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Second, we help with counseling
services and support. Then we have
to look at health education and to
give more information about the use
and abuse of alcohol in our society.
ls Brltlsh soclety making inroads In
combatlng the problem?
I f you look at the surface- the
fact that we have got increasing
drunkenness offenses, driving of–
fenses, admissions to hospitals- it
looks as if we are losing. On t he
other hand we have aler ted public
opinion to the fact that there is a
problem in this country and a prob–
lem that needs practica! decisions.
However, it is very difficult to say
whether we have succeeded in stem–
ming the t ide. 1 don't believe we
have, because we are up against a
massive social problem. Treatment
services are not enough if you won't
tackle the source of supply. You
didn't get rid of cholera and TB by
producing better sanatoriums. You
got rid of it by looking at the water
supply and river conditions and the
health conditions of your people.
And this is where we come back to
education and looking at sensible
and realistic control policies.
The situation can still get worse in
this country. You just have to take a
look at France. One in five hospital
beds in this country [Britain] is
occupied by people with an alcohol–
related illness, whereas in France it's
almost one in two. We have some–
where in the region of perhaps 2,000
deaths from alcohol ism or cirrhosis
in this country each year, whereas in
France, last year, there were 21 ,000
deaths from alcoholism compared
with 20,000 deaths from tobacco–
related illnesses. So the position can
get worse in Britain.
How serious ls the industrial acci–
dent problem caused by alcohol?
1
think there is a gross underesti–
mate of the problem on the shop floor
of the inappropriate use of alcohol and
accidents. The British have recognized
the association between drinking and
driving accidents, but the French were
able to discover that alcohol is
involved in 7 percent of aJI their acci–
dents at work. Where there was a
serious accident and work stoppage,
15
percent were with people with a
raised alcohol leve!. o
May 1982
19