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I don’t remember ever being as drunk as this myself. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Larry

From the BBC news website today…

Alcohol is largely to blame for an “alarming” rise in the rate of oral cancers among men and women in their forties, say experts.

Numbers of cancers of the lip, mouth, tongue and throat in this age group have risen by 26% in the past decade.

Alcohol consumption has doubled since the 1950s and is the most likely culprit alongside smoking, says Cancer Research UK.

Each year in the UK around 1,800 people die from the disease.

There are 5,000 newly diagnosed cases per year.

Other risk factors that may be involved include a diet low in fruit and vegetables, and the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), which also causes cervical cancer.

Figures produced by Cancer Research UK show that since the mid-1990s, rates of oral cancers have gone up by 28% for men in their forties and 24% for women.

The charity’s health information manager Hazel Nunn said: “These latest figures are really alarming.

“Around three-quarters of oral cancers are thought to be caused by smoking and drinking alcohol.

“Tobacco is, by far, the main risk factor for oral cancer, so it’s important that we keep encouraging people to give up and think about new ways to stop people taking it up in the first place.

“But for people in their 40s, it seems that other factors are also contributing to this jump in oral cancer rates.

“Alcohol consumption has doubled since the 1950s and the trend we are now seeing is likely to be linked to Britain’s continually rising drinking levels.”

Oral cancer can be treated successfully if diagnosed early enough.

The most common signs of the disease are ulcers, sores, or red or white patches in the mouth that last longer than three weeks, together with unexplained pain in the mouth or ear.

Alcohol Concern chief executive Don Shenker said: “Many people are not aware of the connection between alcohol and cancer, yet as this research shows, it can be a major contributor or cause of the disease.

“While alcoholic liver disease remains the number one killer linked to alcohol, more and more people are suffering from oral cancers - and record drinking levels have undeniably played a part.”

He said it was time to introduce tobacco-style health warnings on alcohol.

“It’s a consumer issue - people have a right to know the full range of health risks associated with drinking alcohol above recommended guidelines.

“This research will hopefully help people realise the full extent of the damage that alcohol can do, then they’re better placed to make informed decisions about how much they drink.”

Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians and chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “These latest figures demonstrate once again that people are being struck down at ever younger ages with alcohol-related illnesses that they might never have previously associated with heavy drinking.

“There is an urgent need to rethink how we communicate the risks of misuse. The first step is to challenge the widespread notion that the only chronic health damage is suffered by a minority of older drinkers.”

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said: “The really lethal cocktail is drinking strong spirits and smoking - a carcinogenic double whammy for the delicate lining of the mouth and throat. My advice is if you drink, don’t smoke - and if you must smoke, avoid spirits.”

The husband and I had a rare night out last weekend. This was Big News. I don’t get out much these days… as the big 4-0 approaches, and motherhood exhausts me on a daily basis, the most raucous our nights get is watching Masterchef and drinking a cheeky glass of Merlot while firing witty quips at the TV. However, a friend was celebrating her birthday at a local hostelry and our attendance was required. Now, I was fully aware that I would be awakened, as usual, on Sunday morning by my second-born prodding my eyelid and saying, “can you fix my Transformer?” at 5.53am precisely. Thus, you may rest assured, I attended the friend’s festivities with a strong resolve not to drink to excess and to leave before 11pm.

Did this happen? No.

The reason this didn’t happen is largely because said friend had placed bottles upon bottles of wine out on the tables and effectively refused to let anyone buy their own drinks all night. Free alcohol! It would be rude not to! This has only happened to me a handful of times in my life and, I’m afraid to say, every time has proved to be a truly memorable evening – not always for the right reasons. This evening was no different.

Did I realise I’d had enough to drink when I couldn’t remember whether I’d been drinking red or white wine? I did not. Did I realise I’d had enough when I found myself dancing upon the tables and exhorting all my friends to do the same? I did not. Did I realise I’d had enough when a very large and somewhat sinister bouncer came over to tell me to desist instantly from dancing on said tables? I did not.

What makes this particularly difficult for me to understand is, I don’t do this sort of thing any more. I’m a grown-up. I’m nearly 40, for Chrissakes! Where was my steely resolve, the sensible head I have seen on friends on occasion and always admired? Is it precisely because I’m not often let out of me ‘ole that I went so crazy? The demon drink got to me and provoked me into behaving in a way I didn’t plan on, and definitely didn’t feel proud of the next day. It’s one thing dancing on tables when you’re 24 and running a bar in Greece, but it’s quite another thing to do it when you’re in your late 30s and starting to dance like your mother. Not A Good Look.

I should have known better. I’ve been drinking alcohol for more than 20 years, had my wild 20s, outgrew them, had kids, calmed down, started to behave myself. Why does it just take the promise of free alcohol to make me forget who I am and act like a prat? Why???

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Well here we are, the target was to go without alcohol for 6 months and it’s done, and I have to say that the last 5 months have been easy. Once I got out of the habit of drinking alcohol it’s wasn’t a problem for me, so is it a success? I say a resounding yes, I love not drinking, I drank every night since I was about 16 till 36 so twenty years of a very one sided relationship. It’s not without it’s drawbacks. it’s very hard to go out with people that are drinking but the benefits for me are huge, I can drive when I like, I’ve lost a stone and a half, I sleep better, I row less with the missus, I do more at home, I’ve started my Psychology degree at last and I’ve saved money so all in all a great experience that I’m going to carry on. If you choose to give up don’t be scared. It’s great.