According to new figures from NHS Digital show there were 338,000 admissions to hospital In 2017/18 where the main cause was to drinking alcohol.
The figures are 15% higher than a decade ago. Alcohol related admissions still account for a similar percentage of overall hospital admissions (2.1% in 2017/18, 2.1% in 2016/17 and 2.3% in 2007/08).
21% of adults (16+) drank more than 14 units of alcohol per week, 28% were men and 14% were women. The official number for hospital admissions are 337,870 but is rounded up to 338,000 and this is similar to the results in 2016/17. Alcohol deaths has increased to 5,843 in 2017 making it a 6% increase from 2016.
The main primary care reasons for hospital admissions were for alcohol related disease, injury or condition or there was an alcohol-related external cause. People aged 45 or over accounted for 69% of admissions where the main cause was alcohol. Blackpool had the highest alcohol admissions in England, with 1,100 admissions per 100,000 population. Wokingham had the lowest rate which was 390.
Other facts from the report:
- Alcoholic liver disease accounted for 80% of the alcohol specific deaths in 2017.
- Adults in higher income households were more likely to drink over 14 units in a usual week (27%) than those in lower income households (15%) in 2017.
- Girls (11%) aged 11 to 15 were more likely to have been drunk in the last four weeks than boys (7%) in 2016.
- 76,000 people were treated for problematic drinking in 2017/18, this was 6% lower than in 2016/17.
Vanessa Hebditch, director of policy at the British Liver Trust, said the Government should increase taxes on alcoholic drinks or set a minimum unit price.
She said: “These statistics are alarming. Over the last thirty years, there has been a big shift in the UK’s drinking culture, particularly amongst middle aged and older drinkers.
“Filling up your supermarket trolley with wine and drinking at home has become increasingly acceptable and affordable. The Government should act to address this through taxation such as by creating a minimum unit price”.
Dr John Larsen, director of evidence and impact for alcohol education charity Drinkaware, warned that young people are more likely to binge drink.
He said: “The more alcohol people drink, the greater their risk of developing a serious condition, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as seven types of cancer.
“Men and women should not drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis”.
The Government estimates alcohol misuse costs the NHS about £3.5 billion each year.
