Doubling in hospital bed days to treat illness linked to alcohol

In 2004, people with alcohol-related illness used 117,373 bed days in hospital, more than double the figure of 55,805 bed days in 1995, according to findings of the Health Research Board (HRB) published today .

"These figures from the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE)scheme are remarkable," said Dr Deirdre Mongon, a research officer with the HRB.

"Moreover because HIPE does not record people attending A&E who are not actually admitted to a hospital bed, it is fair to assume that these figures actually underestimate the pressure of problem alcohol use on acute hospital services," she said.

She was particularly concerned about the 30,000 under 30-year-olds discharged from hospital with alcohol-related illnesses between 1995 and 2004. Four out of five of these had acute problems, but about 5,000 had long-term alcohol-related problems such as liver disease.

"This is extremely worrying, given that it takes a number of years of hazardous drinking to develop chronic conditions," Dr Mongon added.

Of the 1,775 who had died as a result of problem alcohol use between 1995 and 2004, most were men but 68 per cent were aged 60 or less. "To put this in perspective, only 21 per cent of deaths in the general population in this period were under 65 . . . which highlights the increased risk of premature death associated with alcohol abuse," she said.

Dr Jean Long, head of the alcohol and drug research unit at the HRB, said their figures illustrated a clear link between levels of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm. "This report shows that the two years of highest consumption, 2001 and 2002, coincide with the highest numbers of alcohol-related deaths and discharges [ from hospital]."

"In 2003, the first decrease [ of 6 per cent] in consumption coincides with the first decrease [ of 2 per cent] in alcohol-related discharges," she noted

That decrease in consumption followed the December 2002 budget, when excise duty on spirits and cider was increased.

She said that if we wanted to see a fall in alcohol consumption in Ireland we should look at what had worked internationally. Strategies there which proved effective in reducing alcohol-related harm "include taxation, regulating the physical availability of alcohol, and measures against drink driving," she said.

The HRB figures also show that in 2005, 5,527 people received treatment for problem alcohol use in Ireland and 2,995 were admitted to psychiatric units with alcohol-related illness.

It has also been established that one in five people receiving treatment for problem alcohol use were using at least one other drug. This was particularly so among young people, where 8 per cent of those treated for use of more than one drug were 17 or under.

The report quotes figures that estimated that alcohol abuse or dependence may account for 15-24 per cent of suicides. In 2005, there was evidence of alcohol consumption in 41 per cent of all episodes of deliberate self-harm.