Mancunians are more likely to drink themselves to death than other Britons, claims a report from the Office of National Statistics.
Over the period 2006 to 2012, Manchester has seen an increase of 8% in the rate of alcohol mortality – whereas the UK as a whole has actually seen the figure fall by 5.3%.
The report shows that between 2010 and 2012 there were 24.2 deaths per 100,000 Mancunians, second only to nearby town Blackpool, putting Manchester as UK’s drink-death capital city.
The average national death rate across the whole of the UK over the same period was 12.5, almost half that of Manchester.
The figures take into account only deaths caused by conditions that are a direct result of excessive alcohol consumption, excluding where the consumption of alcohol has worsened a condition or deaths that were attributed to actions while under the influence of alcohol.
Councillor Paul Andrews, Executive Member for Adult Health and Wellbeing at Manchester City Council, said: “In Manchester, we work from a stance that alcohol-related deaths should and must be considered preventable.
“This is why Public Health Manchester commissions a range of early intervention and treatment services to respond to individuals who are dependent on alcohol or drinking at levels that increase risk to themselves or others.”
CONCERN: Manchester’s alcohol-related death rates are on the rise
In 2012, the Manchester Alcohol Strategy was launched in an attempt to address the effects of alcohol-related harm in the city.
Councillor Andrews continued: “On a wider geographic area, The Home Office has chosen Greater Manchester as one of 20 Local Alcohol Action Areas nationally. Work focuses on the key aims of reducing alcohol-related crime and disorder and reducing negative health impacts caused by alcohol.
“This joint approach has seen a reduction in the amount of alcohol-related hospital admissions in Manchester.”
While it is true that the figures are coming down – having decreased slightly since 2009 – it is still much higher than levels of alcohol-related deaths of the last two decades.
GAP: Manchester’s death rates are almost double the national average
The fact that Manchester is consistently and significantly higher than most other UK cities when measuring alcohol-related deaths is clearly cause for concern.
The worrying statistics are not isolated to just Manchester with the report indicating that the entire North West region has a mortality rate more than 29% higher than the national average and 15% higher than the second-placed region the North East.
These findings follow a 2013 study which showed that the North West has the highest proportion of binge drinkers (15%) as well as the highest proportion of heavy drinkers (18%).
The North West is not alone, however, with the report showing an increase in alcohol-related deaths across each region in the UK – with London the only exception with an 11% decrease since the turn of the millennium.
These contrasting figures again highlight the ever-widening gap between the capital and the rest of the nation, although much of the discussion has focused on London’s disproportionate economy compared to the rest of the UK.
These figures show that the divide is also clearly visible in the health and well-being of its inhabitants.
Image courtesy of MOD and Sergeant Ian Forsyth, with thanks.
