We need to talk about alcohol...

A conference looking at ways of tackling the impact of cheap alcohol in Liverpool has been taking place today, and this got us thinking?

It’s hard for us, as a ‘what’s on’ news outlet, to not mention alcohol. How can we talk about the best cocktails in Liverpool? The best happy hours in the city? And the best clubs for a party at the weekend, without talking booze?

Of course we can’t, alcohol is a big factor in terms of having fun and enjoying ourselves, certainly within the nightlife scene in our city. However, what we can do is find out how we can all drink that little bit less, whilst still enjoying ourselves, thus making us that bit healthier and less prone to the negative effects of alcohol.

A Mayoral Health Commission report published in 2014 estimated that the negative impact of alcohol runs to £228 million per year, or more than £500 for every man, woman and child in Liverpool.

One of the options that was discussed today is how Liverpool could influence the introduction of minimum unit pricing, which in Scotland is brought in this May. It will drive up the cost of super strength lager and cider, some of which is as cheap as £1 a litre at the moment.

In the last five years, Liverpool has seen a levelling off in the number of people admitted to hospital due to alcohol. However, the city still has the 8th highest hospital admission rate in the country and it is estimated that more than 115,700 adults in Liverpool drink more than they should do – with around 76,800 classed as binge drinkers.

Our Jay (who as we all know enjoys a drink from time to time) spoke to Dr Fiona Ogden-Forde, Clinical Lead for Alcohol at Liverpool CCG and Co-Chair of the multi-agency Liverpool Alcohol Strategy Group to get some tips and advice on how we can all look after ourselves in terms of drinking, and found out exactly what ‘binge-drinking’ is.