Recession causes 2,000 heart attack deaths

 

Since 2002 the number of people dying from heart attacks in England has dropped by half, the study conducted by Oxford University found. But within that, regional data revealed there was a 'blip' in London that corresponded to the financial crash in 2008 and continued through 2009. Heart attack deaths have dropped due to better prevention of heart attacks in the first place with fewer people smoking and improvements in diet through lower consumption of saturated fat. The treatment of people who do suffer a heart attack has also improved leading to fewer deaths with faster ambulance response times, new procedures to clear blocked arteries and wider use of drugs such as statins and aspirin. The research published in the British Medical Journal showed around 80,000 lives have been saved between 2002 and 2008 as deaths from heart attacks declined.

Scots alcohol-related deaths double during last 30 years

 

THE number of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland has more than doubled in the past three decades, latest figures show. While 641 people died in 1979 from alcohol-related conditions, by 2010 the number had risen to 1,318. The figures from the General Register Office for Scotland show that between 2009 and 2010 there was an increase of 3 per cent, or 36 deaths. However, whereas the number of men whose deaths were alcohol-related increased from 837 to 909 between 2009 and 2010, the number of such deaths among women dropped from 445 to 409. The figures led to calls for more to be done to tackle the problem, including bringing in minimum pricing legislation. Jennifer Curran, head of policy, research and communications at Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “Levels of alcohol harm in Britain are at historically high levels with alcohol being more affordable, more available and more heavily marketed than at any other time in the last 30 years. “During that time, alcohol consumption per adult in the UK has gone up by 22 per cent and alcohol-related deaths have more than doubled. “Raising the price of alcohol is one of the most effective ways of reducing alcohol-related harm.” The data showed Glasgow had the most alcohol related deaths, with 215 in 2010, followed by North Lanarkshire with 119 and Edinburgh with 103. While Edinburgh saw a dramatic rise from 61 deaths to 103 over the past 30 years, Glasgow saw a smaller increase from 187 to 215. The General Register Office for Scotland pointed out that alcohol-related deaths first started to increase sharply in the 1990s. Information accompanying the statistics said: “The numbers of alcohol-related deaths for both sexes were relatively stable during the 1980s, but there were significant increases, particularly for men, during the 1990s and early 2000s. The largest numbers, and largest increases, were in those aged 45 to 59.” In 2010, 569 of the 1,318 deaths were in the 45 to 59-year-old age group, followed by 449 among 60 to 74-year-olds. Despite the rise in deaths between 2009 and 2010, there has been an overall drop since 2003, when alcohol-related deaths reached a high of 1,525. Alcohol Concern chief executive Eric Appleby said: “Despite slightly lower figures for alcohol-related deaths in Scotland over recent years, the level of avoidable deaths due to alcohol misuse is still at a very unacceptable level. Evidence shows minimum pricing can make a real difference, so it is very timely for the Scottish Government to be taking the initiative in this area. It’s also vital services are always available for the early identification and support of problem drinkers.” Minimum pricing legislation is due to be brought forward again by the Scottish Government this year after a failed attempt to pass it last year. A Scottish Government spokesman said: “It is clear that too many people are still drinking too much and damaging their health in the process. We need to take action on this. “We believe minimum pricing would be the most effective and efficient way to tackle alcohol misuse as it would effectively target problem drinkers and help them reduce their consumption.”

Cannabis taxation: a win-win all round, Richard Branson tells MPs

 

The market for cannabis in Britain should be regulated and taxed, and responsibility for drug policy moved from the Home Office to the health department, Sir Richard Branson has told MPs. The Virgin Group head said the 20% of police time and £200m spent on giving criminal sentences to 70,000 young people for possession of illegal drugs in Britain each year would be better spent going after the criminal gangs at the centre of the drugs trade. "It's win-win all round,'' he told the Commons home affairs select committee. Asked about his personal history of drug use, Branson replied: "I would say 50% of my generation has smoked cannabis. I would say 75% of my children's generation has smoked cannabis … If I was smoking cigarettes, I would be very worried." He said that in his own Virgin companies he did not think staff who were found to be taking drugs should be dismissed but instead treated as having a problem, and helped. "There are many people in companies with drink problems or smoking problems," he said. Branson was part of a global commission on drug policy, which includes five ex-presidents and Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general. The body concluded last year that the war on drugs had failed and called for experiments in decriminalisation. He was the first witness at the Commons home affairs inquiry into drug policy. Branson argued that the policy of switching responsibilty for drug policy from the Home Office to the health department had worked in Portugal, where nobody had been jailed for using or possessing drugs in the last 10 years. Portugal was the only country that had decriminalised all drugs. As a result of treating drug users rather than imprisoning them, he said, heroin use and heroin-related deaths had fallen by more than 50%. In Britain, 100,000 young people a year were arrested for drug offences, and 75,000 of them were given criminal records, which meant they had problems in later life in travelling to some countries, he said. "If next year those 100,000 people are not prosecuted for taking drugs, but they are helped, I think the commission would welcome Britain doing that." He said if the sale of cannabis and other drugs were regulated and taxed, then the quality of what was being taken could be controlled. He contrasted the lack of deaths in Portugal with the recent deaths of three teenagers in Britain from taking tablets they wrongly thought were ecstasy, citing the fatalities as an example of the consequences of failing to regulate the illegal market. The Virgin chief admitted he had not read the UK Home Office drug policy statement, which emphasises diverting drug users from prison, but said the 100,000 arrests each year were evidence the policy was not working in practice. Pressed by some Conservative MPs on the committee to come down on one side or the other in the debate over methadone maintenance versus abstinence, Branson said he was no expert, and it was for the MPs to establish what worked best.

