The issue of alcohol abuse.

Its a very real concern, and one which is costing the British tax-payer hundreds of millions of pounds every single year as a nation picks up the pieces, and yet, no-one it seems, is prepared to do anything about it.

News reports from Scotland this weekend, told a story which is being repeated across the nation, as first line treatment agencies such as doctors and paramedics, tell of the growing number of hospitalisations, injury's and death's which are a direct result of chronic alcohol abuse.

According to statistics, the number of Scottish hospital beds being taken up by patients with booze-related illnesses has hit an all-time high. Drinkers notched up more than 250,000 days in Scotland's wards last year - costing the NHS over £100million in occupancy alone. Treatment costs on top are likely to at least double this amount.

Figures show that 261,000 days were spent in hospital by patients with alcohol-linked conditions in 2006/07 - up 8000 on the previous year. Trends are already suggesting this rise is likely to be matched and exceeded in 2008.

In answer to this shocking statistic, government ministers are preparing to publish a new action plan for dealing with alcohol, which it is understood, will include a proposal to increase the age for buying booze in off-sales and supermarkets to 21.

It is also expected the government's recommendations could include minimum prices for alcohol and proposals to clamp down on cut-price promotions, such as three for the price of two deals.

But according to the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), this is a bad message to be sending to the nations big-spending young drinkers.

SRC Director Fiona Moriarty said the government would be sending out a mixed message on alcohol if it allowed 18 to 21 year olds to buy booze in pubs and clubs but not in off-sales.

The SRC represents supermarkets as well as smaller retailers and Ms Moriarty said: "We need to educate and work with young people to help them understand the pleasure in enjoying alcohol responsibly and also the dangers of excess consumption."

"But this mixed message, that it is OK to drink in pubs and clubs, but that it is not ok to buy something to drink responsibly in your own home, is extremely confusing."

She added: "I would much rather see additional resources going into schools and youth groups and community groups, targeted at young people, to help them understand responsible drinking and sensible consumption of alcohol.

But certain sections of society think this education aimed at "sensible" or "responsible" drinking is nothing more than a cleverly "cloaked" method of recruiting the drinkers of tomorrow, guaranteeing alcohol sales (as well as alcohol stocks & shares) remain healthy for a long time to come. A prognosis not shared by the industries consumers, as statistics pay witness.

And while the alcohol industry is given "carte blanche" to do whatever it needs to do to increase sales, the cannabis witch-hunt continues apace, allowing the alcohol statistics to be "trickled" into the public domain, shrouding the full horror of the alcohol problem from being fully exposed.

Which brings about the questions regarding the government, and what agenda its working to in reclassifying the class C drug, as compared to alcohol, cannabis is an 'inherently safe' substance, which to date, has not accounted for a single death as a result of its use.

The argument concerning cannabis and its legal status makes absolutely no difference in the amounts of people using the drug.
We already know this. We have almost 9 decades of "proof" if proof were ever needed that prohibition doesn't work.

During the alcohol prohibition era, the only people who benefitted were the gangsters who controlled and run the "speak-easy" drinking houses, and cannabis prohibition is no different.

It simply guarantee's the organised criminals which control wide-scale cannabis distribution, are able to charge what they like, in a multi-billion pound industry which contributes nothing but misery and suffering to society as a whole.

And while the worlds eye's are focused on the cannabis debate, its acting as a massive diversionary tactic for an alcohol industry which is quite literally, killing tens of thousands of UK citizens every year.

I've a feeling the cannabis reclassification debate isn't over yet. Not by a country mile.

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