Excessive drinking habits have led to a sharp rise in alcohol-related disease in England over the past five years, with cases of cirrhosis increasing by 42% since 2004, to almost 5,000 cases a year.
The rise has led to demands for the drinks industry to be subjected to more stringent regulations. Moves could include bans on advertising and the imposition of minimum prices.
The calls follow the release of statistics to the Liberal Democrats by the Department of Health. Apart from the cirrhosis figures, these show that since 2004 there has been a 17.2% increase in alcoholic-related liver disease, to 14,500 cases last year. There was a 41% increase in alcoholic hepatic failure – to 1,200 cases a year. A quarter of people in England aged 16 and over can now be classified as hazardous drinkers.
"If you look at other common diseases such as heart and lung disease, the trends are getting better and people are living longer," said Professor Ian Gilmore, a liver specialist and president of the Royal College of Physicians. "But liver diseases, in particular alcoholic liver disease, are bucking the trend."
Last week Cancer Research UK published statistics that showed oral cancer rates for men in their 40s have risen by 28% since the mid-1990s, and rates for women in their 40s have increased by 24% over the same period. The rise was attributed to the increase in heavy drinking.
The government has introduced several initiatives to encourage people to drink less alcohol. These include awareness campaigns and an agreement with the drinks industry to include more information on labels. But Gilmore said the cirrhosis figures showed this policy was "failing" and that the introduction of a minimum pricing regime for alcohol was now vital to safeguard the nation's health.
The Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary, Norman Lamb, said: "After a decade of government inaction we are seeing the horrendous long-term health problems that alcohol misuse can cause. Ministers claim to be making progress on alcohol misuse but with millions of adults still drinking hazardous amounts these figures are only set to get worse. We need a radical new approach to alcohol-related problems."
