Habits not to be sniffed at

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There is increasing confusion and mixed messages from the great and the good along with the news media regarding drink and drugs. At the beginning of the news Dermot Murningham or Sophie Rayworth will postulate on the evil of drugs and binge drinking or site a success of a drugs bust that has netted the recovery of a multi-million pound haul of cocaine. With furrowed brow they will instil the amount of units of alcohol that we are permitted per week. Then in a later item they will, adopting a relaxed and jocular mode thereby conveying a level of acceptance and legitimacy, inform us of Freddie Flintoff’s excessive celebrations or mingle with the thousands of binge drinking rugby supporters each carrying a pint or can at 10.00am in the Parisienne morning. They will interview ruddy faced rotund middle aged members of CAMERA in a lighthearted manner knowing that they consume twice their weekly allowance in a day. When an item is located in pub or bar because the tax on beer has increased or similar we witness the infantile scripted mock envious banter of the studio newscasters to the lucky outside broadcaster who’s about to drink lots of yummy beer. It’s accepted in the light-hearted and universally accepted vein that drink, pubs and partying is a part of a lifestyle of a well rounded balanced person yet it’s an affliction from Beelzebub as a serious news item or government diktat. Drink is legal drugs are not. We are warned of the dangers of not consuming in moderation which is about half a pint a day. The illegal drug industry is definitely a hugely crime generating scourge on the supply side, and arguably a massive social problem on the demand side.

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