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Socially Acceptable Diseases and Non socially Acceptable Deseases

Posted , 6 users are following.

colin30375
colin30375

As we all know, smoking is banned from public places; during my infrequent visits to U.K. I've seen horrific photographs published on cigarette packets (I don't know if it's the same now) and much ado has been made of the 'drain' on H.H.S. recources. It has created an anti-social awareness and has reduced smoking but a person walking along with cigarette may get frowned upon; but to see a drunk opens up a whole different can of worms.

Entice people in pubs/bars etc.to drink then throw them out when they get drunk (in some cases). I suppose there's no such thing as passive drinking - only encouragement to 'have another'.

My point being that on the occasions (mainly at week-ends) A&E was usually full of drunks but not smokers.

Why were alcoholic beverage producers not made to put warnings and horrific images on bottles and cans? Surely, the treatment of aloholism must also cost a fortune.

We see many campaigns about the dangers of smoking but we don't see public awareness raised about the dangers of excessive drinking. T.V. and films are the same (with a few exeptions; people get blathered and carry on as if they've had a couple of bars of chocolate.

Generally, people aren't aware of the dangers and aftermath of excessive drinking so when confronted with people who have a major issue, they simply don't have a clue. The general populas needs to be made aware. Not enough is being done.

I've never seen anyone in A & E because they had too many cigarettes.

Get cancer and people queue up to light a candle by your bedside; have a problem with alcohol and get treated like a leper.

 

     

 

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • RHGB
    RHGB colin30375

    Posted

    Also, in a hospital as a patient, you are not allowed to have alcohol, on or off the premises. But it is perfectly okay to go outside as often as you want, to have a fag.

    When my missus used to visit me everyday in hospital, she said it was bizarre, all these people outside puffing on a fag (patients) and half of them where in wheelchairs towing a drip of some sort.

    • colin30375
      colin30375 RHGB

      Posted

      It's a strange world. I used to see the same thing both as an inpatient and as a visitor. Fag buts everywhere outside. 

        

      The thing that blew my mind was being an inpatient at Christies hospital a couple of times and a frequent appointee for years after. One of the first things I was shown was the smoking room; I doubt that it's still there. You really didn't need to light up, you could hardly see for smoke.

      My consultant told me that my cancer had been caused by heavy drinking and smoking. So, at Christies (in those days), a smoking room but no bar. Wonderful hospital though, I'm sure they had their reasons then. 

      The last time I went to U.K. was to be checked out re; a possible return of cancer. The walls in the Doctors surgery and at Guys hospital were plastered with posters about the dangers of diabetes but only maybe a couple of small posters about the dangers of alcohol.

      It is time something was done to make people aware. Long overdue.    

          

    • RHGB
      RHGB colin30375

      Posted

      Same in the rehab centre yesterday, I'd say 90% posters for drugs and 10% for alcohol, I sat there counting them whilst waiting.

      The whole thing smacks of, smoke at all and you have a problem. Drink too much and you are a bit fond of the sauce, we all drink too much at Christmas time blah, blah, just cut down a bit, that's all it needs.There's nothing to see here.

    • colin30375
      colin30375 RHGB

      Posted

      Yes I agree, it's as though a doctor will tell you that you're addicted to alcohol but some don't mean it and so do almost nothing about it. In fact, in my early days of trying to get sober one doctor even asked me what he should prescribe and got his big book out to look it up.

      He gave me enough drugs to supply the Good Ship Lollypop.

      Tell them you're a heroin addict and all the troops rally round. It's very unfair.  

  • PaulJTurner1964
    PaulJTurner1964 colin30375

    Posted

    I never saw anybody stab another person, beat up another person, damage property, vomit in the street, end up in A & E, take days off work or crash their car because they had too many cigarettes. While I accept that people should have the right to breathe fresh air, I cannot understand why all the focus has been on smoking while a drug which is far more dangerous to some people, and to society in general has been largely ignored.
  • Robin2015
    Robin2015 colin30375

    Posted

    agree with Coling and the two replies. Strange and twisted world since we NEED smokers to finance schools, roadworks, police....the list is LONG..drinking is FINE but it is not and I salute Paul again for his reply...Robin
  • colin30375
    colin30375

    Posted

    Very interesting to note that U.K. duty on tobacco for 2015 - 2016 is 10.2 billion.

    Duty from alcohol is 110 billion for 2015 -2016.

    Number of smokers has gone down since 2006 - 2016 but duty has gone up.

    Money spent on dangers of smoking has gone up remarkably; money spent on dangers of alcohol abuse isn't much more than it was in 2006.

    448 million has been used 2015 - 2016 to improve quality of life for alcohol sufferers and their families.   

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 colin30375

      Posted

      Interesting statistics. I can add some. The cost to the NHS for treatment of smoking-related illnesses is £2.7 billion per annum, around a fifth of the revenue generated.

      There are various figures for the cost of alcohol but it is not as simple as these are not only NHS costs but include other factors such as crime and days off work and The Daily Mail reported a figure of £6 billion in total. It is interesting to note that the bill for drugs for treating alcohol dependence is reported as £3.13 million! That tells a story, in itself.

    • colin30375
      colin30375 PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Yes Paul, customs and excise introduce many variables and it would need some in depth research to find out exactly how much is spent and on what  - enough to get me back on the jolly trolly.

      Like you say, so many factors; drugs linked to alcohol hard to know how much is spent on what?

      3.13 million spent on drugs for treating alcohol dependence against a revenue of almost 490 BILLION.

      It does tell a story.    

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