If you were listening to Radio4’s Today programme this morning, you’ll have heard the news about the costs of alcohol-related healthcare.
They reported that a new study by Alcohol Concern found that the cost of hospital admissions due to heavy drinking of 55 to 74-year-olds cost ten times more than for 16 to 24-year-olds.
The national charity on alcohol misuse, in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company, have launched what they call the Alcohol Harm Map.
The map reveals statistics for how many people are drinking too much; alcohol-related hospital admissions; alcohol-related healthcare costs and alcohol-related deaths.
Comparisons statistics shown
You can select details based on your local health provider and compare the stats with other health providers in the same area.
For example, a quick comparison with Portsmouth shows that there were 18,660 alcohol-related admissions in Isle of Wight (pop. 140,000) in 2010/11, and 26,749 alcohol-related admissions in Portsmouth (pop. 207,000) in 2010/11.
Here are the stats broken down by age
| 16-24 year olds | 25-54 year olds | 55-74 year olds | 75+ year olds | |
| Isle of Wight | 113 | 548 | 685 | 517 |
| Portsmouth | 338 | 1868 | 1514 | 958 |
If you’re so inclined, there’s plenty more info on Alcohol Harm Map.
