Alcohol consumption is becoming an increasingly worrying problem in the UK. There has been a significant upward trend in terms of alcohol consumption, associated with an increase in alcohol-related deaths and admissions. This trend accelerated during the pandemic, with alcohol-related deaths reaching a 20-year high in 2020, highlighting the urgent need to address the alcohol misuse problem.
Statistics like these often eclipse the other consequences of alcohol abuse, especially in terms of economics. Most estimates suggest that alcohol abuse costs the UK £27 billion yearly, directly costing the NHS an estimated £4.9 billion annually.
This article seeks to explore the healthcare costs of alcohol misuse and dependence on the NHS and how the UK Government plans to tackle this challenge.
Statistics on Alcohol Use in the UK
Consumption of alcoholic beverages in the UK was estimated to be 84.42 litres per person, down from a 2019 peak of 106.07 litres.
This coincided with a 2020 peak in alcohol expenditure per household.
According to the most recent statistics, one in four men take above the recommended 14 units of alcohol per week, while about one in ten women exceed this cutoff.
Understanding how much alcohol individuals consume is essential for tailoring effective interventions, including medication and therapy.
The number of alcohol-related admissions in the UK was 320,082 admissions or 581 per 100,000 population in 2022-2023.
2022 had the highest number of alcohol-specific deaths on record, with 10,048 deaths (16.6 per 100,000 people), representing a 4.2% increase from 2021 and a 32.8% increase from 2019.
The Risks of Drinking Too Much
Drinking too much alcohol can have severe consequences on both your physical and mental health. Excessive alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for a range of serious health conditions. For instance, it can lead to liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer, which are often fatal if not treated early. Heart disease is another significant risk, as drinking too much alcohol can elevate blood pressure, leading to heart attacks and strokes.
Moreover, the risk of injuries requiring hospital treatment increases with excessive alcohol intake. Accidents, falls, and even violent incidents are more likely to occur when individuals are under the influence of alcohol. Mental health problems are also a critical concern; drinking too much alcohol can exacerbate conditions like depression and anxiety, leading to a vicious cycle of alcohol misuse and mental health deterioration.
Understanding Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol misuse is a pattern of drinking that causes harm to an individual’s physical or mental health, relationships, or daily life. It can manifest in various ways, including binge drinking, which involves consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period, and drinking excessively on a regular basis. Another sign of alcohol misuse is experiencing withdrawal symptoms when attempting to stop or reduce alcohol intake. These symptoms can range from mild anxiety and shakiness to severe complications like seizures.
Understanding alcohol misuse is crucial for identifying the signs and symptoms of problem drinking. Recognizing these signs early can help individuals seek the necessary support and treatment to address their alcohol intake issues. Whether it’s through professional help or community support, acknowledging the problem is the first step towards recovery.
Health Consequences of Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol abuse can have devastating health consequences that affect multiple organ systems. One of the most severe outcomes is liver disease, which can progress from fatty liver to more serious conditions like cirrhosis and liver cancer. Heart disease is another critical concern, as drinking too much alcohol can lead to hypertension, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Cancer is also a significant risk associated with alcohol abuse. Studies have shown a clear link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of certain types of cancer, including breast, colon, and liver cancer. Additionally, alcohol abuse can contribute to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and even psychosis, further complicating the individual’s overall health and well-being.
Counting the Costs
The NHS is a vital part of the UK’s health infrastructure. However, the chronically underfunded institution finds itself being increasingly stretched thin by so-called preventable illnesses promoted by unhealthy lifestyle choices like smoking, illicit drug use, and alcoholism.
Alcohol use alone costs the service almost £5 billion yearly, plus countless man-hours. Let’s break down the individual costs of the service directly related to harmful alcohol use. It is crucial to keep alcohol-related harm low by limiting regular or frequent drinking and adopting preventive measures.
Cost to Emergency Services
It seems right to begin by highlighting the cost of alcohol abuse to the emergency services since they are at the forefront of the fight against alcohol abuse in the UK.
Some estimates suggest that up to 15% of emergency department admissions are due to alcohol intoxication, even exceeding 20% in some hospitals. This peaks during weekends and festive periods when as high as 70% of admissions in some emergency rooms can be alcohol-related.
