Children put at risk as problem drinking rises sharply – but cuts deepen to alcohol addiction

Children put at risk as problem drinking rises sharply – but cuts deepen to alcohol addiction services. More children of parents who drink too much are being put at risk as alcohol addiction budgets were cut – but heavy drinking soared during the Covid lockdown. That is the conclusion from a nation-wide Freedom of Information survey published by a cross-party group of parliamentarians on Children of Alcoholics, released today. The APPG on Children of Alcoholics (COA’s) released the research to coincide with International COA’s week (13th February-19th February), which is now marked each year by a reception in the House of Commons. Key findings in the report ‘The state of support for England’s children of alcoholics, 2022’ include: Lockdown has seen levels of dangerous drinking spike across the country. In 2020, the UK alcohol-specific death rate rose by 19% increase compared with 2019 – the highest increase since the records began.[1] What’s more, latest data (2019/20) shows there were almost a million hospital admissions (976,425) related to alcohol consumption – 12% higher than in 2016/17. 1 The households buying the most alcohol before lockdown increased alcohol purchases significantly[2] in lockdown. According to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, eight million people in England are now drinking so much alcohol that it is harmful to their health. Many of these homes are homes to children. Yet our annual FoI exercise reveals that despite this surge in alcohol harm:

65% of Local Authorities cut or held flat their budget for Drug and Alcohol Treatment services between 2019 – 2021.

57% of councils still do not have a specific strategy in place to support children of alcoholics.

In 44% of councils, referrals to addiction treatment services are falling – in one council referrals fell by nearly 50% (Solihull)

29% of Local Authorities are forecasting they will either cut or hold flat their budget for Drug and Alcohol Treatment services into 2022.

However, the Group’s lobbying may have now won a major commitment from Health Secretary, Sajid Javid who was presented with the data by MP’s last week. The Secretary of State told a cross-party delegation from the Group that the government’s new addiction budget – of upto £177 million a year – can be spent by councils on supporting children of alcoholics. The group’s Chair, Liam Byrne MP, who lost his father to a lifelong struggle with alcohol in 2015, said: “Lockdown put massive pressure on families nationwide and the truth is, that some parents coped by hitting the bottle harder than before. Yet that puts their kids at risk. Children of parents who drink too much are far more likely to develop mental health problems or eating disorders – and far more likely to become alcoholics themselves. ‘That’s why we’re incredibly worried to see referrals for addiction treatment fall again – and national funding for the crucial NACOA helpline switched off. ‘I think the Health Secretary, Sajid Javid ‘gets it’. And if he’s serious on his commitment to our cross-party group that new addiction budgets can be spent on supporting Britain’s innocent victims of booze, then that’s a big step forward. Now we need to see that promise in black and white.’ The All Party Parliamentary Group on CoA’s will be hosting its annual reception in the House of Commons in support of charity NACOA on Tuesday 15th February, 3pm – 5pm. Notes to editors Annual Stafford Ward NACOA Reception 2022 Date: Tuesday 15th February Timings: 3pm – 5pm Venue: Portcullis House – Meeting Room M, and Livestream Guest speaker: Sophie K With: Calum Best, Jane Elson, Arabella Byrne, Josh Connolly and Liam Byrne About the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (@NacoaUK) NACOA is a registered charity (No. 1009143), founded in 1990 to address the needs of children growing up in families where one or both parents suffer from alcoholism or a similar addictive problem. This includes children of all ages, many of whose problems only become apparent in adulthood. Nacoa has four broad aims: To offer information, advice and support to children of alcohol-dependent parents To reach professionals who work with them To raise their profile in the public consciousness To promote research into the problems they face and the prevention of alcoholism developing in this vulnerable group Further information: contact Piers Henriques (Head of Communications at Nacoa UK) on 07855533962 (Whatsapp/phone) or communications@nacoa.org.uk or Jamie Tennant (Office of Liam Byrne on 07543 467392) The state of support for England’s children of alcoholics, 2022 FOI research prepared by the Office of Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP In 47 councils (44%) providing data, referrals to addiction treatment services are falling

