An estimated 1.09 million hospital admissions took place in 2014-15 for which an alcohol-related disease, injury or condition was the primary reason for admission or a secondary diagnosis, compared to 1.06 million in 2013-14.

The figures, released yesterday (June 30) by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, also show that men account for the majority of these admissions (65 per cent) compared to women (35 per cent).

There has been a rise in the number of drugs prescribed for the treatment of alcohol dependence. The number of prescription items dispensed in England in 2015 was 196,000, which is nearly double the number ten years ago (109,000).

In 2014, there were 6,830 deaths that were related to the consumption of alcohol, an increase of 4 per cent from 2013 and an increase of 13 per cent from 2004. Alcoholic liver disease accounted for nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of all alcohol-related deaths.