Nearly 1,000 people were admitted to hospital in Scarborough because of alcohol

Alcohol poisoning, liver cancer, heart disease, tremors — alcohol misuse can cause a myriad of health problems.

Exacerbated by the lockdown and the Christmas period, many of us will be guilty of drinking a bit more than normal too.

Now with Covid-19 putting an unprecedented strain upon hospitals, health experts are urging drinkers to cut back on the booze this year and reduce the risks to their health and wellbeing.

There were 980 alcohol-related admissions in Scarborough in 2018/19.

Official figures from Public Health England reveal every region in the country saw a rise in alcohol related hospital admissions between 2014/15 and 2018/19.

The total number of cases in Scarborough over five years, 4,130, appears relatively low in comparison to other areas, ranking 178th out of 336 local authorities in England who supplied data.

However, the rate of admissions per 100,000 population in Scarborough in 2018/19 ranks quite high at 870 admissions, again, joint 27th in England. Stoke-on-Trent ranked the highest with a rate of 1,130 admissions per 100,000.

There has been a 29 per cent increase in hospital admissions in Scarborough over five years:

2014/15 - 760

2015/16 - 760

2016/17 - 800

2017/18 - 830

2018/19 - 980

Across the country there were over 350,000 hospital admissions in 2018/19 — the equivalent of nearly 7,000 every week.

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of the charity Alcohol Change UK, said hospital admissions related to alcohol “continue to remain far too high”.

“Many of us are finding ourselves drinking more heavily and more often than we would like as we try to cope with the many challenges thrown up this year by Covid-19 and it’s vital that those of us who need specialist support can easily access it,” he said.

“For some of us, taking an extended break from drinking, like having a Dry January can be a good way to reset our relationship with alcohol, particularly if our drinking has been creeping up.”

Rosanna O’Connor, director of drugs, alcohol and tobacco at Public Health England added that cutting down on drinking can reduce health risks.

Ms O’Connor said: “About 10 million people in England are drinking in ways that increase the risks and many are looking to cut down. Setting yourself a target of having more drink-free days every week is an easy way to drink less and reduce the risks to your health.”

If you are concerned about the drug or alcohol use of yourself or someone you know you can talk to a trained advisor via We Are With You's online webchat service via www.wearewithyou.org.uk.

We Are With You also runs a helpline specifically for people over 50 who are concerned about their alcohol use. For free support and advice please call 08088010750.