Published: February 2025
Alcohol is widely consumed locally in Wakefield District and nationally across England. The 2021 National Health Survey for England found 79% of adults had consumed alcohol in the last 12 months [1]. The Wakefield Adult Health Survey in 2023 found that three in five respondents (60%) drink alcohol at least once a week [2].
Consumption of alcohol over recommended limits can lead to increased risk of several health conditions including liver disease, cardiovascular disease and stroke and some types of cancer. Alcohol consumption can also affect behaviour whilst under the influence increasing risks of being injured in accidents and falls and being assaulted. In the 2021 Global Burden of Disease review it was calculated to be the eleventh higher risk factor for deaths and the fourth highest risk factor for years living with disability across all age groups and the second highest risk factor for percentage of deaths and years living with disability in younger adults (15-49 year olds) in Wakefield [3, 4].
It can also lead to other types of anti-social behaviour and harmful effects to public health including increasing involvement in crime and drink driving as well as the risk, alongside other factors, of domestic abuse. Harm is also caused to children and families of those with alcohol dependence due to neglect, abuse and other factors [5].
As well as having the ability to negatively impact on health alcohol related harm has economic costs also. The Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) estimates that alcohol related harm cost Wakefield approximately £204.7m in 2021/22 which works out at approximately £579 per person [6]. This includes the cost on the NHS and healthcare, crime, the wider economy and social care. The costs of alcohol use to healthcare, crime and social services are estimated to be higher in Wakefield than the national average per head of population.
Headlines
- Alcohol is widely consumed in the UK, consumption over recommended limits can have harmful effects on health and people’s behaviour which can affect themselves and wider society.
- In the 2023 Wakefield Adult Health Survey it was found that three in five residents consume alcohol at least once a week and of those who consume alcohol 28% were hazardous drinkers and 5% were harmful
drinkers. - The Wakefield School Health Survey found the percentage of respondents who had never consumed alcohol decreased with age with 71% of Year 7 (11-12 year olds), 48% of Year 9 (13-14 year olds) and 20% of Year
12s (16-17 year olds) having never drank alcohol, trends show more pupils have never tried alcohol than previous surveys. - Alcohol specific mortality in Wakefield is similar to the national average and recent trends suggest the current rate is stable in Wakefield though there is evidence of increasing trends nationally during and
since Covid-19. - Rates of both alcohol specific and alcohol related hospital admissions are similar in Wakefield to national levels.
- Alcohol consumption over the long term can have a negative impact on mental health, data from Wakefield showed higher levels of depression in people with diagnosed alcohol dependence.
- Alcohol can indirectly affect a number of other health and risk behaviours including drink driving, domestic abuse, child abuse and neglect, and accidents and injuries.
- In 2022/23 there were 740 adults (18+ years old) receiving treatment for alcohol only and 175 for alcohol and non-opiates in Wakefield (figures rounded to the nearest 5).
How does Wakefield District compare…
In the 2023 Wakefield District Health Survey 60% of respondents drank alcohol at least once a week, with a fifth (19%) of respondents only drinking for one day and a further 15% drinking for two days. To contextualise these findings, the 2021 Health Survey for England showed that 49% of survey participants in England reported that they drank alcohol at least once a week, compared to the 60% of Wakefield respondents [2]. Trends for England suggest the proportion of people consuming alcohol has declined over the last decade especially in younger people (16-24 year olds) [10,11]. The recent Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns have also influenced people’s drinking habits, with national findings suggesting heavy drinkers went on to drink more and this may have increased risks of current and future harm [12,13,14]. Calculation of the proportion of deaths or admissions that are due to alcohol can be carried out in a number of ways, estimates used in this overview are based on the alcohol attributable fractions from the publication: Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: an update [15]. Alcohol specific deaths or admissions are those for conditions known to be wholly attributable to alcohol, this is a set of 20 conditions including alcoholic liver disease and alcohol poisoning. There is also alcohol related conditions where some of the deaths or hospital admissions are thought to be caused by alcohol but not all, this includes some types of cancer, and accidents and injuries. Deaths or admissions for these causes/diagnoses which can be further split into narrow and broad categories: Alcohol-specific deaths give a picture of the number of deaths directly attributable to alcohol and in England in 2023, the latest data, there was the highest number of deaths in this category on record in the UK [16]. Between 2012 and 2019 alcohol specific mortality rates for England were relatively stable but have increased since 2020 onwards and the number of deaths is now 42% higher than 2019 