One in 13 adults in the United Kingdom are dependent on alcohol, according to a recent study performed by Alcohol Concern, a charity in London.
One in 13 adults in the United Kingdom are dependent on alcohol, according to a recent study performed by Alcohol Concern, a charity in London.
Seventh-day Adventists, who have been at the forefront of promoting alcohol abstinence, have voiced a concern about the growing problem of alcohol consumption in Britain.
“A number of organizations that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is connected with are making attempts to deal with the problem,” says Richard Willis, health ministries director for the British Union Conference, or administrative region, of the church.
According to Willis, the premises in the House of Commons of the British Parliament have become a venue to address the issue.
Willis, who is the chairman of the United Kingdom Alliance, vice chairman of the National United Temperance Council, and executive director of the UK National Council For Prevention of Alcoholism, says “None of these organizations are able to do rehabilitative work due to financial restrictions.” However, the Adventist Church, supported by the International Commission For Prevention of Alcoholism, is conducting regular education programs on alcohol themes on behalf of these organizations.
In May the ICPA/NCPA will run a training program for health promotion officers in Northern Ireland, Willis says.
Alcohol misuse is associated with a high rate of mental health problems, the study says, and two out of three suicide attempts are considered to be alcohol-related.
Eric Appleby, Alcohol Concern chief executive, says that it is a major concern that more than 3 million people in the UK can’t get through the day without an alcohol fix. “Some of the most vulnerable people in our society are not receiving the basic levels of support needed to help them get back on their feet,” he says.
Although several church groups collectively operate a number of rehabilitation units and aftercare support services, they are not making a great impact, Willis says.
“The Adventist Church does not have the means or the extensive infrastructure to be able to attempt this side of the work, so it has chosen the education route. Government funding has been entrusted to [other] groups who promote sensible drinking. There is officially no room for an abstaining view,” he says.