Social costs of alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland for 2008/09

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety today published the findings of a research study to estimate the cost to society of alcohol misuse to Northern Ireland in 2008/09.

Key Findings

The cost to society of alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland based on 2008/09 prices, is estimated to be £679.8million within a range of £500.8million and £884.4million.

The study incorporated a comprehensive literature review which considered existing methodologies of estimating the social cost of alcohol misuse. A number of key themes were examined and a breakdown of the estimates by theme is provided in each section:

• Healthcare, in terms of additional visits to GPs, hospital inpatient stays and visits to hospitals as outpatients - estimated cost is £122.2million within a range of £89.8million and £158.0million;
• Social work and additional services carried out by Health and Social Care Trusts on community care and children’s services - estimated cost is £48.5million within a range of £33.6million and £82.0million;
• Public safety, in relation to additional activity by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service - estimated cost is £223.6millon within a range of £167.7million and £279.3million;
• Criminal justice, in terms of additional work generated for the Northern Ireland Court Service, Public Prosecution Service, Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission and Northern Ireland Prison Service - estimated cost is £83.8million within a range of £64.4million and £103.6million; an
• Wider economic costs, including the impact of alcohol misuse on factors such as unemployment and absenteeism - estimated cost is £201.7million within a range of £145.3million and £258.2million.

The research is as robust and evidence-based as the available information allows, but upper and lower limits for each theme have been provided as it is recognised that cost estimates in a number of areas may be subject to a degree of uncertainty.

Notes to editors:

1. The Public Health Information and Research Branch within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety commissioned consultants from FGS McClure Watters in partnership with York Health Consortium to undertake a review of the social costs of alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland.

2. The cost estimates in the study have been developed using two main principles:

• Estimating activity levels and applying unit costs to these; and
• Estimating a relevant proportion of the total expenditure on a specific aspect of service provision.
  Due to constraints on the availability of specific information within the Northern Ireland context, the estimates developed for the study contain an inherent degree of uncertainty and the costs generated from this work should therefore be considered as indicative.

3. In developing the cost estimates, the consultants made as much use as possible of information published officially by Government Departments and Agencies, supplemented by other data held but not routinely published. It was also necessary to apply carefully thought-out assumptions in a number of areas of the study, drawing on evidence from similar recent studies in Scotland and England.

4. This publication is also available online.

5. Additional information is available from:

E-mail: phirb@dhsspsni.gov.uk

6. Media queries to DHSSPS Information Office on 028 9052 0074, or out of hours contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.