The Royal College of Psychiatrists has
praised a private member's bill put forward in parliament
today by Dr Sarah Wollaston, MP for Totnes. Dr Wollaston will put
forward proposals to limit the exposure of children and young
people to alcohol advertising as a Ten Minute Rule Motion.
Commenting on the bill Dr Peter Rice, chair of
the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said:
"We fully support the private member’s bill put forward by Dr
Sarah Wollaston. Children in the UK have higher levels of alcohol
consumption compared to children in other parts of the world. In
2009, the Chief Medical Officer for England estimated that 11 to
17-year-olds in England consume 20 million units of alcohol each
week. Furthermore, alcohol consumption rates among young
British people are 3 times those of young people in Finland and
Norway. Such drinking has a considerable impact on children’s
lives, including their mental health, due to both immediate effects
on personal safety and longer term effects on
neuro-development.
"Other countries are doing better than us on
reducing the harm caused by alcohol to children, and Dr Wollaston’s
Bill draws on the experience of France where alcohol advertising
and promotion are not allowed at events or in media with youth
appeal. We urge MPs from all political parties, who are concerned
about child protection, to give this bill the backing it so
urgently needs."
For further information, please
contact:
Liz Leicester
or Deborah Hart in the Communications
Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127