The dangers of excessive alcohol consumption have been widely reported since the Government announced that the recommended weekly guidelines for men were being reduced from twenty-one units to fourteen. The announcement came in January 2016 after a report by Public Health England, which stated that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption in terms of preventing illnesses such as cancer.
Newcastle Nights Out
Newcastle is well known for being a party city, and the recent bank holiday weekend proved to be no exception, as numerous people fell out of pubs and clubs after a night of heavy drinking. Police in the city are well used to these antics and expect to see many people lying unconscious on the streets after consuming far too much alcohol.
As well as those who have passed out from drinking heavily, police have to contend with revellers urinating in the streets or engaging in sexual activity in pub doorways. Sadly, this is a common occurrence in Newcastle, and Northumbria Police say that every weekend, drunken behaviour is a huge drain on their resources. They have said that fifty per cent of all violent crime in Northumbria is the result of alcohol consumption. Seventy-two per cent of assaults that require hospital treatment is also alcohol-related.
Violent Behaviour
Alcohol places a huge burden on the police and the NHS, and is particularly bad in Newcastle where getting extremely drunk seems to be the whole point of a night out. While many individuals drinking heavily can enjoy themselves and wake with nothing more than a severe headache in the morning, others become aggressive and violent and may wake up the following morning in a police cell. Heated arguments are commonplace as tempers flare and people take offence at what they might otherwise not bother with if they were sober.
Dangers of Heavy Drinking
The short-term risks of heavy alcohol consumption are there for all to see when they look at the photos of the many young people emerging from Newcastle pubs and clubs after a night of drinking. Nevertheless, regular excessive alcohol consumption can have a negative impact on long-term health as well.
Those that regularly drink heavily are risking damaging their mental and physical health. Alcohol has been directly linked to many health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, heart disease and cancer. It is also commonly associated with mental health issues such as anxiety disorder, depression and dementia as well.
Source:
- Collapsed in the street, urinating in doorways and being carted off by police: It’s just another Bank Holiday night on the Toon for Newcastle revellers (Daily Mail)