Blackburn doctor calls for tougher action on alcohol

9:00pm Friday 1st March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Emma Cruces, Reporter

A PUBLIC health expert has called for tough action on alcohol pricing, labelling and advertisements.

Blackburn with Darwen’s public health consultant Dr Helen Lowey said that residents were being bombarded with pro-alcohol messages without there being enough warnings of the dangers.

Dr Lowey is one of a number of national experts backing a new independent alcohol strategy calling for the Government to prioritise a minimum 50 pence per unit alcohol pricing to curb the nation’s drink problem.

The ideas being discussed would also see alcohol labels feature warnings covering one third of the label, similar to cigarette packets, instead of the current small print.

She said: “There are an awful lot of promotions and advertisements giving a positive message about alcohol. As a borough we support the plans for minimum alcohol pricing, but education and information are important too.

“We would like to see labels feature warnings more prominently.

“There would be an independent body set up to look at that and assess what is appropriate.

“The main thing is that we want to see people armed with information and able to make informed choices.”

The strategy’s recomm-endations argue that in order to address alcohol problems, steps are needed that go beyond messages about ‘responsible’ drinking to those that reduce alcohol sales, alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm.

Professor Linda Bauld from the University of Stirling led the development of the national report.

She said: “There is strong support for this strategy, not just from the numerous organ-isations who have endorsed it, but also from the public.

“A UK survey that we conducted with Yougov showed that the majority of people think that our relationship with alcohol is unhealthy and are aware of the significant impact it has on health, crime and disorder and the NHS.

“We found support for introducing warning labels on bottles, minimum unit pricing, restrictions on advertising and access to support and treatment for people addicted to alcohol.

“There is clearly an appetite for change, and our report sets out what needs to be done.”

Comments (10)

9:36pm Fri 1 Mar 13

jack daniels says...

Dr Helen Lowey.

Maybe if the government did something about the poverty, high unemployment and high working hours in this borough, you'd see a stark drop in the ammount of alcohol consumed.

The term you are looking for is self medicating... See below

More Britons are turning to drink to cope with the recession, according to doctors.

GPs say tough times mean their patients are drinking more, exercising less and suffering more anxiety – and the middle-classes are particularly hard hit.

Read more: http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
2187964/Middle-class
es-driven-drink-rece
ssion-GPs-report-ris
e-anxiety-abortions.
html#ixzz2MKIULcuz
Dr Helen Lowey. Maybe if the government did something about the poverty, high unemployment and high working hours in this borough, you'd see a stark drop in the ammount of alcohol consumed. The term you are looking for is self medicating... See below More Britons are turning to drink to cope with the recession, according to doctors. GPs say tough times mean their patients are drinking more, exercising less and suffering more anxiety – and the middle-classes are particularly hard hit. Read more: http://www.dailymail .co.uk/news/article- 2187964/Middle-class es-driven-drink-rece ssion-GPs-report-ris e-anxiety-abortions. html#ixzz2MKIULcuz jack daniels

9:44pm Fri 1 Mar 13

Good call says...

Ban,Cars,Ban Smoking, Ban Firearms,Ban Air Rifles,Ban Alcohol,Ban Knives,Ban Junk Food,Ban Everything is the agenda of these control freaks who want complete authority over our lives and what we do.
Ban,Cars,Ban Smoking, Ban Firearms,Ban Air Rifles,Ban Alcohol,Ban Knives,Ban Junk Food,Ban Everything is the agenda of these control freaks who want complete authority over our lives and what we do. Good call

11:12pm Fri 1 Mar 13

julespent says...

I agree with Jack Daniels about self medicating, some people with alcohol problems drink to numb the pain of a personal tragedy, whether it be abuse they suffered as a child, domestic violence, bereavement, low self esteem, to name a few. Warning labels on bottles will not help them, they need help/support/counsel
ling not something to read.
I agree with Jack Daniels about self medicating, some people with alcohol problems drink to numb the pain of a personal tragedy, whether it be abuse they suffered as a child, domestic violence, bereavement, low self esteem, to name a few. Warning labels on bottles will not help them, they need help/support/counsel ling not something to read. julespent

12:06am Sat 2 Mar 13

Rimbus says...

The words kettle, pot & black come to mind. General Practitioners are statistically more likely than any other profession to be dependent on alcohol or drugs.

Daily Mail 13/5/2010 :-
"According to shocking new figures, up to one in six doctors will have been addicted to drink or drugs - or both - at some stage in their medical career, raising the horrifying prospect that these highly-paid carers may have your life in their trembling hands.

And that's not all. Surveys of hospital trusts also found that a third of male junior doctors and almost one in five of their female peers have used cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and other hallucinogenic drugs."

