Blair 'fails to grasp alcohol problems'

[emad]

Telegraph
By Celia Hall, Medical Editor
(Filed: 27/01/2005)

Tony Blair fails to understand the seriousness of the nation's alcohol problems, leading doctors said yesterday.

A conference at the Royal College of Physicians criticised Government policies, which concentrated on the effects of excessive drinking on crime and disorder rather than its harmful effects on health.

Dr Michael Hellier, president of the British Society of Gastroenterology, which jointly organised the conference, criticised Mr Blair's description of alcohol misuse by a "small minority" in the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England published last year.
.......

"Mr Blair was either misinformed or failed to grasp the gravity of the problem," Dr Hellier said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/27/nalco27.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/01/27/ixhome.html

[whistle]

1. It's called denial, which is most definitely not a river in Egypt...

...but rather of the alcoholic kind. Real alcoholism exists among 8% to 12% of the U.S. adult population of drinking age (21 years old and over) and as alcohol finds its way into younger and younger age groups the problems associated with adolescent drinking grow exponentially. Teenagers who abuse alcohol are exposed to risks of premature death, attraction to other more addictive and dangerous drugs, as well as being highly suggestive to deviant behaviors, involving crime, property destruction and sex regardless of moral upbringing and parental controls. It is a well documented fact that numerous criminals behind bars today, perhaps as many as half or higher in the U.S. and I'm sure in Britain as well, were under the influence of alcohol or a combination of alcohol and illegal drugs when they committed the crime(s) for which they were incarcerated. The U.K. has had an unacknowledged alcohol problem for decades in spite of the appearances of responsible social drinking.

I do not advocate banned the sale of alcohol, but it is extremely important to recognize that alcoholism is a disease which strikes many individuals regardless of social standing, education level, age or gender and a responsible society, especially its leaders, need understand the nature and devastating effects of untreated alcoholism.

<learn more here> http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1990/6/90.06.01.x.html

[truebrit71]

2. They can take my pint of bitter...

..when they pry it from my cold, dead hands....

Until then, I think I'll have another....

[saltpoint]

3. And his color coordination ain't that hot either.

I just don't know about that blue shirt/blue tie combo.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. What a perfect pair

Bush fails to grasp alchol problems too but boy he sure knows how to grasp onto that beer tap.