which has led to public health concern. In 2023 there were 64 deaths due to alcohol-specific conditions in Wakefield District and the rate is quite variable over that last few years and this may be due to relatively small numbers at local authority level. Hospital admissions for alcohol related causes decreased during the Covid-19 pandemic as did many other admissions for non-Covid-19 related causes [18] but have risen again over the last two years but are still slightly lower than pre-Covid-19 levels. Rates of admissions for alcohol specific conditions in 2022/23 are similar in Wakefield (580.3 per 100,000 people) to national levels (580.6 per 100,000) and are higher for men (802.9 per 100,000) than women (368.3 per 100,000) in Wakefield which is similar to what is seen nationally. A similar pattern was seen for alcohol related admissions using both the narrow and broad definitions with similar rates to England and higher rates in males compared to females. It was estimated that in 2020/21 the cost of alcohol related hospital admissions (Broad definition) in Wakefield was £52.10 per captia. Alcohol intake is known to be a risk factor for at least seven cancer types including breast cancer and bowel cancer (two of the most common types), mouth cancer, some types of throat cancer and liver cancer [19]. Rates for alcohol related cancer in Wakefield in 2017-19 were similar to the national average at 40.7 new cases per 100,000 people per year. See the cancer page of the Wakefield JSNA for more information about public health related topics relating to cancer in the District. Updated figures for more recent years are expected from NHS England soon. It is recommended that women avoid drinking alcohol whilst pregnant as it can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight [20]. See the maternity page of the Wakefield JSNA for more information about public health related topics relating to pregnancy in the District. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can also have long term health effects for the child through Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a health condition affecting a child’s learning, behaviour and physical and mental development and the most common non-genetic cause of learning disabilities in the UK [21]. Alcohol consumption affects the brain and can sometimes be seen by someone as a coping mechanism for mental health problems but in the long term can affect a person’s wellbeing leading to sleep problems, worsening of mental health symptoms, increased risk of low mood and the possibility of developing a dependence on alcohol [24], the relationship between alcohol and mental health is complex and inter-related. Alcohol dependence is known to co-occur with several mental health conditions. The National Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in England in 2014 found that 16 per cent of people with schizophrenia were drinking over the recommended limits of 21 units of alcohol for men and 14 units of alcohol for women a week [25]. Results from the next survey are due in June 2025. Bipolar affective disorder is also highly co-morbid with alcohol and other substance abuse [26]. As well as affecting an individual’s health alcohol can affect a person’s judgement, aggression levels, risk perception and reaction times which can all have a wider effect on their actions and a person’s alcohol use can also have an impact on others [5]. In 2022/23 there were 740 adults (18+ years old) receiving treatment for alcohol only and 175 for alcohol and non-opiates (see full dashboard with more information on drug use JSNA page). There are more males than females in treatment (61% vs. 39%). The age profile of those in treatment for alcohol and non-opiates combined is younger than those for alcohol only. The majority of those in treatment are of White British ethnicity (96%). In 2022/23 of those finishing treatment 46% had successfully completed treatment (figures from NDTMS, [34]). The following dashboard summarises some of the data about alcohol use in Wakefield, it is possible to browse through the pages and use the filters and options to browse different sections – if you need help to navigate the dashboard please see the guide about using dashboards which might help.
nationally?
Alcohol consumption levels
Figures for Wakefield
Looking at those who consumed higher levels of alcohol; a hazardous drinker is defined as someone who drinks 15 to 49 units if male or 15 to 34 units if female; and a harmful drinker is defined as someone who drinks 50 units or more if male or 35 units or more if female. Of those who said they consumed alcohol in the 2023 Wakefield District Health Survey 18% were low risk/non-drinkers, 28% were hazardous drinkers, 5% were harmful drinkers and 49% were not classified [2].
Some adults can develop alcohol dependence, estimates for 2019-2020 suggest approximately 5,500 people in Wakefield are dependent on alcohol based on extrapolating prevalence and survey data, which equates to about 16 per 1,000 residents of the District [7]. The Linked Data Model which includes data for all patients registered with a GP practice within Wakefield Sub-Integrated Care Board (Sub-ICB), apart from Alverthorpe due to different software systems, showed that in Oct 2023-Sep 2024 the monthly mean for patients with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence was approximately 3,400 patients, 0.9% of the total registered population, this is slightly lower than the estimates using survey data possibly due people not always attending primary care about their dependency.
