Alcohol-linked NHS admissions double in 10 years

Britain is on a dangerous drinking binge which is claiming lives and causing increasing damage to adults and children. Hospital admissions related to excessive drinking have more than doubled in the past 10 years and those involving under-16s have risen by a third.

The NHS Information Centre said there were 187,000 hospital admissions for alcohol-related conditions in 2005-06 compared with 89,000 in 1995-96. Of these, 5,280 were children under 16 who needed hospital treatment after becoming dangerously drunk, compared with 3,870 a decade ago. In 2005, 6,570 people died directly as a result of excessive drinking.

Doctors at the annual meeting of the British Medical Association in Torquay yesterday demanded tighter controls to curb rising alcohol consumption. The meeting called for a ban on drinking in the street, an increase in the tax on alcohol and a lower drink-driving limit.

Dr Ian Thompson, from Glasgow, said the total cost of alcohol misuse was £7.3bn. "Today 24 people will die where alcohol is the direct cause. In the last 20 years deaths have doubled," he said. "This is unacceptable."

The meeting noted that some local authorities had introduced bans on drinking in the streets and the doctors called for these to be extended nationwide. Dr Thompson said this would not affect "café culture" as drinking was still allowed outside licensed premises. "It would make walking through town centres on a Saturday night slightly less intimidating as well as reducing alcohol-related deaths," he added.

Dr Charlie Daniels, a GP, said doctors had a reputation for enjoying a tipple and it was inappropriate for the BMA to usurp a role better suited to the Salvation Army. "Any problem in society today we either want to tax it or ban it out of existence. BMA, Barmy Motherly Attitude," he said.

The conference called for the drink-driving alcohol limit to be reduced from 80mgs to 50 mgs per 100 mls of blood, in line with most of Europe, and to commit the BMA to campaign for the reduction across the remaining countries which include Luxembourg and Malta.

Speaking to reporters later, Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA, said the figures on the rising toll of alcohol use were shocking but not unexpected. "All of us have seen that binge drinking - is rising steadily. The statistics about how many under-16s drink are quite scary. A lot of people don't understand that alcohol is an acute poison in excess."

The NHS Information Centre said alcohol was becoming cheaper which was fuelling consumption. It was 65 per cent more affordable than in 1980 and, despite increased consumption, accounted for 5.2 per cent of household spending compared with 7.5 per cent in 1980.

Norman Lamb, health spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said: "A fresh look at tackling the problem of excessive drinking is long overdue."

Caroline Flint, the Public health minister, said measures were being introduced to identify problem drinkers before they did themselves damage. "Alongside this a range of new kinds of information and advice are being developed aimed at people who drink at harmful levels and their families."

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