Alcohol problems soar in decade

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Hospital admissions for people with alcohol problems have topped 200,000 for the first time, while increasing by 41 per cent over the last decade.

Drugs prescribed to treat alcoholism have also soared by almost 75 per cent in nine years, according to figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Almost 180,000 prescriptions for drugs including Antabuse, which halts drinking by causing nausea and vomiting when alcohol is consumed, were issued last year – a six per cent increase on the previous year.

Alan Perkins, chief executive of HSCIC, said the figures illustrated "the impact of alcohol misuse on hospitals in England".