The Wakefield School Health Survey asked children and young people in the District about whether they had tried or consumed alcohol [8]. The percentage of respondents who had never consumed alcohol decreased with age with 71% of Year 7 (11-12 years olds), 48% of Year 9 (13-14 year olds) and 20% of Year 12s (16-17 year olds) having never drank alcohol. The percentage of respondents who had tried alcohol has decreased over time with 58% and 39% of Year 7 and 9 pupils in 2020 having never drank alcohol, this is similar to national trends from the Health Survey for England [9].National changes and trends in alcohol consumption
Calculating the number of deaths and hospital admissions due to alcohol
Overview
Narrow – where one of the alcohol related conditions is the primary cause of death/diagnosis.
Broad – where one of the alcohol related conditions is the primary or any secondary cause of death/diagnosis.Mortality (Deaths) related to alcohol use
Alcohol related mortality in Wakefield is worse than the England average overall and for females but similar for males. In Wakefield there are relatively stable trends for both alcohol specific and alcohol related mortality rates.
There has also specifically been public health concern about the number of deaths in younger and working aged people due to alcoholic liver disease which have been increasing across England during and since the Covid pandemic [17]. Mortality rates in Wakefield District in 2023 (14.0 per 100,000) for alcohol specific deaths in under 75 year olds were similar to the national average (11.6 per 100,000).
Wakefield is in the process of developing a Drug and Alcohol Related Deaths Review Panel, the purpose of which is to examine suspected drug and alcohol related deaths, and non-fatal overdoses. The group will also explore and identify the learning opportunities from the examination of the cases, and the identification of common themes and issues, in order to reduce the number of drug and alcohol related deaths across the district. This will be supported by a Drug and Alcohol Related Co-ordinator who will aid the confidential inquiries and coordinate public health initiatives that monitor and reduce the number of drug and alcohol related deaths across the district.Hospital admissions
Alcohol related cancer
Alcohol during pregnancy
Women during pregnancy can receive help and support to limit alcohol intake. If a child is thought to have FASD they will be supported in the areas where they are affected by FASD by health professionals and offered educational and developmental support. It is thought between 1.2% and 3.6% of children in the UK may have FASD [22] but population estimates are not currently easy to capture in routine data but new coding for the condition may help to give more accurate figures in the future [23].Alcohol and mental health
Data from the Linked Data Model discussed previously found that patients registered with a GP in Wakefield and identified as having alcohol dependence were more likely to have a diagnosis of depression (55% vs 15% of total population) or severe mental illness (8.1% vs. 1.0% of total population) when compared to the total registered population (Oct 23-Sep 24). Those entering alcohol treatment are assessed to identify mental health treatment needs and 80.1% of clients entering alcohol treatment in Wakefield in 2023 who were identified with a need were receiving treatment for their mental health [27]. The recent suicide audit for Wakefield District for years 2019-2021 found a history of alcohol misuse was recorded in 32% of deaths [28].Other effects of alcohol on individuals and wider society
Alcohol can impair judgement and impact on reaction times which is why there are alcohol limits in place in England for drivers. In 2022 in the West Yorkshire Police Force area which serves the Wakefield District 34% of breath tests were positive or refused compared to the national average of 18% [27]. In 2019-21 there were 105 casualties in traffic accidents that took place in Wakefield where the driver(s) had a positive or refused breath test, this was 6.0% of all casualties, this is higher than the national average (3.8%) [30].
Alcohol is known to increase risk-taking behaviour and aggression in some people which can lead to increased risks of violent crime or antisocial behaviour. Estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales suggest about 40% of violent crime may be alcohol related across England and Wales with higher rates for crimes committed at the weekend compared to during the week and in the evening or at night compared to morning or afternoon [31].
Alcohol has also been found to increase the risk of intimate partner abuse including violence though the relationship is complex as many factors will be involved and alcohol shouldn’t be seen as a simple explanation [32].
Parents who have alcohol dependence may in some cases lead to their children being at higher risk of neglect, poor physical and mental health and poor school attendance and in some cases they will be referred to social services [30]. Most children and families referred to children’s services for assessment will have more than one factor identified and reported. Nationally domestic abuse/violence is the most prevalent issue (a factor in 49.6% of all assessments) followed by mental health (36.6%) and alcohol is a factor in 18.4% of assessments [33].
In 2022/23 22% of adults accessing treatment for alcohol or alcohol and non-opiates in Wakefield reported they were living in a household with children with a further 20% reporting they were a parent but not living with children [34]. In a 2019-2020 report specifically for Wakefield it was estimated 1,325 – 1,468 children were living with an adult with alcohol dependence which equates to a rate of 18 – 20 per 1,000 0-17 year olds [35].
