Title: Cut alcohol intake to just a quarter pint of beer a day,
experts advise
Subject: Researchers say in report that drastic reduction in guideline amounts
could save 4,600 lives a year in England
Date: Wednesday 30 May 2012 23.30 BST
Summary
People should drink just a
half unit of alcohol daily in order to cut
the number of deaths from cancer, liver
disease and other conditions linked to drinking, health experts are urging.
Henry Ashworth, chief executive of the Portman Group, a social responsibility
body funded by the drinks industry, said that "78% of people in the UK
drink within recommended low risk guidelines, as set by the chief medical
officers". He added: "Drastically cutting everyone's consumption to
half a unit a day – that is, one large glass of wine a week – is not the way to
reduce harms in the small group who misuse alcohol and need specific and
targeted help."
Opinion
There is no use cutting people´s alcohol intake. How are you going to monitor
it. Put people in each and every bar who send the guests home after one drink?
That will cost a lot of money not only to pay those people but also because the
selling of alcohol brings in lots of taxes. So by regulating alcohol sales you
are regulating money away from the treasury. This is the same idea as with the
whole smoking ban and increase on the price of cigarettes. Smokers bring in
lots of money so why make them quit. Unhealthy people bring in lots of money
and die too soon to cost any. Credit crunch avoided.
It is bad to drink too much alcohol. However, people will continue to do stuff like drink or smoke, simply because its fun. So sure, keep making alcohol and cigarettes more expensive, some people might quit and become healthier. And if they don’t it is more money for the government. A win-win situation.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI agree with Anouk here, people will continue using drugs because it is fun and addicting. By making the prices higher, some will drink less which may add up to a considerable amount in the end and help them stay healthy. For others, it just gets more expensive.
BeantwoordenVerwijderen