Recently released data shows that alcohol costs related to emergency services like A&E visits, as well as paramedic and ambulance services cost nearly £2 billion per year. Alcohol-related A&E visits cost £1.07 billion, while ambulance call-outs were responsible for £857 million.
Hospital Admissions, Injuries Requiring Hospital Treatment, and Inpatient Care Costs
Unfortunately, many alcohol-related admissions do not end in the A&E. This includes more complicated cases requiring long-term admission like alcohol poisoning, pancreatitis, and accidents related to intoxication.
A study on a tertiary referral hospital showed that almost 75% of alcohol-related admissions involved some form of chronic alcohol dependency (CAD). Many individuals with CAD are also burdened with long-term conditions related to chronic alcohol abuse like liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease, and certain forms of cancer. These debilitating diseases often require frequent inpatient admissions.
The estimated healthcare costs for hospital admissions and inpatient care were about £2.23 billion per year.
Mental Health, Serious Health Conditions, and Addiction Treatment Costs
Alcohol also places a significant burden on the NHS due to expenses associated with counselling, mental health support, and specialized addiction services such as inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs. There are also significant costs due to community alcohol recovery services and mental health care related to alcohol-induced conditions like withdrawal, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders.
Prescriptions for alcohol dependency alone cost the UK GPB 4.7 million yearly, while social alcohol treatment services cost almost £200 million annually.
Primary Care Costs
Individuals with alcohol-related conditions like chronic alcohol, heart disease, liver failure, and mental health conditions also make a higher number of primary care visits than the general population. These visits typically involve several blood tests, scans, prescriptions, and general health checks.
They also make use of more specialized services like hepatology, oncology, or gastroenterology, which involve more costly services on average.
Outpatient costs related to alcohol use are estimated to cost around £533 million annually, healthcare appointments cost £90 million, with an additional £73 million for specialist costs.
Preventative and Public Health Campaign Costs
Aside from just medical care, the NHS also, directly and indirectly, supports various programmes within communities, workplaces, and schools focused on promoting alcohol awareness and preventing alcohol-related harm. These public health campaigns are aimed at reducing alcohol consumption, promoting safe drinking, and educating on the dangers of excessive alcohol use.
This includes programmes like the NHS Long Term Plan which funds evidence-based NHS prevention programmes aimed at tackling smoking, obesity, and harmful alcohol intake.
For example, the NHS invested £26 million in the Alcohol Care Team (ACT), a programme designed to prevent repeat hospital visits by providing individuals with chronic alcohol dependence resources like counselling, immediate support, and connections to community services. This approach is expected to prevent thousands of admissions and save substantial healthcare resources over time.
Snapshot of the Economic Implications of Alcohol Misuse

Aside from the direct costs to the NHS, alcohol misuse and dependence have far-reaching effects on the wider UK economy. Estimates suggest that the total cost to the economy is around £27.44 billion, far exceeding any excise duty the government retrieves from alcohol sales. Let’s take a look at some key figures:
Costs due to crime £14.58 billion
Alcohol-related crime prevention costs £830 million
Damage due to alcohol-related crime £9.3 billion
Direct costs related to police and criminal response £4.47 billion
Losses due to productivity loss and unemployment £5.06 billion
Loss of productivity due to absenteeism £1.75 billion
Loss of productivity due to presenteeism (at work but reduced productivity) £2.21 billion
Loss of productivity due to unemployment £1.1 billion
Alcohol-related costs due to social services (e.g. child social services) £2.9 billion
Vulnerable Populations and Alcohol Misuse
Certain populations are more vulnerable to the risks of alcohol misuse, and understanding these risks can help in developing targeted interventions. Young people, for instance, are at a higher risk of long-term health consequences from underage drinking, including brain damage and an increased likelihood of developing addiction later in life. Pregnant women who drink alcohol risk causing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and other birth defects in their unborn children.
Older adults are another vulnerable group, as age-related health issues like dementia and osteoporosis can be exacerbated by excessive alcohol consumption. People with pre-existing mental health conditions are also at higher risk, as alcohol misuse can worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders. Recognizing these vulnerable populations is essential for creating effective prevention and treatment strategies.
