Help for work related alcohol abuse?

With more and more workers relying on alcohol to wind down after work the situation regarding alcohol misuse management needs, more than ever, to be addressed. Pressures to drink in particular industries, work parties and general stress which employees deal with by drinking is increasing. However, this increase in work stress related alcohol consumption doesn't appear to be matched by an increase in resources to cope with the problems. If you have a problem with alcohol how comfortable do you feel going to your manager to discuss getting help? Is there a clearly set out policy in your work environment that is there to help you? Or, is it more likely that the last person you would confide in is your boss through fear of being found out or fired? There is help out there, but accessing through work is not as simply as it should be.

http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2009/05/employees-turn-to-alcohol-to-relieve-stress.htm

 

Who should pay for emergency treatment?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5368034/Drunks-should-pay-for-emergency-treatment-think-tank-says.html

As this article in the Telegraph highlights, there is an ongoing debate about who should be paying for emergency treatment?  If you end up in A&E after drinking heavily should the person or the NHS pick up the tab?...and how can we actually work out who ended up in hospital due to their own actions versus the actions of others?...who is responsible?  The article goes on to consider if a alcohol price rise will have an impact on the number of A&E admissions we are seeing, what do you think?

12 months history from 1 strand of hair...

New technology has now developed the ability to conduct in-depth analysis of alcohol consumption. Drug testing on 1 strand of hair can now determine whether an individual has has a long-term alcohol dependency and can provide a history of up to 12 months.  Drug testing is used by the NHS, courts, Local Authorities and solicitors in many different cases, this new technology can now give a new dimension to traditional drug testing which has only been able to provide an insight into drugs/alcohol used within a 4 week period.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/businesstruth/5351561/Drug-testing-Trimega-Laboratories-find-gold-in-hair.html

Alcohol ban in sports?

Tottenham Manager Harry Redknapp has stated that he would like to implement an alcohol ban in his football team.  This statement was made following the arrest one of his key players outside a nightclub after an alleged assault (reportedly involving alcohol), however it should not detract from the main emphasis of the article:

"Footballers should not drink. You shouldn't put diesel in a Ferrari. I know it's hard but they are earning big money, they are role models to kids."

Effectively, 1) health should come before drinking and 2) what sort of role models are sports personalities when alcohol fuelled scandal is always in the headlines?

What do you think - are alcohol bans in sport needed and if so where is the line between Harry Redknapp's opinion and the fact that after every Formula 1 race the winners shower each other with champagne?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/tottenham_hotspur/8045213.stm

World cocaine market - what is the true cost?

How do you measure cocaine?  Is it in sterling or in Euros? Weight or purity? The number of dealers selling it or the number of consumers using it? Or do you measure it by how many people are falling victim to the cutting agents that are used with it?  As recent police seizure figures suggest, it is estimated that only 9% of the cocaine currently being distributed in the UK is pure, the remaining 91% is made up from all kinds of chemicals - none of which are known for safe human consumption.

As purity levels decrease, street prices remains steady - the demand is intense and the risks significant.  Will this have an impact on how cocaine is used in the UK?

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8044275.stm