Thousands of adults are addicted to alcohol
MORE than 4,000 people in Leicester are addicted to alcohol.
The figure was revealed in new data released today by Public Health England aimed at helping health bodies plan for treatment demand.
It suggests 4,284 adults in the area are believed to be dependent on alcohol.
That is the equivalent of 1.6% of the adult population in the area.
That compares to a national average of 1.4% across England.
The figures, which cover 2016/17, also show that an estimated 5,488 people in Leicestershire are dependent on alcohol, or 1% of the population.
That dependence is considered serious enough to warrant specialist treatment.
As well as this, the figures in Leicestershire are rising, reaching their highest level in seven years.
The estimates are based on research by the University of Sheffield which uses responses to questionnaires on alcohol use and alcohol-dependent hospital admissions to estimate the likely numbers in each area who are addicted to alcohol.
It found younger people, men, white people, and those living in deprived areas are more likely to be dependent on alcohol.
Across England, the number of people receiving treatment for alcohol alone decreased from 80,454 on 2016/17 to 75,787 in 2017/18 - a fall f 17% from a peak of 91,651 in 2013/14.
The number of people entering treatment in 2017/18 who were treated for non-opiate drugs and alcohol (35,473) was broadly the same as the previous year (35,491).
There were an estimated 589,101 adults with alcohol dependency in need of specialist treatment across England in 2016-17.
Alcohol dependency estimates have remained relatively stable over the last five years. That suggests there is less treatment is available, rather than fewer people needing it.
Currently, only one in five of those in need of treatment receiving it.
Earlier this month, the Drugs, Alcohol and Justice Cross Party Parliamentary Group and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm published an Alcohol Charter calling on the government to make sure the upcoming alcohol strategy better supports people, improves health and tackles alcohol-related crime and disorder.
It includes a call to increase alcohol duties by 1% above RPI in order to provide £100 million ring-fenced for alcohol treatment services.
Karen Tyrell, director of external affairs at Addaction - one of the charities that contributed to the Charter - said: “At the moment, only one in five people who need treatment can get it. “That’s not good enough. “There’s a real opportunity to set out an ambitious plan to help more people into recovery and to counter the damaging and widespread effects of alcohol.
“To do that, however, we need money invested in specialist services - like Addaction - for people with alcohol dependency. Without this, we can only reach a fraction of those who need our help and we’ll see continued pressure on our health and emergency services and damage to families and communities.”