Alcohol and Primary Care

Abstract

In most countries and cultures of the world, alcohol consumption is tolerated and commonplace. In the UK, alcohol is an integral feature of many aspects of British culture. However, the consumption of alcohol is a major public health issue: 90% of the alcohol-related work in the NHS occurs in primary care—with 259 million alcohol-related consultations each year in the UK Alcohol misuse is associated with around 150 000 hospital admissions each year Around 70% of Accident and Emergency Department attendances between midnight and 5 am on weekend nights are alcohol related Between 15 000 and 22 000 deaths each year are associated with alcohol misuse, mainly resulting from stroke, cancer, liver disease, accidental injury or suicide 360 000 incidents of domestic violence are linked with alcohol misuse, around a third of all domestic violence Half of all violent crimes are alcohol related Up to 17 million days absent from work are alcohol-related. The overall cost burden to the NHS from alcohol-related problems is calculated to be £1.7 billion, and the loss to the economy due to premature death from alcohol misuse is estimated to be ∼ £2.4 billion each year. However, the annual revenue to the Treasury in alcohol duties and VAT totals £13.3 billion. In recent years, official statistics have shown a sharp rise in alcohol consumption, both in terms of overall per capita consumption and an increased prevalence of hazardous and harmful patterns of drinking, notably among women and young people. It was in response to this situation that the government published the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England in 2004.