Middle class, middle-aged Brits drinking too much booze

Oct 16 2007

The latest figures published this week by the British government have revealed the scale of middle class drinking.

According to the figures more than a quarter of adults living in some of the wealthiest towns, such as Harrogate and Guildford, are downing enough alcohol on a weekly basis to damage their health.

The figures show a north-south divide, with the heaviest steady drinking behaviour highest in the Surrey commuter belt, while Manchester, Liverpool and other northern cities have the biggest proportions of adults drinking enough every week to do real harm to themselves or somebody else.

This breakdown of drinking statistics garnered from every local authority was requested by the government, and has for the first time revealed the middle-class, middle-aged habitual wine-drinker, as well as the binge-drinker and the under-aged.

The figures show the drinking patterns across England, but also show the alcohol-related hospital admissions and have produced a league topped by Liverpool and Manchester.

Public health minister, Dawn Primarolo, says the figures represent all alcohol-related hospital admissions and are not just casualty figures.

Primarolo says most are not young people, but are 'everyday' drinkers who have drunk too much for too long.

The British government appears determined to move on from clearing the streets of binge-drinking youths, to tackling the drinking culture hidden behind the lounge curtains.

Researchers at Liverpool University's North West Public Health Observatory, categorised drinkers into those whose habit is hazardous - 22 to 50 units a week for men and 15 to 35 for women - and those whose drinking is harmful - over 50 for men and 35 for women.

The figures have revealed a substantial amount of hazardous drinking across England, largely ignored in the past because it does not happen on the streets.

The London borough of Newham, with the lowest figures for hazardous drinkers nevertheless make up 14.5% of the population.

Affluent Surrey towns top the league with Runnymede with 26.4% of its population drinking in a hazardous fashion and Harrogate taking second place.

Surrey Heath and Guildford come third and fourth and Mole Valley, Waverley and Woking also feature in the top 10.

The south may have the largest numbers drinking above safe limits, but the north has higher proportions of very heavy drinkers, likely to harm their own health or endanger others.

Manchester comes top in this group with 8.8% of the population, followed by Liverpool at 8.1%, Salford at 7.5% and Knowsley at 7.4%; the lowest proportion are in Winchester and West Devon, with 3.2%, and Wokingham and North Norfolk, on 3.3%.

Professor Mark Bellis, director of the North West Public Health Observatory, says across England around one in five adults are drinking enough to put their health at significant risk and one in 20 enough to make disease related to alcohol consumption practically inevitable.

The statistics include figures for alcohol attributable hospital admission rates by local authority, alcohol-related recorded crimes and death rates from conditions related to alcohol.

Liverpool had the highest rate per 100,000 for alcohol attributable hospital admissions for men and women, according to the figures, while Wokingham has the lowest... at 434.6 male and 261.6 female per 100,000 population.

Alcohol-related crime was highest in Nottingham (21.4 per 1,000), followed by Manchester (20.6 per 1,000).

By the end of next year all alcoholic drinks sold in bottles and cans are expected to carry labels disclosing the number of units and recommended safe drinking limits.

Long-term problems from persistent heavy drinking include liver disease, circulatory diseases, cancer, brain damage. stomach irritation and skin and hair damage. Short-term problems include accidents and drink-related assaults.

Professor Bellis, says the figures show that binge drinking was not the only danger and in order to stop further increases in alcohol-related deaths and admission to hospital, the tolerance that most communities have built up by simply consuming too much alcohol on a weekly basis, must be reversed.

One large glass of wine, 250ml at 12 per cent alcohol equates to three units; a pint of normal strength beer is two units.