DEATHS linked to alcohol abuse in East Lancashire are among the highest in the country.

Hard-drinking men have left Blackburn with Darwen with the seventh worst rates for chronic liver disease out of 326 local authorities, according to statistics from the North West Public Health Observatory.

The latest Local Alcohol Profiles for England released yesterday show that Blackburn's rate from 2005 to 2007 was around 30 deaths per 100,000 population from liver failure, while neighbouring Hyndburn clocked in at approximately 27 deaths and came 10th in the nationwide table.

Hyndburn came sixth for male deaths attributed to alcohol and Blackburn with Darwen was ranked 10th for male deaths caused specifically by alcohol. Burnley was ranked 11th for male deaths specifically caused by alcohol The study also shows that if all alcohol-attributable deaths were prevented, men in Blackburn with Darwen could expect to live up to 15 months longer on average, while men in Hyndburn could live 14 months longer.

Burnley’s hard-drinking women have the fourth worst rates for specifically alcohol-related deaths out of 326 local authorities, according to statistics from the North West Public Health Observatory.

The latest local alcohol profiles for England show that the rate from 2005 to 2007 was around 14 deaths per 100,000, a slight decrease on the previous figure of 15 – then the country’s second worse ranking.

Hospital admission rates for under 18s were also among the worst nationally, although Burnley had fallen two places lower than nearby Rossendale – with the authorities in 18th and 16th place respectively.

Burnley was also ranked fourth nationwide in the category of people claim-ing incapacity benefit due to alcoholism, based on a rate of around 350 people per 100,000 according to the Department for Work and Pensions’ 2008 data.

Blackburn with Darwen was also ranked fifth in the category of people claiming Incapacity Benefit due to alcoholism, based on a rate of around 350 people per 100,000 according to the Department for Work and Pensions' 2008 data.

Dr Gifford Kerr, consultant in public health at NHS Blackburn with Darwen, said reducing alcohol-related harm was one of its key priorities for improving people's health and wellbeing, reflected in its strategic plans and 'significant new investments'.

Dr Tom Smith, the Lancashire Telegraph’s medical expert, said: “Fifteen or 14 months may not sound like long.

“But that is because they have taken the whole population to find this average.

“It will include people who have not been drinking very much or drinking moderately, which can actually be good for you, or not drinking at all.

“If you actually take the people who have been drinking a lot then that could be many, many years for them that are being lost.

“It is a very high score.”

Coun Darren Reynolds, Burnley Borough Council health scrutiny member, said it was very difficult for authorities to stop parents providing their children with alcohol.

He said: “There are a couple of things we have done.

“We have become much more aggressive with off licences that are supply-ing children with alcohol and we have permanently withdrawn licences from two off-licences.

“We have also introduced an alcohol control order that gives police the power to confiscate alcohol from anybody, adults or children, contri-buting to anti-social behaviour.

“The police have always been able to take alcohol from children, but they would just give it to their older friends.

“The actions are being taken but it’s a long haul.

“We have got to teach parents to take more responsibility for their children because interv-ening between parents and their children is very difficult for the state.”

Dr Smith said women were drinking far more than ever before.

“We are seeing women with liver failure in their late 20s and early 30s, and we never used to see that ever,” he said.