Scotland has alcoholism as top health problem

Image via WikipediaAlcohol remains a destroyer till now when everything is deemed technologically advanced...
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Study finds alcohol was a factor in more than 5500 GP consultations in Scotland in one day.

03 May 2011

Alcohol was a factor in more than 5500 GP consultations in Scotland on one day alone last month, according to a new survey.

BMA Scotland, which carried out the study, said this equates to 1.4 million consultations per year, costing the NHS more than £28m.

It warned that a "significant proportion" of adults are risking alcohol-related health problems, with alcohol killing five people a day.

Dr Alan McDevitt, deputy chairman of the BMA's Scottish General Practitioners Committee, said: "Those who suffer from alcohol related health problems are not just alcoholics or heavy binge drinkers.

"By regularly drinking over and above recommended limits, a significant proportion of the adult population is at risk of experiencing health problems that are linked to the alcohol they consume whether it is high blood pressure, breast cancer or even domestic abuse.

"In just one day, nurses and doctors working in general practices across Scotland saw more than 5500 patients where alcohol had contributed to their ill health.

"But the patients seen in general practice are just the tip of the iceberg. The impact of alcohol misuse across the rest of the NHS, in hospitals and in our communities is far greater."

The organisation called on candidates in all the political parties to acknowledge the damaging influence of alcohol misuse on individuals and in communities every day in Scotland.

It urged them to spend one of the last few days of the election campaign outlining how they will tackle alcohol misuse in the next Scottish Parliament.

Other health organisations backed the BMA's call for action to tackle the country's alcohol problem.

Alcohol Focus Scotland called on politicians to consider a minimum unit price for alcohol while the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland suggested more alcohol liaison nurses to help reduce re-attendance at A&E and hospital admissions.

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Taken from news.stv.tv; source article is below:
More than 5500 GP visits a day in Scotland are alcohol related, survey finds

Related articles

• Demon Drink ~ The Risks of Alcohol (tricitypsychology.com)
• Doctors warn over alcohol risks (bbc.co.uk)
• Alcohol: One Day, 5,500 Patients, £28 Million, Scotland (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Some School-Based Programs Curb Alcohol Misuse (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Tackling our national alcohol problem (2020health.wordpress.com)
• Minimum alcohol price calls grow (bbc.co.uk)
• Scots 'consume 25% more alcohol' (bbc.co.uk)
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• Alcohol abuse treatment criticised in report (independent.co.uk)

I was relieved, and I was relieved!

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The last year marked a turning event, albeit minor, in my life - as a father.

I will be direct to the point: my girls have grown. My eldest graduated from primary school, with the other 2 going P5 and P3. Not to mention a newborn baby last September (and that was 09-09-09).

When we bought the books for their 2010 curriculum, I didn't do anymore a lot of things that I usually do in the previous years:
1. stick their name tags on their school materials (books, pencils, paints, etc., etc.)
2. cover with plastic sheet their books and notebooks to protect them from the daily handling.

And if to say it that this chore actually takes up a lot of time, I didn't worry about that this year, and perhaps I will not worry about it in the next years to come.

I was relieved of that chore, and boy, was I relieved!

Innocent? We want your DNA

Despite opposition, UK Home Secretary proposes new DNA database policy

by THE GUARDIAN, AFP

04:02 PM May 08, 2009

LONDON - The genetic profiles of hundreds of thousands of innocent people are to be kept on the national DNA database for up to 12 years. But critics claim the scheme is designed to sidestep a European human rights ruling that the “blanket” retention of suspects’ data is unlawful.

The proposed new rules for the national DNA database to be put forward today by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith include plans to keep the DNA profiles of innocent people who are arrested but not convicted of minor offences for six years.

The proposal would also apply to children from age 10 who are arrested but never successfully prosecuted. In cases of more serious violent and sexual crime, innocent people’s genetic codes will be kept for 12 years.

It was widely expected that the DNA profiles, samples and fingerprints of 850,000 innocent people kept on the database would be destroyed in response to the ruling by the European court of human rights last December.

But the proposals fall short of those expectations and contrast sharply with the situation in Scotland, where only the DNA profiles of suspects arrested for serious violent and sexual offences are retained for a maximum of five years.

The Home Secretary said that the DNA database, which was set up in 1995 and holds information on about 4.5 million people, was a “vital tool” in fighting crime.

“These new proposals will ensure that the right people are on it, as well as considering where people should come off,” said Ms Smith.

However, human rights groups, and opposition politicians united yesterday in expressing dismay that the Home Office had rejected that option and predicted a race to the courts to challenge the new policy.

Ms Shami Chakrabarti, head of civil liberties group Liberty, said: “Wholly innocent people - including children - will have their most intimate details stockpiled for years on a database that will remain massively out of step with the rest of the world.”

Data on jailed criminals will continue to be stored for life, but young people convicted of only one minor offence will have their DNA samples deleted when they reach 18 years of age.

Ms Smith added the database proposals would ensure that “the right people are on it, as well as considering where people should come off”.

The Home Office estimates that even this package will mean 4,500 fewer crimes each year being detected compared with the current policy of retaining indefinitely the profiles of all those arrested.

From TODAY, World – Friday, 08-May-2009