NHS Response and Initiatives
The NHS has implemented various initiatives to address alcohol-related harm and support individuals struggling with alcohol dependence. One such initiative is the establishment of Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs), which provide comprehensive support and treatment for those with alcohol dependence. These teams offer counselling, medically assisted detoxification, and ongoing support to help individuals stay sober.
Another effective approach is the use of brief interventions, which are short counselling sessions that cover the risks associated with drinking, advice on reducing alcohol intake and addressing emotional issues related to drinking. Additionally, the NHS offers medications for alcohol dependence, such as acamprosate, disulfiram, naltrexone, and nalmefene, which can help individuals manage their alcohol intake and reduce cravings.
The NHS also supports quitting smoking, recognizing the link between smoking and alcohol misuse. They offer personalized bedside care, timely therapy, and follow-up help to support individuals in their journey to quit smoking and reduce overall health risks. These initiatives collectively aim to reduce alcohol-related harm and support individuals in achieving long-term recovery.
How the UK Government Plans on Reducing Alcohol-Related Harm
As the true cost of alcohol abuse becomes more obvious, the UK government has championed several proactive policies aimed at preventing alcohol-related harm, which is more cost-effective than treating alcohol-related health issues after they occur. Some of these policy decisions include:
Minimum Unit Pricing
Consumer expenditure on alcohol has steadily increased over the past two decades, reaching £23.9 billion in 2023. However, alcohol expenditure as a share of household income has fallen. This means that even as the UK public spends more than ever on alcohol, it has become increasingly available in terms of purchasing power.
The Government has proposed a policy to curtail this trend by setting a minimum unit pricing for the sale of alcohol. This refers to a baseline price below which alcohol cannot be legally sold within the UK. Those in favour of the policy highlight the clear relationship between the price of alcohol and rates of alcohol consumption. While critics feel it unjustly punishes those who drink responsibly.
Marketing Restrictions
Alcohol advertising in the UK is tightly regulated, with several clear rules surrounding where, when, and how alcoholic beverage companies can market their products. These rules are aimed at reducing the exposure of these products to underage individuals or portraying alcohol use in an exceedingly positive light.
Some current restrictions on alcohol advertising include:
No ads should target individuals under-18s.
Be shown around programmes that especially appeal to under-18s.
Link alcohol with irresponsible, anti-social, tough, or daring behaviour.
Show alcohol being served irresponsibly.
Show people drinking and behaving in an adolescent or juvenile way or reflecting the culture of people under 18 years old.
Link alcohol with seduction, sex, or social success.
Show those who are or appear to be under the age of 25 drinking alcohol or clearly having consumed alcohol.
Some interest groups have advocated for further restrictions such as:
A complete ban on alcohol advertisements across all media to reduce exposure to young people and those in recovery.
Removing positive emotional appeals and lifestyle imagery that glamorize drinking, similar to the plain packaging rules for tobacco products.
Enhanced age verification tools on social media and websites aim to prevent young audiences from viewing alcohol-related content.
Some proposals call for restrictions on outdoor advertising near schools, playgrounds, and sports events attended by families.
Advocacy groups suggest prohibiting alcohol brands from sponsoring sports events and teams, which often attract young audiences.
Mandating health warnings on all alcohol advertisements, including information on potential risks, cancer links, and recommended drinking guidelines.
Public Health Campaigns
The NHS and Government have taken steps to tackle alcohol-related health issues by funding a variety of preventive programs and expanding mental health support. Some important alcohol-harm reduction programmes supported by the Government and advocacy groups include:
Alcohol Care Teams (ACTs)
Change Grow Live (CGL)
Drinkaware Campaigns
Addiction Recovery Programs
One You Campaign
National Alcohol Strategy
Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI)
School-Based Alcohol Education Programs
Community Alcohol Partnerships (CAP)
Alcohol-Related Brain Damage (ARBD) Services
Seek Help at PCP
Alcohol abuse and chronic alcohol dependence are a severe burden to both individuals and society. Fortunately, at PCP we have both the knowledge and facilities to help you effectively deal with the challenges of struggling with alcoholism. We offer alcohol detox, rehabilitation, counselling, and aftercare services. Don’t hesitate to reach out immediately.