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Doctors want hard line on alcohol Doctors back tougher alcohol laws
(about 15 hours later)
Doctors are calling for stricter alcohol laws in a bid to reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths. Doctors are calling for stricter alcohol laws in a bid to combat rising drink problems.
Over the last 15 years, alcohol deaths have more than doubled to over 8,000 a year, according to the Office for National Statistics. The number of alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions due to alcohol have both doubled in recent years.
The British Medical Association conference is to debate calls for a ban on street drinking, and for the legal alcohol buying age to be raised to 21. The British Medical Association wants more use of street drinking bans, an increase in taxation and a cut in the driving alcohol limit.
The driving alcohol limit should also be cut, public health doctors say. But doctors rejected a call for to increase the legal age for buying alcohol in shops to 21.
The only way of sending out a really strong message is through legislation Dr Chris Spencer-JonesBMA's public health committee We want to see more areas designated as no-drinking zones Dr Chris Spencer-JonesBMA's public health committee
Dr Chris Spencer-Jones, chairman of the BMA's public health committee, said it was important to restrict access to alcohol to stop "young people forming bad habits". Public health doctors had argued this was needed as the binge drinking culture was fuelled by a boom in supermarket sales of cheap alcohol.
He said: "Sales of cheap alcohol from supermarkets and other retailers are fuelling binge drinking. There are now aisles and aisles devoted to alcohol in some supermarkets." Many doctors also expressed concern that banning street drinking would be seen as being overly "nannying".
Safer places Kate Adams, a GP from London, told the delegates at the BMA's conference in Torquay that doctors should not impinge on people's social life.
He said a ban on drinking on the streets - at the moment police can only stop people drinking in certain designated areas - would drive people into to drinking in safer places, such as pubs, where the age limit should remain at 18. "I enjoy a cold glass of champagne while having a meal outside a pub, or having a beer on the pavement in the summer. We don't want to stop people socialising like this."
He added: "In pubs, landlords have a duty under the relaxation in the licensing laws to make sure people are drinking responsibly." Stop street gatherings
He also said the alcohol limit for driving, which currently stands at 80mg/100ml in the blood, should be reduced. But Dr Chris Spencer-Jones, chairman of the BMA's public health committee, said the idea was to stop people congregating in streets and drinking.
There are over 3,000 deaths a year on the roads in the UK with about a third involving alcohol. "We are not looking to ban that sort of drinking. We want to see more areas designated as no-drinking zones."
Dr Spencer-Jones said: "There are two schools of thought. Reducing it to 50mg/100ml as has happened in mainland Europe or reducing it effectively to zero as some Scandinavian countries do. David Samuel, deputy chairman of the BMA medical students committee, said: "I think it's terrible on a Saturday night, when it is almost like running the gauntlet down the high street."
"We are behind other countries on this and the only way of sending out a really strong message is through legislation." Local authorities do currently have powers to ban drinking in certain designated areas, but doctors want to see these powers being used more to create no drinking zones in towns and cities across the country.
Frank Soodeen, of Alcohol Concern, said: "We would agree that the alcohol driving limit should be reduced, evidence from other countries suggests it does help to reduce road deaths." The conference also called for taxation to be increased and become proportionate to the amount of alcohol content in drinks amid concern about high-strength wines.
And on the issue of raising the age for buying alcohol in shops to 21, he added: "With a sizeable proportion of off-licences selling alcohol to under-age drinkers, and binge levels rising among the 18 to 24 age group, this is certainly an idea that's worthy of discussion." Doctors also agreed a motion calling for the alcohol limit for driving to be reduced from 80mg per 100ml of blood to 50mg per 100ml - in line with much of mainland Europe.
But a Home Office spokesman said: "The majority of people drink sensibly and responsibly and the government has no plans to raise the minimum drinking age. Road deaths
"Instead, we are using a combination of effective education and tough enforcement to change the behaviour of the minority that don't. Over a third of the 3,000 road deaths in the UK each year are linked to alcohol consumption.
"For example, successive enforcement campaigns have slashed the numbers selling alcohol to under 18s and all children learn about the effects of drinking in national curriculum science teaching." Colin Hamilton, a public health doctor from Northern Ireland, said it was "inexplicable" the UK was lagging behind others.
And the Department for Transport said there were no immediate plans to reduce the drink driving limit, although it was always kept under constant review. He said: "The evidence [for a reduction] has been building up for a number of years."
NHS Information Centre figures - released as the debate unfolded at the BMA conference - showed there were 5,280 hospital admissions in under-16s in 2005-6 - a rise of over a third from the 3,870 figure in 1995-6.
There were also 187,640 NHS hospital admissions among adults - double the 89,280 figure 10 years ago.
The rise corresponds with the doubling in the last 15 years in the number of alcohol-related deaths to over 8,000 a year, according to the Office for National Statistics.
A Home Office spokesman said the government was already using a combination of methods to try to educate and enforce a change in behaviour.
"Successive enforcement campaigns have slashed the numbers selling alcohol to under 18s and all children learn about the effects of drinking in national curriculum science teaching."
But he said local authorities already were already using their powers to designate no drinking zones.
The Department for Transport said there were no immediate plans to reduce the drink driving limit, although it was always kept under constant review.
  • Obesity was also debated with doctors expressing concern over the "epidemic" being seen.
    • But doctors rejected a motion calling for obesity in the under 12s to be treated as a child protection issue.
    Laurence Buckman, deputy chairman of the BMA's GPs committee, said doctors should be educating, advising and encouraging patients not acting for social services.