week and women only 14."

If you drink a lot and are also overweight/obese, you may not know that salt sensitivity is contributing to your excess weight and 'beer belly' and also to possible liver and kidney problems, etc.

Lose weight, reduce your risk of most cancers, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart problems, and improve your health in many other ways without drugs or expense by eating less salt! - Try it! - You will feel so much better!

See my website http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/.html (The site does not sell anything and has no banners or sponsors or adverts - just helpful information.)

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/steroids.html

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/ami.html

vulnerable groups

How to Lose weight!

Children and Obesity

Read my Mensa article on Obesity and the Salt Connection

See Sodium in foods and

Associated health conditions and

http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/story.html - my 'political' page

Wider implications of the flawed theory that excess calorie intake causes obesity

I can be contacted via my website if you need my further help. My help is free.