Having woken this morning to news coverage of teenage binge drinkers holidaying in Cornwall (ram file available of the Today Programme news report), I was pleased to arrive at work and find our copy of Binge Britain (OUP, 2006) waiting on my desk to be catalogued.
Written by Martin Plant, Professor of Addiction Studies at UWE, and Moira Plant, Professor of Alcohol Studies at UWE, Binge Britain: alcohol and the national response draws on the authors’ long experience collecting and studying data on alcohol use in the UK – significantly Martin Plant is Director of the UK part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol & other drugs (ESPAD), while Moira Plant is Director of the UK and Isle of Man components of Gender, Alcohol & Culture: an International Study (GENACIS). The data from these and other projects make this book rich in statistics and analyses, with clear comparisons in adolescent alcohol use across Europe.
However, Binge Britain is more than a handy guide to the prevalence of binge drinking. The brief introduction provides a clear definition of “binging” and how the term has changed in its use in recent years – from “bout drinking … used by psychiatrists and other health professionals to describe a ‘bender,’ a prolonged drinking spree during which an individual drinks in a sustained manner and gives up other activities for at least two or three days” (p.viii) to “a single drinking session intended to or actually leading to intoxication” (p.ix) The authors suggest that “it would be better in some ways to use the term ‘heavy episodic drinking’ since this gives a clearer impression of what is meant.” (p.xii).
Having established the terms, a 25-page history of alcohol in Britain covers the period from “A long time ago” (prehistory) through the Tudors and Stuarts, the Gin Craze, the Victorian era, and the World Wars to “post War drinking”. This is a handy introduction for anyone new to the subject area or confused by media coverage of drastic increases in alcohol consumption.
In the core chapter on drinking habits, key studies discussed cover the change in children’s hostility to drinking to adolescents’ enthusiasm for it, the differences between male and female drinking behaviour and society’s attitude to it (”The hand that rocks the cradle should not be a shaky one” (p.30)) the use of alcohol with other drugs (including tobacco), and the impact on young people of family alcohol use. An interesting section entitled “the monster in the middle: (what have we done to our town and city centres?)” finds that the “laudable objective” of “converting the British people from being a nation that is notorious for getting drunk to a nation that drinks in a sedate ‘continental’ manner … has been severely undermined by what has been happening on the ground.” (p.52).
Statistics covering the consequences of drinking are tabulated and a synopsis of UK alcohol policy is given before an in-depth discussion of the media’s coverage of the extension of liquor licensing in England. The authors observe that “this makes very uncomfortable reading for anybody who believes that the UK’s alcohol policy should be mainly desgined to protect public health and safety. It would appear that other considerations have been at work.” (p.85).
Beginning by commenting on responsibility for liquor licensing being taken over by the Tourism Division of the DCMS in 2001, this book chapter covers the Licensing Act 2003 and the Alcohol harm reduction strategy for England (Cabinet Office, 2004) and the media’s response to it – including quotes from the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Times, The Times, and the Guardian What emerges is a picture of a tennis-match-style debate between the Government and the newspaper industry with politicians and commentators arguing point counter point. Different perspectives are provided by considerations of the police, the judiciary and the alcohol industry, followed by a review of surveys of public opinion.
What emerges from the picture presented in this study is an intense opposition to the extended licensing laws from diverse quarters, and the authors use this as a spring-board to consider lessons that might be learnt from the past and future directions for research and policy, suggesting that “Prohibition is not on the agenda, but a sustained reduction in alcohol-related disorder, crime, injury, dependence, and premature mortality should be high on the agenda … The dream of a relaxed, peaceful cafe society may not be utopian, provided our elected politicians have the wisdom and courage to introduce and sustain effective policies.” (p.152).
Anne Welsh
Information Officer – Bibliographic Services
DrugScope on Alcohol
104234
Binge drinking and citizenship. Key Stage 5.
Drug and Alcohol Education and Prevention Team., DrugScope., Alcohol Concern.
London: DrugScope, 2005. [14]p.
This paper presents materials around binge drinking and citizenship with the aim of enabling young people aged 16 – 19 to explore
a range of topics concerned with binge drinking with guidance.
104231
Binge drinking and citizenship. Key Stage 4.
Drug and Alcohol Education and Prevention Team., DrugScope., Alcohol Concern.
London: DrugScope, 2005. 14p.
This paper presents materials around binge drinking and citizenship with the aim of enabling young people aged 14 – 16 to explore
a range of topics concerned with binge drinking with guidance.
D-World Projects 10-15 (for 11-14-year-olds)
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