Alcohol death rates released by BMJ

[Mungler]

So, boozing in lockdown is killing us at an alarming rate say the BMJ 

Covid kills 159/100,000, but bear in mind the ‘catch all’ recording of Covid deaths and how the average age of Covid death (82) is still beyond average life expectancy (81)

Alcohol (on its own) 12.8/100,000 and that’s not capturing the full misery and those circling the alcohol addiction drain.

I genuinely fear for the mental health of the country.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, a lot of people are suffering now with lock down stress and PTS take to drink, but it can take years until death so more of this will be a future NHS problem, let alone millions of citizens mental health problems, China has got a lot to answer for with nearly every country suffering, as one who lived with an alcoholic father even children can suffer, 

Edited February 5, 2021 by oldypigeonpopper

[udderlyoffroad]

22 minutes ago, Mungler said:

Alcohol (on its own) 12.8/100,000 and that’s not capturing the full misery and those circling the alcohol addiction drain.

I genuinely fear for the mental health of the country.

 

Quite, and still some on here are banging the drum for 'lockdown harder' or even 'lockdown is working'

It beggars belief.

[SpringDon]

Not surprised. My friend is a small scale cider maker in Bristol and he’s selling way more than usual, to the extent of possibly being wiped out. (Mind you, I’ve got 65gallons of my own so I can’t point the finger).

Record deaths from covid and record deaths from alcohol, who knows what’s going to happen with cancer deaths plus the mental health toll on adults and children. Better lockdown harder, that will fix it.

[Mungler]

The problem is that when you are a dissenting voice or someone challenging ‘the message’ you end up lumped in with the likes of that loon Piers Corbyn.

I’ve always said and still maintain that the effect of lockdown will be far worse and far reaching than the virus itself. 

The poverty yet to come hasn’t even featured yet and that’s going to be the biggy.

[oldypigeonpopper]

4 minutes ago, Mungler said:

The problem is that when you are a dissenting voice or someone challenging ‘the message’ you end up lumped in with the likes of that loon Piers Corbyn.

I’ve always said and still maintain that the effect of lockdown will be far worse and far reaching than the virus itself. 

The poverty yet to come hasn’t even featured yet and that’s going to be the biggy.

Hello, well said 👍

[Gordon R]

Mungler - I have had this conversation with a few friends. Some cannot see past the daily news of more Covid deaths, without looking past it to what the future holds. The odd one is dismissive of any such thoughts, but they have always been very down to earth until now. 

I put a large chunk of blame on China, but the subsequent hand wringing daily bulletins, plus the tabloids, have a lot to answer for.

It might be bad now and I am not dismissing those who have had friends or relatives suffering or even dying, but I suspect the worst is yet to come. Once we have dealt with Covid - it may well be with us for ever - we will also have the backlog of cancer treatments, operations etc which have been deferred.

Many pubs, restaurants, firms will never recover, which will inevitably incur a cost to the country.

[Deker]

I suspect the numbers will increase as more people are made redundant as a businesses close due to the restrictions 

 

[Scully]

It was only ever going to be so. Negative journalism must have played a part in this surely. For almost a year now we have been bombarded with images of the suffering and dying; hospital staff interviewed to the point of crying, hushed journalistic reporting full of gravitas while they show footage of grave diggers at work and mortuary staff wheeling a body bagged corpse into a fridge.  Relatives of the dead and dying interviewed to the point of crying, many zoomed into our houses on a daly basis on a local and national platform to public air their grief and despair, and aportion blame. A daily update on the death toll and scaremongering propaganda. If it were a painting it would be a Hieronymous Bosch. 

It doesn't surprise me at all; it would have happened regardless of the above, but the astonishing doom and gloom portrayed by the media hasn't helped at all in my opinion. 

There are people over the age of 80 surviving this virus, but you wouldn't know it. 

[henry d]

A lot of the alcohol deaths would have been those on the last circuit of

2 hours ago, Mungler said:

circling the alcohol addiction drain

There will also be a few who will be joining it at the upper edge which is sad.

Regarding money we have been fortunate as I am retired and my wife retired in the summer and we found that we were saving money during the first lockdown, the only meal out we have had since February was the last day of the eat out to help out. Normally we would have a meal out once a week. On the other hand my brother has been furloughed all this time and is losing out hand over fist as he is contracted for 12 hrs/week but made up his money through OT. The scheme doesn't cover that part and he said he would be scuppered if he hadn't paid off his mortgage a couple of years ago. We are on creaking foundations but I am hopeful for better things by the time summer is here.

