Areas with a high density of alcohol outlets have higher drink-related hospital admission rates, a new study from the University of Sheffield has found.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University’s School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), revealed that the places in England with the most pubs, bars and nightclubs had a 13 percent higher admission rate for acute conditions caused by alcohol such as drunkenness and vomiting.
These areas also had a 22 percent higher hospital admission rate for chronic conditions caused by alcohol – such as liver disease, compared with places with the lowest density of alcohol vendors.
The research, funded by Alcohol Research UK, analysed both on-trade outlets—where alcohol can be bought and consumed on the premises such as pubs, clubs and restaurants—as well as off-trade outlets—where alcohol is purchased to drink elsewhere, like supermarkets and convenience stores.
The study, which is the largest of its kind worldwide, examined data on more than one million admissions wholly attributable to alcohol over 12 years. It included all 32,482 census areas in England.
The results also showed:
- Places with the highest density of restaurants licenced to sell alcohol had nine percent higher admission rates for acute conditions and nine percent higher admission rates for chronic conditions caused by alcohol.
- Areas with the highest density of other on-trade outlets (such as hotels, casinos and sports clubs) had 12 percent higher admission rates for acute conditions and 19 percent higher admission rates for chronic conditions caused by alcohol, compared with areas with the lowest density of other on-trade outlets.
- Places with the highest density of convenience stores had 10 percent higher admission rates for acute conditions and seven percent higher admission rates for chronic conditions compared with areas with the lowest density of convenience stores.
Ravi Maheswaran, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Sheffield, said: “The strongest link was between pubs, bars and nightclubs and admissions for alcoholic liver disease.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-08-areas-alcohol-vendors-higher-hospital.html