Alcohol intake increases the risk of unintentional accidents or injuries and 9% of the estimated impact of alcohol in terms of years lost to disability is through this cause (GBD compare tool, [4]). Hospital admissions for alcohol related unintentional injuries has a trend of being higher in Wakefield District than the national average and this continued in 2022/23 (see dashboard for further details).Treatment for alcohol
For those new to treatment in 2022/23 42% were in regular employment with 34% unemployed/economically inactive and 23% were long term sick or disabled. When arriving into treatment 10% presented with a housing problem, 22% had a disability and 11% were consuming 1,000 units or more of alcohol per week. The majority (76%) had referred themselves or been referred by family and friends to treatment [34].
The mortality ratio for deaths in treatment for Wakefield compared to England (ref: 1.0) was 0.51 showing half as many deaths as expected if levels were same as the England values [36].
Unmet need compares the estimated number of people with alcohol dependence compared with the number entering treatment in the same period, giving an estimated percentage of those with dependency not currently receiving treatment, in Wakefield unmet need was 79.2% which is similar to the national average of 79.9% [34].
Wakefield in collaboration with Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust have implemented a substance care team (SCT) at Pinderfields Hospital. The Substance Care Team (SCT) are a specialist service offering tailored support to adult patients (18+ years old) experiencing substance related issues, including alcohol dependency and withdrawal for both Kirklees and Wakefield patients. All patients referred to the SCT team are offered a liver scan (Fibroscan) where medically appropriate. In addition to this the team can support patients in a range of ways including assessment, treatment, care planning, and referral and signposting to community services. In 2024 the team saw about 180-280 people per month and more than 90% of patients had issues with alcohol.Alcohol Dashboard
What are the differences within Wakefield District?
In the 2023 Wakefield Adult Health Survey it was found that the number of people consuming alcohol varies between different groups of the population with older adults more likely to have drank alcohol in the last 12 months and at higher levels than younger adults. Men were more likely to drink alcohol and at higher levels than women and people of White British ethnicity were more likely to be classified as a hazardous drinker [2]. Adults living with overweight or obesity and people who were currently not working were also found to be more likely to be hazardous drinkers (a hazardous drinker is defined as someone who drinks 15 to 49 units if male or 15 to 34 units if female).
Rates are higher amongst males than females for both mortality and admission rates which reflect the higher consumption rates seen amongst males. Mortality and hospital admissions rates are also higher in more deprived areas which leads to what is known as the ‘alcohol harm paradox’ as consumption rates are generally lower in deprived areas but harmful effects of alcohol seem higher, part of this is thought to be due to higher levels of heavy episodic drinking in people living in more deprived areas but other factors are thought to be involved [37, 38]. Age also affects hospital admission rates in Wakefield District with the highest amongst 40-64 year olds overall and for females, and highest in 65+ year olds for males. People who are homeless are at high risk of alcohol related deaths nationally with 71 alcohol-specific deaths across England in 2021, accounting for 9.6% of deaths amongst homeless people in England and Wales [39].Consumption of alcohol
From the 2024 School Health Survey in Year 7, females were more likely to have never drank than males but this was different in Year 9, where males were more likely to have never drank [8]. In Year 12 the proportions abstaining were similar for both sexes. Those of non-White ethnicity were less likely to have tried alcohol across all year groups.
Health effects of alcohol
Looking at hospital admissions in different areas across the District using the narrow definition of alcohol related admissions a comparison was made between the rates in different areas to the national average and given as a standardised ratio (100=same as England, >100 more than England, <100 less than England). Exploring differences in Wakefield found Wakefield Central had the highest ratio of 187 and the lowest was in Outwood East at 69. Across Wakefield 28 out of 46 areas had significantly higher standardised admission rates than the England average.Maps of alcohol related hospital admission rates across the District
Support and resources
National
Alcohol Change UK is a national charity providing information and resources surrounding alcohol and have a list of some of the support available.
NHS Alcohol support gives further information about identifying if you might have a problem with alcohol and lists a number of helplines and websites offering support.
Specific to Wakefield
Turning Point Drugs and Alcohol Support offer support and promote wellbeing and recovery from drug and alcohol related issues through their service hubs located in the Wakefield District. They work with over 2,500 service users, delivering a wide range of treatment methods including brief interventions and structured treatment, access to substitute prescribing and detoxification.