Drugs mule sentences cut in new sentencing guidelines

 

People who smuggle drugs will face more lenient sentences if they have been exploited, under new guidelines. The change in approach on "drug mules" is in the first comprehensive rules on drugs offences from the Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The council said judges should distinguish between those who have been exploited by gangs and criminals heavily involved in the drugs trade. But it said large-scale drugs producers should expect longer jail terms. The council's role is to provide judges and magistrates with a set of broad guidelines so that sentencing is more consistent across England and Wales. Last year the council carried out research into 12 women convicted of drug mule offences, all of whom received sentences of between 15 months and 15 years. The majority of the women said they did not know that they had been carrying drugs when they arrived in the UK, although some admitted being suspicious. In most cases they had carried the drugs for someone they trusted or feared what would happen if they did not do so. Continue reading the main story DRUGS SUPPLY SCENARIOS Guidelines on sentencing for supply vary due to circumstances Example one: Student club-goer guilty of supply of 20 ecstasy tablets to himself and a friend. He buys off a regular dealer recreation and there is no financial gain. Sentencing starting point is 18 months - but can be as low as a community order or as high as three years. Example two: Police stop man in a car who is carrying cocaine worth up to £6,500. They find more drugs trade evidence at home and incriminating messages on a mobile phone. Suspect is involved in commercial-scale selling for profit. Sentencing starting point is eight and a half years. Under the new guideline, which comes into force on 27 February, the starting point for sentencing drug mules guilty of carrying crack, heroin and cocaine will be six years, before judges take into account aggravating and mitigating factors. Those found guilty of a much higher level of involvement in the drugs trade will face longer sentences. Those coerced into smuggling small amounts of Class C drugs, such as ketamine, could be given a community order. The councils said there would be no change in sentences for the key offences of possession and supply, but dealers who provide drugs to under-18s should receive longer sentences. Class A drug street dealers should expect a starting point of four and a half years. Lord Justice Hughes, deputy chairman of the Sentencing Council, said: "Drug offending has to be taken seriously. Drug abuse underlies a huge volume of acquisitive and violent crime and dealing can blight communities. "Offending and offenders vary widely so we have developed this guideline to ensure there is effective guidance for sentencers and clear information for victims, witnesses and the public on how drug offenders are sentenced. "This guideline reinforces current sentencing practice. Drug dealers can expect substantial jail sentences." The guidelines, which applies to magistrates and the crown courts, covers the most common drugs offences - importing, production, supply, possession and allowing a premises to be used for these offences. Chief Constable Tim Hollis, in charge of drugs policy for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: "The Council has clearly given a good deal of consideration to the new guidelines and has produced a document which provides the police and our criminal justice partners with consistent guidance yet still provides the courts with flexibility to deal with each case on its own merits where appropriate." Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust campaign group, said in the light of the guidelines it "calls on the government to review the sentences of all those who have been trafficked into acting as drug mules and are currently languishing for long years in British jails".

Caught with six kilos of cannabis and you could still avoid jail

 

Sentencing guidelines issued today say that offenders who play a “limited” role in gangs could face community orders for intent to supply Class A drugs. Dealers caught with 6kg of cannabis, valued at £17,000 and enough to fill 30,000 joints or keep an average user in supply for 17 years, could also avoid prison. The sentences on drug “mules” will be cut substantially, while workers in small cannabis “farms” could escape custody. Courts will be told for the first time to reduce sentences for cannabis possession if it is being used for medicinal purposes. The guidelines maintain tough sentences for gang leaders and those who sell directly to the public, especially to children.

Drug Users Could Avoid Jail Under New Guidelines Published By The Sentencing Council For Judges

 

