Councils across London are being urged today to provide more funding to treat alcohol abuse, as figures from Public Health England show rising numbers of hospital admissions due to alcohol.

According to PHE figures, 13 per cent of all hospital admissions in England in 2017-2018 were due to alcohol.

Croydon was among the worst three areas in London for alcohol-related hospital admissions, at 6,512. That’s more than 17 a day, every day, throughout 12 months.

Notably, though, Croydon was one of the few areas which did not record a year-on-year increase in alcohol-related admissions in 2017.

The PHE report also shows that 2,480 Londoners died in 2017-2018 because of alcohol-related illnesses. In Croydon, 119 people died from the effects of alcohol, the PHE figures show.

The data from PHE was released yesterday.

PHE says, “Alcohol use has health and social consequences borne by individuals, their families, and the wider community… Reducing harmful drinking is one of seven priority areas that Public Health England is focusing efforts on securing improvement.”

The statistics have prompted one private addiction treatment clinic group to call on local authorities to set aside more of their already stretched budgets for drug and alcohol treatment services, as well as early intervention and awareness campaigns.

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