Library / Eurocare Updates / It's the first time health warnings on alcoholic drink containers will be this specific in Britain, where binge- drinking among young adults has been a growing concern.
It's the first time health warnings on alcoholic drink containers will be this specific in Britain, where binge- drinking among young adults has been a growing concern.
The number of young motorists involved in accidents while under the influence of alcohol is increasing, despite high profile anti drink drive publicity campaigns. Scotland Yard has revealed that almost a quarter of all offenders and casualties in London were aged between 17 and 24. A survey carried out by BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat suggested that a similar picture was emerging across the whole of the country.
Figures from the Department of transport support the police warnings: there were 1.050 17 to 19 year olds involved in drink driving accidents in England and Wales in 2005, the latest year for which figures are available, compared with 810 in 1995. For 20 to 25 year olds, the figure increased from 2170 to 2280 in the same period.
Kevin Clinton, Head of Road Safety Unit at The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has called for an urgent reduction in the drink-drive limit in the UK. Indeed, the UK is one of the few countries in the EU which has an 80 mg limit; he explained that adopting a 50mg limit, thus coming into line with the rest of Europe “could save 65 lived and 230 serious injuries on Britain's Roads each day”.
Road Safety Minister Stephen Ladyman said the government, which has already been reviewing the law, was in favour of adopting a 50 mg limits, and that this proposal is to form part of a Government consultation later this year. But he said that ministers wanted first to see evidence that the police are able to enforce the current level. He told The Times: 'I think it will happen. The consultation will include lowering the limit. It depends on how quickly we get enforcement at 80mg. If you go to 50mg before you have effective enforcement at 80mg people will just ignore the 50mg level.'
The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2091061,00.html
Alcohol Policy UK