Friends socially sharing drugs and those using cannabis for medicinal purposes could escape jail under new guidelines for judges. Drug runners and small-time dealers caught with heroin, cocaine or thousands of pounds worth of cannabis could also avoid prison. Instead, low-level operatives caught with 6kg of cannabis, 20 ecstasy tablets, or five grams of heroin or cocaine are likely to receive a community sentence. The guidelines, which come into force on February 27, are expected to be met with mixed reaction. They state a prison sentence may not be necessary for people who supply small amounts of narcotics to share with their friends for no personal gain. They also urge judges for the first time to reduce sentences for cannabis possession if it is being used "to help with a diagnosed medical condition". It is the first time all courts in England and Wales have been given a comprehensive guideline setting out how the role of the offender and the quantity of drugs should influence sentencing. So-called drug "mules", often women forced or tricked into the crime, could face a starting point of six years if deemed to be playing a "lesser role" in bringing up to 1kg of heroin or cocaine into the country. This is compared to the 11-year starting point if the offender was one of the leading figures. Those caught with small amounts of cannabis could avoid jail But the Sentencing Council said offenders who were employed by someone else to import or export drugs regularly for profit would still face tough sentences of up to life in prison. It said tougher sentences could also be handed down to key players guilty of producing drugs on a large scale. Offenders in a leading role in the production or cultivation of 11lb (5kg) of heroin or cocaine or tens of thousands of ecstasy tablets could face up to 16 years in prison. Those producing industrial quantities of cannabis for commercial purposes could also face up to 10 years in jail. Anyone dealing to those aged under 18 would also face tougher penalties. Under the guidelines, street dealers will still face jail, with those playing a key role in selling class A drugs facing a starting point of four and a half years, with up to 16 years for a single incident, depending on the quantity of drugs involved. 

Free booze for alcoholics makes perfect logic, but no sense

 

As the old adage has it, if you live long enough, you see everything. In the world of substance abuse and addiction, “everything” was in the news today. A group from Vancouver’s notorious hub of drug addiction and policy experimentation, the Downtown East Side, is proposing that a publicly funded, peer-run drinker’s lounge dispensing free legal alcohol to alcoholics be instituted as a means of harm reduction. The Eastside Illicit Drinkers Group for Education, whose spokesman, Rob Morgan, an alcoholic from a First Nations reserve near Terrace, B.C, sees the idea as the natural next step in Vancouver’s famous harm reduction movement. The lounge would be modeled on Insite, the safe injection site whose mandate is not to rehabilitate addicts, but to reduce the rates of disease and death caused by unhygienic consumption and unsupervised overdoes. Mr. Morgan’s logic is impeccable. Desperate alcoholics will drink anything with alcohol in it; they will drink hand sanitizer acquired from “dealers” who steal them from hospitals, as Mr Morgan has; they will share disease-ridden bottles; they sometimes freeze to death in an alcoholic stupor; and for only $3, and some water dilution, will consume 30 standard drinks from a 250 ml bottle of 95% rubbing alcohol. The ravages produced on the body by such a regime certainly rival any depredations short of AIDS suffered by drug addicts.

Two-thirds of smokers try to quit in new year

 

Two-thirds of smokers in the UK, approximately six million people, will try and quit the habit in January, but half of them will fail within a week, new research suggests. According to the study, commissioned by Pfizer Limited in support of its Don't Go Cold Turkey disease awareness campaign, one in ten of these attempts will not last beyond 24 hours. Typically, smokers admit to having unsuccessfully attempted to quit three times before, with 51 per cent confident they can kick the habit in the next six months. Some 45 per cent say they attempt to quit by 'going cold turkey' or giving up the immediately and relying on willpower, however only three per cent of these people are found to be smoke free after a year. Nearly a quarter of former smokers recommend that people trying to quit consult a healthcare professional. Dr Sarah Jarvis, BBC medical correspondent and practising GP, said: "Even a brief conversation with their healthcare professional or local stop smoking service can increase [a smoker's] chances of success by up to four times, compared to going 'cold turkey'. "People should consider how they can positively influence their chances of quitting." According to Cancer Research UK, 86 per cent of lung cancer deaths are caused by tobacco smoking.

there is an area in your brain where you may hold a reservation and that could, in all likelihood, cause you to return to your drinking. I wish that I might reach this place in your consciousness, but alas, I do not have the skill."

Twelve Step people who study A.A.'s Big Book are, of course, familiar with Bill Wilson's medical mentor, Dr. William Duncan Silkworth. Bill called him the benign "little doctor who loved drunks." Silkworth, a psychiatrist, had treated thousands of alcoholics and was director of Towns Hospital in New York where Bill had several times sought help. Though Silkworth had explained the disease of alcoholism to Bill, Bill continued to drink until he met his "sponsor" Ebby Thacher, who had recovered through the spiritual program of the Oxford Group. Ebby had also gone to Calvary Rescue Mission, run by Dr. Sam Shoemaker's Calvary Episcopal Church in New York; and Ebby had there made a decision for Christ. Wilson went there for the same purpose and, according to a conversation the author had with Dr. Shoemaker's widow (Helen Smith Shoemaker), Bill Wilson made a decision for Christ at the Rescue Mission. Bill stayed drunk for a few days and then checked into Towns Hospital and again sought help from Dr. Silkworth. And it was during this stay, that Bill took the life-changing steps of the Oxford Group, had his "hot flash experience," reported it to Dr. Silkworth, and was told by Silkworth that he (Bill) had better hang on to what had happened to him. Silkworth later was asked to write the "Doctor's Opinion" that opens the basic text of the Big Book. Silkworth's picture appears in A.A.'s Pass It On, the biography of Bill's life.

