Dr. Catherina Morton, GP, representative of the Royal College of GP’s, Scotland, on alcohol and SHAAP Steering Group Member; september 2024
Each week 700 people are hospitalised and 2 die as a result of alcohol, and the numbers of people whose lives are dominated by alcohol-related suffering is even greater. The everyday experience of many GP’s is that patients are often unaware of the breadth or severity of the impact of alcohol has upon their health. The normalisation if drinking, including widespread advertising, presents a significant barrier to reducing consumption on either an individual or societal basis. Much of the impact is borne by the most socio-economically deprived individuals and communities, contributing significantly to Scotland’s extermely poor record on health inequalities. Action is desperately needed to address the cause and the effects of adverse alcohol consumption in Scotland.
From SHAAP monthly update – September 2024