Alcohol And Liver Cirrhosis In Twentieth Century Britain

The relationship between alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis has long been contested by doctors and medical professionals, creating numerous implications for the public reputation of alcohol in Britain. Despite this, it was not until the 1970s that cirrhosis came to be understood as an 'alcoholic disease'. This book contextualises developments in this debate through the twentieth century by examining the significant influence that medical expertise had on policy responses to alcohol misuse, as well as the social reputation of alcohol consumption. It demonstrates how the degree to which drinking was seen to be responsible for liver disease directly shaped how different groups, such as the temperance movement and the drinks industry, exaggerated or downplayed the destructive properties of alcohol. Covering a series of themes including the science of disease causation, the social standing of medical expertise, and alcohol and public health policy, this book argues that in order to properly understand the trajectory of debates around drinking we need to consider the twentieth-century 'alcohol problem' as primarily a medical issue. Contrary to the tendency by existing works to disassociate perceptions and responses to alcohol use from the objective knowledge of its effects on the body, this book shows that medical understandings of liver disease influenced how alcohol was conceptualised in relation to its harms. Offering a fresh perspective on the interaction between scientific knowledge and policy during the twentieth century, this book provides insights for those researching the social, political and cultural history of modern Britain, as well as historians of medicine and health. Ryosuke Yokoe is a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow based in the Graduate School of Economics at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He is a historian of medicine and previously studied and taught at the University of Sheffield in the UK.

The relationship between alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis has long been contested by doctors and medical professionals, creating numerous implications for the public reputation of alcohol in Britain. Despite this, it was not until the 1970s that cirrhosis came to be understood as an ‘alcoholic disease’. This book contextualises developments in this debate through the twentieth century by examining the significant influence that medical expertise had on policy responses to alcohol misuse, as well as the social reputation of alcohol consumption. It demonstrates how the degree to which drinking was seen to be responsible for liver disease directly shaped how different groups, such as the temperance movement and the drinks industry, exaggerated or downplayed the destructive properties of alcohol. Covering a series of themes including the science of disease causation, the social standing of medical expertise, and alcohol and public health policy, this book argues that in order to properly understand the trajectory of debates around drinking we need to consider the twentieth-century ‘alcohol problem’ as primarily a medical issue. Contrary to the tendency by existing works to disassociate perceptions and responses to alcohol use from the objective knowledge of its effects on the body, this book shows that medical understandings of liver disease influenced how alcohol was conceptualised in relation to its harms. Offering a fresh perspective on the interaction between scientific knowledge and policy during the twentieth century, this book provides insights for those researching the social, political and cultural history of modern Britain, as well as historians of medicine and health.

In the 1980s the study of alcoholism was in a period of rapid change, this book, originally published in 1985, identifies and explores the three most controversial contemporary issues: changes at the basic explanatory level in our concept of harmful drinking; the undermining of our confidence that drinking behaviour can be effectively modified in the traditional context of ‘treatment’; and the changes in our concept of the effective prevention of harmful drinking. The authors of the book came from a variety of backgrounds, but all were members of the New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group. They broadly reject the disease concept of alcoholism, but, as this volume shows, there is still scope for vigorous debate and this book should have something of interest for all concerned with problems of alcoholism.

In his landmark 1942 report on social insurance Sir William Beveridge talked about the 'five giants on the road to reconstruction' — the giants of Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness. Social Progress in Britain investigates how much progress Britain has made in tackling the challenges of material deprivation, ill-health, educational standards, lack of housing, and unemployment in the decades since Beveridge wrote. It also asks how progress in Britain compares with that of peer countries — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden and the USA. Has Britain been slipping behind? What has been the impact of the increased economic inequality which Britain experienced in the 1980s — has rising economic inequality been mirrored by increasing inequalities in other areas of life too? Have there been increasing inequalities of opportunity between social classes, men and women, and different ethnic groups? And what have been the implications for Britain's sense of social cohesion?

Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco in Britain focuses on the use and misuse of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco and the British response to these substances. The manuscript first tackles alcohol production, sale, and control and production of drugs. Discussions focus on licensing laws in England and Wales, taxation, home brewing and distilling, detailed incidence of liquor duties, illicit production of alcoholic beverages, overseas trade, and tied-house system. The book then elaborates on the control of drugs, including international control, Dangerous Drugs Act, 1965, United Kingdom laws, and control of specific psycho-active drugs. The publication examines the "normal" use of alcohol in Great Britain, medical use of drugs, and a historical perspective of alcohol abuse in Great Britain. Topics include medical use of cannabis, amphetamines, and opiates, student drinking, medical use of alcohol, expenditure on alcohol, and alcohol consumption. The text then takes a look at the misuse of alcohol in Great Britain, non-medical use of cannabis, non-medical use of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide and hallucinogenic drugs, and non-medical use of hypnotics and tranquillizers. The book is a valuable source of information for readers wanting to study the use and abuse of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in Great Britain.

Now in its seventh edition, Living with Drugs continues to be a well-respected and indispensable reference tool. Michael Gossop has updated this new edition to take account of new laws and practices that have come in to place since the previous edition, published in 2007. Written in an accessible style and providing a balanced perspective, the book is ideal for non-specialists in training, such as student nurses and social workers and for anyone with an interest in this complex, ever-present and emotive issue.

This report calls for a radical change in the Government's approach to the health and social problems caused by the rising consumption of alcohol in England. Consumption per head has nearly tripled since 1947, and 31 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women are drinking hazardously (more than 21 units per week) or harmfully (more than 50 units per week). It is estimated alcohol abuse in England and Wales kills 30-40,000 people a year and costs the economy £55bn. Excessive consumption also leads to serious accidents, disorder, violence and crime. In the report, chapter two looks at the history of alcohol consumption. Chapter three considers the impact of alcohol on health, the NHS and society as a whole, including the costs of crime and loss of work. Chapter four analyses the Government's alcohol strategy. Chapters five to nine consider respectively NHS policies on prevention and treatment; education and information policies, the marketing of alcohol, pubs and licensing; and off-licence sales, particularly in supermarkets. Chapter ten looks at the key issue of the price of alcohol. The Committee calls for minimum pricing for units of alcohol. Evidence shows that a rise in the price of alcohol is the most effective way to reduce consumption. It would affect most of all those who drink cheap alcohol, save up to 3000 lives a year with a price of 50p per unit, would benefit traditional pubs and encourage a switch to weaker wines and spirits. Minimum pricing should be accompanied by an increase in duty. Finally, in chapter eleven, the Committee puts forward a new alcohol strategy.