Thousands were admitted to hospital in Wakefield last year because of alcohol

Exacerbated by the lockdown and the Christmas period, many of us will be guilty of drinking a bit more than normal too.

Now with Covid-19 putting an unprecedented strain upon hospitals, health experts are urging drinkers to cut back on the booze this year and reduce the risks to their health and wellbeing.

Official figures from Public Health England reveal every region in the country saw a rise in alcohol related hospital admissions between 2014/15 and 2018/19.

Across the country there were over 350,000 hospital admissions in 2018/19 — the equivalent of nearly 7,000 every week.

In the Wakefield district there were 2,970 admissions in 2018/19 and 14,130 over five years, with the average increasing by 3 per cent during that period.

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of the charity Alcohol Change UK, said hospital admissions related to alcohol “continue to remain far too high”.

“Many of us are finding ourselves drinking more heavily and more often than we would like as we try to cope with the many challenges thrown up this year by Covid-19 and it’s vital that those of us who need specialist support can easily access it,” he said.

“For some of us, taking an extended break from drinking, like having a Dry January can be a good way to reset our relationship with alcohol, particularly if our drinking has been creeping up.”

Rosanna O’Connor, director of drugs, alcohol and tobacco at Public Health England added that cutting down on drinking can reduce health risks.