Stats prove Don Shenker talks shite

Off-licence 'link' to underage drink hospital cases

Link eh? Prepare yourself for a load of statistical rubbish that shows no link what so ever, being used to show a link.

The number of off-licence premises in an area is statistically linked to the number of underage drinkers admitted to hospital for alcohol-related problems, a study suggests.

The research for campaign group Alcohol Concern relates to 2006 to 2009 and is for England, excluding London.

On average for every two stores per 100,000 of population selling drink, one under 18-year-old sought treatment.

Wow that's a lot. I wonder if they drove themselves to the hospital.

So am I reading this right? For an area of 100,000 people with 100 off licences, 50 people under 18 sought treatment for alcohol related problems? That's assuming one off licence per 1000 people. Double that and you have 100 admissions.

It's hardly huge is it? These single issue pressure groups take a very minor problem and make it sound like we are all doomed. They get well paid out of our tax money for it though.

So what are we to do about this unbelievably non-interesting bore fest of national emergency?

The report says the government may need to control off-licence numbers.

The government already control off-licence numbers through the licencing laws and strict planning controls. It's also illegal to sell alcohol to under eighteens.

It also argues authorities must be given powers under the Licensing Act to refuse applications on the grounds of local health considerations and calls for improved analysis of alcohol-related hospital admissions.

I would second the motion for improved analysis of alcohol related hospital admissions. At the moment it's utter bunkum to the point of pure fabrication and downright lies.

Somehow I doubt a clear and truthful analysis of hospital admissions will help Don Shenkers case, but somehow I don't think we will get one. I'm sure that what Shenker wants is more lies.

As for refusing applications based on local health considerations, there are no local health considerations. There is my health and there is your health. I'll concern myself with my health and you concern yourself with yours.

When did we start to believe that it was acceptable to curtail the sale of a legal product by a legal business to an adult, just in case that adult goes away and misuses the product.

Underage drinking concerns aside, this is what we are talking about. Refusing off-licence applications because the adults who use the off-licences may harm their own health.

This recommendation is on the back of a report that says 50 underage people may end up in hospital if there are 100 off licences per 100,000 head of population.

Lets' amend those figures. How many people are admitted to hospital with DIY related injuries if there are a couple of B&Q stores per 100,000 people?

Are you willing to bet it's more than 50?

Would you be surprised to learn that more than 200,000 people are admitted to hospital with DIY related injuries each year in the UK alone?

It's costing the NHS money! De-normalise the DIYers!

The report says: "Effective harm prevention therefore not only requires targeting education, information and support at an individual level among young people but control of the concentration of alcohol outlets at a community level."

So why are you not seeking to educate people who put up their own shelves, and why are you not demanding Draconian regulation of Homebase?

Could it be that you wouldn't get any funding for it?

The data, analysed by Dr Nikki Coghill at University of West of England, is based on the 214 out of 293 local authorities that published relevant information. Alcohol Concern said the findings were "sufficiently robust to draw strong conclusions".

We know they are sufficiently bollocks to be laughed at.

The findings suggest that nearly 10% of the 19,367 alcohol-specific hospital admissions for under-18s were directly attributable to the concentration of off-licence premises in a local area.
Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker said: "It is a sobering thought that the numbers of off-licences in any one area has an impact on under-18s drinking and ending up in hospital.
"It is a failing of the current system that so many licences are being granted without due consideration to young people's health."

Young people's health is taken into consideration:

Do you see where I am going with this? Selling alcohol to children is ILLEGAL you muppet. Restricting adult access to it is not going to make a difference to that.

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: "This research further underlines the need for a comprehensive alcohol strategy from the government, which tackles the affordability, promotion and the availability of alcohol."

And you're another muppet. The government needs to butt out and so do you. Stop telling people how to live their lives.

Prohibition doesn't work.