Binge-drinking Brits die younger in north -study

LONDON, Aug 5 (Reuters) Northerners in Britain are more likely to binge-drink than their southern neighbours and are more prone to die younger as a result, research has said.

Across Britain as a whole 18.2 per cent of adults binge drink at least double the daily recommended level, but it is the northwest which has the highest level at 23 per cent compared with drinkers in the south (16 per cent).

The study by the Centre of Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University identified Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Liverpool and Durham as the cities with the largest proportion of binge-drinkers at 27 per cent.

The research said heavy binge-drinking could reduce life expectancy by nearly two years.

''These profiles graphically illustrate the growing cost of cheap alcohol, a night-time economy almost exclusively packed with bars and clubs, and a failure to deliver a credible drinking message to both youths and adults,'' professor Mark Bellis said.

The opposition Conservatives said the prevalence of a binge-drinking culture highlighted how irresponsible the government's recent decision to introduce 24-hour pub openings had been.

''This alarming research shows why it was wrong of the government to unleash 24-hour drinking on all our towns and cities, without a proper assessment of the consequences,'' Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said.

''Yet again the public are put at risk by the irresponsible actions of this government,'' he said in a statement.

Binge-drinkers were also more likely to need hospital care as a result of their episodes of intoxication.

In the north 1,100 men and 610 women were admitted per 100,000 population in 2004-2005 compared with less than 700 men and 400 women per 100,000 in the south east. The England average was 826 for men and 426 for women.

Liverpool and Manchester had hospital admissions rates of about 70 per cent higher than England overall, while areas like Wokingham and Berkshire had the lowest rates.

REUTERS AKJ BS0849