talkhealth Blog

How will this affect the way we would drink?

I can only speak from my own area of expertise, that is women and mothers of the Middle Class persuasion with a dependence. The answer for them, is not in the slightest.

Apparently or so I glean through the twittersphere, this is to target the next generation. Where pray do the next generation come from? Perhaps  another planet of moderate drinkers who really don’t give two hoots about the price of booze because it’s a casual relationship that they have with it? Or a parallel universe where their parents never drink at home, and will have to seriously re-think going out to the pub once a week?

Is the next generation in their new found sobriety going to be cool with the fact that they may decide not to drink but their parents are going to need expensive care with illnesses that can be attributed to their drinking? Them not being able to afford to drink would certainly go towards these costs.

There is an old expression, look at the fruit then look at the tree. We baby boomers were encouraged by one and all to party hard, that greed was good, and we were all wimps if we couldn’t keep up with epic benders and do a day’s work after them. Learnt behaviour, peer pressure, and ultimately dependency and addiction.

Even though some of us have managed to stop drinking, there are many more who haven’t, and are paying the price of excess. We created a monster of binge drinking and Bridget Jones.

Are we not worthy of an expenditure or support now rather than later?

It would warm the cockles of my heart if the revenue raised from minimum pricing was put back into recovery care, but I very much doubt that will happen. The mainstream agencies are having their work decommissioned, and those of us who are free spirits are being regularly patted on the head patronizingly for doing such stellar work.

Let’s just tot up some of the fallout from alcohol misuse.

Absenteeism.

Prestenteeism.

Cancers, various and if not fatal then costly to treat.

Early on set dementia

Accidents and Emergencies.

Domestic Violence, Relate and counselling.

Children in Care

Children being exploited using alcohol to lure them in.

Treatment for alcohol misuse.

MisDiagnosis of alcohol misuse.

Liver disease

When you start to add up the numbers, we are looking in the region of over £20 billion in cash, and millions of broken hearts.

Why does anyone think that minimum pricing will fix that?

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Sarah

I am Sarah Turner in my 50's married with two sons. I live in between two pretty villages, just outside of Harrogate in North Yorkshire. My vocation and passion has been to help Women and their families beat alcohol dependence and misuse for many years, and are not able to access appropriate care. Harrogate Sanctuary was born through my fight to find empathetic treatment when I desperately needed it, and failing abysmally. Although I am fully qualified on paper as an Addictions Counsellor and Congnitive Behavioural Therapist, I much prefer to use my own experience as a drunk up until my late thirties, to empathize and understand the problems that Women of today face with the effects and consequences of drinking too much. I adore my family, both human and animal, have three beloved chickens, . My garden never ceases to amaze, and now my boys are grown, I have rather taken to plants to vent my nurturing side. In addition to my own services to my clients, I campaign relentlessly to raise awareness of this hidden epidemic, that still remains such a taboo subject. In the 21st century, it's time for change. To this end I have also co-authored The Sober Revolution, Women calling Time on Wine O'clock, with my friend and ally Lucy Rocca, founder of Soberistas.com.