Alcohol Labels Get Detailed in Britain?

Posted May 29, 2007 by The Wild Scotsman

Jeff Topping, Wild ScotsmanJust when I thought there could be no more insanity in the world the AP posted this article called, Alcohol Labels Get Detailed in Britain. To summarize the Public Health Ministry wants to list how many units of alcohol are contained in each bottle as well as the recommended safe drinking levels. This is just another example of how govenments pile on the red tape and apply band-aides to “symptoms” and act like they are addressing problems. It is very unfortunate that some people drink in excess or as they call it, “binge-drinking”. A “label on a bottle” does nothing to help those individuals who are either alcoholics or alcoholics in denial. If anything, it allows people in a poistion or obligation to help to look the other way becasue, “hey, they should have followed the instructions on the bottle”.

I do not have the answers, however, I would start by asking the youths of Britain, why do you binge drink? Do the pubs close too early? Is the drinking age too low? Are parents unable to discipline their children due to laws that handcuff them? The list goes on…..

Cheers,

The Wild Scotsman

Wild Scotsman does not advocte or promote the consumption of alcohlic beverages by anyone under legal age, pregnant, while operating a motor vehicle, farm machinery, uni-cycle, bicycle, shaving, sleeping, flying a plane, rowing a boat, watching small children, watching big children, feeding monkeys, sky diving, and etc..etc…etc…

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2 comments on to “Alcohol Labels Get Detailed in Britain?”

  1. landyjon /  Jun 21, 2007 18:39 /  Hi Jeoff Just signed up to this forum so I'm sorry if this post is a little tardy. The Brits (or perhaps more specifically we English) have had a bit of a problem with over-indulgence for a long time - five hundred years ago visitors to the English court were writing about the drunkenness of the English! We do have a tendency to look at life through rose-tinted spectacles and the assumption is always that "things used to be better in the 'good old days'". The reaction by the powers that be (the government) is usually to attempt to turn back the clock - John Major's 'Back to Basics' campaign in the mid-90s - or to go into nanny-state overdrive. The labelling issue is an example of the latter. This is a triumph of optimism over experience - we've had labels on fag packets saying 'Smoking leads to a long and painful death' (or something like that) for years now but still people smoke. As the late, great Bill Hicks observed: "To my delight, I find that there is a different warning on each pack of cigarettes. Mine says: 'Warning: Smoking can cause fetal damage or premature birth.' F*** it – I've found my brand! 'Yeah, give me a carton of Low Birth Weights.' Just don't get the ones that say lung cancer, you know? Shop around. It is your body. Find a disease you can live with. 'What are you smoking, Dave?' 'Throat Polyps. Want one?' 'No thanks, I'll stick with my Yellow Fingernails.'" After all that I think I need a drink...
  2. The Wild Scotsman /  Jun 24, 2007 10:17 /  Spot on Landyjon. Jeff

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