The World Health Organisation recommends that all 'women of childbearing age' should abstain from alcohol.
The World Health Organisation has recommended that all “women of childbearing age” stop drinking alcohol completely, whether they are pregnant or not.
This decidedly medieval directive comes from the WHO’s recently released draft global alcohol action plan for 2022-2030. In full, the advice reads:
“Appropriate attention should be given to the prevention of the initiation of drinking among children and adolescents, prevention of drinking among pregnant women and women of childbearing age”.
It does not mention whether women 18-50 should also avoid black cats or looking directly at a full moon on a Friday lest Old Nick curse their uterus.
By functionally reducing women to their womb, the WHO has drawn immediate and widespread criticism for its blatant misogyny, paternalism and buzz-killery.
We are calling for @WHO to review their extremely disturbing draft global alcohol action plan as a matter of urgency.
— BPAS (@BPAS1968) June 17, 2021
Read more here: https://t.co/LqKyILx67r pic.twitter.com/iU9aJ4bx9A
Your humble Back Page correspondent believes this is especially egregious when the effects of alcohol on men seem to be of far greater concern to society.
Take for example Belfast pharmacist Richard Lyness, who faces five months in prison if he doesn’t stop drunk dialling his ex.
At its height, his alcoholic harassment habit reached 170 emails, more than 30 texts and 677 calls within two weeks. That’s a lot of pints.
District Judge Liam McNally told Lyness, “If you go back on the drink, get drunk and decide ‘I must pick up my phone or iPad and send a WhatsApp’, just think twice.”
That’s better advice than what the World Health Organisation is offering.
If you shee shomething shtupid, shay shomething shtupid … send drunken emails to felicity@medicalrepublic.com.au.