        Shortly before his death, the author spent an hour with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, friend of A.A., the Rev. Sam Shoemaker, and Bill Wilson. Dr. Peale told me of the conversations he had with Bill Wilson about Bill's conversion. However, until 1997, I had never heard the following account by Peale about Dr. William Duncan Silkworth. It can be found in Norman Vincent Peale, The Positive Power of Jesus Christ (New York: Foundation for Christian Living, 1980), pp. 60-61. It appears under the title "The Wonderful Story of Charles K.":

        Charles, a businessman in Virginia, had become a full-fledged alcoholic; so much so that he had to have help, and fast, for his life was cracking up. He made an appointment with the late Dr. William Duncan Silkworth, one of the nation's greatest experts on alcoholism, who worked in a New York City hospital [the Charles Towns Hospital]. Receiving Charles into his clinic as a patient, the doctor gave him treatment for some days, then called him into his office. "Charles," he said, "I have done everything I can for you. At this moment you are free of your trouble. But there is an area in your brain where you may hold a reservation and that could, in all likelihood, cause you to return to your drinking. I wish that I might reach this place in your consciousness, but alas, I do not have the skill."

        "But, doctor," exclaimed Charles, "you are the most skilled physician in this field. When I came to you it was to the greatest. If you cannot heal me, then who can possibly do so?" The doctor hesitated, then said thoughtfully, "There is another Doctor who can complete this healing, but He is very expensive."

        "That's all right," cried Charles, "I can get the money. I can pay his fees. I cannot go home until I am healed. Who is this doctor and where is he?"

        "Oh, but this Physician is not at all moderate as to expense," persisted Dr. Silkworth. "He wants everything you've got. He wants you, all of you. Then He gives the healing. His price is your entire self." Then he added slowly and impressively, "His name is Jesus Christ and He keeps office in the New Testament and is available whenever you need Him."

        Dr. Peale then describes the healing of Charles through the power of Jesus Christ. 

Recovering alcoholic Matt Maden: I began drinking at 10 and now I'm facing death at 26

 

Matt Maden, now 26, has been living on borrowed time since he was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis five years ago. Despite his desperate need he has only a 20 per cent chance of getting an organ because of the growing demand. ‘It’s really scary living with the knowledge that the odds are so heavily against you,’ he said. His condition was detected when he spent two weeks in hospital in an alcohol-induced coma – but even then he refused to believe he had a problem. ‘My immediate thought was, “It’s not the drink”,’ he said. The first time Mr Maden got drunk was at 15. ‘I remember waking up the next morning and my first thought was, “When can I do that again”,’ he said. Within a year he went from drinking eight cans of lager in a session to 16 in order to get a buzz. ‘After a couple of years I’d have to have maybe a bottle of spirits to go along with that,’ he added. ‘For a lot of years alcohol gave me  confidence. Little did I know it would actually turn on me and it would start to control me.’ After his health scare Mr Maden left his home in Oxford to check into a rehab clinic in Bournemouth and has not touched a drop since 2007. His physician, Dr Varuna Aluvihare, from King’s College London, believes the binge-drinking culture is behind the increasing number of young people needing liver transplants. ‘Tragically, every year we fail to keep someone like Matt alive,’ he said.

Money spent on nicotine patches 'goes up in smoke', says survey

 

Those who go cold turkey have just as much chance of quitting the habit long-term, the study published on Monday added. A total of 787 adult smokers trying to quit were followed over five years by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health. One in three relapsed with the numbers spread equally between those going ‘cold turkey’, those using nicotine patches, gums or sprays, and those combining nicotine replacement with counselling. Heavy smokers who used nicotine replacement products without any professional therapy were twice as likely to relapse. Lead author Hillel Alpert said: ‘Some heavily-dependent smokers perceive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as a sort of “magic” pill. ‘Upon realising it is not, they find themselves without support in their quitting efforts, doomed to failure.’ But the findings sparked a backlash from the NRT industry, which is worth £150million in Britain and £520million in the US. GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Nicorette gum, said studies show NRT products, combined with support, ‘can double’ smokers’ chances of quitting

The mother of an Internet-obsessed 11 year old boy in China knifed her son after growing distraught by his Web-gaming addiction

The mother of an Internet-obsessed 11 year old boy in China knifed her son after growing distraught by his Web-gaming addiction, which saw him regularly steal money from her, according to the Shanghaiist blog which cites a Chinese news story. The boy, who has been identified by the alias of Dongdong and lives with his parents in central Chinese province Hubei, is reported to have started using the Internet a few months ago when he began playing online games at a local ‘black’ Internet bar. By using a ‘black’ bar, Dongdong overcame ID requirements that restrict Internet and gaming activity, particularly amongst children. Over time, his usage fuelled an addiction that saw him regularly steal money from his parents or “lose” the change when he was sent to buy groceries for them. Things went further than usual one night when the boy left his parents after dinner, having pocketed his mother’s money, only to be found playing away at a Internet cafe. His parents took him home and, after reportedly beating him with a laundry rack, his distressed mother sliced into his leg with a kitchen knife. Corporal punishment is common in China, where it is even encouraged in parenting — as the Shanghaiist points out — but this case demonstrates the issue of black Internet bars which flout regulations that are designed to keep kids from overdosing on the Internet and gaming. A number of countries have moved to restrict or curfew young Internet users, but Korea and Singapore have, like China, both found that the regulations have not erased problems. China is notable for crazy stories which show the emphasis that its people place on gaming and gadgets. Last year, a Chinese student sold his kidney to buy an iPad while a teenage girl in the country was reported to be offering her virginity in order to buy an iPhone 4. Equally as shocking was the news that a Chinese couple were selling their children to pay for video games.

