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Belonging and believing

Boozed up Britain

Picture of a outline of the UK with a glass of beer inside

Alcoholic drink and the Bible

Those who enjoy a glass of wine with their meal will be glad to know that the Bible does not teach that drinking wine is a sin, instead it is treated like over eating(gluttony). Jesus who was without sin said of himself The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ’ Matthew 11:19. There is also the story of the marriage at Cana (John 2:1-11), when Jesus turned 70 gallons of water into wine. At the same time the bible takes a dim view of those who are drunkards. For example it appears in a list of indecent behaviour in Romans 13:13 "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkeness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy."

Boozed up Britain

The relationship between Britain and booze seems a well deserved reputation as new research quoted in an article from the Daily Mail "Britain tops binge drinking poll." The BBC quotes statistics just released by the government for 2008 that show "A third ‘drink over daily limit.’" The government answer to our drinking problem was to increase licensing hours to 24*7 in the "Licensing Act 2003." Many people have commented on the failures of the act but according to an article in the Guardian "Judges say new drink laws are lunacy" as they have to deal with the consequences. While many warned the government that increasing the availability of alcohol would only make things worse, an article in the Telegraph reveals that at long last "Gordon Brown orders review of 24 hour drinking." However we all know that one of the first rules of being a politician is never admit you made a mistake, so whatever the cost no one expects it to be repealed by this government.

How much of a killer is alcohol?

Viewed as a drug like other drugs, whether they are legal or illegal, alcohol is the second biggest killer next to tobacco. The graph shows deaths from various drugs for every 100,000 people in the UK. With a death toll of 150 alcohol has about twice the death rate of heroin and about ¼ of the death rate of tobacco.

Death rates from various drugs in UK

Source: Institute of Alcohol Studies - drugs factsheet page 8

Downloadable chart: "Death rates from various drugs in UK"

Death toll from alcohol related illnesses

The trend in deaths from alcohol related diseases shows a strong upward trend in recent years. The graph covers a period of 15 years between 1991 and 2007. Over that period deaths in the UK increased from 4,114 to 8,724 an increase 0f 112%. The figures show that this is a bigger problem for men, than women. However figures for both increased at similar rates. To put them in context it's the same as this country suffering 3 9/11 disasters year in year out.

Trend in death from alcohol in the UK

Source: National Statistics Alcohol related deaths UK

Downloadable chart: "Trend in death from alcohol in the UK"

The death rate does not end there because it does contribute to other forms of death such as drinking and driving. It is also true that many more suffer from alcohol related illness than die. The total damage done to people's lives is considerable and real.

Binge drinking in the UK

One of the features that has emerged as a new form of alcohol abuse is binge drinking. This is an extreme style of drinking where a group of people plan to go out and drink with the primary intention of becoming profoundly drunk. It's not that people go out to have a drink and end up having more than they intended. This anti-social form of drinking leads disorder on the streets of our cities and towns and " fills accident and emergency departments" with its victims.

School age binge drinking in Europe

Source: ESPAD The 1999 ESPAD report, Table 19a-c

Downloadable chart: "School age binge drinking in Europe"

One of the features of the modern trend to binge drinking, that is most disturbing, is it's effect on the children and teenagers. The data for this chart comes from a survey carried out by European School Project on Alcohol and Drugs(ESPAD) taken across various countries in Europe. The chart shows the percentage of pupils aged 15-16 who have been drunk 10 times or more in the last 12 months. It shows that the UK came third highest with an amazing 28% young people (under aged drinkers) regularly getting drunk. Interesting that many of our near neighbours like France or Portugal have a score almost a 10th of ours.

Rise in school age alcohol consumption in UK

The graph shows the trend for weekly alcohol consumption amongst 11-15 year old boys and girls who drank. The trend amongst young people shows a persistant rate of increase with girls catching up on boys. The combined figure shows an increase from 5.3 units a week in 1991 to 12.7 in 2007, an increase of 140% in 16 years. In an article on 29th of January 2009 by the BBC Sir Liam Donaldson the Chief medical officer for England said ‘childhood should be an "alcohol-free time".&lsquo He told "BBC News" that children who drink were at risk of "serious harm".

School age alcohol consumption in UK

Source: NHS Drug use amungst young people. table 4.8

Downloadable chart: "School age alcohol consumption in UK"

The information contained in "Consultation on Children, Young People and Alcohol", detailing a number consequences including:

  • Alcohol poisoning
  • Liver damage
  • Truancy
  • Drugs
  • Unsafe sex (risk of STD)
  • Pregnancy
  • Criminal activity such as damage or theft
  • Injury requiring being admitted to hospital


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