Mid and North Herts charity says lockdown changed drinking habits
Further research from the NHS and University of Sheffield says it could cost the NHS £5.2bn over 20 years
The Founder and CEO of Resolve, an adult drug and alcohol treatment agency in Mid and North Herts, says lockdown forced people to drink at home and as a result, their drinking habits increased.
He added, "for those that are more likely to drink, they will have almost accidentally found that they were drinking that extra can of beer, rather than it being an active move to a high level of addiction."
Joe Heeney's words follow a new study commissioned by NHS England from the University of Sheffield that has found increased drinking fuelled by the pandemic could lead to thousands more hospital admissions, deaths, and cases of disease over the next 20 years.
The study also found that while lighter drinkers cut their consumption, heavier drinkers drank more and may never return to pre pandemic habits.
Alcohol could cost the NHS £5.2 billion over the next 20 years
Experts have said if all drinkers returned to their 2019 levels, there would still be an extra 42,677 hospital admissions and 1,830 deaths over 20 years due to alcohol.
But in the worst-case scenario, that number would rise to 972,382 extra hospital admissions and 25,192 deaths, which would cost the NHS £5.2 billion over two decades.
The team working on the research also said, "these impacts are not evenly distributed across the population, with heavier drinkers and those in the most deprived areas ... expected to be disproportionately affected.â
"Say 'I won't drink for two days'"
According to Mr Heeney the NHS recommends you "don't drink more than two pints a day, don't drink more than one glass of wine a day, and four shots is your lot."
He also offered some useful ways to cut back, adding, "one of the easiest things to do is say 'I won't drink for two days a week' and make it two consecutive days - the middle of the week is a good place to start.
"And if you're drinking daily, reduce your intake by half. I know couples that drink a couple of bottles of wine a night, so just drink one."