Review of alcohol-related harm in Wigan and Leigh

An estimated 1.55 million people in England drink at harmful levels and a further 6.6 million drink hazardously 1 . In Wigan, alcohol consumption is particularly high (NWPHO, 2007a). Approximately a quarter of the population is reported to drink at hazardous levels and a further 7.0% at harmful levels. Excessive consumption can be linked to a range of harms including alcohol-related violence, accidents and injuries, ill health and early mortality. In order to fully understand the impacts of alcohol on the local area, Wigan Drug and Alcohol Action Team commissioned the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University to conduct a review examining areas such as alcohol-related ill health and alcohol-related crime.

A number of different sources informed this review including data published by the Centre for Public Health and the North West Public Health Observatory, in-depth analysis of hospital episodes data, external sources such as the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and data collected and held locally in Wigan. A Stakeholder meeting was also held to discuss the impact of alcohol in Wigan and Leigh, existing interventions and possible recommendations for the future.

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