Commission calls for evidence on how alcohol harms working lives

Health professionals are being asked to supply evidence on the effects alcohol has on health and any changes needed to reduce the harm caused by excessive drinking.

The Commission on Alcohol Harm is seeking written evidence from people working in all specialties of medicine on the harm alcohol causes in work and in personal life ahead of three oral evidence-gathering sessions planned for later this year.

It argues that one million hospital admissions per year and 10% of all diseases and deaths in the UK can be related to alcohol.

Meanwhile, a study commissoned by Yorkshire Cancer Research has found one in five people exceeds the government’s recommended weekly alcohol limit every week, while one in 10 consumes alcohol every day.

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: “The Commission on Alcohol Harm is an extremely important investigation into how all parts of our society are impacted by our drinking habits.

“We need to have voices representing the wide range of experiences of alcohol harm; including those on the front-line, researchers and those with first hand experience of alcohol harm. Together, we can build a solid case for change.”

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, chair of the Commission on Alcohol Harm, added: “Alcohol plays a huge part of the everyday lives of many people across the UK, and therefore it is important to examine its impact on our society more closely. We need to understand how our drinking habits affect our own health as well as the way alcohol can affect those around us.

“We welcome the input of those who face the effects of alcohol harm in their professional or personal lives in order to help us make meaningful recommendations on a vision for the future.”

The Commission is inviting submissions through its website or by emailing harms_commission@ahauk.org until 17 February.