Alcohol abuse ‘epidemic’ could double deaths

azzuri · Alcohol abuse ‘epidemic’ could double deaths

see - http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/60299.html

Alcohol abuse ‘epidemic’ could double deaths

Deaths linked to drinking will double over the next 20 years, according to the most comprehensive dossier to date on health problems in the west of Scotland.

Phil Hanlon, professor of public health at Glasgow University and one of the authors of the report, described some of their projections as "shocking".

It suggests policies based on improving health purely by tackling poverty are out of date and calls for a radical approach to deal with the threats of excessive drinking and obesity.

The authors conclude: "We are... convinced that current strategies are not solving our problems."

In the 1980s there were around 200 deaths related to alcohol in Greater Glasgow every year. Now there are closer to 500 and the report warns unless trends change there will be almost 1000 by 2026.

Previous research has highlighted that Scotland has the fastest growing level of cirrhosis deaths in Europe. It is the second worst European country for the disease overall for women and third worst for men.

Total recorded alcohol consumption doubled in the UK between 1960 and 2002. A recent study commissioned by the Scottish Executive also found nearly 90% of Glaswegians aged 18 to 35 have admitted drinking more than they had planned on a night out.

Carol Tannahill, director of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) – which published today's report – added: "If we are really going to make a difference a few projects aren't going to cut it. We'll need a combination of work in schools, very local initiatives and rolling national campaigns."

Professor Hanlon added: "If you ask how will the alcohol abuse epidemic be overcome, the answer is alcohol becomes less a feature of all our lives. It would need to have a whole population response. That is a message for the rich as well as the poor."

However, today's report also breaks good news indicating that some of the nation's reputation as the Sick Man of Europe is no longer warranted.
It notes although there are deeply embedded stereotypes, health in Glasgow is improving against a number of indicators including smoking rates, teenage pregnancies, levels of unemployment and deaths from heart disease and strokes.

Professor Hanlon said: "This report splinters if not shatters the stereotype of Glasgow. We are no longer the coronary capital of Europe. But this report also challenges every citizen in the city to respond to new health threats which will affect this generation and the next generation."

The researchers also predict that almost half Glasgow's children could live in one parent homes by 2016, and suggests the number of adults with type two diabetes will rise towards one-in-10.

While life expectancy for Glaswegian men and women has doubled over the past 100 years, one-fifth of the population will still die before their 65th birthday.

Scientists believe there is a "Glasgow effect" – an excess of mortality beyond that which can be explained by current indexes of deprivation. Although unexplained, factors such as the different outlook of people in the city have been considered a possible reason for the higher death rate.
The GCPH was set up almost exactly two years ago amid concern the city's health continually lagged behind the rest of the nation.

Today's inch thick report brings together a cross section of data with detail on a wide range of factors that could influence health from smoking and eating habits to pollution and access to leisure centres.

However, it says some neighbourhoods have been left behind despite decades of projects to improve lifestyles and investment in housing.

The report predicts gaps in life expectancy between Glasgow city and neighbouring East Dunbartonshire will continue to increase from eight years in 2001-03 to 10 by 2011-13. Professor Hanlon said: "It's disappointing in a sense that just a better house and a job doesn't transform health."

Furthermore, the report highlights the alcohol and obesity problems cross class boundaries.

Gillian Bell, of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said cultural change was necessary to curb rates of problem drinking. She said they wanted drunkenness to become as socially unacceptable as drink driving.

Meanwhile, research from the Mental Health Foundation yesterday found too many people "self medicate" with alcohol to make themselves feel better.

It suggested 88% of people would find it difficult to give up alcohol completely while 77% said it made them feel relaxed.

Aventinian

You need to be alcoholic (or pretty damn close to it) to die from alcohol if you're a reasonably healthy person and we discount those occasions of choking on your own vomit etc.

Trying to demonise the average young person who goes out, gets pissed a couple of nights a week, has a kebab and is in bed at 3.30 is completely misguided and will fail.

As the report correctly observes, there are many, many problems that cause ill health. I've said it before and I'll say it again - until we cure unemployment and the completely ridiculous numbers of people who are apparently too sick to work, a lot of people in these communities will not amount to anything - and their children will follow. People will not care about their own health until they have a bit of self respect, and being economically active is the primary way of attaining that goal.

How to do this? Drop taxes to some of the lowest levels in the civilised world, reduce bureaucracy and the size of the state... then wait. Until then, all the programmes or schemes the executive can come up with will be pointless.

azzuri

Aventinian

Ah, because I'm very ex-communist.

Those were the days though... short hair, Marx, a few stones lighter and being a right little tearaway.

The only thing I think I gained from that period is a healthy respect for the environment.

parkhead_rfb

how about ensuring a decent standard of minimum wage?

Aventinian

As I've said before, the minimum wage keeps wages artificially high - a bubble that will burst eventually if we cannot compete with abroad.

However if taxes were reduced and my ideas were carried out now it would be a win-win situation on that front as the market at present enables Scottish workers to command relatively high salaries. Leave it long however and this will not be true.