Nearly 9,000 lives are claimed through excessive alcohol consumption, official figures have revealed.
Shocking death toll figures, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), discovered that the number of Brits dying from drink-related deaths is steadily rising, going from 8,664 to 8,790 between 2009 and 2010 alone.
Health experts place the blame on 24-hour drinking, easy access to bargain booze and the British binge drinking culture.
The ONS also discovered that it is men who are suffering the most when it comes to dying from too much booze. The death toll among men increased by 175 in men (from 5,690 from 5,865 in the space of 12 months), meaning they account for two-thirds of all UK alcohol-related deaths. Female booze deaths on the other hand, dropped by 49 to 2,925 from 2,974 in a year.
The research also looked at which areas in the UK are hit the hardest when it comes to drinking deaths. The highest rates are in the North-east (22.6 deaths per 100,000) and the lowest are in east England (11.7% per 100,000 deaths).
However, despite alcohol consumption falling since 2002, the report added, “Despite an apparent decrease in alcohol consumption, it is likely that it will take a number of years for any resulting reduction in alcohol-related deaths to become apparent as diseases associated with excessive alcohol consumption are often slow to develop.”
Taking about the effects of alcohol consumption, The British Liver Trust warn: “Most people think that alcohol is fairly harmless and just something to be enjoyed. Other than a few ill-effects the next day and maybe putting on a bit of extra weight, alcohol does not seem to have any long lasting effects. But alcohol can cause harm.
“It is a mistake to think that you have to be a heavy drinker to run into problems. Although it can take as long as 10 to 20 years, drinking just a bit more than you should over time can seriously harm your liver. Not feeling any side effects from drinking does not mean that you are not risking chronic ill-health or lasting liver damage from alcohol-related liver disease. Vast numbers of us now fall into this category.”
If you think you might have a drink problem, visit the Alcoholics Anonymous, 0845 769 7555.