Alcohol harm: a growing national crisis
Alcohol is everywhere. It’s how we celebrate, commiserate, relax and bond. But for hundreds of thousands of people in the UK, drinking isn’t social, it’s survival.
Alcohol Awareness Week 2025 invites us to look beyond the headlines and into the real cost of alcohol harm. Not just the damage done to physical health, but the emotional wreckage, the economic cost, and the personal cost.
Let’s be clear: this is a national crisis. In 2023 alone, there were 10,473 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK – the highest number on record. More than 280,000 people in England were admitted to hospital where alcohol was the main cause.
Behind each of those statistics is a human story.
The road to dependency
Paul (name changed to protect confidentiality) lives in an area with minimal community support, and the nearest Emerging Futures service is over 60 miles away by car. Our partner agencies also do not operate in his catchment area.
Like so many, Paul didn’t see it coming. What began as confidence-boosting became a coping mechanism for emotional pain.
“I started drinking socially when I was 12. Alcohol opened me up and helped me get along with people. The first time it started getting out of control was when I broke up with a past girlfriend. I always drank to gain confidence and be fun. Then we broke up and the drinking gradually increased. At my worst I was drinking up to two litres of vodka a day. Not for pleasure. Just to avoid withdrawal – it’s all consuming.”
A system that didn’t see him
When Paul first showed signs of alcohol withdrawal, his GP prescribed beta blockers without asking about his drinking. “I didn’t know what was happening,” he says. “I now know I was in withdrawal. That’s when I realised I had a major problem.”
Now in his 40s, Paul has been through five residential rehabs and three hospital detoxes, but found little support beyond the initial physical care. He now lives with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy, irreversible and life-limiting conditions caused by alcohol consumption.
What might work better
The initial physical care whilst detoxing from alcohol is vital, but lasting recovery demands more.
Emerging Futures delivers community-based support that empowers people to rebuild their lives. Through structured behaviour change programmes and peer-led group work, individuals gain resilience, connection, and the tools to shape a healthier future.
The cost of stigma
“People think addiction is about indulgence or lack of willpower. But it’s not fun. It’s illness.”
Alcohol dependency is complex. It’s physiological, psychological, and often hidden. This man is articulate, intelligent, thoughtful. In his words, “People in rehab weren’t stupid. They were ambassadors, academics, creative people. Addiction doesn’t discriminate.”
There are around 600,000 dependent drinkers in England. Only 20% get any treatment. And the cost of alcohol harm? An estimated £27.4 billion a year – this includes NHS care, crime, social services and lost productivity.
A family on the edge
His family have been there through it all. “It’s changed all of our lives,” they say, “Trying to cope with the chaotic lifestyle, the physical and emotional challenges, is hard.
“We’ve tried to find help, but the support here is practically non-existent. Our hospital employs an Alcohol Nurse, but we have never seen them despite many attendances. Outside hospital GP’s are sympathetic but offer little or no practical help.”
What would make a difference?
We know what works. Minimum unit pricing has reduced alcohol deaths in Scotland. Screening and brief interventions in GP surgeries are cheap and effective. Local alcohol care teams reduce hospital admissions. A move to community treatment could reduce pressure on the NHS. And culturally? We need a shift.
Paul shared his thoughts, “Ban alcohol advertising. Kids don’t need to grow up seeing booze as normal. Put health warnings on bottles. It might not stop me, but it might stop them.”
A call to action
In England, alcohol is the leading risk factor for death, ill-health and disability among 15-49 year olds. And according to Emerging Futures’ own needs assessments (2024/25), 67% of people accessing our services classify alcohol and drug use as their primary need.
“These figures should stop us in our tracks,” says Claire Bloor, CEO of Emerging Futures. “Alcohol harm isn’t abstract. It’s real. It’s costly. And it reaches far beyond the person holding the bottle. Let’s stop treating it like a personal failing and start treating it like the public health emergency it is.”
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If you’ve been affected by anything in this article and need help, you don’t have to do this alone. Get in touch, and a member of the team will respond as soon as they can.
Email: info@emergingfutures.org.uk
Tel: 03330 124 714
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