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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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UK: Rise in drinking leaves NHS with £3bn hangover
Sunday Telegraph Sunday 28 Jan 2001 ISSUE 2074 Sunday 28 January 2001 Rise in drinking leaves NHS with £3bn hangover By Lorraine Fraser, Medical Correspondent ALCOHOL misuse is costing the National Health Service as much as £3 billion a year, according to figures to be released this week. A report from the Royal College of Physicians will suggest that up to 12 per cent of NHS funding on hospitals is used to deal with the knock-on effect of drink. Huge sums are spent on treating injuries resulting from alcohol-induced accidents or violence, and alcohol-related illness. The figures will shock even the experts and bring calls for urgent government action. The Department of Health promised a national strategy two years ago: in spite of pressure from doctors and campaigners, it has yet to produce one. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is expected to add its voice to the argument for better services to help those with drinking problems, and improved education for youngsters, when it publishes its report, which will be the most thorough review yet produced of the cost to the nation of alcohol use and abuse. While a little alcohol a day can bring health benefits to individuals, the report reveals that hard drinking has become one of this country's most expensive public health problems. The charity Alcohol Concern said that the report would be very important. A spokesman said: "We have been very reluctant to use past estimates of the cost, because we felt they were a gross underestimate. This is a massive problem and it is clear that we need a concerted attack on the problems caused by alcohol misuse. If that happened, it would take at least some of the pressure off the NHS." Research suggests that, in Britain, as many one in 25 adults is now dependent on alcohol and that nearly two million men consume more than 50 units a week - well over the limit of three units a day recommended by doctors. Excessive drinking is responsible for up to 35,000 premature deaths a year, from illnesses such as liver disease, heart disease and cancer, and 30,000 alcoholics a year are admitted for treatment in hospital to try to cure them of their dependency. The more instant effects of drink are also draining the NHS of millions. Alcohol is behind an estimated 15 per cent of acute admissions to hospital, and one in six people attending accident and emergency units has alcohol-related injuries or problems. Alcohol is a factor in 20 to 30 per cent of accidents, with about 3,000 casualties on the roads each year blamed on drunk drivers. A youth culture in which 37 per cent of young men and 23 per cent of young women admit to regular binge drinking is also, experts believe, costing the NHS dear. Dr Guy Ratcliffe, the executive director of the Medical Council on Alcoholism, said that alcohol-related violent crime was a serious problem for the health service. Official statistics showed that 40 to 50 per cent of violent offenders were under the influence of alcohol, he said. In 1999, 4.2 per cent of adults were victims of violent crime and this risk more than doubled (9.6 per cent) if they visited a pub three times a week or more. The statistics suggested that as many as half a million people a year may seek medical help after alcohol-related violent crime. Dr Ratcliffe said that the new figure for the cost to the NHS was "frightening". He said: "There is strong evidence that alcohol in small doses is actually quite good for you. It is the balance between that and going stupidly over the top that we have to get right. All we can do is to keep encouraging sensible drinking." The RCP report is likely to say that misuse of alcohol affects hospital workloads not only because of the damage to the drinker, but also because of the effects on those around them. It will call for a clear national strategy for alcohol that looks for ways to alleviate this.
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