Public Health England reports a sharp increase in alcoholics and alcohol-related deaths. The reason could be the corona-related lockdowns.
London – Increased alcohol consumption during the coronavirus pandemic may have led to a sharp increase in deaths from alcohol-related diseases in England. This is suggested by data from the Public Health England (PHE) agency, which reports to the Department of Health.
The report, first published by The Guardian, comes up with worrying figures. The number of alcohol-related deaths during the pandemic and lockdowns in 2020 rose by 20 percent compared to the previous year. PHE puts the increase in alcohol-related deaths as a result of mental and behavioral disorders at eleven percent, the increase in deaths due to alcohol poisoning to 15 percent and that of deaths from alcohol-related liver diseases to 21 percent. Around 80 percent of alcohol-related deaths can be attributed to these liver diseases.
In the period from 2018 to 2019, the increase in deaths attributable to alcohol-related liver disease was just three percent. The authors of the report come to the conclusion that although there was an increase in these cases before Corona, the pandemic seems to have “accelerated” these trends. The numbers are strongest in structurally weaker regions. In the comparatively less affluent Northeast, the total number of alcohol-related deaths rose by around 80 percent – 60 percent more than the national average.
Researchers show an increase in alcohol-related deaths since the beginning of Corona
In addition to collecting data, the authors conducted a broad survey. It found that most people in England are unaware that there has been an increase in alcohol consumption during the coronavirus pandemic. In roughly equal proportions, the respondents stated that they consumed either the same amount, more or even less alcohol than before the lockdowns, which were in some cases sharp in Great Britain.
However, it should be noted that the proportion of respondents who drank despite an increasing or high risk to their health was higher during the pandemic than in previous years. In addition, alcohol consumption during the corona pandemic increased sharply, especially among those who had previously consumed significantly more alcohol than other respondents. This suggests that alcohol-related damage may persist or even worsen – especially among those who are generally inclined to alcohol.
The numbers are also supported by a survey by the state finance agency HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This reported to Public Health England a 25 percent increase in sales of alcohol products in supermarkets in 2020 compared to the previous year. In total, it is 686 million liters that have been bought more in the countries. However, due to the lockdowns, alcohol consumption in the catering industry has fallen sharply at the same time, which at least partially compensates for the large increase in purchases in the supermarkets.
In particular, people who had already suffered from injuries increasingly resorted to alcohol during the corona pandemic
Rosanna O’Connor, PHE director of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and justice, expressed concern. Tackling harmful alcohol consumption must be an integral part of the plan to restore normalcy once the coronavirus pandemic is under control and the return to normal is achieved. “Liver disease is currently the second leading cause of premature death in people of working age. The situation will get worse if the Covid pandemic leads to a long-term increase in alcohol consumption, ”said O’Connor.
| nation | England |
| capital city | London |
| Head of government | Boris Johnson |
| Head of state | Queen Elizabeth II. |
| population | 55,977,178 (as of 2018) |
| surface | 130,395 km² |
Rajiv Jalan, professor of hepatology at UCL Medical School, concludes that the rise in deaths from alcohol-related liver disease, while appalling, could not be viewed as unexpected. The “burden of disease” is “very high” in Great Britain. In his opinion, the report suggests that alcohol consumption has increased, especially among those who were hardest hit before the pandemic.
“Many of them relapsed in the pandemic and started to drink excessively again,” said Jalan, “against the background of pre-existing liver disease leading to the development of a condition called acute to chronic liver failure, a high is known to be high There is a risk. ”Now more needs to be done to combat alcohol-related liver disease. The expert strongly advises that England should follow Scotland’s example: “The simplest intervention would be to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.”
Number of alcohol addicts in England nearly doubled since the beginning of the corona pandemic
But many people who were not previously ill could now be in danger due to the corona pandemic and the lockdowns. Overall, the authors of the PHE study come to the conclusion that around one million more people in England are addicted to alcohol than before the pandemic. If the number of adults who drink at least one bottle of wine a day was estimated at 1.5 million before 2020, that number would now be 2.5 million.
Alcohol addiction has increased the most in the group of people over 65 years of age, it said. Before the pandemic, 190,000 people in this age group were considered to be dependent on alcohol, but this number has now risen to around 260,000 – an increase of 138 percent. The second most affected group is that of the 18 to 24 year olds. Before the pandemic, there were around 71,000 who were considered dependent, now there are around 170,000, which would mean an increase of 140 percent.
In the end, given the numbers, various governments cut spending on drug and alcohol addiction services by £ 162 million. While spending between 2013 and 2014 was £ 877 million, it was only £ 716 million from 2017 to 2018. Eight of England’s nine regions have seen a real decline in addiction control funding from London since 2014.
Mental illnesses associated with alcohol consumption have increased since the beginning of the corona pandemic
Dr. Niall Campbell, counseling psychiatrist at Priory Hospital Roehampton, sees a link between pandemic lockdowns and the increase in mental health problems that promote alcohol addiction. The specialist told The Daily Mail that he was seeing a significant increase in the number of people over 65 who seek treatment for alcohol problems. People in this age group are particularly at risk as they are often more isolated from friends and family during the pandemic.
“A lot of them turned to alcohol and one or two drinks in the evening turned into three or four or five or six,” said Campbell. In addition, these people would often drink earlier and earlier in the day out of boredom and isolation: “In my clinic I have observed a steady increase in the number of people over 65 who have become addicted to alcohol. This goes hand in hand with significant consequences for their physical and mental health. Relationships with their partners and families also suffer. ”In addition, people in this age group are more susceptible to the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, in particular liver disease, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, heart disease and brain damage.
Lucy Holmes, director of the non-governmental organization Alcohol Change UK, calls on the government to develop specialized addiction treatment services for the elderly. The increase in alcohol taxes and the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol, as in Scotland and Wales, were common sense measures. (Mirko Schmid)
