Interesting programme on tv tonight .hopefully will help get the message out there and warn people of the dangers of alcohol and lets hope the government will get there act together and put labels on this toxic poision before it claims many more victims .
Britains drink problem on panorama ton... - British Liver Trust
Britains drink problem on panorama tonight at 20.30
Written by
Countrywalks
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61 Replies
•
Interesting link to highlight the issues and the program, thanks for the post Judy.
bbc.co.uk/news/health-48549561
• in reply toTT-2018
You beat me to it Mark, I was going to post up this link, but shan't bother now: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07cjk0d
Nice thread, many thanks for posting. Bless you.
• in reply to
Well tonights show scratched the surface deeper than previously..... be interesting to see how it all progresses .... bigger labels, thick black print and tougher warnings would be a start. Screens over the shelves of the stuff behind the counters like cigarettes..... etc etc etc. Be interesting to see when / if it happens ........
Countrywalks• in reply to
Alcohol is a big money spinner not enough people know the dirty truth the programme seemed to not show enough detail really wasnt on that long to cover a lot but its a start i suppose . the liver drs that were interviewed got there points over very well i thought .
• in reply toCountrywalks
I agree.
Needs to be a weekly series with more hard hitting info each week.
More of those interviews with the doctors give them more time to show the distruction it causes to bodies. Then show the alcohol industry and Parliament how it devastates families. Like I said, its only scratched the surface.
Xx
Countrywalks• in reply to
Yes i agree if they followed some patients from diagnosis until the final outcome that would shock people . I mean how many people in the general public know about acities .hepatic encepalothapy or varacies not many if they did they would give alcohol a very wide birth . Like you say devastating innocent familys for nothing . No body drinks bleach so why advertise alcohol as a good thing i actually feel sorry for the liver drs they are the people who have to try and help the victims once the damage is done and a lot of the time its too late . People dont know you can danage your liver not know give up drinking and still die of chirrhosis years later because you never knew you had it . Once the damage is done its done . then theres all the other trouble alcohol causes drink drivers, fights , cancer the list goes on .......
TT-2018• in reply to
It was too short and really needed to go into more detail but nonetheless a good step forward. They also failed to mention the link between drinkaware and the alcohol industry. One of the doctors interviewed, Sir Ian Gilmore, resigned from Public Health England due to the conflict of interest between Government Policy and the Alcohol Industry’s shareholders:-
• in reply to
The trouble is that, if someone is like me who drank a lot (yes it’s true - probably more than a lot actually) I would see the subject matter and do everything to avoid watching the programme or taking any notice of labels (well your fingers cover those up nicely).I knew I shouldn’t drink so didn’t need to be told and no amount of labelling would have made any difference to ME. BUT I’m not saying it shouldn’t happen because it SHOULD but if you are pig headed like I was then I’m not sure of the effect.
It’s just my view and I know many of you will disagree...
Miles
Supportinghubby• in reply to
I agree Miles. I'm not sure how impactful the labelling will be - people still smoke despite hard hitting labels. They should def still happen tho but alongside adverts showing people with liver disease, programmes showing the hard truth of liver disease etc. I genuinely think people don't realise how bad their drinking habits are, by which time it can be too late.
• in reply to
Yes I do agree.
But dont you think larger warning signs on bottles and cans would HELP as a deterrent for the young, to catch them before their drinking is out of control and make them think twice before they reach the "pig headed" stage you got to? ( your words not mine, you know I love ya !)
Laura x
TT-2018• in reply to
How about putting nutritional information on the label, you can see the details, including calories on non-alcoholic drinks, why not include them on drinks containing alcohol? Bit of a mystery to me.
• in reply to
Hi laura
You are so right. In my response I had forgotten a large part of the target audience. Yes - those who aren’t yet pig headed must indeed be considered 👍👍.
Miles
• in reply to
I agree Laura! Larger labelling wont stop anyone but highlighting what alcohol leads to should hit home to
SOME!
I must say I'm enjoying reading everyones views whilst at the gym😄
Love
Trish x
alfredthegreat• in reply to
Hi Polim.I thought that one of the most interesting points on the programme was that people can appear and feel well when only 10% of their liver is working, but when they do start having symptoms of liver disease they have, in some cases, only a few weeks left to live. That in itself is a huge frightener, but as you've pointed out, the very people that should be watching a programme like this are more likely to be the very ones avoiding watching. 
Beegeefan• in reply to
I totally agree with you
• in reply to
I mentioned the programme was on to my family and none took the bate, so your right in one way,if you didn't want to confront your demon so why would others unless they truely wanted to STOP!
Glad it was on the TV and agree with others more should be done !
Trish
davianne• in reply to
I agree Silem, If pictures of diseased lungs don't stop people smoking then warnings on a bottle will have little effect. Sorry for raising an old chestnut, but the numbers of people smoking has reduced quite a lot since vaping became popular.
