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Warnings on alcohol

Lisatho11987777
Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
edited May 2021 in Coffee lounge
Should there be warning labels on alcohol  like there is on tablets  and tobacco  and energy drinks  alcohol damages health 
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Comments

  • Cher_Alumni
    Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @lisathomas50

    This is a great question to debate and I've moved it over to our coffee lounge for our members to come across easier :)

    This BMJ article reveals deaths from alcohol hit a record high in the first 9 months of 2020.  A significant increase speculated as due to higher alcohol consumption during lockdown and a pause in access to treatment services, according to this Independent piece.  So positively, having warnings visible on alcohol packaging could reinforce what people already know (that alcohol carries health risks) but forget/dismiss in moments where the want to drink kicks in.  

    What do you think?
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  • Sandy_123
    Sandy_123 Scope Member Posts: 46,788 Disability Gamechanger
    edited May 2021
    I totally agree, if tobacco and medication and any thing that causes addiction carry warnings, then why is alcohol omitted by that, when its addictive, ive lost loved ones because of alcohol addiction. I have a link below from liver trust.
    https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/information-and-support/liver-health-2/love-your-liver/get-involved/get-involved-corporate-wellbeing/
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,550 Disability Gamechanger
    I think yes, there should be a warning. Alcohol is a poison after all.

    “This is my simple religion. No need for temples. No need for complicated philosophy. Your own mind, your own heart is the temple. Your philosophy is simple kindness.” 
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  • Caz_Alumni
    Caz_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 621 Pioneering
    edited May 2021
    This is a big issue for debate. And it's only in recent years we've even started to talk about this a bit more. 

    There's a lot of common sense in what people have already said. But realistically, I suppose the cash benefits, and the culture that we have around social drinking in the UK, have frequently been used as reasons not to take action on this.

    I think that there's definitely been a shift in attitudes of late though. Particularly amongst certain demographics. And in fact, students are quite a good example of how things have changed over the decades. Though that could be down to the price of alcohol and the cost of Uni, as much as anything else.

    Possibly, one option then would be for us to do as much work on reinforcing the positive messages around the short- and long-term benefits of cutting back on consumption, or even stopping altogether. So, continuing the work of the Drinkaware initiative?

    In the longer-term that might have a more lasting effect. So, that's one idea maybe?

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  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 13,368 Disability Gamechanger
    To me, it makes sense what everyone says on both sides to be honest. 

    My current assignment for my economics is on the economic benefits and costs of imposing taxes or minimum prices on alcohol so I’m interested to follow both sides of this debate :)
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,521 Disability Gamechanger
    My brother in law died 3 years ago at the age of 52 because of his drinking which had been a problem for many years.

    On reflection I don't see a need for warnings, we all know it's bad for us. like smoking we have known for decades that smoking kills and despite all the warnings and repackaging 6.9 million people still smoke.

    At the end of the day you can have too much of the "nanny" state
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  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    That seems like a good idea Mike I think people need to understand the damage alcohol causes and can cause death people think being dependent on alcohol  is drinking all day every day but it isn't 

    Haveing  a glass or couple of glasses of wine every day amounts to the same thing  and can overtime cause damage people think its not true untill they try and miss one day 
  • MarkM88
    MarkM88 Community member Posts: 3,127 Connected
    The latter is easy to get around and yet the shops have the tech to enforce it. The point of sale tech combined with the data from your card payment means that shops could limit you to the purchase of say 4 cans or 1 bottle and then prevent you buying the same within say a 20 mile radius in the next 72 hours. 
    I fully agree with the restrictions. It would make a lot of sense. Although not everyone pays by card and could bounce from shop to shop with cash. 
  • bg844
    bg844 Community member Posts: 3,887 Disability Gamechanger
    I agree partly. Not going to lie I do enjoy a nice cold bottle of Moretti here and there (I usually drink about 5 of the big bottles every week which isn’t even 1 a day), but I know what alcohol has done to some family members and their lives. It doesn’t just have an impact on them but on everyone. I once lent my aunt some money to pay back debt all driven up by Alcohol. Thank god there’s services in this country for people. I think they shouldn’t limit but on the bottles they should post a nice message asking people to be thoughtful of others and possibly TV adverts. 
  • vikingqueen
    vikingqueen Scope Member Posts: 1,411 Disability Gamechanger
        You could put as many warnings on alcohol as is humanly possible it won't stop an alcoholic from abstaining. Neither could you put restrictions on buying it. An addict will always find a way.
  • bg844
    bg844 Community member Posts: 3,887 Disability Gamechanger
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    There are interesting  views  what are your ideas on how to cut down on alcohol?  At the moment I am involved in a campaign to cut alcohol down 