Number of referrals to alcohol treatment services 2019/20

Number of referrals to alcohol treatment services 2020/21

Change 2019/20-2020/21

% change

Hertfordshire

2,836

2,242

-594

-21%

West Berkshire

1,543

961

-582

-38%

Solihull

781

399

-382

-49%

Worcestershire

1,538

1,227

-311

-20%

Blackpool

837

558

-279

-33%

Bury

1,083

822

-261

-24%

Wigan

1,472

1,226

-246

-17%

Leicestershire

3,018

2,847

-171

-6%

North Somerset

535

365

-170

-32%

Cumbria

845

690

-155

-18%

Harrow

783

656

-127

-16%

Wandsworth

479

357

-122

-25%

Kirklees

944

827

-117

-12%

Calderdale

1,214

1,099

-115

-9%

Manchester

1,149

1,041

-108

-9%

Leeds

2,462

2,356

-106

-4%

Hammersmith and Fulham

390

290

-100

-26%

Sefton

620

520

-100

-16%

Tameside

723

633

-90

-12%

Shropshire

674

593

-81

-12%

Southampton

213

133

-80

-38%

Knowsley

742

665

-77

-10%

Sunderland

349

272

-77

-22%

Sutton

636

561

-75

-12%

Redbridge

175

103

-72

-41%

Wakefield

945

873

-72

-8%

Bradford

452

381

-71

-16%

Nottinghamshire

1,822

1,769

-53

-3%

Isle of Wight

537

485

-52

-10%

Gloucestershire

776

728

-48

-6%

Croydon

1,007

961

-46

-5%

Peterborough

261

220

-41

-16%

Gateshead

329

290

-39

-12%

Leicester

1,966

1,930

-36

-2%

Medway

557

522

-35

-6%

Nottingham City

641

612

-29

-5%

Havering

328

307

-21

-6%

Blackburn

152

132

-20

-13%

Tower Hamlets

389

369

-20

-5%

Milton Keynes

154

138

-16

-10%

Bexley

242

229

-13

-5%

Hackney & City of London

401

389

-12

-3%

Windsor and Maidenhead

316

305

-11

-3%

Oldham

273

268

-5

-2%

Southend on Sea

442

439

-3

-1%

Brent

325

323

-2

-1%

Kensington and Chelsea

401

399

-2

-0%

Brighton and Hove

669

East Riding of Yorkshire

522

524

North Lincolnshire

201

203

Rochdale

441

444

North Tyneside

580

585

Telford

170

175

Kingston-upon-Thames

198

204

York

256

263

NE Lincolnshire

403

416

Bromley

1,183

1,197

Camden

440

454

Dorset

404

418

Bedford

212

227

Coventry

435

450

South Gloucestershire

Central Bedfordshire

237

255

Torbay

380

400

Halton

332

353

Hounslow

182

204

Stockton

320

342

Dudley

403

428

St Helens

869

900

Wokingham

103

Suffolk

1,145

1,177

Wirral

1,081

1,113

Slough

406

445

Somerset

845

886

Derby

561

603

Devon

333

375

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

351

394

Richmond

173

224

Barnsley

301

353

Cheshire East

917

972

Walsall

430

487

Waltham Forest

684

746

Portsmouth

415

480

Norfolk

967

1,035

Westminster

472

541

Barking and Dagenham

171

243

Swindon

341

413

Hull

520

595

Stockport

395

473

Cambridgeshire

495

574

Stoke

1,189

1,280

Newcastle

273

368

Oxfordshire

902

1,005

103

Derbyshire

1,208

1,317

109

Cheshire West and Chester

426

545

119

Northumberland

365

488

123

Newham

471

601

130

Wiltshire

474

606

132

Ealing

698

843

145

100

Hillingdon

459

608

149

101

Surrey

1,680

1,833

153

102

Birmingham

941

1,130

189

103

Doncaster

195

422

227

104

Greenwich

297

698

401

105

Lancashire

1,001

2,600

1599

In 80 councils (65%), budgets for drug and alcohol treatment services fell or were held flat between 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Budget spent on drug and alcohol treatment services 2019/20

