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Liverpool Declared Alcohol Problem Capital Of Britain
A specialist described the UK as having a "chronic drink problem"
Liverpool has been named the area of Britain with the most alcohol-specific deaths, according to a new report from Public Health England (PHE).
More than 25 in every 100,000 people in the city died as a result of alcohol, with Manchester just behind with 24.7 people dying for every 100,000, leading one doctor to declare that Britain had a “chronic drink problem”.
The areas with the lowest alcohol-specific deaths were Rutland (3.8), Harrow (4.6) and Wokingham (5.5).
Nearly 60% of local authorities saw a rise in adults admitted to hospital because of alcohol - with the biggest rise in women (2.1%) compared to a rise of 0.7% in men.
Northern areas including Salford, Blackpool and Manchester also top the list for the worst areas for hospital admissions due to alcohol.
Salford saw 1,073.9 in every 100,000 people admitted while the lowest areas were Wokingham (131), Thurrock (182) and Buckinghamshire (190.5).
There also continues to be huge variations between the most deprived and the least deprived areas - hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions were 55% higher in the most deprived.
While there were 559 alcohol-specific hospital admissions per 100,000 people in North West England and 495 in North East England, at the other end of the spectrum there were just 267 in the East of England.
Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and well-being at PHE, said: "Current levels of harm caused by alcohol remain unacceptably high, especially within the most deprived communities, who suffer the most from poor health in general…
"Public Health England will continue to provide leadership and support to local areas to reduce the devastating harm that alcohol can cause to individuals, families and communities.”
Deaths related to alcohol remain at similar high levels to those reported over the past decade with more than 20,000 deaths in 2013.
Dr Niall Campbell, consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital in Roehampton, south west London, which specialises in alcohol addiction, said he had seen an increasing amount of women needing help with alcohol addiction, including middle-aged women and mothers in their 30s.
He described the figures as “deeply worrying”, adding: "Women are drinking much more than they used to, particularly wine in the evening, and that quantity of drinking is causing significant problems in terms of liver disease and other serious conditions.
"The consequences for their physical health are huge. Women are literally dying for a drink, and it is a national pattern now.”
Excessive alcohol consumption is also leading to more marital breakdown and affects women’s ability to care for children, he added.
Dr Campbell described the UK as having a "chronic drink problem".
Five highest areas for alcohol-specific deaths (per 100,000 people)
1. Liverpool (25.3)
2. Manchester (24.7)
3. Portsmouth (23.0)
4. South Tyneside (22.6)
5. Bournemouth (21.9)
Five lowest areas for alcohol-specific deaths (per 100,000 people)
1. Rutland (4)
2. Harrow (5)
3. Wokingham (6)
4. Central Bedfordshire (6)
5. Barnet (6)
Five highest areas for alcohol-specific hospital admissions (per 100,000 people)
1. Salford (1,073.9)
2. Blackpool (797.7)
3. Manchester (763.5)
4. Liverpool (750.4)
5. Wirral (741.2)
Five lowest areas for alcohol-specific hospital admissions (per 100,000 people)
1. Wokingham (131.0)
2. Thurrock (182.0)
3. Buckinghamshire (190.5)
4. West Berkshire (199.8)
5. Rutland (201.8)