The mother of an Internet-obsessed 11 year old boy in China knifed her son after growing distraught by his Web-gaming addiction

The mother of an Internet-obsessed 11 year old boy in China knifed her son after growing distraught by his Web-gaming addiction, which saw him regularly steal money from her, according to the Shanghaiist blog which cites a Chinese news story. The boy, who has been identified by the alias of Dongdong and lives with his parents in central Chinese province Hubei, is reported to have started using the Internet a few months ago when he began playing online games at a local ‘black’ Internet bar. By using a ‘black’ bar, Dongdong overcame ID requirements that restrict Internet and gaming activity, particularly amongst children. Over time, his usage fuelled an addiction that saw him regularly steal money from his parents or “lose” the change when he was sent to buy groceries for them. Things went further than usual one night when the boy left his parents after dinner, having pocketed his mother’s money, only to be found playing away at a Internet cafe. His parents took him home and, after reportedly beating him with a laundry rack, his distressed mother sliced into his leg with a kitchen knife. Corporal punishment is common in China, where it is even encouraged in parenting — as the Shanghaiist points out — but this case demonstrates the issue of black Internet bars which flout regulations that are designed to keep kids from overdosing on the Internet and gaming. A number of countries have moved to restrict or curfew young Internet users, but Korea and Singapore have, like China, both found that the regulations have not erased problems. China is notable for crazy stories which show the emphasis that its people place on gaming and gadgets. Last year, a Chinese student sold his kidney to buy an iPad while a teenage girl in the country was reported to be offering her virginity in order to buy an iPhone 4. Equally as shocking was the news that a Chinese couple were selling their children to pay for video games.

Look into a mirror, make eye contact with yourself

 

Look into a mirror, make eye contact with yourself, and say "I love me" as many times as possible during the day.

CYBER-SPIRITUALITY

 

UCF faculty members are looking to the heavens for a research project. Faculty from the philosophy department, the Institute for Simulation and Training, and the College of Medicine have received a $300,000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation to research the relationship between space travel and spiritual experiences. The project's members consist of Shaun Gallagher, Steve Fiore and Bruce Janz from the philosophy department; Stephanie Lackey, Lauren Reinerman and Eileen Smith from the Institution of Simulation and Training; and Garrett Riggs from the College of Medicine. Astronauts have reported spiritual experiences while in space, Gallagher said. The team is seeking to gain a better understanding of the kind of spiritual experiences that seem to be associated with space travel. Reinerman said everyone experiences moments of awe and wonder throughout their lives, and some are more significant, and even life changing. This can be anything from the birth of their child to witnessing their team winning the Super Bowl. "For astronauts, it is often seeing Earth for the first time from outer space or experiencing the vastness of the universe," Reinerman said. The researchers also hope to discover something of practical use for rm space flights. "It may be useful to know long-tewhat sorts of experiences astronauts may have if they find themselves on a long trip to Mars," Gallagher said. The findings can also be helpful to the community and space coast, Reinerman said. "This information is expected to be valuable for places like the Kennedy Space Visitor Center, museums, amusement parks and possibly other simulations for demonstrations and video games," Reinerman said. The experiment is unique in that it involves members from the humanities and sciences departments, as well as members from other universities and countries. To perform the experiment, they will build a virtual space lab to simulate a space flight with the help of the Bildakt Research Group in Berlin. The simulation will try to replicate those spiritual experiences among astronauts. The team will also analyze astronauts' reports using a software program developed at the University of Memphis. The team's hypothesis is that the spiritual experiences described by astronauts are primarily caused by the various views of the earth and the vastness of space. Gallagher had the idea for the project seven years ago when he first arrived at UCF as chair of the philosophy department. "I noticed that UCF did a lot of NASA-related research, and I started to think about what kind of things the humanities could do in this regard," Gallagher said. After the John Templeton Foundation recently offered a grant to research the theme of awe and wonder, Gallagher put the team together and earned the grant. The John Templeton Foundation, established in 1987, is an independent foundation that funds projects relating to the "big questions" of humanity, including topics from evolution to love and freewill. The foundation has been criticized for having conservative bias and for trying to link religion to science. According to the foundation's website, it has given away $543 million from 1987 to 2009. The planned completion date for the project is September 2013. The team plans to host a public conference to share the results.

