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Overview

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, by the end of the second lockdown, more than 8.4m people in England were drinking at higher-risk levels, up from 4.8m in February 2020. The British Liver Trust, one of the UK’s main charities dealing with the medical consequences of alcohol abuse, reported a 500% increase in calls to its helpline during the first lockdown. The number of alcohol driven anti-social behaviour incidents has also sharply increased over the last year. Alcohol dependency intersects with other pressing issues; 47% of those receiving alcohol dependency treatment live in the 30% most deprived areas, 54% also need mental health treatment, 19% of whom do not receive any. Alcohol misuse is also the biggest risk factor for death, ill-health and disability among 15 to 49 year-olds in the UK, and according to the Global Burden of Disease, alcohol is one of the top five risk factors that cause premature deaths in England. As pubs and bars reopen and as a recession takes hold, those at risk of alcohol dependencies will need further support.

In response, the government has announced plans to establish specialist Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs) over the next five years. A number of hospitals have already established such units and evidence shows that they have significantly reduced accident and emergency attendances, bed days, readmissions and ambulance callouts related to alcohol. Delivered in the 25% of the worst affected hospitals, this could prevent 50,000 admissions over five years. In December 2020, the government also announced support for rough sleepers with alcohol dependencies, with 43 areas across England receiving support from a £23 million fund, increasing to £52 million over the next two years. On a more local level, powers and responsibilities have been given to local areas to work with Public Health England (PHE) and assess alcohol-related needs. PHE have also sought to increase awareness about the harmful effects of alcohol dependence and the potential options to those who are vulnerable to addiction. Their ‘All Our Health’ campaign was introduced last year to help all health professionals understand what steps they can take and what resources they have at their disposal to reduce alcohol harm.

Nevertheless, critics continue to highlight the lack of funding for treatments and rehabilitation. Approximately, 82% of dependent drinkers are not accessing treatment and 31% of people in England drop out of treatment before successful completion. Studies also continually show a link between alcohol abuse, violence, domestic abuse and suicide. In 39% of violent incidents, it is believed the offender was under the influence of alcohol, and 45% of individuals who end their own life have a history of alcohol dependency. It has been suggested that price increases could be a way to discourage alcohol misuse – alcohol remains 74% more affordable compared to 1987 prices. Yet, even as alcohol has become 28% more expensive in the last decade, there has been little evidence to show that this has reduced alcohol dependency rates.

This symposium will offer community alcohol partnerships, local authorities, commissioning leads, mental health professionals, housing officers, police staff, public health practitioners and third sector organisations with a timely and invaluable opportunity to respond to the needs of alcohol dependent drinkers and share best practice on planning for future prevention and recovery.