Drinking causing more hospital admissions than ever

Drinking causes more hospital admissions in England than ever before, a new compilation of statistics shows.

In the past decade, the number admitted to hospital with alcoholic liver disease has more than doubled, reaching 35,400 in 2004-05 compared to 14,400 in 1995-96.

These diseases now cause 4,000 deaths a year, a 37 per cent increase since 1999.

Hospital care for people who have mental health or behavioural problems arising from alcohol misuse has also increased. Between 1995-6 and 2004-05, the number admitted for such conditions rose from 72,500 to 126,300 — an increase of 75 per cent over 10 years.

Hospital admissions of patients with alcoholic poisoning have also gone up to 21,700 in 2004-05, compared with 13,600 a decade earlier.

The data have been collected by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care and issued as a report. Professor Denise Lievesley, the Information Centre’s chief executive, said: "This report shows that we cannot under-estimate the effect of alcohol on health.

"By presenting this data we hope that health professionals will be better equipped to put their work in context and to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol misuse."

The report highlights the scale of binge-drinking among young people, with almost a third of young men and a quarter of young women drinking more than double recommended levels in one day.

Cider, lager, beer and alcopops are the drinks of choice for secondary school children, with 22 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds saying they had drunk alcohol in the week before being interviewed last year.

Binge-drinking is also most prevalent among young people, with 33 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women aged 16 to 24 drinking more than double the recommended number of units on one day in the previous week. Among 45 to 64-year-olds, the trend is for smaller amounts drunk regularly, on five or more days of the week.

The average amount consumed across the age groups has doubled between 1990 and 2000 to 10.4 units per week and has remained at this level for the past five years. But this is still less than many European Union nations, and places England about middle of the league for alcohol consumption.

The weekend is the nation’s favourite time for drinking, with a third of young people aged 16 to 25, 35 per cent of adults up to the age of 44, and 24 per cent of drinkers aged 45 to 64 drinking most alcohol on Saturdays.

Sundays are preferred by 30 per cent of over-64s and 26 per cent of drinkers aged 45 to 64.

Andrew Lansley, Shadow health secretary, called for Government action to tackle binge-drinking.

"It is deeply concerning that the number of alcohol-related illnesses have doubled in a decade. These cases are largely preventable and put an enormous pressure on over-stretched NHS services.

"The Government’s failure to adequately address binge-drinking, and ill-thought- through 24-hour licensing policy will do nothing to help the situation.

"The Government must start to prioritise public health and not cut back on rolling out programmes because of deficit problems."

Times Online