Budget spent on drug and alcohol treatment services 2020/21

Inc/Dec (£) 2019/20-2020/21

Bradford

£9,417,000

£7,113,000

-£2,304,000

Stoke

£4,887,000

£3,694,000

-£1,193,000

Hull

£5,972,110

£4,883,028

-£1,089,082

Wirral

£6,823,646

£5,947,997

-£875,649

Tower Hamlets

£7,687,560

£7,090,639

-£596,921

Wandsworth

£4,497,000

£3,907,000

-£590,000

Birmingham

£11,604,000

£11,043,000

-£561,000

North Yorkshire

£5,136,000

£4,629,000

-£507,000

Croydon

£3,274,000

£2,802,000

-£472,000

Blackburn

£3,371,700

£2,930,600

-£441,100

Doncaster

£5,822,000

£5,391,000

-£431,000

Bristol City Council

£9,476,443

£9,053,113

-£423,330

Brent

£4,181,000

£3,780,000

-£401,000

Leeds

£12,800,000

£12,400,000

-£400,000

Hammersmith and Fulham

£4,418,000

£4,055,000

-£363,000

Dorset

£5,607,756

£5,254,398

-£353,358

Stockton

£3,226,000

£2,883,000

-£343,000

Camden

£6,921,065

£6,588,291

-£332,774

Brighton and Hove

£5,618,970

£5,291,475

-£327,495

Sunderland

£4,837,813

£4,514,467

-£323,346

St Helens

£3,048,075

£2,755,690

-£292,385

Solihull

£2,650,000

£2,365,000

-£285,000

Devon

£5,311,000

£5,038,000

-£273,000

Derbyshire

£5,683,008

£5,413,349

-£269,659

Essex

£10,042,749

£9,778,696

-£264,053

Bury

£1,985,551

£1,746,788

-£238,763

Knowsley

£2,214,000

£1,983,000

-£231,000

York

£2,178,143

£1,953,085

-£225,058

Haringey

£3,859,983

£3,635,735

-£224,248

Suffolk

£5,555,801

£5,343,185

-£212,616

Newcastle

£5,794,200

£5,585,044

-£209,156

Shropshire

£2,864,296

£2,677,360

-£186,936

North Somerset

£2,055,651

£1,873,081

-£182,570

Kensington and Chelsea

£2,459,000

£2,310,000

-£149,000

Kirklees

£5,494,361

£5,357,611

-£136,750

NE Lincolnshire

£1,572,000

£1,438,000

-£134,000

Barnsley

£3,055,510

£2,925,510

-£130,000

South Tyneside

£2,828,000

£2,720,000

-£108,000

Enfield

£2,606,772

£2,499,138

-£107,634

Stockport

£2,592,772

£2,486,774

-£105,998

Peterborough

£2,501,636

£2,398,408

-£103,228

Sutton

£1,910,780

£1,814,780

-£96,000

Westminster

£3,404,000

£3,329,000

-£75,000

Halton

£1,600,000

£1,530,000

-£70,000

South Gloucestershire

£1,921,900

£1,861,070

-£60,830

Cumbria

£4,212,000

£4,152,500

-£59,500

Kingston-upon-Thames

£1,448,004

£1,389,930

-£58,074

Wakefield

£4,126,440

£4,071,697

-£54,743

Rochdale

£2,850,600

£2,800,000

-£50,600

City of London

£414,494

£364,647

-£49,847

Hackney + City Of London

£414,494

£364,647

-£49,847

Bolton

£3,492,809

£3,444,482

-£48,327

Swindon

£1,719,493

£1,675,874

-£43,619

Slough

£1,221,940

£1,179,223

-£42,717

Barking and Dagenham

£1,989,941

£1,956,899

-£33,042

Bromley

£1,586,000

£1,556,000

-£30,000

Leicester

£5,591,949

£5,563,289

-£28,660

Gateshead

£3,599,824

£3,571,571

-£28,253

Ealing

£3,608,875

£3,582,641

-£26,234

Somerset

£4,236,089

£4,213,486

-£22,603

Durham

£6,189,580

£6,170,968

-£18,612

Southampton

£3,403,768

£3,385,598

-£18,170

Windsor and Maidenhead

£758,000

£740,000

