Shocking toll of Shropshire alcohol abuse
The grim extent of alcohol abuse across Shropshire was laid bare in a hard-hitting report today which reveals there are nearly 7,500 alcoholics across the county.
More than 40,000 adults are binge drinkers with 11,000 classed as 'high risk' drinkers. And the report says another 42,000 people are deemed as 'increasing risk drinkers'
The statistics are revealed in the Shropshire Alcohol Strategy for 2013-2016 drawn up by experts at Shropshire Council.
The report, which sets out ways to tackle the county's alcohol problems, reveals that nearly 90 per cent of Shropshire residents – about 216,000 – are drinkers.
Of this group, more than 42,000 people fall into the 'increasing risk drinkers' category while 11,000 are classed as 'high risk' drinkers.
And nearly 7,500 of Shropshire's 'high risk' drinkers are dependent on alcohol. Alcohol has also had an impact on the county's fire service.
Since 2009, there have been 40 incidents where people under the influence of alcohol have been a 'significant factor' in the cause of fires, according to Shropshire Fire and Rescue.
Meanwhile, alcohol was a contributory factor in more than half of the 17 accidental fire deaths in the county between April 2005 and April 2011.
The report also warned that alcohol had been a factor in some of the 29 river deaths since 2005.
It has also been revealed that up to 3,000 older people could be suffering from issues with alcohol.
According to the report, Shropshire's new Clinical Commissioning Group is to introduce a programme aimed at preventing alcohol misuse among older people during the next 12 months.
Wendy Condlyffe from Shropshire-based alcohol and addiction charity Impact, said alcohol was a hidden problem.
She said: "People who drink too much over a long period of time will visit hospital more frequently with other complaints."
