News media tells us that the rate of fatalities from excess drinking in 2022 in the UK were 41% higher than in 2019 with women showing the biggest rise. It was a record high in 2022. There were 16.6 deaths caused by alcohol per 100,000 in 2022 compared to 11.8. The information comes from the UK's Office for National Statistics. The research indicated that those who were drinking quite a lot of alcohol before the pandemic increased their consumption during the pandemic. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to understand why. The long lockdowns. The long periods of furlough during which, in the UK, people received 80% of their salary from the UK government grants. That proved far too expensive and it was far too generous in my view. But it is clear that when a government allows people to do nothing for long periods of time while receiving a good income, they gradually disintegrate in terms of their personal care, well-being and structure in their life. People need the structure a
There is a difference between binge alcoholism and day-to-day or traditional alcoholism. I will discuss this from personal experience. And I don't mean me being an alcoholic because I am teetotal. I'm talking about looking after Jane who is a binge alcoholic and has been for 40 years perhaps. Jane I think you will find different definitions of binge alcoholism. For me, and in respect of Jane, it means going long periods without any alcohol at all. This period may last several weeks or up to 3 months. Nowadays, it lasts about 2 to 3 months. In the past this period of abstention lasted for a few weeks. Her binge alcoholism has changed over the years. Binge alcoholism for Jane follows a schedule with big breaks in-between very heavy drinking. And I believe that she follows her internal clock. I also believe that she knows when she is going to start a binge. In fact she plans it to a certain extent. That is why, for instance, she binges just after Christmas. The devastating point i