Huytontwodogs: Merseysides Demon Drink Problem

Welcome to this Blog, I will be looking at the Love -Hate relationship Liverpool has with Alcohol.

Being brought up in this fine, funny and talented city I am only too aware of the impact that Booze has on the lives of its people. My Father was one of the most intelligent men I have ever met, he had the first central heating firm in Liverpool and when he was sick in hospital with TB Brian Epstein came to visit him. But besides all that and my Dads natural comic ability he was a Chronic Alcoholic and left us at the early age of 64, dieing of Sclerosis of the Liver. So, I chose to do my Radio Hope Package on Liverpool and Alcohol.

I don't know what it is about Liverpool that on the one hand it can be a hardened, binge drinking, loud mouthed, drink fuelled City (arottennd that's just the women) then on the other hand ..... it can also be a highly cultured, political, (scousers are not afraid to speak their views) hilariously funny and its an extremely friendly place to be. This is why we are famous and yes we do 'speak with an accent exceedingly rare' etc. But there is a serious problem that is almost unspoken about Liverpool ....We have a problem ....that will not go away if we don't get serious about how we address....the problem with BOOZE.
Because of the social aceptability of Booze our children are now exposed more than ever before to this toxic liquid, as we have seen in AlderHey over the last ten years with an increase in children being treated for alcohol poisoning. When we think of where we get our ideas and comfortable attitudes towards this lethal drug we don't have to look far , because every Soap Opera (Eastenders, Corrie and Emmerdale) has the much frequented bar.... The Vic, The The Rovers and The Woolpack. People may assume that children learn drinking habits from their peers when in fact its more likely to be learnt behaviour from our Parents. Some of the recent Statistics released by the North West Public Health Observatory have informed us that Liverpool has some of the highest alcohol fatalities in the UK (adults and children) we also have:

The highest Alcohol admissions in England

The highest Crime related to alcohol

Residents are twice as likely to die from Alcohol related conditions

33 AA Groups

And has England's first ever Dry Bar -The Brink

(Public Health Observatory)

But, Liverpool and its relationship with the 'hard stuff' is a complex area and would indeed be too much to cram into my 5 minute radio package so I really had a hard job on my hands.

Liverpool was labelled the 'Binge Capital' by The Guardian Journalist Stuart Jefferies a few years ago, a label that has done this city no favours especially post 'Capital of Culture'. Was Liverpool's problem with Alcohol seen more as a cultural issue, perhaps Liverpudlians are seen to use drink to make themselves funny because, after all, we are famous for churning out well known Liverpool characters and Comedians...and maybe there is a connection. Or perhaps it is the Working Class drinking men's clubs that started us on our love affair and dependency on Booze. At present the Public Health Agenda is to set a Unit Price Per Alcohol based on alcohol product strength, however this has attracted alot of ctitisim from groups who describe although this has brought about alot of critisism claiming this is Anti-Alcohol., super markets who sell cheap booze will stand to profit but not the likes of Sainsburys or Waitrose who sell the more 'up-market' beverages.

The Drinkaware charity have recently commented on the new proposal for the drinks indusrty to water down alcoholic drinks to combat the nations addiction to daily doses of the dreaded drink. Another critisied proposal is for higher taxation on stronger alcoholic drinks. But , where is the personal responsibility to drink sensibly and are the sensible drinkers in society having to pay the price, literally, for the non-snesible drinkers ?

According to experts, one in four men and women in the UK are currently drinking dangerous amounts of alcohol that are causing, or have the potential to cause, physical and mental damage.

In the UK the number of alcohol-related deaths has more than doubled in the past 16 years, with over8,000 people dying of conditions such as alcohol poisoning and liver cirrhosis every year.

Sir Ian Gilmore, special adviser on alcohol and chair of Health Alliance at the Royal College of Physicians, outlines the health risks of drinking every day and recently this month urges drinkers to have two days off per week.

So.... who really is responsible for the high alcohol consumption -society or the individual. Is it fair to lay the blame for ones own behaviour on the social problems in society such as ,Unemployment or stress or even blame the availability of cheap booze outlets. Is it possible that these 'excuses' are actually preventing many heavy drinkers and addicts from properly addressing the problem by taking personal repsonsibility for a self harming lifestyle choice. So, what can be done in Liverpool, I asked Local Liverpool PCT Communiy Health Liason Officer Michelle McKeoen her thoughts on the problem and what Liverpool should be doing to address the issue.

As the frontline staff deal with so much in the A&E I was lucky to speak to Senior Alcohol Nurse, Sarah Haywood, at Aintree Hospital Liverool.

Some of the statistics revealed at Aintree Hospital indicated that women are amongst the highest group in terms of increased drinkers overall. I spoke to a young Liver patient who told me how old she was when she first started drinking.

In Liverpool, as with other major cities like Manchester, Glasgow and London alcohol not only costs the NHS millions , but also is associated with loss of business due to customers staying away from city centres for fear of physical or verbal abuse. One of the creative ways to address this was to set up the only Alcohol free bar in the country- The Brink is an innovative way to create an environment that is safe and is staffed by 75% ex-addicts or alcoholics that have been on the rehab programme. This Social Enterprise can do no wrong the praise for this intervention is just pouring in ...Kate Middleton is now one of the patrons . I interviewed the Brinks Manager Carl Alderdice.

I asked interviewed two members of staff in recovery how the Brink has impacted upon their lives.

The Brink is addressing the issue of alcohol dependency in a unique way but almost obvious. Why had Liverpool not done anything like this before judging by the problems associated to Booze that have been simmering for years. The People who have gone through rehab have been given a second chance and are an inspiration to the rest of us.