Read more: http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
1277955/Special-Inve
stigation-Why-ARE-do
ctors-addicted-drink
-drugs.html#ixzz2MKu
5hp69
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
The words kettle, pot & black come to mind. General Practitioners are statistically more likely than any other profession to be dependent on alcohol or drugs. Daily Mail 13/5/2010 :- "According to shocking new figures, up to one in six doctors will have been addicted to drink or drugs - or both - at some stage in their medical career, raising the horrifying prospect that these highly-paid carers may have your life in their trembling hands. And that's not all. Surveys of hospital trusts also found that a third of male junior doctors and almost one in five of their female peers have used cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine and other hallucinogenic drugs." Read more: http://www.dailymail .co.uk/news/article- 1277955/Special-Inve stigation-Why-ARE-do ctors-addicted-drink -drugs.html#ixzz2MKu 5hp69 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Rimbus

8:06am Sat 2 Mar 13

gutterpress says...

Dr Lowey, the nation does not have a drink problem. A few irresponsible morons have a drink problem, and for this you want to penalise the responsible majority.
Dr Lowey, the nation does not have a drink problem. A few irresponsible morons have a drink problem, and for this you want to penalise the responsible majority. gutterpress

9:36am Sat 2 Mar 13

happycyclist says...

jack daniels wrote:
Dr Helen Lowey.

Maybe if the government did something about the poverty, high unemployment and high working hours in this borough, you'd see a stark drop in the ammount of alcohol consumed.

The term you are looking for is self medicating... See below

More Britons are turning to drink to cope with the recession, according to doctors.

GPs say tough times mean their patients are drinking more, exercising less and suffering more anxiety – and the middle-classes are particularly hard hit.

Read more: http://www.dailymail

.co.uk/news/article-

2187964/Middle-class

es-driven-drink-rece

ssion-GPs-report-ris

e-anxiety-abortions.

html#ixzz2MKIULcuz
Bullseye.
[quote][p][bold]jack daniels[/bold] wrote: Dr Helen Lowey. Maybe if the government did something about the poverty, high unemployment and high working hours in this borough, you'd see a stark drop in the ammount of alcohol consumed. The term you are looking for is self medicating... See below More Britons are turning to drink to cope with the recession, according to doctors. GPs say tough times mean their patients are drinking more, exercising less and suffering more anxiety – and the middle-classes are particularly hard hit. Read more: http://www.dailymail .co.uk/news/article- 2187964/Middle-class es-driven-drink-rece ssion-GPs-report-ris e-anxiety-abortions. html#ixzz2MKIULcuz[/p][/quote]Bullseye. happycyclist

9:59am Sat 2 Mar 13

mavrick says...

Just turn into good little citizens and don't answer back, We know what is good for you, trust us. Do as we say not as we do.
Just turn into good little citizens and don't answer back, We know what is good for you, trust us. Do as we say not as we do. mavrick

11:02am Sat 2 Mar 13

Fire Fly says...

julespent wrote:
I agree with Jack Daniels about self medicating, some people with alcohol problems drink to numb the pain of a personal tragedy, whether it be abuse they suffered as a child, domestic violence, bereavement, low self esteem, to name a few. Warning labels on bottles will not help them, they need help/support/counsel

ling not something to read.
I totally agree with you but sadly, all those supports cost a great deal of money.

In a lot of cases, those supports wont help because people with addictions need to realise for themselves, first & foremost, that they have a problem & that to overcome it, they need help.

The vast majority I don't think want help or would take it if offered where alcohols concerned because in our society alcohol is the one drug where we make it difficult for people to say no thanks....'oh go on, have another', 'dont be so boring'. Not things we say to people about smoking or taking drugs.
[quote][p][bold]julespent[/bold] wrote: I agree with Jack Daniels about self medicating, some people with alcohol problems drink to numb the pain of a personal tragedy, whether it be abuse they suffered as a child, domestic violence, bereavement, low self esteem, to name a few. Warning labels on bottles will not help them, they need help/support/counsel ling not something to read.[/p][/quote]I totally agree with you but sadly, all those supports cost a great deal of money. In a lot of cases, those supports wont help because people with addictions need to realise for themselves, first & foremost, that they have a problem & that to overcome it, they need help. The vast majority I don't think want help or would take it if offered where alcohols concerned because in our society alcohol is the one drug where we make it difficult for people to say no thanks....'oh go on, have another', 'dont be so boring'. Not things we say to people about smoking or taking drugs. Fire Fly

11:44am Sat 2 Mar 13

woolywords says...

..and all this cobblers, as the State pays people to be drunks..
Welcome to Planet La-la land.
A drunk, that loses his job, gets paid near twice as much anyone else, without a job.
QED, state sponsored drunkeness.
And they sold off the State Management Scheme pubs and brewery. Am beginning to think that was a conflict of interest thing.
..and all this cobblers, as the State pays people to be drunks.. Welcome to Planet La-la land. A drunk, that loses his job, gets paid near twice as much anyone else, without a job. QED, state sponsored drunkeness. And they sold off the State Management Scheme pubs and brewery. Am beginning to think that was a conflict of interest thing. woolywords

9:37pm Sun 3 Mar 13

soap opera says...

what ever way you look at it.its a tax .the government does not for one minute think people will give up drinking just that they will get more tax from it
what ever way you look at it.its a tax .the government does not for one minute think people will give up drinking just that they will get more tax from it soap opera

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