Government urged to stop alcohol abuse with 63,000 deaths predicted by 2022

♦ Alcohol abuse is expected to claim the lives of nearly 63,000 people in England by 2022, according to research.

Analysis conducted by the Alcohol Research Group at the University of Sheffield says disease caused by heavy drinking will cost the NHS £16.74billion to treat.

The 62,905 predicted deaths between 2017 and 2022 amount to 35 a day.

The deaths are expected to consist predominantly of liver cancer cases. Alcoholic liver disease is also identified as a big killer.

Liver specialist Prof Roger Williams told the Guardian that liver disease was a “public health crisis” that must be tackled by government.

Campaigners have called for minimum pricing for alcoholic drinks to combat the problem. The researchers believe that a 50p minimum unit price would result in 1,150 fewer deaths over five years and nearly 75,000 fewer admissions to hospital.

The SNP wants to introduce a 50p minimum price per alcohol unit, but the legislation has been challenged by the Scottish Whiskey Association.

The legal battle reaches the highest court in the UK, the Supreme Court, today.

The study was conducted by academics for the Foundation for Liver Research.

The Department for Health said the Government was committed to tackling the underlying causes of liver disease.