North East drinkers urged to stick to moderation as beer gardens reopen
Covid-19 restrictions across England were eased yesterday, but there's fears it could see a rise in binge drinking.
As we head back to our favourite beer gardens - we're being asked to curb how much we drink.
Durham charity Balance are urging people to drink in moderation. It comes as alarming new figures from NHS Digital show over three quarters of a million alcohol-related hospital admissions between April and December last year - over 100 an hour - with three quarters of them (587,501) involving patients over the age of 50.
Sue Taylor from Balance in Durham says they don't want to spoil anyone's fun but it's a message that needs to be heard:
“These new figures are worrying and shocking and show it is not just young people at risk. When it comes to alcohol, we know the pandemic has added to the problem we already had, creating even more worrying drinking patterns which are wrecking more lives and creating huge pressures on our NHS.
People are looking forward to socialising but drinking too much alcohol does not need to be part of it – at the end of the day alcohol is a toxin and a depressant which can harm health and cause hangovers, tiredness and low mood, and lead to more family tension.
It can sometimes feel we are surrounded by alcohol, from advertising on TV to our weekly shop in the supermarket. Whether or not you’ve felt your drinking creeping up during lockdown, now is a really important time to be looking after ourselves and our families, mentally and physically, and that includes trying to stick within the limits of 14 units per week.”
Deaths from alcohol hit a new high during the first nine months of 2020, up 16% on the same months in 2019 and the biggest toll recorded since records began in 2001.