-£18,000

Coventry

£3,299,000

£3,282,000

-£17,000

Waltham Forest

£1,987,389

£1,971,655

-£15,734

Newham

£2,422,000

£2,407,000

-£15,000

Trafford

£2,110,274

£2,100,393

-£9,881

Herefordshire

£1,513,507

£1,508,419

-£5,088

Thurrock

£1,192,000

£1,187,840

-£4,160

North Lincolnshire

£1,971,000

£ –

Oldham

£3,100,000

£ –

Redbridge

£156,883

£ –

Staffordshire

£6,500,000

£ –

Wokingham

£491,157

£ –

Havering

£1,390,998

£ –

Bexley

£1,884,990

£ –

Tameside

£3,269,000

£ –

Calderdale

£2,990,730

£ –

Greenwich

£3,300,000

£ –

Nottingham City

£6,097,478

£ –

Cheshire East

£3,039,658

£3,039,980

£322

Derby

£3,503,000

£3,504,000

£1,000

Lincolnshire

£5,009,652

£5,015,652

£6,000

Walsall

£2,759,000

£2,772,000

£13,000

Harrow

£1,916,107

£1,932,039

£15,932

West Berkshire

£633,953

£653,953

£20,000

Gloucestershire

£5,185,004

£5,209,400

£24,396

North Tyneside

£2,265,000

£2,293,000

£28,000

Wolverhampton

£3,968,000

£4,000,000

£32,000

Telford

£734,000

£778,000

£44,000

Dudley

£3,919,000

£3,965,000

£46,000

Hillingdon

£1,083,000

£1,133,000

£50,000

Hounslow

£2,128,000

£2,178,000

£50,000

Cambridgeshire

£5,444,907

£5,499,040

£54,133

Bedford

£1,450,000

£1,515,000

£65,000

Central Bedfordshire

£2,157,000

£2,223,000

£66,000

Kent

£7,558,000

£7,636,000

£78,000

Cheshire West and Chester

£2,672,190

£2,767,087

£94,897

Richmond

£1,257,000

£1,356,000

£99,000

100

Isle of Wight

£1,409,692

£1,514,775

£105,083

101

Portsmouth

£3,008,883

£3,121,469

£112,586

102

Surrey

£4,653,000

£4,777,000

£124,000

103

Wiltshire

£2,710,241

£2,835,109

£124,868

104

Northumberland

£2,887,136

£3,014,794

£127,658

105

Torbay

£2,312,415

£2,440,682

£128,267

106

Lambeth

£2,155,000

£2,294,000

£139,000

107

Southend on Sea

£2,425,000

£2,575,000

£150,000

108

Worcestershire

£3,726,594

£3,883,275

£156,681

109

Hertfordshire

£7,338,958

£7,525,890

£186,932

110

East Riding of Yorkshire

£3,137,000

£3,326,000

£189,000

111

Milton Keynes

£1,782,000

£2,016,000

£234,000

112

Southwark

£3,839,000

£4,108,000

£269,000

113

Lancashire

£15,216,000

£15,506,000

£290,000

114

Sefton

£4,123,335

£4,442,557

£319,222

115

Norfolk

£7,355,235

£7,758,220

£402,985

116

Wigan

£2,751,000

£3,183,000

£432,000

117

Sheffield

£5,370,890

£5,884,224

£513,334

118

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council

£3,830,239

£4,389,063

£558,824

119

Manchester

£7,907,298

£8,542,579

£635,281

120

Leicestershire

£4,179,000

£4,831,500

£652,500

121

Oxfordshire

£8,034,370

£8,811,819

£777,449

122

Blackpool

£3,498,786

£4,326,932

£828,146

123

Nottinghamshire

£8,426,934

£9,642,155

£1,215,221

In 36 councils (29%) budgets for drug and alcohol treatment services are forecast to fall or remain the same.

Budget spent on drug and alcohol treatment services 2020/21

Amount local authority area is forecast to spend on drug and alcohol treatment services 2021/2022

