[UnklGene]

We need more government control!

[TheSpottedOwl]

Maybe they need to study what happened during American prohibition.

[tdadams]

the academy argues that drinking levels should return to those of the early 1970s when the population drank on average seven litres of alcohol per head a year. This compares with the 11.1 litres now consumed. The figures represent a rise of 50 per cent in 30 years.

Maybe the intrusion of government busybodies into the most mundane of individual activities is driving more people to drink.

[freeeee]

"In related news, drinkers have been reported being 'slightly' upset with the suggestion, and have decided to pay the doctors a friendly 'visit'. Now back to you..."

[swarthyguy]

Higher prices for drinks,

Smaller food portions....

Thank YOu Thank You, O Taliban of the West.

[Cicero]

Great plan. Now we can add desperate drunks to drug addicts mugging people for a fix.

[Pyro7480]

And in other news... Guinness good for you - official

Bottoms up!

[Pyro7480]

MMMM...beer. (drools)

[45Auto]

Why don't the morons just institute a total ban on booze? After all, it worked so well in America. These poeple don't care one whit about anyone's health - this is just another way to raise effing taxes.

[realpatriot71]

Hey it's a vice and no one has a natural right to be able to purchase alcohol without being taxed. If you don't want to pay the tax, don't but the alcohol or make yoour own. It's your choice. I got not problem making it more expensive to drink alcohol, more than a drink a day, and alcohol isn't good for you.

[Feiny]

We'll raise up our glasses against evil forces saying Whiskey for my men & beer for my horses!!!!

[PaxMacian]

Here is an example of an arisotcratic oligarchy using class warfare to force their puritannical panacea down our throats.

[freeeee]

[avg_freeper]

May be we should double the cost of malpractice insurance because there are just too darn many people being harmed by doctors.

[freeeee]

So long as government pays for medical expenses, it will have a justification to dictate even the smallest details of your life, even what you eat.

Just as every aspect of a child's life is mandated by his parents, so is an adult's who is babied by the state. And for the same exact reason.

This is the biggest reason that we cannot afford national health care - it's cost is other people's liberty, and it's not theirs to spend.

[firebrand]

I hope they don't do this in New York. I don't think I can afford a $26 martini.

[metesky]

Prof Sir Michael Marmot

[NavyCaptain]

Let's see! In 1970 to my recollection a bottle of beer here in Ohio cast about$.50 and a mixed drink maybe $1.00. They cost more today, but our consumption has gone up! So raise the price further and our consumtion will go --- up?

[tjwmason]

We have a big problem in their reasoning.

However, the academy argues that drinking levels should return to those of the early 1970s when the population drank on average seven litres of alcohol per head a year. This compares with the 11.1 litres now consumed.

The doctors said that drinking at levels of one or two drinks a day provided proven health benefits but that higher amounts began to do harm.

Taking the latter point, the official recommendation is 3 drinks per day (for a man). If one assumes that these are standard glasses of wine, each being 125 m.l., that makes 375 m.l./day of wine. That makes 136.875 litres of wine per annum. Taking 12.5% a.b.v. gives 13.86875 litres of pure alcohol; i.e., this excessive drinking (11 litres) is below the government suggestion (14 litres).

[cynicom]

Would this affect Ted Kennedy???