BMA Response To Government Campaign On Alcohol Units, UK

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 19 May 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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People could be risking their health and driving over the limit because they don't know how many alcohol units they're consuming. This is why the BMA is backing the Government 'Know Your Limits' campaign, launched in England today (Monday 19 May 2008).

BMA Chairman, Dr Hamish Meldrum, commented:

"We are very pleased that the Government is trying to raise awareness about alcohol units. The results of their survey show that the majority of people don't know how many units are in a typical glass of wine or average pint of beer. This is very worrying. Misusing alcohol destroys health, wrecks lives and puts huge strains on our health service. Individuals should take responsibility for their health and drink sensibly.

"Raising awareness about units is only one part of the solution, however, and the government needs to tackle other issues like the accessibility and affordability of alcohol products. The Government also needs to focus on providing more treatment for people suffering from alcohol addiction."

http://www.bma.org.uk