From G&T to A&E

Alcohol-related admissions to hospitals have doubled in 10 years.

The NHS have said that over 200,000 patients were admitted in 2006, compared to under 94,000 in 1995-6.

Now the politically cynical could say, that's pretty much the time span since New Labour became the government ho ho, but there's plenty other reasons probably lying under it:

• cheap drink
• longer opening hours
• the state of the economy
• the state of the nation's sporting teams
  
• the state of the environment
• the state of law and order
• David Cameron's face
• and perhaps more relevantly: the state of our drinking culture.

These depressing statistics would drive you to drink.

There are proper real reasons that any social scientist worth their salt (not around the tequila glass) will be able to ascertain. Whether they can do anything about it remains to be seen. Britain, like most other countries in the world, has a long history of participation in swally.

Maybe it's time to look not at the reasons behind the drinking but maybe devote some resources to coping with the results.

A new Manhattan Project? Apollo program?
In other words, it might be time for the government and scientists to work on a project that will come up with some drugs or potions or something that will counteract the swally effect on our bodies. With proper resources mankind could make it safe to continue the swally.

There was a drug going round for a while called R U 21 which promised the taking away of hangovers. You could still drink away, take a pill with each drink and you'd wake up fine. That's the kind of thinking that should be looked at and expanded upon to include alcohol's effect on our livers, hearts, stomachs, bladders, etc.

Basically: If you can't beat them, join them - in a round?


Never mind the 12 step programme, should we be looking to take that "small step for swallykind"?