Alcohol Concern: It's time for the DoH to invest in treatment

Alcohol Concern says 'it's time to invest in alcohol treatment' to the Department of Health

On the 2nd anniversary of the publication of the government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, and as the economic and human costs of alcohol misuse continue to rise, Alcohol Concern will today present postcards from across the country to the Department of Health calling for urgent action to address the underfunding of alcohol treatment services.

Leading charity Alcohol Concern will today present over 1000 postcards to the Department of Health, as part of their 'Spend £1, Get £5 Free' campaign, calling for the government to make alcohol treatment the priority it deserves to be.

As the government's own figures show a huge gap in provision of help-giving services for problem-drinkers, Alcohol Concern will be taking 18 campaigners and service-users to the Department of Health to say to the government:
"only 1 in 18 people with an alcohol problem get access to the help they
need: it's time to invest in alcohol treatment".

The charity says that both the economic and the human case for investing in alcohol treatment is strong, with the recent UK Alcohol Treatment Trial showing that every £1 spent on treating people with alcohol problems saves the public purse £5.

Media doctor and practicing GP, Dr Hilary Jones, said: "Alcohol misuse is one of the biggest public health problems facing this country, killing 22,000 people every year and placing an enormous burden on the NHS. I'm pleased to be supporting Alcohol Concern in calling for increased investment to help the millions of people with an alcohol problem, and I hope the government sits up and takes notice of this crucial campaign."

Srabani Sen, Alcohol Concern's Chief Executive, said: "Every year alcohol services help thousands of problem-drinkers turn their lives around, but the reality is that only 1 in every 18 people who need help get access to the treatment they need. Postcards calling for urgent action to address this shocking situation have flooded in from right across the country, and today we are delivering that message to the Department of Health: it's time to invest in alcohol treatment."

Alcohol Concern's campaign highlights the burden that problem-drinking places on the UK's economy and society.
Alcohol misuse costs the economy £18 billion each year and causes around 22,000 deaths. 8.2 million people in England have an alcohol problem, and 1.1 million of them are thought to be dependent on alcohol. Around 1.3 million children are affected by their parents' alcohol problems.

Ms Sen added: "If the government is serious about reducing the damage that alcohol misuse does to individuals, families, communities and the economy, then it needs to act now to make alcohol treatment the priority it so urgently needs to be."

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