MORE than 4,500 hospital beds are being taken up by drunks every year in East Lancashire, shock figures show.
Alcohol-related overnight admissions in A&E and habitual drinkers who have damaged their bodies through years of boozing are using vital resources, according to the findings.
The study shows that the boozing is shortening the lives of those admitted to hospital by around a year and creating 3,500 violent crimes annually in East Lancashire.
The news has lead calls for health bosses to bring forward the introduction of field hospitals to treat people in town centres so they do not clog up hospitals.
A leading professor who oversaw the figures today said the problems were getting worse, especially as health bosses in East Lancashire were set to slash a third of hospital beds for overnight patients.
And critics said they were "absolutely astounded" by the scale of the problem revealed in the university study.
Figures collected by Liverpool John Moores University show 4,519 people in East Lancashire were admitted to hospital during 2004/05: Burnley: 922 admissions.
Pendle: 803 admissions.
Rossendale: 584 admissions.
Blackburn with Darwen: 1,193 admissions.
Hyndburn: 668 admissions.
Ribble Valley 349 admissions.
These figures mean about 10 men and 5 women per 1,000 of the population had to go into hospital for alcohol problems.
Burnley had one of the worst rates in the North West with 13 men and 6 per 1,000 being admitted.
Professor Mark Bellis, co-author of the report, said: "These statistics uncover just part of the devastation caused by badly managed drinking venues, underage alcohol sales, and an attitude amongst some individuals that drinking to near unconsciousness and alcohol-related violence are acceptable."
Professor John Ashton, regional director of Public Health, said: "The report confirms that alcohol abuse is blighting the lives of many people in East Lancashire and the problem is getting worse.
"There is no excuse for Local Authorities, the Health Service, employers and many others not now tackling this problem with vigour."
Lee Le Clercq, regional secretary for the British Beer and Pub Association, said the figures highlighted the dangers associated with the misuse of alcohol.
He added: "Unlike tobacco, alcohol can be consumed safely. We want out customers to enjoy themselves, of course, but we also urge them to respect themselves and to drink sensibly."
He called for the minority of poorly managed alcohol outlets found to be contributing to the problems of underage sales and with irresponsible drinks promotions to be closed down.
Coun Tony Humphrys, chairman of a health and overview scrutiny committee, said his committee was still lobbying health bosses for the introduction of town centre field hospitals.
"I am totally astounded with the figures, we need to get town centre medical centres rather than having these cases clog up A&E," he added.
Ribble Valley MP, Nigel Evans, said: "The cost of this must run into the many millions but the human cost is even worse and a price can't be put on that."
Elizabeth Smith, Chief Executive of ADS (Alcohol and Drugs Service), added: " Alcohol is an addictive drug and the public has a right to expect more education and persuasion programmes to counter advertising which promotes and reinforces drinking as positive, glamorous and relatively risk-free."
John Amos, vice chairman of the Patient and Public Involvement Forum for East Lancashire NHS Trust, said the research added evidence in favour of field hospitals.
Bosses at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust have pledged to cut 267 beds by next April, with about 180 to have gone by the end of August.
The move is to save the cash-strapped authority £2.5 million - and a total of 417 beds, a third of all beds, will have gone by 2009.
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