Onward Puritan soldiers

It is relentless. Just as I finished reading the latest BBC article on smoking, I found yet another article on the evils of alcohol.

A bid to get the government to take a tougher stance on alcohol advertising in the UK has been given the backing of health experts.

Tory backbencher Dr Sarah Wollaston will put forward a private member's bill next week to limit the exposure of children to alcohol marketing.
...
Ram Moorthy, of the BMA's board of science, agreed, urging MPs from all parties to support the bill.

"In our last report on alcohol marketing and alcohol misuse, the BMA highlighted the millions of pounds the alcohol industry spends on promoting alcohol, which we know can encourage young people to start drinking and to consume more alcohol than is healthy."

There are already rules in place governing advertising of alcohol which prevent, for example, marketing on TV during prime-time children's programmes, but the code does not go as far as the French rules.

The move comes after health groups have been heavily critical of the government's attempts to encourage sensible drinking through its responsibility deal earlier this month.

It's enough to drive one to drink.