Increase in death rates from liver cirrhosis in Britain largest in west...( king countries of Southern Europe stat...),Health

Professor Leon states: "Current alcohol policies in Britain should be assessed by the extent to which they can successfully halt the adverse trends in liver cirrhosis mortality. The situation in Scotland warrants particular attention."

In an accompanying comment Robin Room (Stockholm University, Sweden) states: "The UK used to be known to alcohol researchers for its relatively low rate of liver cirrhosis deaths. But Leon and McCambridge show that Great Britain has recorded the steepest rise in rates in western EuropeWhile beverage type, as mentioned in the paper, and pattern of drinking might both affect the risk of developing cirrhosis, there is no doubt that the cumulative amount of alcohol consumed has a primary role. But the UK Government has turned a determined blind eye to the problem and has failed to make the reduction of the population's alcohol intake a policy goal. Through the new alcohol licensing law and the official guidance on it, the national government has also done its best to tie the hands of local government on this issue."

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Contact: Joe Santangelo
j.santangelo@elsevier.com
212-633-3810
Lancet
5-Jan-2006