08 September, 2009

Health: they're at it again

The British medical Association want a ban on the marketing of alcohol. In a report made by the BBC, another organisation which seems to think its métier is to tell people how to behave, it says over a third of adults are drinking over recommended amounts. Two thirds, or a clear majority, aren't, we may conclude. They want minimum pricing, a ban on happy hours and two-for-one purchases and higher levels of tax. A spokesman for the British Liver Trust (did you know there was such a thing? Guess who pays for that!), said the report put a "compelling case for change".

The guidelines for these people ought to be clearly defined and they ought to know them. If the National Health Service believes that it could save money (that is if we would have to pay less into it) by advertising or informing the public on a matter of health (fewer GP treatments and hospital admissions because of the adverts) then it should go ahead and that money should come out of its budget. If it is trying to tell us how to live (and what a lot of people we are paying to do that) it should shut up.

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