Drinkers spend 250,000 days a year in hospital beds

Jun 15 2008 Exclusive by Mark Aitken

THE number of hospital beds being taken up by patients with booze-related illnesses has hit an all-time high.

Drinkers notched up more than 250,000 days in Scotland's wards last year - costing the NHS over £100million in occupancy alone.

The growing crisis fuelled by our binge-drinking culture is revealed just days before the Scottish Government publish their long-awaited alcohol misuse strategy.

Figures show that 261,000 days were spent in hospital by patients with alcohol-linked conditions in 2006/07 - up 8000 on the previous year.

That is equivalent to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee - which has 750 beds - treating nothing but drinkrelated illnesses for a whole year.

Dr Peter Rice, a government adviser and consultant psychiatrist, said: "We have always had a reputation as a heavy-drinking nation.

"While the alcohol problem in other countries is improving, in Scotland it has become worse. Much of that is due to alcohol pricing.

"The Sunday Mail first revealed two years ago that beer is being sold cheaper than water.

"You showed that, taking account of rises in inflation and earnings, a can of Tennent's Lager cost the equivalent of £1.36 in 1976 but only 37p as part of a multi-pack two years ago.

"We need action on pricing and the availability of alcohol."

A report earlier this month found that alcohol costs Scotland £2.25billion every year in absenteeism, health costs and booze-related crime.

Scots are twice as likely to die from a drink-related cause than the rest of the UK. Our teenage girls are also the heaviest drinking in the world.

Jack Law, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: "This is more evidence that alcohol problems are placing a huge strain on the NHS.

"We need to give people of all ages and backgrounds clear information about how to drink in moderation.

And we need to help those at risk of developing problems into counselling or treatment before lasting damage happens or dependence starts."

Dr Richard Simpson, Labour public health spokesman, added:

"Equally worrying is the number of children being taken to hospital due to severe intoxication. Kenny MacAskill keeps talking about taking action on alcohol but so far it's all talk."

The Scottish Government's alcohol misuse strategy plans a tax on cheap drink to combat violent booze binges.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Alcohol misuse is a significant drain on our health service and this government is determined to get to grips with the problem."

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