New drinking guidelines (yawn)

[Roussette]

here

I listened to this Chief Medical Officer on the Radio and she honestly wanted me to go and get bladdered. Patronising, headmistress talking like we are all children who need to be told off. Not the best person to present this new research.

I know excessive drinking is a problem in this country but perhaps the Government should rethink its licensing laws first and free up the Police in the centre of towns every weekend night instead.

I, for one, will be taking absolutely no notice whatsoever - everything in moderation. And I'm doing dry January anyway.

Actually I agree with you - and I have been drinking within the new guidelines, not the old, since June because I felt I was having too much. This kind of thing from government is just going to make people feel infantilised, it will do nothing to address the structural problem of the UK's dysfunctional relationship with alcohol. Am doing Dry January too.

Basically they reduced the men's drinking guidelines, but not women's.

Which is odd, given that men weigh on average 25% more than women.

The information about breast cancer and self harm while intoxicated is interesting & important to share though.

Yes, and the message is spot on. It was the way it was portrayed TBH. Quite interesting listening to the response to the Health Minister on Jeremy Vine today, she lost a lot of face.

I know the message is important, but we veer from "a daily glass of red wine is good for you" to "don't drink for 4 days of the week". I suppose if it brings about awareness, that is good but nanny state did come to mind.

I was going for a beer (or 2) when I read about the new guidelines. I decided not to, mind you there was also a blizzard blowing.

'This kind of thing from government is just going to make people feel infantilised'

Absolutely. People just switch off to the bureaucracy. If it's not one thing, it's another. Expect charidees to join in, all paid for by our taxes. Instead of fixing the economy, we get lectures.

You might be interested in this thread that was active yesterday:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2544079-Is-anyone-else-thinking-its-time-to-knock-wineoclock-on-the-head

We have an ad campaign in Scotland just now about alcohol. It really rubs me up the wrong way as well. All the adverts I have seen all seem to be spectacularly missing the point. It feels like a box ticking exercise ah yes look and expensive ad campaign there we go looks like we arr seen to be doing something job done.
It doesn't matter that the ads are often way off the mark and treating us like we are idiots. I get the rage every time I hear one on the radio.

I don't even drink and I thought she was patronising. She's not the best spokesperson imo.

'She's not the best spokesperson imo.'

I must admit, I thought the same. But then all of these spokespeople seem to sound the same, as if they get training in how not to do it. Still she was a refreshing improvement on half the Cabinet.

It's not just infantilising, it is also wrong. Especially the bit about how any level of alcohol consumption is a risk. All the overall mortality studies show a decrease in mortality with moderate drinking. What they are talking about is the risks of very specific cancers, which are increased marginally, but they ignore or try and explain away the benefits.

It matters because before too long we will be seeing even more scare stories about the evils of drinking and how there has been an x% increase in people drinking above the guidelines (those guidelines which have just been lowered of course...) Producing patronising, incorrect guidance is one thing, it is when it is then used to justify legislation (tax increases, banning multi-deals, minimum pricing etc) that it actually affects us. It is prohibitionists running the show as far as alcohol guidance is concerned.

I agree with buymeabook - this appears to be heavily politicised. Suggesting that even the smallest amount can cause illness is wrong! (Not only wrong, but so over-simplified that it suggests that we are as thick as many many short planks.) Also men can process alcohol better than women. Everyone knows that - especially those with medical degrees, hopefully.

These guidelines are out of line with the medical advice given in other countries. They have the footprints of a politician all over them. buymeabook gives a pointer as to why.

One thing that is good about them and other types of medical advice behaviour management of the plebs is that they get people thinking critically about government advice. A lot of people still accept advice from authorities as gospel.