Spike in deaths of young poor as North-South divide widens
A NEW scientific study of the so-called North-South divide claims poverty is behind the sharp rise in deaths among Millennials in certain regions.
Research by the University of Manchester identified social and economic deprivation as the root cause of the death increase among those in their 20s, 30s and early 40s.
Professor Evan Kontopantelis said data revealed a “profoundly concerning” mortality gap between the North and the South, especially in men.
His team found deaths from accidents, alcohol and drugs had increased nationwide but much more quickly in the North.
From 2014 to 2016, taking into account population differences, 3,530 more men and 1,881 more women aged between 25 and 44 died in the North than in the South.
Prof Kontopantelis said yesterday: “Sharp rises in deaths from accidents, suicide, alcohol misuse, smoking, cancer and drug addiction have created new health divisions between England’s regions.
“These causes of death are all associated with socioeconomic deprivation. In our models two-thirds of excess mortality in the North was explained by that.
“Alcohol, for example, underpins the steep and sustained increase in liver cirrhosis deaths in Britain from the 1990s, when the North-South divide in mortality for those aged 25-44 started to emerge.”
The results of the study by the professor and his team have been published in The Lancet Public Health.
It found Northerners aged 25-44 were 109 per cent more likely to die from alcohol misuse, 60 per cent more likely from drug misuse and 47 per cent more likely from cardiovascular issues.
Opportunity
The North-East had Britain’s highest mortality rates for people in that age group while London had the lowest.
Prof Kontopantelis added: “The reasons for the divide reach back centuries – extreme concentration of power, wealth and opportunity in the capital having a malign effect on the rest of the country.
“England’s centralist tradition has blighted successive generations, and without major structural change will continue to damage public health.
“Worse health outcomes in the North reflect higher average levels of deprivation and socioeconomic pressures.”
Previous research has found that unskilled men aged 25-39 are up to 20 times more likely to die from alcohol-related causes than professionals.
And a study last week revealed deprived residents of Blackpool are twice as likely to die young as those in the affluent town of Wokingham, in Berkshire.