July/August 2016 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 5
ALCOHOL ADMISSIONS
UP AGAIN
THERE WERE 1.09M HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS FOR AN
ALCOHOL-RELATED DISEASE, INJURY OR CONDITION IN 2014-
15
, up from 1.06m the previous year, according to the latest
figures from the Heath and Social Care Information Centre
(HSCIC). The number includes admissions where an alcohol-
related condition was either the primary reason or secondary
diagnosis. Sixty-five per cent of those admitted were men.
Alcohol-related deaths were up by 4 per cent to 6,830,
13 per cent higher than a decade ago, and more than 60
per cent were the result of alcoholic liver disease. The
number of prescriptions related to alcohol dependence is
also nearly double the amount ten years ago, at 196,000,
and with a cost of almost £4m. However, just 38 per cent
of secondary school pupils reported having ever drunk
alcohol, the lowest figure recorded and down from 62 per
cent when the survey began.
The statistics draw together published and unpublished
data to provide a detailed overview of patterns of use, as
well as a regional breakdown. The highest rate of
admissions was found in Salford, at 3,570 per 100,000
population, while the lowest was in Wokingham, at 1,270
per 100,000.
The Local Government Association (LGA) called the figures
‘shocking’, while Alcohol Concern’s director of campaigns, Tom
Smith, said that the ‘alarming’ rise in admissions and deaths
showed ‘just how desperately we need the government to
take serious action on alcohol harm’.
‘Beyond liver disease, the public's understanding around
alcohol harms is low – this is why we need action to raise
awareness of the health harms, especially the increased
risk of cancer,’ he continued. ‘To ensure the public better
understand units and the risks associated with alcohol,
we're calling for mandatory health warnings on alcohol products, as is standard practice in
other countries. We also need a mass media campaign to make sure the chief medical officer's
alcohol guidelines and the risks are widely known and understood.’
Statistics on alcohol – England 2016 at
BLACKPOOL BAN
COUNCILLORS IN
BLACKPOOL ARE
CONSIDERING IMPOSING A
BAN
on alcohol advertising
in some areas of the town
as part of their 2016-19
alcohol strategy, in a bid to
address alcohol-related
harm and crime. Blackpool
has one of the highest rates
of alcohol-related hospital
admissions in England,
while the north west as a
whole has the highest rate
of problem alcohol use. If
agreed, the council could
impose a new by-law by
early 2018.
Blackpool has one of the highest
rates of alcohol-related hospital
admissions in England.
‘
B
eyond liver
disease, the
public's under-
standi
n
g around
alcohol harm
s
is
low – we need
action to rai
s
e
awa
r
eness of the
health har
m
s...’
T
om SmiTH
GLOBAL PICTURE
THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN 29M PEOPLE
CLASSED AS ‘SUFFERING FROM A DRUG USE
DISORDER’ GLOBALLY
, according to UNODC’s
2016
World drug report
, up from 2
7
m the
previous year. Around 12m people inject
drugs, 14 per cent of whom are living with
HIV, says the document. Although drug-
related mortality has remained stable, there
were still 20
7
,000 reported deaths in 2014 –
an ‘unacceptably high number’ and
p
reventable with ‘adequate int
e
rventions’ in
place, says UNODC.
Report at
A
D
A
PTED A
P
PROACH
EMCDDA HAS PUBLISHED ITS FIRST ANALYSIS
OF T
H
E HEALTH RESPONSES TO NPS
,
98 of
whic
h
were detected for the first
t
ime by the
EU’
s
early warning
s
ystem last year. While
existing interventions can be adapted to
address NPS, ‘competence-building’ should be
a key investment priority, says the document.
‘The significant number of annual detections
of these drugs, and associated harms, calls for
the continuous assessment and development
of appropriate services for users at risk,’ said
EMCDDA director Alexis Goosdeel.
Health
responses to new psych
o
active substances at
NALOXONE NOTES
UPDATED GUIDANCE ON WIDENING THE
AVAILABILITY OF NALOXONE
has been issu
e
d
by the government, covering issues such as
who can supply the emergency overdose-
antidote,
u
sing it to save a person’s life
without their permission, the risks associated
with widening availability, and more.
Available at
GROWING MARKET
CHILDREN WATCHING ENGLAND AND WALES
matches during the group stages of Euro 2016
were exposed to alcohol advertising every 72
seconds, according to research by Alcohol
Concern. Pitch-side adverts for tournament
sponsor Carlsberg appeared an average of 78
times per game, says the charity, with around
14 per cent of the audience likely to be under
18. ‘Alcohol marketing drives consumption,
particularly in under-18s, and sport should be
something which inspires active participation
and good health, not more drinking,’ said the
charity’s campaign manager, Tom Smith.
CRIMINAL STATISTICS
THREE QUARTERS OF PEOPLE IN THE UK’S
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
have a problem
with alcohol, according to researchers at
Teesside University, while over a third are
alcohol-dependent – compared with just 4 per
cent of the general population. 'In order to get
appropriate interventions in place around
alcohol we need to be working with
practitioners and individuals involved in the
criminal justice system,’ said lead researcher
Professor Dorothy Newbury-Birch.
‘alcohol
marketing
drives
consumption,
particularly in
under-18s
and sport
should be
something
which
inspires
active
participation.’