    There are children as young as ten drinking and dependent on alcohol 

    Alcohol has an affect on people's lives it can cause debt homelessness,  crime  violence  and eventually death 


  • vikingqueen
    vikingqueen Scope Member Posts: 1,411 Disability Gamechanger
         I lived with an alcoholic for 16 years and my brother was a drunk, there is a difference believe it or not, neither wanted to cut down, it killed them both eventually. I really don't know the answer to helping people caught up in this illness. Some people know too much is bad for you others don't care. I suppose it has to start by educating children while they are young, but children copy what they see so if the parents are doing it then they probably think it's ok.

       
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @bg844 it's people's choice to drink and how much they drink and I am mot trying to be rude but in your comment you said you drink 5 large bottles of alcohol  a day that is still alot of alcohol a week  and could possibly be damaging your liver please don't tske offence 

    Do you think there is enough help for people who have a drink problem you mentioned about your family and you said you were glad there was help out there but do you think there is enough ?
  • vikingqueen
    vikingqueen Scope Member Posts: 1,411 Disability Gamechanger
         bg844 said 5 large bottles a week not a day @lisathomas50
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @Cher_Scope only just read your comment  there is a record  high in figures what they dint tell you is how many of those are children  I think that labels should be put on alcohol  I also think there should be more advertisements  on how alcohol can damage your health and the pain it can cause 

    I think that there should be more help people turn to drink for lots of reasons and it's the reasons they drink that they need help with and if people had the sort of help they need if they had the urge to drink they had help at the end of the phone and if need be people to come out 

    Drs and police can have orders put on people to stop them buying alcohol In there local area which sometimes works but I think if more things were put in place to help people  and I think there should be stronger laws put in for people who supply children with alcohol 

    As you said  people drinking has risen since the pandemic some are new drinkers 

    Alot of people I know have died from the damage of alcohol  some as young as 12 some people go beyond help once the stomach starts extending when your drinking because the liver isn't working properly anymore and their skin goes yellow and they are in constant pain 

    People are told that the next drink could be their last one they are offered liver transplants as long as they have help and support to stop drinking and that they don't drink after they have a new liver its not only the liver though it can be the kidneys that give up but either are life threatening 

    Some people think that alcoholics shouldn't have transplants because they have done it to there self  but again if thete were more dupirt and they could get to the root of why they drink to the pont of potential damage to their self that alot of it could be slowed down 

    As I have said on this thread  been an alcoholic isn't about drinking until your on the floor its about being dependent on alcohol  haveing one or two drinks a day I know alot of women come home from work and have a glass of wine  which a friend of mine used to do she said she could go without so I picked her up from work and took her out within three hours she said she didn't feel right that her stomach was hurting her hands were shaking and she wanted a glass of wine 

    We went to the pub and she had a small glass of wine which stopped all the symptoms she was haveing it scared her and she went for help she no longer drinks but it took a whilst 

    The AA are over whelmed they need more help groups they need more sponsors to be there on the end of the phone to come and see them when they have the urge I am involved in a campaign formed by my friend and two other women my friend helped 

    There should be more campaigns to get more help put in place  

    I am an alcoholic who hasn't had a drink since the age of 18  I drank from the age of 16 I was found face down in a puddle of water when I collapsed I was helped by a passer by who phoned an ambulance 

    Whilst at the hospital I was also found to be pregnant I was 6months didn't know who the father was I stopped drinking they had to wean me off because my baby was also dependent on alcohol thankfully we both came through it 

  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    Mike I disagree alcohol is in addiction  the same as drugs when you try and stop they have the same affects shaking vomiting cramps and pain  if you have a drink it all stops so yes it's an addiction your body is dependent on alcohol 
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @vikingqueen it's still over the level to cause damage 
  • vikingqueen
    vikingqueen Scope Member Posts: 1,411 Disability Gamechanger
         Didn't say it wasn't, just correcting you.
  • Lisatho11987777
    Lisatho11987777 Scope Member Posts: 5,911 Disability Gamechanger
    @vikingqueen sorry I see where you think I was wrong I meant a day over five days that they drink 

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