Alcohol Concern: Related alcohol deaths are just the tip of the iceberg

Figures just released by the Office for National Statistics putting alcohol-related deaths at 8,386 do not fully capture the scale of the problem, Alcohol Concern's Annual Conference will hear today. The charity, which is launching a national campaign to persuade Government and local health authorities to put more money into alcohol treatment services has just released a new report: Wasted: lives lost to Alcohol.

The report, which brings together the most contemporary research into alcohol's impact on the public health, paints a dismaying picture of the extent to which alcohol misuse damages people's lives. The report has found that:

* Alcohol misuse is related to at least 10% of the chronic disease burden.
* 60 people die each day (or 22,000 a year) from alcohol-related causes.
* Alcohol is the second most important cause of high blood pressure after obesity.
* Up to 1 in 3 young people who commit suicide are intoxicated prior to death.
* Annually, up to five thousand cancer deaths are linked to alcohol consumption.

Over the next six months and beyond Alcohol Concern will be campaigning for the government to begin investing more money to reduce the burden alcohol misuse places on public services. Alcohol Concern has calculated that for every £1 spent on treatment, a £5 saving is made.

Don Shenker, Alcohol Concern's Director of Policy and Services said:

"These figures starkly underline the need for a more co-ordinated approach to reducing alcohol-related harm. We are calling on Government to invest further money so that we can better identify individuals who need help and provide them with sufficient support.

Alcohol-related deaths are eminently preventable, but the Government needs to invest more if the figures are to come down"

Lynda Waltho MP, Chair of the All Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Misuse said:

"The Government has done a great deal to support local authorities in planning better alcohol treatment services. Unfortunately, alcohol is still seen as a relatively low priority. This report is a salutary reminder of the high price Britain is paying for its neglect of this vital issue. Hopefully, it will encourage decision makers to rethink their approach to the planning and delivery of alcohol treatment."

politics .co .uk