Britains Chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, published his annual report last week where he among other things advocated minimum prices on alcoholic beverages. In the report he also put much emphasis on the harm alcohol use have on others than the drinker him- and herself.

In the effort of curbing smoking second-hand smoking or passive smoking has been one of the strongest arguments. Donaldson says that when he in an earlier report called for passive smoking to be taken seriously it was because common knowledge was not being translated into a common will. Dangers of passive smoking was well known, but little action happened. Smoking was simply the social norm in certain environments. In 2007 public places and workplaces become smoke-free. Donaldson feels that much of the success when it comes to curb smoking can be contrubuted to the realization that smoking is not simply a problem for those who smoke, it is a wider problem for society.

The chief medical offiser also writes that there are a lot of similarities between alcohol and smoking, and that the concept of passive drinking might be a fruitful one. Drinking alcohol is a deeply integrained part of english society. The average intake per adult is equivalent to 120 bottles of wine. Since 1970 the consumption has increased by 40%. The consequences of passive drinking includes harm to the unborn fetus, acts of drunken violence, vandalism, sexual assault and child abuse, and a huge burden both socially and economically by the society and formost for the friends and family who care for those damaged by alcohol. Up to 1,3 million cildren are adversely affected by family drinking in England and around a quarter of child protection cases involve alcohol. 7 000 people where injured in road accidents, and according to the British Crime Surveys figures for 2007/08 around 125 000 instances of alcohol-related domestic violence happened during the year. Aggresive behaviour resulting from alcohol misuse is a major cause of street violence. A survey of 30 000 adults in the North West of England in 2008 found that 45% avoid town centres at night because of others drunken behavior.

The chief medical officer ends with recommending that passive drinking should be acknowledged as a key issue. It should be a consolidated rationale for action and be the basis of a national campaign. Passive drinking kills, ends Donaldson – “England is drinking far too mych. Engand has an alcohol problem. Alcohol is harming society. Alcohol is not simply a problem for the minority who are dependent on it – it is a problem for everybody.”

The whole report can be read here.