Alcohol abuse a “major” problem in York, say health experts
Around 400 adults require specialist alcohol treatment in York at any one time
Alcohol misuse is a “major” problem in York – and it’s not just down to stag and hen parties drinking heavily in the city centre, according to health experts.
Despite the city being relatively well-off and having generally good health outcomes, the same cannot be said of the harm alcohol is causing people in York, according to Peter Roderick, a consultant in public health.
There are more than double the number of venues allowed to sell alcohol in York per square kilometre than the England average and the amount of alcohol sold from shops per adult, per year in York is 6.4 litres versus 5.4 litres in England.
There are also concerns about the amount people drink at home.
The data was revealed in a report about preventing harm and supporting recovery for those using drugs and alcohol in York.
The report stated: “There are very few parts of civic society in York untouched by drug and alcohol issues.”
In 2019/20, the admission rate of York residents to hospital directly attributable to alcohol was 545 per 100,000, while admissions indirectly attributable to alcohol were 1,996 per 100,000 – both higher than the England average.
Mr Roderick said: “We know in York, on either the very direct impacts or the very broad impacts, our hospital admission rates are higher than other areas and that’s something of a red flag for us.”
Around 400 adults require specialist alcohol treatment in York at any one time and around 600 people in York are in treatment for drug use.
A meeting of York’s health and wellbeing board heard that minimum alcohol unit pricing and taxation were “the most effective and cost-effective approaches to reducing alcohol-related harm”, but national government policy prevents such measures.
The board agreed to write to the government to support minimum pricing.
Councillor Janet Looker said: “I think we do have to recognise that it is a very significant issue in York. The hospital sees the consequences of excessive use of alcohol – daily, hourly in attendances at accident and emergency. You see it in the way people respond to health professionals. It has a huge impact across society.”
Mr Roderick said the government’s new ten year national drugs and alcohol strategy would see significant funding put back into local areas to tackle the problem, which would help make up for cuts made over the past decade.
He added: “We think spending for the York population around drugs and alcohol, particularly treatment and recovery, is likely to rise by about 40 per cent, which puts it probably back to where it was at the start of the 2010s.”
York GP Emma Broughton said ring fencing of funding was “absolutely needed” as drug budgets were often the first to be cut.
She added: “If you grow up in deprivation with drug and alcohol problems in your family, along with mental health and domestic violence, your opportunities and chances of life are markedly impaired, and therefore drugs may well be the thing you turned to to cope with the trauma and the harm that’s happened in your life.
“In my experience of working in York drug and alcohol services, that goes for the majority.”
The board agreed to sign the dual diagnosis pledge, which asks people to work with people’s mental health and addiction issues at the same time, rather than trying to treat them separately.