The Governments current alcohol regulations could result in as many as 250,000 deaths in England and Wales over the next 20 years. The World Health Organisation has identified that Britain has the 16th highest drinking levels in the world and it is predicted that binge drinking will cost the NHS £3.8 billion by 2015.
Discussions regarding the number of alcohol related deaths that must happen before the Government takes any serious action is up for debate, however the Department of Health says it is already taking ‘tough action’, and the drinks industry supports this by saying it is ‘playing its part in tackling alcohol misuse’. However the marginal measures which are being discussed by Government will not have a great effect on the figures above.
Professor Ian Gilmore, former president of the Royal College of Physicians claims that 1.5 million people in UK are addicted to alcohol and that up to 30,000 people a year will die of liver disease in England and Wales. Professor Ian states that although recent figures are showing a slight decline in the level of alcohol consumed, the important warning is that fewer people are drinking more.
