Why has the UK's public health messaging been left to the alcohol industry? X RATED

I am guessing you have heard the phrase "drink responsibly" - it's hard to escape! But have you ever wondered what drinking "responsibly" means?

Luckily for us, Colin Shevills - a life long campaigner against alcohol harm - has authored an excellent blog explaining (and exposing) the "drink responsibly" message.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

One question Colin asks is: 'Why has the UK's public health messaging been left to the alcohol industry?'

That's a question we ask ourselves a lot here at the AHA. At the moment, the Health and Care Bill is going through Parliament - it's the biggest piece of health legislation the UK has seen in a decade. And yet, it hardly mentions alcohol. This means that the proposed restrictions on advertising, which will prohibit junk food ads from showing on the TV after 9pm, will not extend to alcohol. With your help, this is something we are working hard to change. But when you look at legislation like this, it's hard to ignore the influence that the alcohol industry has on the Government and their approach to public health.

How the alcohol industry dominates public health

The "drink responsibly" message is just one of the many ways in which the industry tries to take ownership of the UK's public health policy. Thank you for helping us to change this and make sure the Government follows the evidence and puts public health first. We couldn't do it without you. Take care, Enya (and everyone at AHA!)

John Bellamy Comments: - As always. ha ha As soon as you enter most supermarkets - what are you faced with - HALF PRICE BOOZE.

What do you see a LOT of on TV - is DRINKERS. Just check out old series of Morse - as he was often in the pub enjoying a pint but you would NEVER - EVER - see him light up a spliff ( a joint - ) and yet society is a LOT LESS HARMED BY MARIJUANA THAN IT IS ALCOHOL. Coronation Street and East Enders - the heart and soul of both of the programmes are the pubs. Pure and simple, The place that sells alcohol that causes and creates more deaths than all the illegal drugs put together times HUNDREDS - even THOUSANDS - and that ruins town centres on a weekend, causes aggression and fights - ruins peoples health and more days off from work because of booze and NOT from smoking some weed.

Alcohol killed my sister aged 39 - it killed her baby born needing a heart and lung transplant as my sister, her Mother, couldn't stop drinking long enough to allow for a healthy baby to be born and the sadness and grief that follows alongside this disease, as that's what it is, a disease - alcoholism - wrenches whole families apart and the government does fuck all to help remedy this as it makes far too much money from taxes on booze and does not want to loose that income like it did when cigarettes were banned.

MANY PEOPLE HIDE THEIR DRINKIG BY PRETENDING TO BE DRIKING A CUP OF TEA OR COFFEE AND HIDE IT IN A CUP OR MUG WHILE OTHERS IN A BOTTLE OF WATER

If alcohol was a brand new item being licensed by the government as a product for sale, it would not be allowed. It would ban it right up front,. It would never be allowed. It causes and creates too much mayhem, murder and strife in every day life and in all walks of life from Pope to Pauper ( we see the Pope drinking wine and pretending it is the Blood of Christ ) then why not use grape juice as it's only make believe - and it is socially acceptable and after all, not everyone is an alcoholic and not every family will know someone who has died from too much booze and still the government leaves it up to the industry to monitor itself.

Amazing - absolutely amazing.

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ALCOHOL KILLS MANY TIMES MORE PEOPLE A YEAR THAN ALL THE ILLEGAL DRUGS PUT TOGETHER. ALCOHOL DESTROYS FAMILY LIFE. ALCOHOL RUINS BUSINESS. ALCOHOL DOES KILL SLOWLY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY YEAR.

MARIJUANA DOES NOT.