[Rewulf]

1 hour ago, Scully said:

It doesn't surprise me at all; it would have happened regardless of the above, but the astonishing doom and gloom portrayed by the media hasn't helped at all in my opinion. 

Not aimed at you, as Im sure you understand it, but there are plenty of ordinary men and women (and children especially) who believe the media are there to selflessly provide a service of bringing relevant information to the general public.
The media (and yes , Im including the BBC here because they are (badly) run like one)  are a business , and one that thrives on tragedy, sensationalism , exaggeration , and all too often downright lies and misinformation.

It doesnt help that they are run by oligarchs and businessmen with strong political connections, or , like the BBC , have a particular political leaning, despite (falsely) claiming to be completely unbiased.

The sad part , is that the actual human cost doesnt really figure into their overall strategy of selling papers, airtime or advertising slots, and they are only partially accountable.
Its also sad that as covid winds down, and becomes less interesting for J. Public, they will seize upon the next tragedy , political poo storm, or war , they do love a good war...
 

[Scully]

43 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

Not aimed at you, as Im sure you understand it, but there are plenty of ordinary men and women (and children especially) who believe the media are there to selflessly provide a service of bringing relevant information to the general public.
The media (and yes , Im including the BBC here because they are (badly) run like one)  are a business , and one that thrives on tragedy, sensationalism , exaggeration , and all too often downright lies and misinformation.

It doesnt help that they are run by oligarchs and businessmen with strong political connections, or , like the BBC , have a particular political leaning, despite (falsely) claiming to be completely unbiased.

The sad part , is that the actual human cost doesnt really figure into their overall strategy of selling papers, airtime or advertising slots, and they are only partially accountable.
Its also sad that as covid winds down, and becomes less interesting for J. Public, they will seize upon the next tragedy , political poo storm, or war , they do love a good war...
 

Believe me, I’m totally aware of all of that; at the end of the day they’re journalists and in the business of generating sales ( in the context of the BBC this is via generating viewing figures ) I’m totally disgusted with the media and the way it conducts its bias and revenue driven agendas. 
As I’ve said in a previous post, next time our armed forces are thrown at some political cause, let’s have interviews with frontline squaddies freshly returned to base after seeing a mate shredded by shrapnel, or dismembered by an IED. Then Clive Mirey can rush round to the parents house of the dismembered squaddie and shove a camera in their face. 
Im sure it’ll all make prime tea time viewing. 🙂

Edited February 5, 2021 by Scully

[mel b3]

I'm surprised that more people didn't drink themselves into an early grave to be honest.

Half of the country were sat at home in the glorious sunshine for most of last year  , and were still getting paid  ,to lots of people it was just party time.

Every day when I got back from work , my next door neighbours were already on their second bottle of red , and were sat in the garden drinking until it got dark . They did that on every single day that it didn't rain .

I was out for my morning walks at 4.30 am most mornings , and more often than not , someone along the route would have a house or garden party that was still going on.

The pub trade might have taken a big hit , but the drinks industry have hit the jackpot.

[Mungler]

I would love to go 100 years into the future to see what the history books make of all of this nonsense.

I genuinely think the world has gone potty over this and the true cost, such that what is visible is being deliberately ignored and what had yet to manifest dismissed out of hand.

The fear that I see in people's postings on Facebook and even on here, it incredible.

And "fear" is singularly the best "tool" for whatever purpose you want - ask any salesman.

[team tractor]

I’d been trying to get hold of my mate for a while and I guessed he’d gone grumpy with me . I went to wind him up on Facebook for his birthday and he’s passed away. 
apparently he had turned to the bottle and was found dead in his chair. Lovely bloke and friend for 15+ years . Only in his early 50’s . 

24 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

I'm surprised that more people didn't drink themselves into an early grave to be honest.

Half of the country were sat at home in the glorious sunshine for most of last year  , and were still getting paid  ,to lots of people it was just party time.

Every day when I got back from work , my next door neighbours were already on their second bottle of red , and were sat in the garden drinking until it got dark . They did that on every single day that it didn't rain .

I was out for my morning walks at 4.30 am most mornings , and more often than not , someone along the route would have a house or garden party that was still going on.

The pub trade might have taken a big hit , but the drinks industry have hit the jackpot.

