“Alcohol is everywhere”. The public has its say.
A striking 82% of people in our region believe alcohol is a significant problem both regionally and nationally, according to a Balance survey. And one in five (22%) reported a negative impact from alcohol on their life in the past year alone, stemming from either their own drinking or someone else’s.
The findings emerge alongside the release of a powerful new film by Balance, the North East Alcohol Programme. Featuring candid interviews with members of the public, the film highlights widespread concern about the pervasive promotion, easy availability, and low pricing of alcohol—described as being so accessible that “alcohol is everywhere.”
These concerns underpin Balance’s “Reducing Alcohol Harm” – a ground-breaking blueprint calling for urgent national action from the Government to tackle the significant impact of alcohol harm. Alcohol costs the North East around £1.5 billion annually in health, crime and disorder, social care, and economic costs (1) and England £27 billion a year (2).
The blueprint is a call to action to the Government which underlines the need for bold measures to curb alcohol-related harm across the region and the UK. It is supported by prominent leaders including Directors of Public Health across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham, the Northumbria and Durham Police and Crime Commissioners, the NHS Integrated Care Board for the North East and North Cumbria, and the Mayor of the North East Combined Authority. It is also backed nationally by the Alcohol Health Alliance and the Institute of Alcohol Studies.
Despite record levels of alcohol-specific deaths and hospital admissions, regional figures do show some positive signs of change. 62% of people in the region are actively taking steps to cut down on their drinking (3), while 15% now abstain from alcohol entirely (4). But constant alcohol promotions and pricing deals designed to lure people into bulk-buying encourage people to drink regularly and can undermine healthy intentions.
The survey of people across the region (5) found:
- 82% of people say alcohol is a significant problem both nationally and regionally.
- 83% of people support measures to limit children’s exposure to alcohol promotion and marketing.
- 48% support the introduction of a Minimum Unit Price in England
- 67% feel the government has a responsibility to try to protect people from alcohol harms by raising awareness of risks and encouraging people to drink within low-risk guidelines.
- 59% say government has a responsibility to try to protect people from alcohol harms by introducing regulations and licensing laws.
- 22% of people have been negatively impacted by alcohol consumption in some way in the last year alone.
Balance took to the streets of the North East to hear views from people across the region:
Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for Fresh and Balance, said: “The clear message is that alcohol is everywhere and embedded in our culture. From TV and cinema adverts to stockpiled price promotions in supermarkets, it is hard to avoid the message to buy and drink more alcohol.
“These findings confirm what many of us see every day – and no wonder with nearly one million hospital alcohol-related admissions a year, alcohol deaths at record levels and more people becoming seriously ill at a younger age.
She added: “It has not always been this way. The alcohol industry has enjoyed a “free for all” with a lack of regulation and a green light to promote, price and sell alcohol however it likes without any regard for the consequences. Meanwhile, awareness of the risks of alcohol – such as the fact that it causes seven types of cancer – is worryingly low.
“The impact is being felt on our health, criminal justice system, economy and across society. This is an avoidable crisis but it has been ignored for too long. Our Blueprint is a unified call to action from leaders and real people based in the North East for positive and evidence-based action to reduce alcohol harm.”
Andrew Corry, 45, from Bishop Auckland, drank alcohol since he was 17 years old, sometimes to the point of causing blackouts, exacerbating his mental health issues. He says going sober was the best decision he ever made, leaving him feeling calmer and more in control. He is filling his 2025 taking on the Cleveland Way walking challenge and a series of ultra-marathons.
He said: ““Alcohol really is available everywhere, and it’s something I didn’t really recognise when I was an active drinker, but two and half years now in sobriety you can’t fail to see how much it consumes society as a whole.
“Alcohol used to only be available in pubs, restaurants, supermarkets and off-licenses, now practically anywhere can apply for an alcohol license and that is just part of the overall problem.
“Another issues is the constant marketing and social media messages to drink, as though alcohol should be treated as a reward as part of your day. If it’s Christmas, drink. If you are on holiday, drink. If you’ve had a bad day at work, or have got the kids to bed, drink.
“We are also used to reading the mixed messages that alcohol is good for you, when it clearly isn’t, fuelling poor mental health and a cancer risk from any level of drinking. The warnings don’t say any of this.
“It is all about their profits over people’s health and wellbeing.”
Alice Wiseman, Director of Public Health for Gateshead and Newcastle, said: “For too long the harms of alcohol have been soaring – but a lack of national regulation and a free pass for the alcohol industry to keep people drinking at risky levels has failed communities and hit our public finances.
“Many alcohol harms are preventable. We simply can’t afford for alcohol to be taking such a toll on individuals, families and communities and it is staggering to see the impact on frontline services across the North East. We now need to balance the profits of the alcohol industry with protecting local communities.
“Action within the region can only take us so far – we need a national conversation and evidence-based action to grapple with this alcohol crisis. The health and wealth of our region depend on it and we implore national Government to take this problem seriously.”
Dr Neil O’Brien, Chief medical officer for the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board, said: “Alcohol can harm the body in a lot of different ways, from severe diseases of the liver and pancreas, increased risk of at least seven types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. People also sometimes turn to alcohol when they experience mental health problems, but in many cases the effect of alcohol can make mental health worse.
“Prevention across all aspects of the system nationally and regionally is key to preventing ill health in the first place and also to reducing pressures on the NHS in the longer term.”
Stark Statistics Highlight the Need for Action:
- Alcohol contributes to nearly 980,000 hospital admissions and secondary diagnoses in England each year, including conditions such as cardiovascular disease, mental and behavioural disorders, cancers, and liver disease (6).
- Alcohol is a factor in around 525,000 alcohol-related violent incidents a year in England and Wales (7).
- More than 8,200 people died directly because of alcohol in 2023 – a 42% rise on 2019 – with the North East having the highest rates (8)
“Reducing Alcohol Harm” seeks to foster safer, stronger, and healthier communities, empowering people to live free from excessive exposure to alcohol promotion and pressures to drink from the alcohol industry. It calls for a co-ordinated and evidence-based national approach to reduce the damage alcohol inflicts on society and to support individuals in making healthier choices.
Balance’s Blueprint for Reducing Alcohol Harm is calling on the Government to:
1: Commit to the introduction of an evidence-based national alcohol strategy for England, free from alcohol industry influence.
2: Take steps to raise awareness of alcohol harms, via the delivery of public education campaigns such as Balance’s ‘Alcohol is Toxic’ campaign, the introduction of mandatory health warnings and nutritional / unit / calories information on alcohol labels.
3: Introduce pricing policies which improve public health and protect the public purse, including a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in England and a fairer alcohol duty system which keeps pace with inflation.
4: Introduce restrictions on alcohol marketing to protect children and vulnerable people.
5: Introduce a ‘public health objective’ in England and Wales and consideration of a wider overhaul of the Licensing Act.
6: Invest in prevention and early intervention and improving access to specialist support for at-risk drinkers.
7: Ensure that the alcohol industry is prohibited from involvement in the development of public policy around alcohol.