Britain shakes off a collective hangover after Black Friday, the most popular night for office Christmas parties and the busiest of the year for drink-related casualties.

Minimum pricing on alcohol will not beat Britain's burgeoning drink problem, the Health Secretary insists, defying medical experts. Andrew Lansley, who is preparing to launch a new year drive aimed at ending the country's binge drinking culture, today warns that deep-rooted drinking habits in some areas mean that boosting the price of booze will do little to curb excess.

This comes as Britain shakes off a collective hangover after Black Friday, the most popular night for office Christmas parties and the busiest of the year for drink-related casualties. Some ambulance services received 999 calls as frequently as every 30 seconds to deal with injured and drunk revellers.

New research from the Department of Health underlines how excess alcohol affects almost every aspect of British life. More than 2.6m children in the UK now live with a parent who drinks at hazardous levels. Mortality rates from liver disease among under-75s rose by 16 per cent between 2001 and 2009, new statistics show. And lost productivity because of hung over staff cost businesses £1.7bn a year.

Britain is the drunk man of Europe. Alcohol consumption in France, Germany and Italy is down by between 37 and 52 per cent since 1980. But in the UK it is up nine per cent, with binge drinkers sinking more booze than ever, putting unprecedented pressure on the NHS, police and social services.

The Scottish government backs the idea of a minimum charge per unit of alcohol, which could see a bottle of wine cost at least £4.50 and a pint of beer around 90p. Experts believe thousands of lives would be saved if "pocket-money prices" were outlawed.

But the Health Secretary says there are "big problems" with the idea, which would penalise the poor, fall foul of EU competition laws, and do little to tackle the kind of dangerous drinking seen in town and city centres on Friday and Saturday nights.

Mr Lansley told The Independent on Sunday: "Are we really saying that because a bottle of vodka isn't £8 but £12.50 they are not going to preload with a bottle of vodka for a night out when they are in clubs where they pay £5 for a drink? That is absurd. They are still going to do this binge drinking because that is a behaviour issue. We have got to do much more to focus on what this means."

Doctors and academics from the Royal College of Physicians, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing, among others, backed a minimum alcohol price, highlighting that in 2010 it was 44 per cent more affordable than in 1980. "We need to narrow the price gap between alcohol in bars and restaurants and alcohol in supermarkets and off-licences, to make bulk discounts and pocket-money prices a thing of the past," they said in a letter to the coalition in Westminster.

The Health Secretary conceded that higher prices for drink can reduce consumption but added: "It is more likely to have a bigger proportionate impact on responsible drinkers who happen to be low-income households."

His rejection of the idea will lay the Government open to claims that it has sided with big business, but Mr Lansley argues that a minimum price of 50p per unit would hand £600m in extra revenue to drinks firms. He maintains that the causes of binge drinking are too complex to be solved simply by raising prices.

"The cost of alcohol in Britain is the same in different parts," he said. "But we have got lots of women in the North East who are fetching up in critical units with chronic alcohol abuse and liver disease on a regular basis – far more than in Hampshire. There are disparities that are nothing to do with price. We need to be realistic about what it is we are trying to address, which isn't simply if you raise the price all our problems will go away.

"The question is, what is the relationship between price changes and alcohol misuse? Because alcohol consumption and alcohol misuse are not on a straight line to each other."

New figures for 2010-11 reveal marked differences in the number of people hospitalised by alcohol. In Manchester, Middlesbrough, and Liverpool, Sunderland and Tyneside people are treated as inpatients for alcohol-related conditions at a rate of more than 2,800 per 100,000. By contrast, in areas such as Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire the rate is less than half that, at 1,400 per 100,000.

Sir Ian Gilmore, former president of the Royal College of Physicians, has warned that it is now "commonplace" to find young women being treated for liver disease. Mortality rates for liver disease, including cirrhosis, is two-thirds higher among women aged 35 to 64 in the North-east and North-west than the national average.

Admissions to A&E linked to alcohol have doubled in the past eight years, reaching 1.2m in 2010.

The alcohol strategy is expected to bolster Mr Lansley's concept of community alcohol partnerships, where police, retailers and trading standards unite to crackdown on underage drinking and booze-fuelled antisocial behaviour. Mr Lansley added: "I think we can do immensely better in terms of preventing sales to youngsters."

In October, the Government banned the sale of alcohol below the rate of duty plus VAT to prevent below-cost sales. Extra duty has been added to super-strength lagers, while a reduced rate is charged on beers below 2.8 per cent. Services to help chronic abusers to "detox" and change their behaviour are also being improved.

However, the rejection of minimum pricing will dismay campaigners who hoped ministers would take a tougher stance. A new study by the University of Illinois at Chicago, published in the Alcohol Research & Health journal, found "price increases can help reduce the risk for adverse consequences of alcohol consumption and abuse, including drinking and driving, alcohol involved crimes, cirrhosis and other alcohol-related mortality, risky sexual behaviour and its consequences, and poor school performance among youth".