I know of several people that did just  that and gained 2-3st 

[ferguson_tom]

2 hours ago, Scully said:

but the astonishing doom and gloom portrayed by the media hasn't helped at all in my opinion. 

I was working from home the other day and had the TV on in the background, its no surprise the people stuck at home all day are scared witless by the virus it was 8 hours of negativity and personal stories of people dying imagine being fed that constantly for the last 12 months!

 

[Vince Green]

Alcohol has always been a massive cause of death, crime, family breakup, job loss, etc  

[mel b3]

51 minutes ago, Mungler said:

I would love to go 100 years into the future to see what the history books make of all of this nonsense.

I genuinely think the world has gone potty over this and the true cost, such that what is visible is being deliberately ignored and what had yet to manifest dismissed out of hand.

The fear that I see in people's postings on Facebook and even on here, it incredible.

And "fear" is singularly the best "tool" for whatever purpose you want - ask any salesman.

I was laying in bed this morning,  and the thought crossed my mind about the financial cost of covid .

Imagine if you could go back to ground zero in wuhan, and make an insurance claim against the little Chinese fella that sold that scabby bat ( i know that might not be strictly  correct ) .  just how much must this have cost worldwide .  It's just unimaginable. 

[discobob]

2 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

 just how much must this have cost worldwide .  It's just unimaginable. 

Money just doesn't disappear into thin air - lots of people making money off it

[mel b3]

Just now, discobob said:

Money just doesn't disappear into thin air - lots of people making money off it

That's true enough , I suppose the money is just getting redistributed. 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

But it would take a brave Leader to just ignore what is going on and see what happens, hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[Fisheruk]

22 minutes ago, mel b3 said:

I was laying in bed this morning,  and the thought crossed my mind about the financial cost of covid .

Imagine if you could go back to ground zero in wuhan, and make an insurance claim against the little Chinese fella that sold that scabby bat ( i know that might not be strictly  correct ) .  just how much must this have cost worldwide .  It's just unimaginable. 

I don’t buy that scabby bat theory.

I think it’s far more likely to have been either a deliberate or accidental escape of germ warfare by the Chinese. This thing is just way to effective to be something spread naturally from bats.

[mel b3]

22 minutes ago, Fisheruk said:

I don’t buy that scabby bat theory.

I think it’s far more likely to have been either a deliberate or accidental escape of germ warfare by the Chinese. This thing is just way to effective to be something spread naturally from bats.

Sorry mate my bad  , I don't really have any idea about the bat theory . I was just really thinking about the frightening worldwide financial cost 👍.

[Rewulf]

16 minutes ago, Fisheruk said:

I think it’s far more likely to have been either a deliberate or accidental escape of germ warfare by the Chinese. This thing is just way to effective to be something spread naturally from bats.

The bat, pangolin ect ect story, isnt really touted as a 'cause' anymore, and because the 'other causes' usually involve a laboratory , and some kind of accident or intent, the MSM/governments dont really talk about it now.
Apparently they are sending the WHO in to find out where it came from...a year later 
Ive always found it rather strange how all these diseases seem to spring up from that part of the world, various SARS , swine flu, bird flu ... it appears to be a veritable breeding ground for exotic diseases, every one of them promising some new apocalypse that never quite materializes...

 

1 hour ago, Mungler said:

I genuinely think the world has gone potty over this and the true cost, such that what is visible is being deliberately ignored and what had yet to manifest dismissed out of hand.

The world seemed to go potty before much had even happened, promises of deaths in the millions before the disease had even got going.

I remember a lady on  a British TV news program in mid March telling us how things would never be the same again.

They seemed to know the outcomes before any realistic projections of virulence or mortality could be established.
Plus when the weather warmed up and the virus went to sleep for a bit, they were promising the 2nd wave and how much worse it would be, as the government told us all to get out and mingle with all the students going back.

Makes you wonder.

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

3 minutes ago, Rewulf said:

The world seemed to go potty before much had even happened, promises of deaths in the millions before the disease had even got going.

I remember a lady on  a British TV news program in mid March telling us how things would never be the same again.

They seemed to know the outcomes before any realistic projections of virulence or mortality could be established.
Plus when the weather warmed up and the virus went to sleep for a bit, they were promising the 2nd wave and how much worse it would be, as the government told us all to get out and mingle with all the students going back.

Makes you wonder.

Much like Brexit then!