I’m always intrigued by the nanny state’s efforts to control my consumption of alcohol. For years they’ve published guidelines like ‘no more than 3 or 4 units a day’ – which I reckon is hardly table stakes for anybody who enjoys a drink! I mean, I like a half or two before lunch and a glass or two of red with the meal – so that blows my quota for the whole day, branding me a soak beyond redemption!
Courtesy William Hogarth
And (wait for it) the latest advice is that the old ‘units per day’ advice misleads us into thinking that a drink every day is OK. It ain’t (allegedly). We should have two alcohol-free days a week. So far nanny hasn’t stipulated which days of the week but no doubt she will.
Am I misguided in thinking that almost everything we consume is inherently bad for us if consumed to excess? Even our cups of tea, daily greens and doctor-repelling apples? So why pick on my daily tipple for special attention? Nanny is already taxing it out of sight.
For more sage words, see http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16443240. Thank you.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Sod their sage words!
Red wine is the only thing that keeps one alive.
Anyway what is one supposed to drink the other two days?
Appalling drivel.
Hello Janus, I wrote about this sort of thing somewhere, just a few days ago when Cameron, in an effort to stop binge drinking, announced that he intended to put a minimum charge on a unit of alcohol, below which retailers would be forbidden from selling. If only politicians would make some effort to learn from history. The ‘Gin Problem’ of the 17th century came about as a result of government interference, when it encouraged people to distill gin to use up excess grain on the market and then when people got too drunk they imposed prohibitive taxes so illegal distilling took place which included adding turpentine to the product.
Hogarth published a series, Gin Lane which depicts the evils of alcohol and Beer Street which extols its virtues. It all depends on the circumstances of the consumers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_Street_and_Gin_Lane
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gin_Craze
I have a neighbour who spent his working life in Fleet Street. He had a colleague who, when asked by a young and eager ‘Elf ‘n’ Safety wonk about when during the week he hit his state-approved alcohol unit intake, replied with aplomb and some pride, “About Monday lunchtime”.
OZ
Sipu – Quite so. Think of the disaster that was prohibition in the Septic 20s.
OZ
Couldn’t agree more!
I do wish they would stop telling us what to do. I usually ignore such advice on principle.
Cheers!
My problem is that I’ve lived sufficiently long to know that:
(a) what is a health hazard today was healthy ten years ago, a health hazard twenty years before, healthy thirty years previously, and so and so on…
(b) I’m not prepared to spend the rest of my life living without the things I enjoy…
May I deduce that my fellow cherished commentators also imbibe above Nanny’s norm? What a relief! A liver is for living, innit?
Quite right, Boadicea.
Cheers, Janus!
Absolutely correct, Christina, but don’t forget the odd Scotch and pint of Speckled Hen as well!
B——-s, who the hell thought that one up?
When pc surgery nannies/nurses ask about my alcohol intake, I reply modestly that I do like the odd G&T and they smile and write it down as one unit. Husband points out to me that my idea of one unit would be considered a triple in any pub, but I can’t keep count. Our measure of the strength of a drink is based on when we were working: from a Monday night strength to a Friday night. When I ordered a dark rum and coke in the oldest pub in Gibraltar, I was amazed at the generous measure of rum. It’s all relative, innit?
If alcohol were invented today it would be a controlled substance. So would sugar, salt, all diary products and red meat, and anything not farmed organically. Including bread because apparently the latest medical research shows that wheat is an irritant.
When will the government learn to shut up and let us live our lives? Give us information for sure, then let us do with it as we see fit. I heard some boffin on the radio this morning saying that it was my, yes me, my Human Right to know the alcoholic content of wine.
Too bloody right – if it ain’t got alcohol in it, I don’t chuffing want it!
Alcohol they say is a bigger killer than anything else therefore a drain on the health service. I reckon fatties are worse, but nothing kills as much as cars on the road. Ban them too shall we? Grrrrr.
Some years ago I had to train my doctor, local GP, manic Christian etc etc……
On being asked about fag and booze intake with that fastidious condescending tone with which they attempt to intimidate.
I fixed him with a basilisk eye and informed him most tartly that at $250/ hour I had no intention of discussing my personal habits which were not germane to the consultation and to get on with it.
He has never asked since!
One must never change doctors after you have broken them in!
He talks politely nowadays about gardening, much more acceptable.
I have always considered a bottle to be a reasonable “unit” of wine.
LW exactly so!!!