Madam, - Michael Patten, chair of the Drinks Industry Group, (November 25th) complains that a psychiatrist recently compared industry representatives to "drug dealers". Among other comments he also said suicide was a "tragic" and "complex" issue and that their "social responsibility" organisations (my quotation marks) are effective in promoting responsible drinking.
Well, here are a few simple facts. Alcohol is a drug (it is mood-altering and acts as a depressant on the central nervous system) and it is associated as a causative factor in anxiety, depression, self-harm, other mental health problems, attempted suicide and suicide. At our recent conference - "Alcohol and drugs — the low-down on depression and suicide" - speaker after speaker from home and abroad informed participants of the inextricable links between depression, suicide and alcohol, as well as between alcohol and other drugs. One leading authority from the UK said that, at a conservative estimate, alcohol is implicated in at least one in six suicides. Many people may still not be aware that binge drinking is an indicative factor in suicide. Obviously, alcohol becomes an even more dangerous cocktail (sic) when illicit and other legal drugs are added into the mix. Suicide is indeed a tragic reality for many people in this country.
I have been a consistent critic of the industry and its agencies getting involved in "health promotion". I believe their efforts in this regard are self-serving and disingenuous at best and cynical at worst. For example, the industry in its various websites hardly mentions depression and suicide (and certainly does not highlight them their links with alcohol). It does, however continue to disseminate its pithy, simple, bottled, watered-down, messages such as, "Enjoy alcohol responsibly".
The vested interests should stay out of health promotion and leave this important work to the relevant experts. - Yours, etc,