Alcohol-related admissions soar

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Official data from the NHS Information Centre for health and social care showed there were 207,788 NHS hospital admissions in England in 2006/07 with a primary or secondary diagnosis related to alcohol.

This figure, relating to all age groups, has more than doubled from the 93,459 recorded in 1995/96. It is also up 7% on the 193,637 figure for 2005/06.

A breakdown showed there were 57,142 NHS hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis specifically related to alcohol in 2006/07. This number has risen by 52% since 1995/96. Of these admissions, 4,888 (9%) involved youngsters under the age of 18.

In 2007, 112,267 prescription items for drugs for treating alcohol dependency were also prescribed by doctors, the data showed. This is an increase of 20% since 2003, when 93,241 items were prescribed.

The report showed that, in 2007, 69% of Britons said they had heard of the Government guidelines on alcohol consumption. Of these, 40% said that they did not know what the recommendations were.

A total of 38% of adults in 2007 had seen units of alcohol displayed on labels of alcoholic drinks, compared with 23% in 2000.

A spokesman for Alcohol Concern said: "The new figures showing a rise in alcohol-related hospital admissions confirm everything we've heard from the frontline staff who deal with the after effects of heavy drinking.

"What is however particularly dispiriting is the news that the number of people who aren't familiar with the recommended limits has actually gone up."

Alison Rogers, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: "Measures taken to curb this worrying trend just aren't working so far, according to these statistics. We need action now to protect people's health, to stop health harm from alcohol spiralling out of control."