Inc/Dec (£) 2020/21-2021/22

Dorset

£5,254,398

£3,003,500

-£2,250,898

Essex

£9,778,696

£7,536,254

-£2,242,442

Devon

£5,038,000

£2,802,800

-£2,235,200

Bradford

£7,113,000

£6,540,000

-£573,000

North Yorkshire

£4,629,000

£4,072,000

-£557,000

Westminster

£3,329,000

£2,923,000

-£406,000

Bolton

£3,444,482

£3,050,257

-£394,225

Cheshire East

£3,039,980

£2,802,800

-£237,180

Southend on Sea

£2,575,000

£2,382,000

-£193,000

North Tyneside

£2,293,000

£2,102,000

-£191,000

Lambeth

£2,294,000

£2,126,000

-£168,000

Leicester

£5,563,289

£5,414,315

-£148,974

York

£1,953,085

£1,848,130

-£104,955

Wakefield

£4,071,697

£3,981,640

-£90,057

Sefton

£4,442,557

£4,354,825

-£87,732

Barnsley

£2,925,510

£2,855,510

-£70,000

Worcestershire

£3,883,275

£3,818,840

-£64,435

City of London

£364,647

£316,000

-£48,647

Hackney + City Of London

£364,647

£316,000

-£48,647

Southampton

£3,385,598

£3,361,500

-£24,098

Stoke

£3,694,000

£3,678,000

-£16,000

Bromley

£1,556,000

£1,542,000

-£14,000

Hillingdon

£1,133,000

£1,120,000

-£13,000

Milton Keynes

£2,016,000

£2,004,000

-£12,000

Cheshire West and Chester

£2,767,087

£2,760,640

-£6,447

South Tyneside

£2,720,000

£2,716,000

-£4,000

Camden

£6,588,291

£ –

Windsor and Maidenhead

£740,000

£ –

Waltham Forest

£1,971,655

£ –

North Lincolnshire

£1,971,000

£ –

Oldham

£3,100,000

£ –

Redbridge

£156,883

£ –

Staffordshire

£6,500,000

£ –

Hertfordshire

£7,525,890

£ –

East Riding of Yorkshire

£3,326,000

£ –

Sheffield

£5,884,224

£ –

Sutton

£1,814,780

£1,815,000

£220

Harrow

£1,932,039

£1,936,965

£4,926

North Somerset

£1,873,081

£1,879,924

£6,843

Bedford

£1,515,000

£1,528,000

£13,000

Lincolnshire

£5,015,652

£5,032,652

£17,000

Haringey

£3,635,735

£3,662,010

£26,275

Coventry

£3,282,000

£3,310,000

£28,000

Telford

£778,000

£810,000

£32,000

Kirklees

£5,357,611

£5,396,202

£38,591

Leicestershire

£4,831,500

£4,880,877

£49,377

Hounslow

£2,178,000

£2,228,000

£50,000

Gateshead

£3,571,571

£3,628,115

£56,544

Trafford

£2,100,393

£2,166,466

£66,073

Barking and Dagenham

£1,956,899

£2,027,320

£70,421

Slough

£1,179,223

£1,260,400

£81,177

Wiltshire

£2,835,109

£2,920,252

£85,143

Northumberland

£3,014,794

£3,101,629

£86,835

Bury

£1,746,788

£1,846,500

£99,712

Isle of Wight

£1,514,775

£1,616,671

£101,896

NE Lincolnshire

£1,438,000

£1,540,000

£102,000

Stockport

£2,486,774

£2,594,098

£107,324

St Helens

£2,755,690

£2,877,835

£122,145

Enfield

