In 2010, alcohol concern Wales published a damning report on the consumption of alcohol in Wales. The current trend is just the culmination of a relationship which has been around for about 4,000 years. It was really the coming of the industrial revolution which brought about a new social attitude to alcohol. For the first time, heavy drinking became accepted as a social norm as men were expected to work long hours under oppressive conditions. One historian was even quoted as describing alcohol as "the real opiate of the Welsh".
As the tend toward excess grew, so too did the emerging temperance movement. Up until quite recently, it was all but impossible to buy an alcoholic drink anywhere in certain parts of Wales on a Sunday. This, of course, coincided with the growth of the now struggling Chapel movement.
It is now estimated that increasing numbers of adults in Wales are drinking alcohol at levels so far in excess of guideline limits as to be deemed hazardous to health. At no surprise to myself, large numbers of those who took part in the study did not understand the system of alcohol units used to measure drinking consumption. The current system is great for the doctors who are trained to ask you how much alcohol you drink. It is not so great for a public which just needs to know how much their limit is and how much each drink is. Obviously, not everyone wants to know but the majority do. Those who took part said that they gauged the number of units they had drunk based upon such factors as "whether the room is spinning" or "whether I need to be put in to a taxi and taken home". Not ideal and certainly not very scientific!
Of particular concern is the revelation that Wales boasts one of the highest rates of under age girls and boys who admit to having been drunk. Left to continue, these are the people who will exert a massive financial strain on the already buckling NHS in their later adult years. The prominent association of several brewers with various branches of sport where the Welsh excel is a big concern in desperate need of governmental attention.
During their medical school training, doctors are encouraged to ask people how much they are drinking and mentally double the figure because research shows that people tend to be somewhat conservative when it comes to admitting the true extent of their drinking habits. As such, the findings that 52% of men and 38% of women admit to drinking too much is very worrying.
This week has just seen the National Eisteddfod come to Denbigh and these reports of drinking to excess were in evidence every single night. The amounts drunk have been staggering and even Christmas week would struggle to compete with such high levels. In a way, it's sad to think that people have come to Denbigh from different parts of Wales to do what they probably already do when they go home. It doesn't reflect very well on their thirst for local culture but it does confirm their thirst.
When I was growing up, certain Welsh icons were held up as the heroes of the drinking culture. Of the many I could list, two in particular deserve special mention. At the height of his fame, the late Richard Burton could pretty much name his price for appearing in his latest film. His capacity to drink was the stuff of legend. By 1974, he was reported to be drinking three bottles of vodka per day. This equates to 84 units per day as compared to a recommended weekly allowance of 21 for a man. He was therefore drinking his way through about 28 times his recommended weekly allowance - conservatively speaking. It is said that his liver was palpable before the age of 40 due to the inevitable effects of cirrhosis. Ironically, he had been a noted athlete in his youth. He incurred a stroke in 1984 and died soon afterwards. He was buried with a book of poetry written by the other Welsh icon who I have singled out for special mention.
Dylan Thomas was a great poet and writer. Burton famously narrated his timeless piece "Under Milk Wood" with his highly prized voice. Compared to Thomas, Burton was positively ancient when he died. Dylan Thomas died at the tender age of 39 after having just consumed 18 straight whiskeys by his own admission. Thomas died in New York and Burton in Switzerland. Thus, they both exported this aspect of their Welsh culture abroad. Both born under the star sign of Scorpio both of these Welsh men were noted for their fiery personalities. Their drinking reflected the places which had produced them. Thomas was from Swansea and Burton from nearby Port Talbot. Times were hard in the early lives of both men and drinking was an accepted way of dealing with it. Burton's father was a miner, a "12 pints a night man". This was not abnormal then and sadly, it is not abnormal now.
The young people who came to Denbigh for the National Eisteddfod this week only confirmed the worst suspicions of Alcohol Concern Wales. Drinking for the sake of getting drunk is now the culturally accepted norm. The legacy of this sanctioning will be seen by us all in the years to come unless action is taken now.
That action needs to address education because by the admission of this report, people don't actually know how much they are drinking or whether that amount is detrimental to their health. Sponsorship needs to be taken far more seriously because it is giving the thumbs up to the young. Daily and weekly limits need to displayed more prominently in public places so that people can better understand the implications of their lifestyle choices. Last of all, a minimum price for alcohol needs bringing in - provided it is applied to the supermarkets as well. Only this will signal the end of cut price deals on alcohol. Aside from the fact that the supermarkets are operating on a different playing field to the pubs, they are unfairly getting people through their doors by immoral means and worse still, confining people to drinking unseen in the comfort of their own homes. The latter is very dangerous. Drinking in a pub is witnessed by your peers. Drinking at home isn't. There is an important difference which few people seem eager to address.
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