| There is no simple solution to alcohol abuse - the response to the problem requires a broad approach. That view was expressed by Sir David Carter, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, at an Alcohol Symposium in Glasgow today. Sir David said: "We cannot begin to tackle the problems posed by alcohol in our society unless we consider what is happening across a very broad spectrum. We have to consider the underlying social and cultural pressures behind inappropriate or excessive consumption. Much good work has been - and is being - done to address the problem. But the time is now right to review the situation. "However much we might like to think it, the problems of alcohol misuse are not those of a small minority. We are not concerned solely with the down and out whose life has been totally destroyed by drink. Nor with those who have acute medical conditions such as liver cirrhosis - something which I encountered many times during my surgical career - caused by years of abuse. But with those - young and old alike - who too often drink to excess. And a hard core of problem drinkers of all ages, of all social classes throughout our society, who are doing harm not only to themselves and their families but often to society as a whole. "The new Ministerial Team at The Scottish Office have made it clear that they are committed to tackling the problem of alcohol misuse on a number of fronts. And as Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, I am only too aware of the impact on public health of alcohol misuse and the cost to the NHS of treating alcohol-related illness. I am keen that a concerted effort is made to reduce the harm inflicted. "Of course, it's not all doom and gloom - there is a positive side to alcohol consumption. Moderate, responsible drinking is the key. The main findings of the recent Sensible Drinking Report was that drinking one to two units a day confers a protective effect for men over 40 and post-menopausal women against a number of serious diseases, in particular coronary heart disease and stroke." Action on alcohol misuse which is ongoing includes: - package of measures to combat teenage drinking including the power to confiscate alcohol in public;
- the Drinkwise (Scotland) Campaign raising the awareness of alcohol problems;
- the Teenwise Alcohol Project (TAP);
- byelaws to prohibit drinking in designated public places.
BACKGROUND An account of the proceedings and the conclusions reached at the Symposium will be published and submitted to The Scottish Office. |