HAMMERSMITH and FULHAM is the London borough with the biggest drink problem, according to a new survey.
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The good news for the rest of us is that the west London area was the only one from the capital to make it into the top ten of England’s alcohol blackspots.
Most of the worst areas for alcohol problems were in the north-west and north-east of England, with Manchester pipping neighbouring Salford to the number one spot, Liverpool coming in at third and Middlesbrough fourth. Hammersmith and Fulham ranked sixth in the survey, which is based on a compilation of various health and crime stats.
Socially deprived areas generally had worse alcohol problems than their richer cousins. In London, the likes of Camden, Hackney, Lambeth and Newham were all well below the national average for alcohol health.
Local differences aside, the message from the survey is that things are getting worse across the board. For instance, there was a nine per cent increase in hospitals admissions linked to alcohol between 2006 and 2007.
The survey’s authors, the North West Public Health Observatory, believe the relative decrease in the price of drink over the last few decades is at the root of the problem.
“Further increases in alcohol problems are in store if we continue to focus on the symptoms of alcohol misuse, like night life violence and ill health, but ignore the causes such as cheap alcohol and a lack of recognition that alcohol is a dangerous drug,” said Professor Mark Bellis, director of the NWPHO.
