'I will never forget my first drink - it almost cost me my life'

A Coventry woman has shared her story after a battle with alcoholism which almost cost her her life. Georgina Lewis says she will never forget her first drink as it gave her a new-found confidence.

But, years later, it would go on to take her friendships, career and almost cost her her life. Now 44, she says she looks back and realises her relationship with drinking was never healthy.

She admits that drinking led to her "throwing away" those who cared for her as she 'chose alcohol' - a decision which also saw her work life and finances also began to suffer. Yet more heartache was to come as she met her partner Craig and they tried to work through recovery together - only for him to relapse and later die, reports BirminghamLive.

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"Looking back now I can see my relationship with alcohol was unhealthy right from the start," Georgina sais. "I remember my first drink of alcohol and the feeling it gave me. I felt like I could breathe easier and talk to people easier with a confidence I had never experienced before.

"I would say I lost a lot of friends through alcohol, but the reality is I threw them away, always choosing alcohol. All my relationships began to struggle, work was a struggle, finances were a struggle, life was a struggle and my mental health was at an all time low.

"The negative newsreel in my head was on a loop 24/7 saying I was not good enough, I would never get my life together and everybody else was better than me.

"Alcohol took me to a place where I was not scared of dying, I was scared of living without alcohol and I didn't know how to."

Georgina has shared her story as she is now a passionate advocate for those fighting to stop alcoholism gripping their lives and those of the loved one who support them. It comes as new figures from the Office for National Statistics showed the West Midlands areas recorded Britain's biggest jump in alcohol-specific deaths in 2022 - an increase of 10.2 per cent.

Sadly, Georgina has seen the impact of alcohol on her life, but also her partner. In 2011 she started her rehabilitation and met Craig while in recovery. Tragically he relapsed after years of sobriety and passed away.

"I have experienced the struggle both sides on, which is why I am now so passionate about supporting the families and friends of people who have lived similar lives," she said.

The increase in alcohol deaths in the Wet Midlands in 2022 was significantly higher than the rise recorded in other areas. The ONS said there were 10,048 deaths from alcohol-specific causes registered in the UK, the highest number on record.

Now the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), which represents more than 60 non-governmental organisations fighting to reduce harm caused by alcohol, is pushing the government for an action plan to tackle what was termed a 'shameful failure' in public health.

Warning sirens ringing

Speaking about the rise in deaths, Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the AHA, said: "It made me feel sad and depressed because we have been calling for more than ten years for an alcohol strategy. Many countries are adopting these policies but the UK government has sadly failed to grasp the nettle.

"The availability and marketing of alcohol has never been cheaper than now. You can buy a bottle of whisky at 2am from a petrol station.

"One of the unforeseen consequences of lockdown was people drinking more than they should because of isolation and mental strain. Alcohol contributes to breast cancer, colon cancer, high blood pressure and strokes.

"There is more nutritional information on a bottle of milk than wine or whisky. With the NHS already under severe pressure, we cannot continue on the current trajectory. The warning sirens are ringing and whichever party forms the government at the next election must prepare to step up with a comprehensive alcohol strategy."

A poll by YouGov last year on behalf of AHA revealed that 55 per cent of the public believed the government was not taking enough action to reduce alcohol harm.

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