Alcohol abuse (Panorama)

Having seen the latest Panorama on BBC1 I can only conclude that it was the Alastair Campbell show masquerading as a serious piece about alcohol abuse, binge drinking, middle class alcoholics and the rest.

Jokes apart, this is indeed a grave subject and the programme did deal with it well, on the whole.

The most obvious problem from what I saw is that organisations whose job is to propose controls or restrictions on the availability and low price of many alcoholic drinks should not be largely influenced by drinks companies themselves. These, mostly multinational, companies only want people to drink as much as possible whatever the consequences. Here Alastair did admit to the rather loose policies of the government he had the dubious honour of advising (24 hour drinking etc). New Labour does bear some responsibility for much of the alcohol-related carnage seen on our streets every weekend.

Another obvious conclusion is that on-trade consumption is the way to go whether this be in pubs or restaurants. Landlords and licensees can and do decide when people have had enough.

The amount of alcohol consumed by a sizeable number of individuals is excessive and should be curbed in some way. And it is not only in this country that the problem exists. In France, which has the reputation of being a country of mostly 'responsible' alcohol consumption, drinking to excess among younger people is a growing phenomenon. Is this a sign of a more general malaise in our societies ?

Under what conditions might it be possible to curb excessive drinking ? A few suggestions: drink business (especially big business) off advisory bodies; government to ensure alcohol is not under priced (in relation to say when I was a young man 30 years ago); a better deal for pubs and restaurants which should be THE place to have a drink, not sitting at home with cheap booze flogged by supermarkets.

Beyond these superficial palliatives, only the transformation of our society to something altogether more green, social, and worthwhile for everyone will cure these ills. That is another question.