Tragic consequences
I recently received an answer to a Parliamentary Question regarding the number of alcohol related deaths in Suffolk and the East of England. The statistics are alarming.
In 2002 there were 48 alcohol related deaths in Suffolk - this increased by 45.8% to 70 in 2006. In the East of England, the figures show a 21.9% increase from 456 alcohol related deaths in 2002 to 556 in 2006.
Iain Duncan Smith’s radical ‘Breakthrough Britain’ report identified alcohol as one of the main factors contributing to social breakdown. More than a million people were victims of alcohol-related attacks last year. Alcohol addiction can also play a huge role in family breakdown. Alcohol abuse has the potential to rip families apart. Over a million children are growing up in households with parents consuming too nuch alcohol.
The problem is now widespread. It’s just as likely to occur in rural areas as urban areas. Age also seems to make little difference. It is truly heart stopping to think that so many very young people are already abusing alcohol. According to NHS figures, 20 young people under the age of 18 are admitted to hospital each day diagnosed with conditions like alcohol poisoning.
The tragic cost of excessive drinking is putting a huge burden on our NHS. It is causing massive additional pressure on our local hospitals and emergency services. It is essential that we reverse this.
The Government has done very little to prioritise public health and NHS deficits have not helped. For example, 93% of money set aside by the NHS for treating obesity, alcohol abuse and sexually transmitted diseases in the East of England in 2006-07 was spent on reducing deficits.
The Government needs to stop thinking in the short term, create an environment which promotes sensible drinking, make public health a priority and produce some serious solutions to tackle this growing problem. Otherwise, the cost to patients, the NHS and society as a whole will become insupportable.