New figures show increase in alcohol related deaths
SCORES of people in Coventry have drunk themselves to death over the last few years - and experts say the alcohol industry should be held accountable.
New figures from Public Health England and the Office for National Statistics have shown that 131 people in the city died from alcohol-specific illnesses between 2015 and 2017.
The figure includes deaths from liver disease and from mental and behavioural problems caused by excess drinking, the treatment of which are thought to cost the NHS around £3.5bn a year nationally.
Of those who died, 99 were men and 32 were women.
The 131 deaths is up slightly from 128 in 2014-16, and is the highest number on record.
Karen Tyrell, executive director of External Affairs at Addaction, said: “It’s important to remember that excessive use of alcohol is usually a way for people to cope.
“Nobody sets out to become a problem drinker. Our own research found that people with an alcohol problem are 50 per cent more likely to have experienced anxiety or depression, and are twice as likely to have had an eating disorder.
“More than half of us know someone who’s had an alcohol problem. It’s something that touches almost every family in the UK.
“It’s really common and it’s definitely something we all need to talk about.
“The alcohol industry also needs to be held to account.
“We know that the big drivers in terms of behaviour change include limiting advertising and visibility and minimum unit pricing.
“We’re encouraging the government to include these measures in the forthcoming alcohol strategy.”
Nationally, 16,656 people across England drank themselves to death between 2015 and 2017 - 5,853 of them in last year alone.
That’s up from 5,507 deaths in 2016, and is again the highest number on record.
Elaine Hindal, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: “The more you drink, the greater the long-term risk to your health and these figures show a worrying increase in the number of alcohol specific deaths.
“From time to time, we are contacted by the families of people who have died as a result of alcohol and are only too aware of the heartbreak and utter sense of helplessness that people feel when trying to lead someone to seek help for alcohol misuse.
“We must all do more to address the stigma that people feel in reaching out for support.
“For many of us, there are simple and effective ways for people to cut back on alcohol; taking more drink free days each week for example can reduce the overall amount of alcohol you drink and reduce the risk of developing serious illnesses.”
To reduce the risk of alcoholrelated illness, the NHS recommends drinking less than 14 units a week, which equates to around seven pints of four per cent lager or medium glasses of wine.