More than 20,000 alcohol-dependent people in Suffolk

The NHS West Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, which is chaired by Long Melford-based GP Dr Christopher Browning, has raised his concerns that many people in Suffolk are drinking excessively on a regular basis.

According to a new report by Suffolk County Council, as many as 15.1% of people over the age of 18 years are consuming alcohol at either an “increasing or higher risk”. The report also states that around 20,000 people in Suffolk are dependent on alcohol, which represents around 3.3% of the county’s population.

 
Alcohol is thought to be the root cause of up to 5,500 crimes every year in the county. Alcohol seems to have become a serious problem in Suffolk and this is largely because more people are drinking thoughtlessly more often. It seems that many people have simply stopped worrying about exceeding their healthy daily limit of two to three units.

Suffolk’s health service is suffering from this sudden rise in alcohol abuse; in the last two years, the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions for males in Suffolk has increased by 25%.

Dr Browning said: “As a GP I regularly see the consequences of excess alcohol consumption, which can include liver problems, high blood pressure and increased risk of heart attack and stroke.”

With Christmas fast approaching, it is important for people to take stock of how much they are drinking and start to make a conscious effort to drink moderately. A little alcohol can form part of a healthy diet but it is very easy to drink too much.