Britons drink too much — magazine

Press, 23 October 1984, Page 20

Britons drink too much — magazine

NZPA-PA London Britons drink too much, according to a report in the Consumers’ Association’s “Which” magazine. Alcohol consumption has risen “by leaps and bounds” since World War 11, it said. Wine drinking rose 240 per cent since 1962, spirit drinking was up 95 per cent, beer consumption increased 22 per cent and a range of alcohol-related problems

had become more common. It has been estimated that alcohol abuse in England and Wales costs £lOOO million a year, taking into account' the charge on the health police and prisons, loss of industrial output and road accidents. One in four pedestrians and one in three drivers killed in road accidents in 1978 had a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit for driving, and a recent survey

suggested that 2 million men and 350,000 women drove after drinking over the legal limit, said “Which.” The number of people entering mental homes with alcoholism had doubled in 10 years, and there were at least 750,000 alcoholics or people with serious drinking problems. “Despite this, the survey showed that most people know very little about alcohol, its effects and how much and how soon after drinking it is safe to drive,” said the magazine. “There is some measure of agreement among experts that it is time to cut down if you are a man who drinks eight or more units of alcohol a day, or if you are a woman drinking five units.”

A unit is equivalent to half a pint of beer, a single sherry or spirit, or a glass of wine. “Which” said there was a great need for health education about alcohol and its effects. •<' : . ' ■ There was a case for stricter adherence to the present advertising code and for taking questions of health into account when making decisions about the availability of alcohol. One way to ensure that the cost of alcohol stayed stable was for the Government to increase the tax at least in line with inflation. The association also urged that drink should be labelled with alcohol content so drinkers could easily work out the amount consumed.