New report on North East drink and drug overdoses

Jul 7 2009 by Helen Rae, The Journal

MORE than twice as many people in the North East received medical treatment for problems caused by alcohol rather than drugs, new statistics reveal.

A study by the North East Ambulance Service showed that from April 2008 to March this year, 7,056 people were treated for alcohol-related problems while 3,604 were treated for issues related to drugs.

George Marley, clinical development manager for NEAS, said: “It does not surprise me at all that the number of alcohol-related incidents outweighs that of drug misuse.

“Alcohol-related cases are rising year on year and we can see there has been a 35% increase in hospital admissions due to alcohol issues. There has also been a rise of deaths from liver disease.

“It is not just one age group that is being affected, it is all ages and the problem is rising. It’s quite predictable that at weekends ambulance crews will be called out to deal with people who have had far too much to drink.”

Mr Marley added: “As a result, we are working with police and local authorities to deal with those at risk.”