Centre helping 600 addicts in city every year
AN ADDICTION service in Hull is seeing alcoholics who drink more than 200 units per week – the equivalent of a bottle of vodka per day.
The shocking statistic was presented to Hull North MP Diana Johnson when she visited the centre in Baker Street yesterday.
Humber NHS Foundation Trust's addiction service revealed it sees between 500 and 600 people per year – many of who are serious drinkers.
"Most of the people the centre sees are in their forties and male," said Ms Johnson.
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"And 70 per cent of the service users have additional mental health problems.
"It seems to me, this group are likely to be on benefits in rented accommodation."
The centre sees about 200-plus people on its inpatient unit every year.
Staff offer a range of services, including medical support, to help in recovery and rehabilitation.
But the alarming figures are not surprising for a large northern city, according to staff at the centre.
Consultant nurse Tom Phillips said: "Hull is no different to any other large city in the north – our statistics are no more startling than anywhere else."
And rather than it being people at the bottom of the economic ladder, those with serious alcohol dependency problems tend to have more money to spend.
Mr Phillips said: "If people have more disposable income, they have more money to spend on the thing they are addicted to.
"The simplest solution is to increase the price of alcohol."
5 Comments
by LSACHILDMINDING - ACCREDITED EARLY EDUCATION PROVIDER AND OVERNIGHT AND WEEKEND CARE
Saturday, February 02 2013, 8:01PM
“People can turn to alcohol for may reasons not because they are on benefits, unfortuntely my dad was an alcoholic and died aged 51 he was not on benefits and a goof friend of mine is currently using this service and doing absoutely fantastic with their support, unless you have been in this situation or lived with or been very close to someone in this situation you really cannot judge, none of us are perfect and im sure many people judge each of us unfairly in many ways, providing food vouchers wont help its addition and they need alcohol so will get it regardless until they get the right support, well done to all those who try to help them and to all those trying to get dry”
by fitlikeman
Saturday, February 02 2013, 3:47PM
“"It seems to me, this group are likely to be on benefits in rented accommodation."
those with serious alcohol dependency problems tend to have more money to spend.
A little contridicting to say the least these dole scrounging alcos need a big shake up...
stop the benefits and pay them with food vouchers”
by Woodz
Saturday, February 02 2013, 2:54PM
“Education. A lot of people still don't realise how dangerous the booze is - the alcos of today were the social drinker of yesterday..”
by KiminHull
Saturday, February 02 2013, 11:21AM
“Increase the Price of alcohol? They will just substitute something else or there will be a bigger black market in cheap booze. That isn't the answer at all. When it was expensive all the wino's in town were on meths! They need help, not pricing out the market.”
by farfutavision
Saturday, February 02 2013, 8:26AM
“"The simplest solution is to increase the price of alcohol."
Why on earth you can still buy cheap alcohol is a mystery to me, and I mean the "white lightening" or "vodcat" type. It will not solve the problem entirely, but may decrease numbers of addicts in the future if this type if alcohol is not accessible.”