Alcohol danger

Press, 25 February 1981, Page 12

Alcohol danger

PA Wellington Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is still a prevalent disease because people continue to drink excessively, according to a British doctor. A liver specialist, Dr Alex Paton, told the annual meeting of the Royal Australasian Co - lege of Physicians in Wellington that everyone

knew that drink harmed the liver, but this knowledge did not stop them drinking. In England alcoholic cirrhosis bad increased three to fourfold in the last 20 years. Once people were diag- , nosed as having the disease there was generally little that could be done about it. They were usually people in their 40s and 50s. “Two-thirds of them are dead within five years — it is pretty gloomy.” In spite of new treatment methods introduced in the last 20 years survival rates had not improved. Only one type of drinker could not get cirrhosis, and that was the tee-totaller. People who drank moderately would probably avoid the disease. but not necessarily.

The symptoms of the disease could be relieved through treatment hut nothing could stop the course of the- disease apart from total abstention from alcohol, Dr Paton said. To eradicate the disease, he favoured the instigation of - the same sort of publicity campaign that had made it socially Unacceptable in many circumstances to smoke. Doctors should lead the way, but surveys had shown that as a profession, doctors drank too much alcohol.