Understanding Contemporary Britain

Ignacio Ladrn de Guevara

The problem of alcohol in the UK

The culture of alcohol
Despite warnings about the health hazards and increasing prices, the British believe that alcohol is part of their culture. Writings of the eighteenth century, which advises the "sport" that is to see who among men was more drunk without falling to the ground, leave no doubt about how ingrained is the alcohol in the islands. It is curious that in 2005 the governments of England and Wales gave the green light to the law allowing the sale of alcohol for 24 hours a day. A controversial measure that suggested, a priori, about the future dangers of this freedom. The publication in 2008 of the figures wielding police forces of the two countries indicated that the number of prisoners by disturbances related to alcohol not only had not fallen but had increased by 136%.

Alcohol cheaper
The drinking culture in the UK differs from that of other European countries. In the latter tends to slow consumption, usually accompanied by food. The newspaper The Mail blamed the stress and worrying situation cheap prices, concluding that the fact that the big supermarkets Tesco, Asda Sainsbury every beer sold at affordable price of 22p (30 cents) made it very easy attractive and get carried into a binge. Women opt for white wine and men for the "pints" of beer. It is not uncommon to see hordes of young people with bottles of spirits roaming the streets when they celebrate British entry into adulthood.

Alcohol and British children

A study published by the BBC Wales left an alarming statistic: at least 1,200 children under 12 were treated in the emergency room each year due to alcohol intoxication. In 2011 a law was proposed to control the ads on alcohol and not affecting children and adolescents. And the UK industry spends more than a billion euros each year on ads, compared to the 4 million spent by the Ministry of Education to teach moderate drinking.

British women are the most drinking

According to another study, conducted in the UK, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Estonia and Slovenia, British women are the more they drink, besides being very close to the number of men who drink alcohol in the islands. 7.7% of consumers drink without moderation, compared with 8.9% of men. Numbers surprising if one considers that in Spain only 1% of women regularly drink. Experts believe that the fact that British women have greater economic independence is the key to these statistics, and the popular belief that drinking is essential to enjoy the evening. 1

Understanding Contemporary Britain

Ignacio Ladrn de Guevara

Too many deaths from drinking

Irresponsible alcohol consumption is being phased out in the UK. One in four adults drink without moderation. More than 16,000 people die there every year from liver cirrhosis. It is the only cause of death that is increasing year after year. The director of the UK Alcohol Health Alliance warns that young twenty are dying now of something that was virtually improbable a few years ago, obviating responsible consumption. It's part of the culture and Judeo-Christian society and is enjoyed by most adults in the UK. However, the lack of a serious perception of its psychoactive effects and its negative impact on health, the economy and social relations staff have helped the alcohol to become one of the biggest problems of the British Isles. This consumption reaches alarming proportions.

The pack of snuff in the UK, to 10 euros

The economy minister, George Osborne, detailed in the presentation of the 2012-13 state budget rise by 5% above inflation (about 3 percent) taxes of snuff. This legislation dearer on average 37 pence (0.5 euros) the price of a pack, which currently costs about 7.5 pounds (9 euros). "Smoking remains the largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the UK. Been shown to increase the price of snuff encourages smokers to quit and discouraging young people from starting to smoke," Osborne argued during the presentation of the budgets in the British Parliament. The announcement created unrest among the group of British smokers, who believe that these prices will encourage the black market and buying snuff in other countries. "Older people, people with low wages and the unemployed will be those who will suffer most. But it is also an attack on smokers honored to support British trade buying their packages within the country," said Simon Clark, director of Forest, an organization defending the rights of smokers. However, health organizations, such as Cancer Research UK, welcomed the measure because they believe that increased prices of snuff is the most effective method to reduce this addiction. "This tax increase will make cigarettes unaffordable for many young people and reduce the chances of getting caught smoking," said Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health, Deborah Arnott.

Understanding Contemporary Britain

Ignacio Ladrn de Guevara

Moreover, the economy minister also said that the British Government will keep rising 2 percent annual inflation alcohol tax passed by the previous Labour Executive, sparking complaints from restaurateurs. Camra, a British organization in defense of the "pubs", reported that this rate, which means the increase of the pint of beer between 5 and 10 pence (6 cents and 12), means that this drink taxes have increased by 40% since 2008. The Association of British Beer and Pubs warned that this tax increase could cause the destruction of thousands of jobs and closing hundreds of bars. The announcement was received with concern also from Scotland, where they feared that increased taxes on alcohol harm the Scotch whiskey industry, which generates 35,000 jobs in the UK.

Restriction on sale of snuff advertising in UK

The UK this Saturday redoubles its efforts to reduce the consumption of snuff with the prohibition of exposing packs in shops and outlawing the sale of that product in vending machines. As announced by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats Executive in March to present his budget, the Government will strive in a control strategy that habit, with specific objectives when it comes to pregnant teenagers. Since July 2007, in England banned smoking in enclosed public places and at work, a standard that was introduced in Ireland in March 2004, in Scotland in March 2006 and in Wales in April 2007. The government hopes that the new measure will help achieve its goal of reducing the smoking rate of 21.2 percent today to 18.5 percent by the end of 2015. To discourage citizens from smoking cigarettes and related products should be kept from Saturday behind the counter of the great shops and, from 2013, also at kiosks and small shops. As part of that plan, is also deemed illegal from tomorrow to sell cigarettes or any other kind of snuff in vending machines, regardless of the age of the consumer. But while in England the pubs, clubs, nightclubs and restaurants continue using that system sales of snuff from now face fines of 2,500 pounds (2,875 euros), Wales has delayed the ban until February 1, 2012 . While the Welsh Executive has stressed its commitment to this legislation, has alleged legal and logistical difficulties to justify the delay in its implementation. 3

Understanding Contemporary Britain

Ignacio Ladrn de Guevara

According to a study published by the BBC, 10 percent of smokers aged 11 to 15 years buy their cigarettes on machines, compared to 1 percent of remaining smokers. In this war the consumption of snuff, also veto display advertisements or pictures of the product in vending machines in general. Any attempt to discourage smoking, which currently spends about 7 pounds (8 euros) per pack of 20 cigarettes, a price that varies depending on the area or if the sale is managed on a counter or in a vending machine. Despite the high cost compared to other countries (in Spain, for example, a pack of 20 cigarettes costs around 3.5 euros), which is explained by the high taxes imposed by the Government, the UK has 10 million smoking, according to the latest data from the Londonbased World Cancer Research Fund.