Britain’s problem with kids dangerous approach to booze
Addiction Economy Thought for Today - the chicken and egg of 'booze culture' - do commercial drivers shape culture or vice versa.
Good article on his experience of drinking in different countries by Gary Nunn & the recent WHO report from last week on the drinking culture in the UK which leads us to have the highest percentage of child drinkers in the world.
"In Australia, the beers would mostly come with barbecued burgers and a relaxed afternoon. In Argentina, that famous red wine comes with steak over a long evening. In Britain, the shots come with chasers of more alcohol, while food is an afterthought – a kebab, once we’re already smashed. I must have done it a thousand times in my 20s. But it’s this alcohol culture that is killing us – and it appears to be getting worse. The UK’s alcohol-specific death rate was 14.8 per 100,000 population in 2021, a notable increase from 12.0 in 2011."
In our new White Paper we explore the 4 models of Addiction - the Social/cultural, the Psychological, the Biological and the Economic. We explore the contribution of companies to addiction, and particularly how they shape our approach to whatever it is we do too much of until it harms us - in this case, alcohol.
Could our extreme booze culture be the result of consistent misinformation over time about booze and British culture by companies - which results in lax laws that allow them to encourage binge drinking through promotions and super-cheap booze and promote a certain type of vibe in their marketing campaigns and product placement? It's certainly the case in gambling, cigs and vapes that the UK's approach to restriction is a direct cause of many of our problems.
Not done a deep dive on the history of alcohol yet, it will be interesting to apply our model. Thanks Phil Cain for the heads up on this.
If you are interested in our White Paper - it's here:
https://bit.ly/3x5yTgo
I am currently adding a new Moral Model and will ponder how a lack of stigma might also contribute - there is stigma about being totally addicted, but kudos for being wildly drunk and hungover. Curious.
Hey Peter Krijgsman he mentions your point on greeting cards!
Good article from the Guardian
Britain has a problem that it won’t face up to: children’s dangerous relationship with alcohol
Gary Nunn