The drinking pandemic could cause thousands more deaths and hospitalizations over the next 20 years, says NHS | UK News
Health experts warn that excessive drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to thousands of deaths and hospitalizations over the next 20 years.
Research from NHS England and the University of Sheffield shows that while light drinkers have reduced their intake during the pandemic, heavier drinkers are consuming more and may never return to the same levels. before.
People between the ages of 25 and 34 who drank at a higher level before the pandemic were more likely to increase their drinking when COVID-19 hit more than any other group.
Considering how this problem might develop, in the best case scenario, NHS said even if all drinkers return to the level they drank in 2019 from now, there will still be 42,677 more hospital admissions and 1,830 alcohol-related deaths over the next two decades.
The NHS adds that the worst case scenario could see an increase of 972,382 hospital admissions and 25,192 additional deaths over the same period, which could cost the service 5.2 billion pound.
Lower-risk drinkers have been defined as those who consume alcohol according to UK guidelines of 14 units per week, while “increased-risk drinkers” consume up to 35 units per week. taste per week for women, with men drinking up to 50 units.
High-risk alcoholics may drink more than that.
“In our main scenario, we estimate that, over the next 20 years, there will be an additional 207,597 alcohol-related hospital admissions and 7,153 alcohol-related deaths, costing the NHS 1.1 more,” the team said. billion pounds more than if alcohol consumption remained at 2019.
“These effects are not evenly distributed across the population, with heavier drinkers and those in the most deprived areas who already suffer the highest rates of alcohol harms, expected.” will be disproportionately affected.”
Additional research by the Institute for Alcohol Research (IAS) and HealthLumen has found that if alcohol consumption does not return to pre-pandemic levels, there will be 147,892 more cases of nine alcohol-related illnesses by 2035, for example. such as cirrhosis and breast cancer, accounting for an additional 9,914 premature deaths.
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Colin Angus, a senior research fellow who led the research at the University of Sheffield, said: “These numbers suggest the impact the pandemic has on our drinking behavior is likely to be left behind. casts a lasting shadow on our health and paints a disturbing picture at a time when NHS services are under enormous pressure due to backlogs of treatment work.”
Mr Angus added that before the pandemic, men were more likely to be hospitalized or die from drinking alcohol, and while that remains the case, researchers are seeing a greater percentage increase in women. .
IAS research lead Dr Sadie Boniface said: “The pandemic has had a devastating effect on alcohol: alcohol-related deaths have hit record levels, and inequality is widening.
“The increase in alcohol harm, loss of life and cost to the NHS projected in our study is not inevitable.
“We lack an alcohol strategy and progress on alcohol harms has been limited in recent years in the UK.
“This study should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ to take the harmful effects of alcohol seriously as part of a post-pandemic recovery plan.”
