Oldham makes booze-shame top-10 list

BOOZY Oldham is among the top 10 hardest-drinking areas in the country, according to a poll out today.

Oldham is the ninth-highest in England for levels of combined alcohol-related harm, figures released by academics at Liverpool John Moores University showed.

Manchester took top spot followed by Salford, Liverpool, Rochdale and Tameside, the survey published by the North-West Public Health Observatory revealed.

They considered key indicators such as healthcare, criminal justice, benefits claimants, drinking patterns and deaths when mapping the nation’s booze breakdown.

Alan Higgins, director of public health for Oldham, said: “Reducing levels of harmful drinking in Oldham is a high priority for us.

“An alcohol strategy, which is in its final stage of consultation, has now been drafted.

“It looks at five specific alcohol-related themes, such as children and young people and crime and will involve creating plans to provide solutions for each.

“We also have an alcohol co-ordinator who works to ensure that alcohol treatment services are available across Oldham.

“An ambitious programme to reduce alcohol consumption in the borough was launched this year at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

“It offers brief advice, support and treatment to people of all ages who are drinking at hazardous and harmful levels.

“Those who regularly or repeatedly attend hospital due to alcohol-related problems will be a particular focus in this and will be offered the support that is needed.”

The national survey revealed two thirds of all local authorities suffering the highest levels of overall harm were the North-West and North-East of England.

By comparison, the East and South-East contained two thirds of all the local authorities with the lowest overall harm.

The survey found that more than a quarter of drinkers exceed healthy limits every week, with illnesses caused by alcohol rising rapidly during the last five years to 606,799, an increase of more than 240,000. There were 945,469 admissions to hospital for alcohol–related harm in England in 2008-09, 825 a day more than five years ago.

Dr Ruth Hussey, regional director of public health, said: “We are once again reminded of the terrible burden the abuse of alcohol causes residents of the North-West.


List of shame:


1. Manchester

2. Salford

3. Liverpool

4. Rochdale

5. Tameside

6. Islington

7. Middlesborough

8. Halton

9. OLDHAM

10. Blackpool