£2,499,138

£2,623,225

£124,087

Richmond

£1,356,000

£1,482,000

£126,000

Kingston-upon-Thames

£1,389,930

£1,523,432

£133,502

Gloucestershire

£5,209,400

£5,350,000

£140,600

Newcastle

£5,585,044

£5,732,350

£147,306

Wokingham

£491,157

£641,854

£150,697

Shropshire

£2,677,360

£2,831,180

£153,820

Derbyshire

£5,413,349

£5,571,894

£158,545

South Gloucestershire

£1,861,070

£2,022,060

£160,990

Swindon

£1,675,874

£1,842,600

£166,726

West Berkshire

£653,953

£844,525

£190,572

Leeds

£12,400,000

£12,600,000

£200,000

Somerset

£4,213,486

£4,418,258

£204,772

Sunderland

£4,514,467

£4,731,933

£217,466

Havering

£1,390,998

£1,619,241

£228,243

Central Bedfordshire

£2,223,000

£2,469,000

£246,000

Solihull

£2,365,000

£2,628,000

£263,000

Thurrock

£1,187,840

£1,454,817

£266,977

Bexley

£1,884,990

£2,209,990

£325,000

Tameside

£3,269,000

£3,607,161

£338,161

Torbay

£2,440,682

£2,790,500

£349,818

Calderdale

£2,990,730

£3,340,730

£350,000

Hammersmith and Fulham

£4,055,000

£4,415,000

£360,000

Herefordshire

£1,508,419

£1,876,608

£368,189

Dudley

£3,965,000

£4,335,000

£370,000

Rochdale

£2,800,000

£3,181,918

£381,918

Greenwich

£3,300,000

£3,684,000

£384,000

Peterborough

£2,398,408

£2,800,000

£401,592

Wolverhampton

£4,000,000

£4,411,000

£411,000

Bristol City Council

£9,053,113

£9,466,362

£413,249

Walsall

£2,772,000

£3,194,000

£422,000

Manchester

£8,542,579

£8,965,834

£423,255

Kensington and Chelsea

£2,310,000

£2,739,000

£429,000

Knowsley

£1,983,000

£2,413,000

£430,000

Croydon

£2,802,000

£3,234,518

£432,518

Stockton

£2,883,000

£3,340,000

£457,000

Blackpool

£4,326,932

£4,784,286

£457,354

Halton

£1,530,000

£2,000,000

£470,000

Newham

£2,407,000

£2,886,000

£479,000

Kent

£7,636,000

£8,118,000

£482,000

Durham

£6,170,968

£6,689,513

£518,545

100

Derby

£3,504,000

£4,040,000

£536,000

101

Birmingham

£11,043,000

£11,580,000

£537,000

102

Doncaster

£5,391,000

£5,930,000

£539,000

103

Southwark

£4,108,000

£4,683,000

£575,000

104

Suffolk

£5,343,185

£5,957,915

£614,730

105

Cumbria

£4,152,500

£4,781,750

£629,250

106

Cambridgeshire

£5,499,040

£6,200,000

£700,960

107

Wigan

£3,183,000

£3,925,000

£742,000

108

Brent

£3,780,000

£4,564,423

£784,423

109

Nottinghamshire

£9,642,155

£10,433,252

£791,097

110

Nottingham City

£6,097,478

Birmingham hodge hill

Children put at risk as problem drinking rises sharply – but cuts deepen to alcohol addiction

Birmingham
hodge hill