Katherine Brown, head of research and communications at the Institute of Alcohol Studies, said: "Raising the price of super-cheap drink sold in supermarkets will not penalise moderate drinkers, it will target those who misuse alcohol, and tackle one of the root causes of what is possibly the nation's biggest health and social problem."

She added that the total cost of alcohol harm to society exceeds £25bn each year. Separate estimates suggest the alcohol industry contributes £15bn in taxes.

In January the Commons science and technology select committee on will publish a major report on guidelines on drinking.

The Government's Responsibility Deal, under which drinks companies and supermarkets are urged to change the way they operate, has sparked accusations of ministers getting too close to the booze industry. Under the deal, Asda became the first supermarket to agree to remove cut price drinks deals from the front of stores.

But the Conservative MP for Totnes, Sarah Wollaston, a former GP, launched a strong attack on the supermarket after finding the chain selling two litres of cider for £1.48 and a four-pack of bitter for 68p. In a Commons debate, Dr Wollaston accused the supermarket of "killing its customers" and causing "carnage".

A spokesperson for Asda said: "The vast majority of our customers drink responsibly and we shouldn't penalise the majority for the actions of the few."

Health

Each year, drink leads to the admission of more than a million people to hospital for treatment of alcohol-related cancers, liver disease, and poisoning. Nearly 1.2 million people in England needed inpatient hospital treatment in 2010-11 – a 9 per cent rise on the previous year. Liver disease is the only major condition that is on the increase in Britain. In some age groups, the rates of cirrhosis have risen tenfold in 30 years. Lawyers and company bosses are at more risk of dying from alcohol as they get older, because they do not realise they are drinking to excess.

Crime

The Home Office estimates that alcohol-fuelled crime cost between £8bn and £13bn in 2007-08. Alcohol played a part in more than a million crimes in 2007-08, and is a factor in almost half of all violent crimes. In England, alcohol was linked to 400,000 crimes in 2010-11, including 6,700 sexual offences. Almost one in four Britons experiences drunk or rowdy behaviour in their neighbourhood, according to the British Crime Survey. Last year, alcohol was blamed for 928,000 violent incidents – almost half of the total – by victims of crime. The charity Alcohol Concern estimates drink plays a part in one in three child abuse cases, as well as in the majority of domestic violence incidents.

Road accidents

Last year, 9,700 people were killed or injured in accidents involving drivers who were over the drink-drive limit. This accounts for five per cent of all road accident victims. Drink-drive accidents resulted in 250 deaths in 2010 – 14 per cent of all road fatalities, according to the latest Department of Transport statistics. Alcohol was blamed for one in 10 fatal motorway crashes in 2009, the latest year for which figures are available.

Work

Up to 17 million working days are lost each year because of alcohol-related sickness. More than one in four adults are regular drinkers. Many will take time off rather than go to work with a hangover. Those who struggle in are more likely to be late, find it difficult to concentrate, and are more likely to make mistakes. The cost to employers of sick days due to drink is estimated at £1.7bn. Loss of productivity is a factor in the damaging cost of alcohol to England, estimated at somewhere between £20bn and £55bn

Drinks industry

The alcohol industry is worth £36bn, and pays £15bn in tax, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. Britain's nightlife industry employs 1.3 million people. Each week, 15 million people socialise in pubs, which alone employ more than 600,000 people. In the past decade, sales of beer in pubs have fallen by more than a third, but have risen by a quarter in off-licences. Vodka accounts for almost a third of all spirits bought in Britain.

Spiritual care is important, too; Doctors recognizing importance of spiritual as well as physical care

Spiritual care is important, too; Doctors recognizing importance of spiritual as well as physical care | Local | The Bulletin

