The House of Commons in the UK very recently produced a 400+ page report on the issue outlining the historical perspective and the future issue which is getting worse.

Alcohol harm costs Ireland over 2.65 billion euros, thats over 2650 million euros every year and growing. We could buy a lot of good things with this money for example it equated to 1300 euros a year for every worker in the country. The financial harm is only trivial compared to the real harm caused to society. Marriage breakups often follows years of domestic abuse, ill health, absenteeism alone is costing the state a billion euros, failing in school and college is strongly associated with alcohol and traffic accidents and deaths are unacceptable and this is also a problem that is not being dealt with.

Other issues are important such as the culture of not using protection while having sex, this is prevalent among students. 40% of female students have used the morning after pill, what does this suggest? crisis pregnancies are increasing and 4% of students have had an STD (sexually transmitted disease). Alcohol is by far the main excuse for this behaviour as report in many indepth studies since 2002, not least the CLAN report, college lifestyle and attitudinal national (CLAN) survey, which is an evaluation of college alcohol policy.

With alcohol now fully recognised as a major health and social concern which can have disastrous long term results it is time for us all to start to do something about it. Children, teens, students, adults and the elderly are affected directly and indirectly in many ways. Please take time to appreciate the alcohol issue and do whatever possible to make some progress in reducing the incidence of drinking and consider what we really get from binging and all that goes with it both at the time and following that when we have to face the extreme consequences.

PLEASE MAIL ME WITH COMMENTS AND QUERIES. I answer all mail.

brendan@personaltraining.ie I appreciate all comments.