ALCOHOL REPORT: Dying for a drink (From thisisoxfordshire)

ALCOHOL REPORT: Dying for a drink

9:00am Friday 3rd September 2010 in

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MEN in Oxford are dying 10 months early because they are drinking too much alcohol, it has been revealed.

And a new report also found that more than 40 people in the city died last year as a result of abusing alcohol, while one in five men are considered binge-drinkers, because they consume double the recommended amount of alcohol each week.

Jackie Wilderspin, assistant director of public health for NHS Oxfordshire, said: “We’ve been carrying out a lot of campaign work and what we want to do is enable people to make informed healthy lifestyle choices about their drinking habits.

“I think many do underestimate the amount of drink they consume and the number of related illnesses and diseases there are associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

“I hope the report serves as a bit of a wake-up call for people.”

Ms Wilderspin said alcohol had emerged in the past year as one of the biggest threats to the health of the county’s residents.

She said: “Alcohol-related admissions to hospital have been steadily increasing in the past four years and last year more than 3,500 accident & emergency department visits were related to alcohol.

“Binge drinking causes injuries and places a huge amount of pressure on A&E departments and ambulances.

“But it’s also the long-term problems associated with alcohol which are causing a pressure on the system. Illnesses such as breast cancer or other related illness, heart disease, bowel and rectal cancer are all linked to excessive alcohol consumption.

“In young people it causes risky behaviour, mainly things linked to sexual activity, under-age pregnancies and sexually-transmitted infections, and this in turn places a huge strain on the NHS “ The report, funded by the Department for Health, says 1,476 violent crimes and 30 sexual offences in Oxford between April 2008 and March last year were linked to alcohol.

The Local Alcohol Profiles for England report was produced by academics at Liverpool John Moores University’s centre for public health.

Report author Mark Bellis said the findings reflected “the price we pay for turning a blind eye to the real extent of alcohol abuse across England”.

Earlier this week former Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted using alcohol as a ‘prop’ during his time in charge of the country.

Ms Wilderspin, who helps to write the annual public health reports for the county, said some of the worst culprits were middle class drinkers, who were more likely to open a bottle of wine every night than go on all-night drinking sessions at weekends.

• According to Oxfordshire health officials the potential health benefits of alcohol tend to be overstated.

• Above the age of 40 , drinking a small amount of alcohol may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

• For those who drink above this low level, and for those under 40 who drink any amount, alcohol raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.

• For those of any age, drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of cancer – there is no safe limit.

• Men who drink heavily are up to four times more likely to have high blood pressure and to develop cancers.

• Women who drink heavily are up to three times more likely to suffer a stroke and 50 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer.