Alcohol-related mortality in deprived UK cities: worrying trends in young women challenge recent national downward trends

Abstract

BackgroundGlasgow, the largest city in Scotland, has high levels of deprivation and a poor-health profile compared with other parts of Europe, which cannot be fully explained by the high levels of deprivation. The ‘excess’ premature mortality in Glasgow is now largely attributable to deaths from alcohol, drugs, suicide and violence.MethodsAlcohol-related mortality in Glasgow from 1980 to 2011 was examined relative to the equally deprived UK cities of Manchester and Liverpool with the aim of identifying differences across the cities, with respect to gender, age and birth cohort, that could help explain the ‘excess’ mortality in Glasgow.ResultsIn the 1980s, alcohol-related mortality in Glasgow was three times higher than in Manchester and Liverpool. Alcohol-related mortality increased in all three cities over the subsequent three decades, but a sharp rise in deaths in the early 1990s was unique to Glasgow. The increase in numbers of deaths in Glasgow was greater than in Manchester and Liverpool, but there was little difference in the pattern of alcohol-related deaths, by sex or birth cohort that could explain the excess mortality in Glasgow. The recent modest decrease in alcohol-related mortality was largely experienced by all birth cohorts, with the notable exception of the younger cohort (born between 1970 and 1979): women in this cohort across all three cities experienced disproportionate increases in alcohol-related mortality.ConclusionsIt is imperative that this early warning sign in young women in the UK is acted on if deaths from alcohol are to reduce in the long term.

Revisiting the rationale for social normative interventions in student drinking in a UK population

“…Women were drinking less than men, but many were drinking well above weekly guidelines on a single occasion. Evidence suggests that young women are at increasing risk of alcohol related liver disease (Sheron et al, 2011;Shipton et al, 2013). Estimates of personal drinking levels were significantly lower than actual consumption, contradicting the assertion by Perkins (2012) that this does not occur.…”

“…Warnings by liver experts (Sheron, Hawkey & Gilmore, 2011;Shipton, Whyte & Walsh, 2013) are increasingly urgent regarding this population, but persistently high drinking levels appear to be illustrative of ineffective interventions. The messages behind the social norm movement that 'people aren't actually drinking as much as you think" may inadvertently be preventing consideration of the serious nature of the potential accumulated harm to young adults.…”

Low serum magnesium and 1‐year mortality in alcohol withdrawal syndrome

“…1 Some areas of the world are more severely affected than others. 6 Recent recognition of alcohol as a carcinogen may have contributed to these epidemiological estimates of alcoholrelated morbidity and mortality 7 ; however, little data are available in the literature relating to expected mortality for patients diagnosed with severe alcohol use disorder, as defined by a simple tool such as the Focused Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) score or following an episode of acute alcohol withdrawal. 4 Despite public health measures, alcohol consumption has continued to rise in the UK and United States over the past three decades, 1,4,5 while alcohol-related mortality among women has more than doubled in Scotland over the past decade.…”

Research utilisation and knowledge mobilisation in the commissioning and joint planning of public health interventions to reduce alcohol-related harms: a qualitative case design using a cocreation approach

“…Substantial differences between regions in the UK are noted, with the greatest increases in alcohol-related deaths being seen in Glasgow, north-east England and north-west England, including among younger women, which have led to calls for targeted action. 97 Differences in patterns of drinking have been noted, with older, affluent women tending to drink more frequently than less affluent women. 98 The wider health, economic and social effects of increasing alcohol consumption are well documented elsewhere 99,100 and efforts to reduce the harm caused by alcohol 101 would result in benefits for women of childbearing age as well for as the wider population.…”