Quarter of British adults 'have drink-related disorder'

Britain is in the grip of an alcohol crisis with more than a quarter of adults suffering from a drink-related disorder, a rehabilitation charity said today.

Some 8.2 million Britons (26%) drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol and one in 20 are dependent on drink, according to social care group Turning Point.

The charity said 150,000 people are admitted to hospital each year because of drinking alcohol.

And 22,000 people die as a direct result of alcohol, mainly from liver disease but also because of accidents, fights and other drink-fuelled incidents.

The cost of treating people with alcohol-related health problems stands at £1.7 billion a year, according to the Department of Health.

Cabinet Office figures show alcohol-related harm, which includes the cost of policing and the processing offenders though the criminal justice system, costs the UK £20 billion a year.

In addition, alcohol is a factor in nearly half (45%) of all domestic violence, a Turning Point spokesman said.

Turning Point's chief executive Lord Victor Adebowale is calling on the Government to introduce measures to combat the alcohol crisis which he claims is sweeping the nation.

He said more should be done to educate young people on the dangers of binge-drinking and increased funding was needed for the treatment of alcohol addiction.

Lord Adebowale said: "The Government is not treating drinking as a serious health challenge.

"We hear a lot about the criminal justice aspect of the drinking culture but that is just the tip of the iceberg. The issue is about the effects on the nation's health and that is not talked about enough.

"We spend £500 million a year on illegal drug treatment but we spend just £95 million on alcohol treatment. For every illegal drug user there are six times more people with a serious dependency on alcohol."

Lord Adebowale added: "The drinks industry has not done enough in partnership with the Government on this. What we should be starting to do is educate young people in schools about what drink can do, about what sensible drinking is and how to say no.

"I do have a problem with the silence on the effects of alcohol addiction and I do have a problem with the amount we are spending in a situation where the drinks companies are making a killing on the back of other people's misuse."

A Department of Health spokeswoman said they were working on a joint campaign with the Home Office to promote responsible drinking amongst young people.

She said: "We are also working closely with the alcoholic drinks industry on preventing alcohol misuse. The industry has already introduced practical guidance on how to promote sensible drinking, and is working to clamp down on irresponsible promotions and underage sales.

"We are already investing heavily in services for people with alcohol problems. An additional £15 million will be provided to PCTs for treatment services from 2008, alongside an extra £3.2 million for new initiatives to help those who are damaging their health through alcohol abuse."

Press Association