Call for cheap booze emergency action

The North East’s alcohol office is urging the Government to take emergency action on cheap alcohol.

The call from Balance comes as new figures released by the Office for National Statistics and Public Health England show that England has reached a new all-time high in alcohol-related hospital admissions, up from 1.17million in 2017 to 1.26million in 2018.

Rates have risen by 6.9 per cent in the North East compared to 6.4 per cent nationally and while the North East has had a lower rise than some regions, there are clear regional disparities between the levels of harm experienced in the South and the North of England.

Rates of adult admissions 100 per cent attributable to alcohol consumption are rising at even faster rates.

The only positive news is continuing reductions in under 18 alcohol admissions, which have fallen by more than four per cent in the North East.

Balance also says the figures show that alcohol is 74 per cent more affordable than it was in 1987 and in real terms, UK alcohol duty has been cut in every budget since 2012.

Director Colin Shevills said: “Cheap alcohol is putting intolerable pressure on our NHS and on our police forces. These figures show that the Government cannot sit back any more and ignore the harm.

“There has to come a point when we say enough is enough.

“We are calling on the Government to think again about the impact cheap alcohol is having on the nation’s health.”