Maybe a revolution in alcohol free drink could have the same effect in drinkers.......just a thought!! If it's trendy, people will jump on the bandwagon, like beards (on men of course) 🤣🤣🤣
David
• in reply todavianne
Alcohol free alternatives are fine as long as your liver isn't already damaged but to someone with cirrhosis who has managed to quit booze, alcohol free is as dangerous to the liver as alcoholic drinks due to the huge amount of sugar in them.
L x
davianne• in reply to
Completely agree with that Laura. I quit without any substitutes (except soda & lime😁) I don't know what the sugar content is, but could possibly be managed better than alcohol in terms of damage done. Sugar intake is a whole new subject, as I used to have cravings for sweet things after I quit booze 2.5 years ago. I wish I could give up naughty foods as easily as I gave up booze🤣🤣.
David
• in reply todavianne
😂👍xx
• in reply todavianne
Congratulations on the 2.5 years ! 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆❤
Hi David. I think that any kind of non alcoholic drink is obviously better than alcohol. Like the prop of vaping for people giving up smoking I believe that alco free beers and wines have their place as a substitute for people who are trying to give up alcohol that need that prop (people who for their own reasons don't want to go to their doctors to get medicinal support or councelling help) and also for people like me now on immunosuppressants that didn't have a problem with alcohol but did actually like to have a wine or a beer in the past. The alco free lager that I drink contains no fat, no salt and 1g of sugar per 275 bottle and = 39 calories a bottle, so certainly not an unhealthy drink. I do understand completely that some people that have drink problems and have given up completely cannot use these kind of drinks for fear of wanting to start back on the real thing, but other than that I feel that they do have their place in society. All the best. Alf
Supportinghubby• in reply to
It was a good programme but like you say, too short. I found it hard hitting but that that was probably in the context of knowing what I do through my husband's experience. The lady who drank everyday out of habit, not thinking about it ('wine o clock') was very similar to my husband. Both gave up drinking easily, & had they known what they do now I suspect they would have stopped much earlier. So if the programme has the effect to make people think about their habits, that's good. But it then went on to say she lived in a caravan on her own & showed her taking loads of tablets but didn't explain why. If they'd talked about varices, acites, HE etc. it would have been better. People might have thought - oh, she's ok, just has to take some tablets.
Nevertheless, I thought it made some good points about the recommended units. I would love to post this on my Facebook page & encourage people to watch but hubby is very private about it so I just hope some people watched!
Same here i get fed up with people on my facebook bragging about alcohol and wine oclock and posting pictures of it .they know nothing about the damage it can cause .
Yes, facebook is a way for people to brag about their drinking exploits. I don't have a facebook account, but my wife does, and even my daughter broadcasts pictures of her new bar she had installed in her kitchen, and stocked to the hilt with at least 15 varieties of designer gin, and very expensive malt whisky ( her husbands). I really despair of her, and her attitude to alcohol. I hope and pray that her "it won't happen to me" doesn't come back to bite her. After all she has me as an example of what can happen, and I must admit, I didn't set her a good example myself.
David
Yes what you say is typical but its worrying there seems to be a massive advertising campagain going on for gin at the moment its everywhere i even saw a notice on the side of the road locally it said £8.00 a glass i thought it was pathetic . It was for a pub sevral miles away they are packing the gin in multicoloured bottles by the look if it too attract people when really the bottles should have 💀on them toxic poision drink at your own risk !!!!
Yes, your dead right. My daughter spends a small fortune on her fancy gins in all kinds of colours and bottle shapes. She can afford it, and in Seattle where she lives it's the Microsoft city set, who work hard and play hard. I had hoped that being a mum to two lovely kids, might make her be a bit more responsible.
David
Its all the advertising and hype your daughter probably thinks it wont happen to her like most people do thats the terrible thing about it all . But knowing you had trouble should of made her think really like you say theres the kids to consider . Maybe she will change her mind in time .
• in reply toSupportinghubby
Funny thing for me is that despite having been through all the hell drinking alcohol can throw at your body and come out the other side thanks to a very very generous family and incredible surgeons et al I still can’t watch a programme about drinking....it brings back too many bad memories (such as I still have left) and thoughts ☹️. .....
Thank you for posting. Our media team have been consulting on this.
Best wishes
Trust1
Many thanks for posting about this.
Hi
Thank you for posting this
Take care Lynne
Countrywalks• in reply to
I just want to be helpful anything that can promote awareness is really needed programes like this should be shown on a regular basis .and i know many on the forum both past and present victims of this awful disease would find this programme of interest .
• in reply toCountrywalks
I agree completely, but is a 30 minute progamme going to be long enough? A 6 week series might just start to cover it !
Laura xx
Thanks to all in the UK for your posts. I wish the USA had an online forum like this. The Gastro doctors and liver specialists have their share of work here but it’s so sad to hear that despite 6 bleeds (I heard from a guy) and many deaths resulting from alcoholism, they continue on the evils of drinking alcohol. I have cirrhosis and I wasn’t even aware that such a condition existed. It is a death sentence once you get addicted. Beefeater
Hi beef
It isn’t necessarily a death sentence...If you are lucky and healthy enough otherwise you may get a chance to have a liver transplant and then, again if you’re lucky, have a second stab at life. I have.
Good luck and hope you get given the opportunity of either controlling your cirrhosis or, if that isn’t possible, then getting a Transplant.
Mile
Hi Three: thanks for your reply. I’m at the bottom of liver transplant list as my MELD score was 8 last year. It may be lower now because liver still works. Liver transplant is reserved for people with 40 and up MELD and who knows if you’ll even get there for the shortage of accessible livers. I don’t know how they measure your score in the UK. But my Gastro doctor said I could live to 20 more years. My downside are all the physical pains and anxiety that go with. Beefeater
Us does have an online forum.
I’ll definitely give this a watch. I agree with it being a step in the right direction but also that more needs to be aired. The one that still sticks in my mind was the Louis Theroux one (I’m a fan of his anyway) but he tackled not just the physical side but touched on the emotional side too (why people were drinking to excess/relapsing etc) and it really got to me. The Adrian Chiles one was interesting but although I think it certainly gave viewers temporary food for thought, like Adrian, the people I encountered who thought about stopping drinking after watching it, were soon back to first cutting down and then I suspect, but can’t know for sure, back to old habits.
My mum and dad were part of a big expat group in France. All their friends seemed to think that the biggest pull for living there was the free flowing cheap wine - and boy can they put it away. They (not my folks) congregate at the village bar at least three times a week knocking back pitchers of wine for a few Euros a pop. I visited shortly after the Adrian Chiles programme and quite a few of them were drinking soft drinks and saying how the programme had “opened their eyes” but by the end of the week they were all (bar none!!) back on the wine lamenting at me “are you STILL not drinking?”.....
It’s interesting that the programme had a short term effect but proves that it needs to be a consistent message.
💕
Glad you reminded me of Louis Theroux and his earlier programme. When that was being aired, I was a big drinker. My wife changed TV channels, and at that moment it showed an addict talking about having his abdomen drained, etc. I turned over straight away.
I don’t drink at all now. I decided to stop before I did any damage luckily, but I’m probably not alone in being a drinker who avoided such TV programmes. These programmes undoubtedly help, but only if people are watching.
• in reply toCocoChannel
This is why tv progs such as these is not enough. Posters with pictures of rotting livers with warnings need to be in pubs, restraunts, doctors waiting rooms, hospital waiting rooms bus stops, alcohol aisles in super market etc etc. If they can do it showing the dangers of cigarette smoking then why not alcohol?
Money of course, but it has to change.
• in reply to
Wow Laura what pub owner is going to be “leading edge” and do that! He/she would certainly make the headlines!
Miles
• in reply to
Haha it wont happen !
• in reply to
However, these days anything which is sold and has the potential to cause death or serious injury has to display such warnings. Not just cigarettes but foods containing peanuts, not just on packaging but actually on the display shelves. So why is alcohol and the sales outlets exempt?
• in reply to
That is a very good point indeed! 👍
• in reply to
AI agree with posters everywhere!
Good point! ❤
Haha it wont happen!
Another point! Some people drink alcohol because they have personal issue's on the home front, a death, an un happy relationship/marriage, pressure of work, loneliness or just sheer boredom!
There are numerous reasons why some people drink not just only to be socialable, most cannot move onto a better life until the home front issue is addressed!
As I've previously mentioned, 25 years ago I lost my best friend who was a Director of Nursing to alcohol, she loved her husband with every bone in her body until she died due to all major organs failed. He wouldn't admit for 15 years that he was seeing another so shes just gave up the will to live! Everyone has somekind of story deep within they keep bottled up! It could be just only alcohol addiction!
My ex husband wanted a drinking partner who he found, unfortunatelythere both dead now from a combination of cirrhosis plus numerous heart attacks!
My husband did love me very much which he said numerous times even after we split but unfortunately I couldn't give him what he needed and that was a drinking partner! Both died in there 50's
Sorry for boring you with more drivel ! 😁😁😁
Love Trish x
• in reply to
Its not drivel at all Trish, its heartbreaking and poignant 💔
• in reply to
Thanks Laura !
Sad situation as my best friends husband who I really adored for many years loved two women! His wife and another! The another lady who I eventually met years later moved in with him and his 19 year old son plus his sons step sister of 14 years.
Loves a weird thing and so is alcohol related issues!
❤
Hi Countrywalks!
Am so glad I joined this forum, there are so many people and with varying conditions. Helpful to see other perspectives. My friend was a Counselor in the addiction field, he maintains, alcohol is the worst drug. I pray for all here to have the strength and empathy, of all like minded people.
Bless you.
I agree with your freind it is and so harmful but silent people just are not aware of the dangers .and there are so few liver specialists available the nhs cant cope now i dread to think what this situation will be like in 20 yrs time .
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