The vast majority of people in the North East believe alcohol is a “significant problem” both here and around the UK – while more than one in five warn that that booze has had a negative impact on their lives in the last year according to a shocking new survey.
Meanwhile public health bosses around the region have called for more to be done to curb the impact made by big alcohol firms, with one leading figure saying the industry was given a “free pass” and caused preventable harm.
Campaign group Balance has launched a new film which highlights the concern around how pervasive alcohol can be in our day-to-day lives – and how hard it can be to escape its impact. And health bosses including the director of public health for both Newcastle and Gateshead Alice Wiseman have called for urgent action.
Alice said: “For too long the harms of alcohol have been soaring – but a lack of national regulation and a free pass for the alcohol industry to keep people drinking at risky levels has failed communities and hit our public finances.
“Many alcohol harms are preventable. We simply can’t afford for alcohol to be taking such a toll on individuals, families and communities and it is staggering to see the impact on frontline services across the North East. We now need to balance the profits of the alcohol industry with protecting local communities.
“We need a national conversation and evidence-based action to grapple with this alcohol crisis. The health and wealth of our region depend on it and we implore national Government to take this problem seriously.”
This intervention comes as Balance’s figures show 82% of people in the North East see alcohol as a significant problem, while 83% would back measures to limit how much children are exposed to alcohol marketing. Almost half of people here also back bringing in minimum prices per unit of booze, while two-thirds thing the Government has a responsibility to raise awareness of the risks caused by alcohol.
Experts have highlighted both the health-related and social risks we face due to alcohol. Medics like the North East and North Cumbria integrated care board’s executive medical director Dr Neil O’Brien have pointed to the illnesses caused by drinking.
Dr O’Brien said: “Alcohol can harm the body in a lot of different ways, from severe diseases of the liver and pancreas, increased risk of at least seven types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. People also sometimes turn to alcohol when they experience mental health problems, but in many cases the effect of alcohol can make mental health worse.
“Prevention across all aspects of the system nationally and regionally is key to preventing ill health in the first place and also to reducing pressures on the NHS in the longer term.”
And a leading policing figure explained how drinking impacts on wider aspects of our lives. Joy Allen, Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, said: “Alcohol-related harm is deeply rooted with inequality, and it is no coincidence that the North East suffers some of the highest rates in the country.
“In my force area, more than 33% of serious violent offences are alcohol-related. This is unacceptable. We cannot allow people to continue dying from preventable alcohol-related diseases, nor can we tolerate the crimes such as violence, theft, and criminal damage that tear our communities apart and cost taxpayers millions of pounds each year.”
“We owe it to the people of this region to take decisive action now. It’s not just about reducing harm; it’s about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to live healthier, safer, and more prosperous lives.”
Balance has produced a “blueprint” and urged the Government to act to tackle the impact of alcohol harm on society. This includes calls for an “evidence-based” alcohol strategy nationwide, the introduction of mandatory health warnings and restrictions on marketing, and ensuring the alcohol industry is not involved in forming Government policy.
Susan Taylor, head of alcohol policy for Balance, said: “The clear message is that alcohol is everywhere and embedded in our culture. From TV and cinema adverts to stockpiled price promotions in supermarkets, it is hard to avoid the message to buy and drink more alcohol.
“These findings confirm what many of us see every day – and no wonder with nearly one million hospital alcohol-related admissions a year, alcohol deaths at record levels and more people becoming seriously ill at a younger age.”
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/health/alcohol-industry-gets-free-pass-30927282
