TY - JOUR T1 - Government strategy on alcohol JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 286 LP - 287 DO - 10.3399/bjgp08X280029 VL - 58 IS - 549 AU - Zul A Mirza AU - Edin Lakasing Y1 - 2008/04/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/58/549/286.abstract N2 - Few would disagree that the UK has a serious problem in relation to alcohol and alcohol-related illness.1 The last three decades have seen alcohol consumption rise by 50%, and currently, an estimated 7.5% of men and 2.1% of women are physically addicted to alcohol, among the highest rates in the European Union.2 With rising rates of liver cirrhosis and a huge social burden of violence, accidents, and family disruption, the annual cost to the economy is conservatively estimated at £30 billion.3 How many new hospitals could be built with this money?In 2005 Tony Blair's government liberalised licensing laws in England and Wales, effectively allowing pubs, bars, and clubs to serve alcohol 24 hours a day. They embraced the paradoxical idea that allowing people unrestricted drinking time would moderate binge drinking and the attendant public disorder. This caused consternation among large sections of the public, and even more so, judges, the police, and the medical profession. More than 2 years on, we can justifiably whisper ‘I told you so’, with no let-up in the pools of vomit, blood, and other detritus blighting town centres and emergency departments, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. In fact the drinking weekend now begins on a Thursday.In formulating their alcohol reduction strategy,3 the government was more open … ER -