Wakefield Recovery and Wellbeing College run an alcohol awareness course, check website for if currently available. The college has courses open to all adults (anyone over the age of 16, with no upper age limit) to improve mental and/or physical wellbeing. They offer a range of courses and one-off workshops (both face to face and online) which all aim to improve wellbeing through learning.
References
1. NHS England (2022) Health Survey for England, 2021 part 1: Frequency of drinking in the last 12 months, by age and sex
2. Wakefield JSNA (2023) Link: Wakefield district adult population health survey 2023 final report.
3. GBD 2019 Risk Factors Collaborators (2020) Link: High alcohol use—Level 2 risk. The Lancet. 396 (10258)
4. Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington (accessed 2024) GBD Compare.
5. Public Health England (2019) The range and magnitude of alcohol’s harm to others – A report delivered to the Five Nations Health Improvement Network.
6. Institute for Alcohol Studies (accessed 2024) Cost of alcohol harm in Wakefield.
7. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2024 update) Alcohol dependence prevalence in England.
8. Wakefield JSNA (2024) Wakefield district school health survey 2024.
9 NHS England (2024) Health Survey for England, 2022 Part 1. Children’s health and health-related behaviours.
10. NHS England (2024) Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England, 2023 – Part 5: Alcohol drinking prevalence and consumption.
11. Ng Fat L et al. (2018) Investigating the growing trend of non-drinking among young people; analysis of repeated cross-sectional surveys in England 2005–2015. BMC Public Health 18 (1090).
12. Anderson P et al. (2022) The COVID-19 alcohol paradox: British household purchases during 2020 compared with 2015-2019. PLoS One. 17(1):e0261609.
13. Angus C et al. (2024) Modelling the longer-term health and health inequality impacts of changes in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in England. Journal of Public Health, 46(2):286–293. Link to text via White Rose online.
14. Jackson SE et al. (2021) Association of the COVID-19 lockdown with smoking, drinking and attempts to quit in England: an analysis of 2019-20 data. Addiction.116(5):1233-1244.
15. Public Health England (2020) Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: an update.
16. Office for National Statistics (2024) Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK: registered in 2022.
17. Allison, MED et al (2023) Deaths from alcohol-related liver disease in the UK: an escalating tragedy. The Lancet. 401(10375):418 – 420. Free registration required to access full text.
18. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (2023) Local alcohol profiles for England: short statistical commentary, March 2023.
19. Cancer Research UK (updated 2023) Alcohol and cancer.
20. NHS England (2023) Drinking alcohol while pregnant advice.
21. Department for Health and Social Care (2021) Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: health needs assessment.
22. McCarthy R, Mukherjee RA, Fleming KM, et al (2021) Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Greater Manchester, UK: An active case ascertainment study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 45(11):2271-2281.
23. University of Bristol (2024) Improving clinical coding for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
24. Mental Health Foundation (2022) Alcohol and mental health.
25. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2009) Quality and outcomes framework (QOF) Briefing paper. QOF indicator area: Serious mental illness.
26. Stokes PRA et al. (2017) Bipolar disorder and addictions: the elephant in the room. Br J Psychiatry. 211(3):132-134.
27. Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (accessed 2024) Fingertips Indicator: The proportion of clients entering alcohol treatment identified as having a mental health treatment need, who were receiving treatment for their mental health.
28. Wakefield JSNA (2024) Wakefield Suicide Audit 2019-21.
29. Home Office (2024) Police powers and procedures: Other PACE powers, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2023 (second edition).
30. Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (accessed 2024) “Fingertips Indicator: Casualties in road traffic accidents where a failed breath test (or refusal to provide a sample) occurred.
31. Office for National Statistics (2024) Nature of violent crime appendix tables: year ending March 2024.
32. Public Health England (2018) Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children affected by parental alcohol and drug use: a guide for local authorities.
33. Alcohol Change UK (accessed 2024) Alcohol and domestic abuse.
34. National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (accessed 2024) Adult profiles dashboard.
35. National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (2021) Parents with problem alcohol and drug use: Data for England and Wakefield, 2019 to 2020.
36. Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (accessed 2024) Fingertips Indicator: Deaths in alcohol treatment, mortality ratio.
37. Bloomfield, K. (2020) Understanding the alcohol-harm paradox: what next? The Lancet Public Health. 5(6):e300 – e301. Free registration required to access full article.
38. Probst C et al. (2020) The role of alcohol use and drinking patterns in socioeconomic inequalities in mortality: a systematic review. The Lancet Public Health. 5(6) e324-e332.
39. Office for National Statistics (2022) Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales: 2021 registrations.