ONE in five people in West Sussex are drinking at levels which put their health at risk - that is the shocking news revealed by NHS West Sussex this week.
It says that around five per cent of admissions to the county's hospitals are related to alcohol and alcohol consumption, and the figure has been increasing for a number of years.
Due to increased affordability and access to alcohol, drinking leve
ls have gone up. Although it is young adults that are often identified with problem drinking, in West Sussex older adults consume more alcohol, more regularly, damaging their long-term health and impacting on public services.
Families and relationships can be devastated by the effects of problem drinking. There is growing concern from public and professionals about alcohol-related family breakdown, and the way in which alcohol can exacerbate domestic abuse.
Some impacts of excessive drinking are less visible than others and the trust says everyone should work with professional bodies to help them tackle these.
The situation is now becoming so urgent that NHS West Sussex is urging people in the county, who have not already done so, to back the Big Drink Debate manifesto.
To sign up to the manifesto, go to www.bigdrinkdebateSE.org.uk/manifesto where a full Big Drink Debate report on the research is available.
Read the full story in the West Sussex Gazette - out now, priced 35p.