Alcohol misuse is one of the main health challenges we face despite drug misuse often getting the headlines. In Northern Ireland, it costs us up to £900m a year - almost £250m of this is a cost to the Health Service.
This would build the new regional children's hospital or 15 new primary care centres or pay for over 30,000 hip operations, employ another 6,000 nurses, or deliver over 17m hours of domiciliary care. A total of 73% of adults drink, with 65% drinking above the daily guidelines at least once a week, and 31% binge drinking.
Alcohol misuse increases the risk of cancer, cardiovascular conditions and liver disease, as well as dependence, poor mental health, and self-harm, being involved in or causing accidents, and being involved in, or a victim of, violence or assaults.
Provisional reports indicated that 236 people died directly as a result of alcohol misuse in 2013 – up 15% since 2001. There may be many more deaths where alcohol may have played a role, but it is not recorded on the death certificate.
Source: Michael McBride, Belfast Telegraph, 16/09/14
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