Government accused of booze complacency

Outspoken local doctor Kailash Chand has backed the call for a total ban on alcohol advertising, accusing the Government of being “complacent about drinking”.

Dr Chand, former spokesman for Oldham’s GPs and now chairman of NHS Tameside and Glossop, said there was an urgent need to get tough with the drinks industry, which had a vested interest in people drinking to excess.

He added added: “We also need to get to the root causes of what motivates a significant number of people who think it is acceptable to go out on a Friday or Saturday night, drink to excess and indulge in anti-social behaviour.

“The majority of accident and emergency attendances over the weekend in UK hospitals are alcohol related.

“The crime level related to alcohol abuse also increases many fold on Friday and Saturday nights.

“The Government has been far too complacent about the problem of alcohol abuse — particularly among young people.

“The Government should develop mass-media campaigns to curb excessive drinking, funded at the same level as its drink-drive campaigns over the years.”

Backing the British Medical Association’s call for a total ban on alcohol advertising, he said: “The reality is that young people are drinking more because the whole population is drinking more and our society is awash with pro-alcohol messaging, marketing and behaviour.”

The baby boomer generations of the 1960s are hitting the bottle hard, he said, adding: “Binge drinking among this still highly mobile group is associated with an increased risk of traffic accidents and other alcohol-related injuries.”

As they age, liver damage will become a significant risk, he said, adding: “Alcohol abuse is costing the NHS, thus taxpayers, billions of pounds every year.”