I posted a couple of alcohol related quotes from Nutt before:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Guardian article on the second study
The authors write: "Our findings lend support to previous work in the UK and the Netherlands, confirming that the present drug classification systems have little relation to the evidence of harm. They also accord with the conclusions of previous expert reports that aggressively targeting alcohol harm is a valid and necessary public health strategy."
(snip)
Nutt called for far more effort to be put into reducing harm caused by alcohol, pointing out that its economic costs, as well as the costs to society of addiction and broken families, are very high. Taxation on alcohol is "completely inappropriate", he said – with strong cider, for instance, taxed at a fifth of the rate of wine – and action should particularly target the low cost and promotion of alcohol such as Bacardi breezers to young people.
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The government's recent talk of a minimum price for alcohol actually fits in with this, as that's aimed at tackling problem drinking... I'm in two minds over that. Part of me hates the very idea, because I hate the nanny state ... yet at the same time
something does need to be done as alcohol abuse is a massive problem.