“Doctor, will you pray with me?” Dr. Michel Boileau, a longtime Central Oregon urologist, said patients have asked him that question or something like it many times. Often, it is before surgery. They perhaps felt anxious or scared and wanted comfort from the person giving them care. Boileau had years of medical education and hundreds of hours of practice before becoming a full-fledged doctor. But, he said, he had absolutely no training in how to respond to that question. Medicine and medical training, not just for physicians but for many who work in health care, are typically focused on science. Certainly the complex biology of the human body and disease is crucially important. Yet for many people who have a health problem serious enough to land them in the hospital, the physical ailments may only be a small part of what's troubling them. They are also likely grappling with the emotional toll of their illness and how it may affect them. They may be scared of death, pain, hospitals or any number of things. And many, even those who aren't typically religious, may be looking for spiritual comfort. “Medicine and religion are really the two areas where we grapple with the significant events in our lives,” said Boileau. “It's often the religious world where we go for solace.” The two were long intertwined. St. Charles Bend was founded by nuns, who served as caregivers for many years. Years ago, religious leaders were often physical as well as spiritual healers, and still are in some places. But as Western medicine focused more on the physical causes of disease, the spiritual aspect was often left out. Now, there's a movement to bring it back. “In the last 15 years, we've noticed a big change,” said Richard Groves, founder of the Sacred Art of Living, a local nonprofit that offers courses in using spirituality in secular settings. “Some of the leading medical institutions in this country ~ are now really explicitly talking about the importance of having conversations about spirituality.” As an example, the number of chaplains certified by one of the country's largest certifying agencies has increased 20 percent in the past 10 years, according to Carol Pape, a manager at the Association of Professional Chaplains. Today, there are about 3,100 chaplains certified by the agency. Elk hunting at the hospital Spiritual care is a somewhat nebulous concept, though experts seem to agree that it has, at its core, an aspect of making sure a person feels connected to something outside him- or herself. It's related to an idea gaining traction in health care that hospitals need to treat the whole person, not just the disease. “We're seeing a wonderful resurgence in person-centered care,” said Boileau. “We have begun paying attention to those things that we didn't before, which was to the patient's detriment.” Chaplains have long been used in hospice care and in some hospitals, particularly those founded by religious groups, including St. Charles Bend. The current shift has to do with a growing recognition that this kind of care may also be useful for patients not near the end of life. Bill Danaher, a chaplain at St. Charles Bend, said any patient in emotional pain could benefit. He recalled a patient he went to see one day at a nurse's request. The patient had been a logger but now was sick with cancer. He hadn't spoken much all week and Danaher recalled that he was sent in to check on him. “You're not really churchy, are you?” Danaher said he asked the man. “Nope,” the man replied. Danaher sat down and assured the man he wasn't there to sell him religion. He just wanted to talk. Pretty soon, he asked the man, still short of words, a question: “Given no restrictions, where would you be right now and what would you be doing?” At that, Danaher recalled, the man “took me elk hunting for two solid hours. I didn't say a word and he was sitting on stumps and jumping over fences. When it was done, he apologized profusely for talking my leg off. He asked me to please come back.” This man was in “emotional pain,” Danaher said. By telling his story, “he touched some place within him that ‘This is where I find my peace in life.'” Patients, Danaher said, “need all this biological stuff we are doing here (at the hospital). But it does no good without the spiritual wellness.” Treating the whole person Danaher, who is Catholic, said he's seen more medical professionals, even those who are not religious, accept the idea of spiritual wellness. “I've had atheist surgeons come up to me and say, ‘I want you to go visit a patient.' “And I say, ‘Why? You have no belief in what I do.' And they say, ‘If I have two patients who are otherwise equal and one whose spirits are up and one who are down, the one whose spirits are up is going to do better every single time.'” Research studies support Danaher's anecdotal contention. Most find that people who report a greater sense of spiritual well-being have less pain, less stress and feel better about their lives. In one study, women with metastatic breast cancer who received intensive social support did not live longer, but did say they lived better in their final months than those without it. They reported less pain than the group of women who did not make such strong connections. Another study found that this type of support, particularly through “spiritual activities” correlated with better medication adherence in AIDS patients. This month a study from researchers at Brigham Young University found lower blood pressure and other markers of heart health were better in people who scored higher on tests of spiritual well-being. Beyond the physical symptoms, a chaplain or other spiritual care provider can provide a shoulder or be an advocate. Chaplains will often sit in on family meetings, said Kit Hall, another chaplain at St. Charles Bend. These meetings, which typically take place when a patient is in very serious condition, often leave the family in shock, Hall said. He will sometimes stay with a family after the medical team leaves, to listen, help guide discussion or pray with a family, if that's what they want. “They are trying to make sense of what's going on,” Hall said. “Ours is not to help them answer that question, but to support them.” Praying with patients Chaplains have explicit training in how to care for the emotional and spiritual needs of patients, but they are by no means the only people in the health care system called on to do so. Groves, through the Sacred Art of Living, has trained health care workers all over the country in aspects of spiritual care. At first, he said, most of his trainings were done with people working in hospice. Now they come from all areas of health care. The idea behind his program, he said, is to make caregivers aware of spiritual issues and how they can affect a patient's overall well-being. “If someone can show up and start talking about that ~ everything else that's going on in the health care system is going to benefit. The medications are going to work better, the therapies are going to work better. The person is going to be able to take care of themselves better.” Of course, some people are going to be naturally more comfortable with this aspect of care than others, due to their own belief systems. Dr. Heather West, an oncologist at Bend Memorial Clinic, said that when physicians are not spiritual or religious, it can be hard to talk about that subject with patients. “You want your input to be meaningful,” she said. “If you are not very religious, then your input is not going to be helpful.” West, who said she is spiritual but not religious, said she doesn't see spiritual issues brought up often until the end of life. Sometimes that's by patient choice. “I've had people say, ‘Oh, I'm not ready for that yet,' because they think that you're calling a priest to give them last rites.” Like Boileau, she has had people ask her to pray with them. She doesn't feel comfortable saying a prayer, she said, but will be there with them to pray. Boileau, too, said he always prays with people who ask. He described himself as spiritual though not religious, and said he sees it as part of his role as a caregiver. “I realized how important it is to people, and exercising their belief is comforting to them. I would fully support that.”