| Alcohol-related health problems on the rise in Britain |
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LONDON: Alcohol-related diseases are on an increase in Britain. Statistics reveal that on an average 140 people get to hospitals a day with such ailments and there is a 12 per cent increase in the numbers requiring treatment in the last one year.
Experts feel binge drinking habits, cheap availability of alcohol and the relaxations in drinking laws will take the figures up, which will put a tremendous pressure on the National Health Scheme.
Official figures showed that there has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of hospitlisations due to heavy drinking since the Labour party came to power. There were 35,740 people aged 18 and above in England, who were treated for alcohol-related problems eight years ago. This figure has gone up to 46,299 in 2004-2005. Including children, there were 51,000 admissions in hospitals during the year. In the one year 2003-2004 - 2004-2005, the number of people requiring treatment increased by 5,177.
The statistics showed that there is a 15 per cent rise in the number of youngsters admitted in hospitals due to drinking problems between 1997 and 2004-2005, up from 4,173 to 4,809. They had complaints of alcohol poisoning, mental disorders and liver disease. On an average, 13 children are admitted in hospitals every day suffering from the effects of binge drinking.
More than 20,000 people die a year because of alcohol-related causes, which is a 20 per cent increase. Alcohol misuse is also estimated to cost the NHS some 1.7 billion pounds.
As many as six million of the U.K. population are believed to be binge drinkers. The prescribed safe limits are two to three units a day for women and three to four units for men.
Medical studies have proved that every heavy drinker in five develops cirrhosis of the liver. Another disconcerting fact is that there are cases of young women developing symptoms that would not normally appear until late middle age as a result of prolonged binge drinking.
Member of Parliament Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat), who got the figures in an answer to a question in the Parliament, said these showed that the binge drinking is leading to more and more people getting admitted to hospital. He said the government must think of preventive measures as it is trying to cut its spending on the NHS.
In a survey in the summer by the NHS, it was found that the number of children under 15 buying alcohol had doubled in 15 years. The annual survey on drinking, drug taking and smoking among 11-15-year-olds indicated there has been no real progress in curbing these habits. It also showed that girls were almost on par with boys in their drinking habits.
Posted
on : Thu, 29 Dec 2005 02:05 GMT | General News
By : Anne Philips
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