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A recent study by the NHS has shown that, while UK alcohol consumption is falling, deaths from alcoholism are on the increase. As a nation, we’re known to enjoy our tipple. A glass of wine a day (if it’s red) has many health benefits, but drinking too much has serious consequences. After smoking, alcohol kills more people in the UK annually than any other drug – yes, as it turns out, alcohol is considered a drug by addiction specialists. Find out who in the UK are drinking the most.

A cultural divide

The results of the study show that there seems to be a cultural divide in drinking habits between the north and the south of England. Far less is drunk in London, the nation’s night life capital, than anywhere else in the UK. More and more people are drinking at home to save money, and this has been on the increase far more than drinking outside the home, but even this figure has dropped in the last year.

Deaths from drinking on the increase

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While UK alcohol consumption in general is dropping, deaths from drinking too much are on the increase. The NHS found a dramatic increase in the sales of prescription drugs that treat alcoholism, and link lower overall UK alcohol use to the effects of the recession. Prescriptions for medicine that treats alcoholism rose by 12 per cent in 2009. More than 150,000 prescriptions were written for the two drugs most commonly used to induce sickness when alcohol is drunk or to treat withdrawal symptoms.

Good news for parents

The news from the NHS is very encouraging when it comes to UK alcohol consumption among the youth. According to the NHS Information Centre, ‘The proportion of pupils [aged 11-15] who have never had an alcoholic drink has increased gradually in recent years.’ In addition, ‘In 2008, 48% of pupils reported having never tried alcohol, compared with 39% in 2003.’

Tags: alcohol, drinking, NHS