'Number of drink and drug abusers filling mental hospitals soars by a third'
The number of alcohol and drug abusers being treated by mental hospitals has leapt by almost a third in five years. Critics last night blamed the binge drink and drug culture for creating more mental health disorders, while cuts in NHS beds are increasing dependency on the private sector - Daily Mail
Cider is proving far from rosy for C&C Group, the owner of Magners Irish Cider, which announced yesterday that its chief executive had fallen on his sword after the latest in a series of profit warnings over two years. The resignation of Maurice Pratt, who had been credited with rejuvenating cider sales in Britain by marketing Magners as an over-ice drink, came as C&C predicted a "material drop" in second-half profits after a sharp fall in market share - The Times
Premium Bars and Restaurants, the Aim-listed owner of the Living Room bars in Edinburgh and Glasgow, yesterday said its sales were suffering from the "wider economic malaise". The group - which also owns the Prohibition and Bel and the Dragon chains - said its like-for-like sales were running 7.4 per cent lower than a year ago. Premium reported underlying losses of £900,000 for the year to the end of June - The Scotsman
A politician has stepped in to help save a beer called Skull Splitter which is produced in his constituency. Alistair Carmichael, MP for Orkney and Shetland, has tabled a Commons motion noting "amazement" that the alcohol watchdog, the Portman Group, is considering a complaint that the name could imply violence and that its Viking-branded bottles have an aggressive theme. The brewery says it is named after Thorfinn Einarsson, the 7th Viking Earl of Orkney - The Scotsman
Some people drink to forget, but scientists have found that anyone who binge drinks is more likely to forget only the worst experiences of being drunk - which is why alcohol is such an addictive drug. Alcohol has been found to affect memory in a selective manner. Drinking makes it easier to remember the good things about a party but harder to recall the bad things that happen after having too much - The Independent
