1,000 alcohol-related admissions to Harrogate hospital prompts warning

Harrogate party-goers have been warned that an estimated 1,000 hospital admissions occurred in 2015/16 in the town as a direct consequence of alcohol.
Yorkshire Water is calling on party-goers to have a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks over the festive period to keep them compos mentisYorkshire Water is calling on party-goers to have a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks over the festive period to keep them compos mentis
Yorkshire Water is calling on party-goers to have a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks over the festive period to keep them compos mentis

The warning has come ahead of the festive period, when hospital admissions typically rise, and has prompted Yorkshire Water and the UK Chief Medical Officers to issue a public health message.

As part of it’s new ‘Course it’s Better’ campaign, Yorkshire Water has declared that the best festive drink on offer this Christmas is tap water.

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According to the latest provisional data from Public Health England (PHE), Harrogate had 1,097 hospital admissions in 2015/16 year as a direct result of alcohol.

This equated to a 12% rise compared to 2010/11 figures, which cover admissions for a variety of reasons including numerous alcohol related diseases and binge drinking.

The message urges people to avoid excessive alcohol consumption over the Christmas period and to drink a glass of water between alcoholic drinks, to help keep them compos mentis.

Susan Gee, Health & Wellness Manager at Yorkshire Water, said: “Drinking water in-between alcoholic drinks is a streetwise move that will help you from getting too drunk and embarrassing yourself at the work Christmas party.

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"As alcohol is a diuretic this means that it has the effect of taking water out of the body and can dehydrate and it is this dehydration that causes hangovers the next morning.

"We want people to enjoy themselves but not forget to have a tipple of water too this Christmas to keep the hangovers at bay!”

Across the whole of Yorkshire, there was an estimated 35,508 alcohol related hospital admissions in 2015/16.

The advice by Yorkshire Water and the UK Chief Medical Officers is designed to try and help reduce the burden on Harrogate hospital services by encouraging party-goers to pace themselves when on a night out and stay well hydrated.

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The UK Chief Medical Officers advise that if you regularly drink as much as 14 units per week, it is best to spread evenly over three or more days.

If you have one or two heavy drinking episodes a week, you increase your risks of death from long term illness and from accidents and injuries.