Concerns as region’s drink levels come top in England

One in three North Easteners are drinking at harmful level ,according to new figures released as health bosses call for action over cheap booze.

New figures released from Public Health England paint a “bleak picture for the North East” according to health experts, as they show the amount people in the region consume the highest amount for any English region.

The figures set out that more than 30% of adults – 636,000 people – in the North East are drinking above the recommended drinking guidelines of 14 units a week for both men and women.

This is compared to about one in four (25.7%) in the rest of the country.

The data shows that enough alcohol is being sold for every drinker in the North East to be consuming 21.7 units every week – more than seven units above the Chief Medical Officers’ recommended guidelines.

The findings also reveal the North East is the binge-drinking capital of the country, with almost a quarter (22.9%) of adult drinkers binge drinking on their heaviest drinking day of the week.

The shocking figures come just a day before the Chancellor’s Spring Budget, with health campaigners calling for a tax increase on high- strength white cider, which will help tackle some of the most serious alcohol-related harms.

Colin Shevills, director of Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, said: “It’s very worrying that the North East is drinking at significantly higher levels than the rest of the country.

“There’s no other region in the country putting as much effort into tackling alcoholrelated harms than the North East, but the task ahead of us is huge.

“We urgently need the Government to support us in taking steps to make alcohol less affordable, available and widely promoted.”