Alcohol Abuse in General..................

[justine]

Well it seems my thread on hypocritical tescos has gone full cirlce, so here is a thread on alcohol abuse in general..What can be done in this society to help with this problem...

I myself had a drink problem many years ago, but learnt the harsh way on why not to drink stupid amounts. Now being the parent of 9 i am well aware of the risks taken by youngsters and older people alike..The effects of alcohol abuse in the uk has become a national problem that has to be addressed...
Now i have got a link which i did put on the original thread as it quoted tesocs but this is more about the effects on the likes of the public and the NHS.....More emergency services are being used and beds becoming unavailable in the A&E departments after midnight because of alcohol abuse in the uk..And as quoted in the link you only have to look at the Awards ceremony and why youngsters in particular think it is COOL to drink.......

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30400-1306252,00.html

Now i have been called a reformed drinker on a mission, but i am not.If people want to do this its up to them but as a whole the UK does have one of the worst problems although it is a problem with many countries....

[Torvaig]

Justine - "More emergency services are being used and beds becoming unavailable in the A&E departments after midnight because of alcohol abuse in the uk.."

So true Justine, and I think we can all help to alleviate pressure on the emergency services to a certain degree by knowing where our offspring are; leading by example; curbing the pocket money; locking the drinks cupboard; only drink moderately ourselves; getting involved in our young peoples' activities; taking them away on small breaks at the weekend where the whole family is involved etc., etc.

Yes, I know, no matter what we do, there will always be some who will deviate from the family values but I do think we must do our utmost to prepare our kids for a creditable place in society. If we teach them to care for others, respect those they come in contact with, take part in charity/community work and aspire to being part of a better lifestyle, they may have more respect for themselves and others and enjoy life without the need to depend on anything other than a loving, caring family and good friends with the same ambitions.

Every day we see both sides of the coin; reports of brave youngsters dealing with illness, fundraising for their communities, looking after sick parents and enjoying life in general by learning to play an instrument, starting a new hobby or taking up a new sport etc. Then there are the other reports which seem to get the most publicity e.g., annoying neighbours, vandalism, underage drinking etc......

[Torvaig]

As a postscript to my previous post, isn't it heartwarming to see young people doing things like packing bags, helping at coffee mornings, taking part in concerts, plays etc. I just love watching them having fun, teasing each other and I enjoy seeing their faces laughing and smiling....:)

[j4bberw0ck]

If you do an "Advanced Search" for keywords associated with alcohol abuse in the "General" and "Joke" forums and read some of the resulting finds I suspect you'll get an insight into why abuse of drink is a problem. It's seen as funny, fun, and cool, and it's a fundamental part of having a good time. And it's not the kids who started that. It's the generation that parented them and who still think it's a blast to go out, get legless, and laugh about the scale of their hangover. Where d'you think the kids learned it from?

Price won't make any difference. Laws won't make any difference.

[justine]

Yes it is and you can be fairly gaurenteed that the kids that are happy to help and be part of the community have paretns that either dont drink or drink sensibly...

It has become a fraught subject and it has to be addressed..Especially as the NHS is starting to suffer and so are the public who cant get a bed because they are taken up with binge drinkers who are not medically ill just pie eyed..I would be finding out a contact telephone number and calling their relatives to come and pick them up and let them sleep it off at home instead of letting them sober up in a needed bed.....I wish there was an easy solution to a growing problem but i know it will take many years to work out a good solution....

An old saying i know is GOd is only the devil when hes been drinking.........

[justine]

i know i keep bringing this up but this is the reason..Most people dont realise just ho much of a problem this is..well read this...this is in scotland..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7264462.stm