Women and children are paying a high price for cheap alcohol

I’d like to take a moment as International Women’s Day approaches, to think about the impact alcohol is having on women and their children. We know alcohol is fueling violence in the home and children who witness violence or threats of violence between parents are more likely to display harmful drinking patterns in later life. Reducing alcohol availability and regulating prices is part of the solution; I accept it’s not the whole solution, but it plays a big part.

And unit pricing does work, it exists in Scotland right now, soon to be implemented in Wales, it shows there has been a 3% fall in alcohol sales per adult in Scotland in 2018 from the previous year. This is in contrast to England, where consumption has increased by 2%. Scotland introduced minimum pricing in May 2018. This change is significant.

“Cheap strong alcohol continues to wreak immense damage on communities in the North East” says the Director of Balance, Colin Shevills. 72,000 people are admitted to hospital every year in our region due to alcohol, but the affects are much greater than this, and some of it is hidden in a home near you, and just as deadly, even life threatening.

It’s a fact harmful and hazardous level of drinking is a major contributor of violence against women. And yes, women do perpetrate violence against men too, but the reality is most reports of intimate partner violence arise from men perpetuating violence against women. The Office of National Statistics tells us women were around twice as likely to have experienced domestic abuse than men.

The impact for women and their children is far ranging, the health effects include physical injury, which for some women can lead to pregnancy complications or miscarriage, emotional problems leading to suicide, suicidal ideation and depression, and alcohol or drug abuse as a method of coping. And the children of parents who are alcohol dependent, witnessing parental violence and conflict, they are left feeling socially isolated. A Government Research paper [1] suggests they are reluctant to seek help due to feelings of stigma, shame and guilt about not wanting to betray parents.

And if you aren’t sold on the impact it has on the individual lives of women and children, take a look at the cost of alcohol related intimate partner violence on society and the public purse. For health services alone, the victims of alcohol related violence are having more operative surgery, and more doctor visits, hospital stays, visits to pharmacies and mental health consultations over their lifetime than non-victimized women[2]. Wider costs include those to judicial systems, refuge provision, lost earnings, emotional costs to the victim and the millions Local Authorities spend looking after children who are impacted by alcohol.

That’s why I’ll be using the platform of International Women’s Day to support the Director of Public Health for Gateshead, Alice Wiseman in calling for a minimum unit price for alcohol, calling on the Government to “put a priority on health …. save lives, improve health, cut crime and reduce hospital admissions” and in doing so, I hope fewer women and children will experience alcohol related harm. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence you can find out how to get help from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help. If you need help with alcohol dependency visit https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/ and for help with the many consequences of alcohol, such as debt, housing or relationships difficulties you can find help at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

[1] Houses of Parliament, Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology, PostNote 570 February 2018

[2] World Health Organisation, Intimate Partner Violence and Alcohol