PHE: 10 million in England drink at harmful levels
Source: The Spirits Business
by Kristiane Sherry
2nd December, 2016
A major report from government agency Public Health England (PHE) claims more than 10 million people in England currently drink alcohol at levels which increase risk of “health harm”.
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The substantial 241-page report The public health burden of alcohol and the effectivenessand cost-effectiveness of alcohol control policies: an evidence review was commissioned to review the evidence of alcohol harm in England.
In the document, Professor Kevin Fenton, national director of health and well-being at Public Health England, said that the nation is drinking twice as much as it did 40 years ago.
The report found there more than one million alcohol-related hospital admissions a year, half of which occur among the most deprived groups.
It also stated that while there has been a drop in total alcohol consumption since 2008, there has not been a drop in the level of related harm.
Other findings include that 5% of the heaviest drinkers account for one-third of all alcohol consumed, and that alcohol is the leading cause of death among 15- to 49-year-olds.
Despite the report’s size, several industry bodies have criticised its contents.
“This lengthy report does not contain any new policy ideas, nor does it fully reflect the significant declines in harmful drinking in the last decade,” said Henry Ashworth, chief executive, Portman Group.
“It is deeply concerning that Public Health England are also contradicting the government’s own figures on alcohol consumption. Today we drink about the same amount of alcohol as we did 40 years ago, not ‘twice as much’ as Public Health England claim. Furthermore, alcohol consumption in the UK peaked in 2004, not 2008 as this report suggests.”
He continued: “There is no doubt that there are still communities that suffer disproportionately from alcohol-related harms, as this report recognises, and that harms are particularly prevalent amongst those in the lowest socio-economic groups. This is where targeted support should be provided through strong partnerships between public, private and third sector organisations.”
Dave Roberts, Director General of the Alcohol Information Partnership, said: “Today’s report from PHE is comprehensive in nature and is a contribution to understanding the role of alcohol in society and the options for reducing harm caused by misuse.
“PHE is claiming that we are now drinking ‘twice as much’ as we did 40 years ago. In fact in the UK we drink almost exactly the same amount today as we did in 1976 (HMRC) and less than we did 10 years ago. It appears that PHE is contradicting the government’s own figures.
“The report fails to acknowledge the positive trends in the UK. In the UK alcohol consumption is falling, alcohol specific hospital admissions among the under 18s and under 40s are reducing and harmful drinking is in decline. The work being done by all involved has clearly been working.”
He continued: “Any harm caused by alcohol is always serious. However the vast majority of people who choose to drink do so in moderation and in a convivial manner.”
Last month a Sheffield University study found alcohol will cause approximately 135,000 cancer deaths in the UK over the next 20 years, costing the NHS an estimated £2 billion in treatments.