Its Enough To Drive You To Drink

A report in the Daily Telegraph states that our so-aptly named Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families has said that "there was a clear link between rising rates of teenage pregnancy and the tendency of a large number of teenagers to drink heavily." The article, written by Melissa Kite, who is possibly liable under the Trades Description Act for professing to call herself a journalist, states 'another survey of 15 and 16-year-olds found that 9 per cent of boys and 12 per cent of girls said they had had unprotected sex after drinking alcohol.' Nine and Twelve percent of what figure? This Secretary of State, whose own mental faculties must surely be questionable (unfair comment I know, but lets face it - he is a Labour politician and a member of our government), also states "But I'm concerned that those who do drink are drinking more, more often and at a younger age." Not surprising is it - they have probably just realised that this government (apologies for the misnomer) have just saddled them with heaven knows how much 'personal debt' and that they haven't even left school yet!

We then have another article in the print edition of the same newspaper that headlines a report 'Health police target evening tipple'. This report tells us 'More than seven million middle-class drinkers are putting their health at risk by enjoying evenings at home with a bottle of wine, statisticians said yesterday.' and includes the statistic that 'almost one in four middle-class people admitted drinking to this level at least once a week'

This report also mentions that the government have revised the 'safe limits', supposedly due to the increased strength of alcohol coupled with larger measures. More likely it is due to the government wishing to re-jig the results in a more favourable light so that they can reinforce their wish to 'control' drinkers - along with every other section of society!

To paraphrase another Scot, Robert Burns, is it any wonder that Man's inhumanity to man

makes countless thousands turn to drink.