How much of an issue is drug and alcohol abuse?
Alcohol consumption is rising in the UK and with it the adverse social, psychological and physical consequences of alcohol abuse. Alcohol-related sickness absence alone is estimated to cost UK business at least £1.2 billion a year. Heavy drinking is the third highest risk factor or ill-health, second only to tobacco and high blood pressure, responsible for more than seven percent of disability and premature death in the European Union (Alcohol Concern). Drug abuse overall is stable in the UK , but abuse of class A drugs such as cocaine is increasing. According of the British Crime Survey 2004-5 around one in three adults between the age of 16 and 59 living in England and Wales admit to illegal drug use at some time, and more than 11 percent say they have used drugs in the past year.
