Key Summary
- One in four people fear that a partner, relative or friend drinks too much
- One in six worry that a loved one is taking too many drugs
- The problem of addiction is more prevalent among families that earn more than £50,000 a year
A recent study on alcohol and substance abuse has found that since 2019, there has been a 40 percent rise in the number of people seeking help for addiction.
The survey conducted by Censuswide for the Priory group of clinics approached 2,000 adults and found that one in four people fear that a partner, relative or friend drinks too much.
And one in six worry that a loved one is taking too many drugs.
Priory group psychiatrist Dr Niall Campbell said that the problem of alcohol and drug use is getting worse. "The government says we’re drinking less, but I don’t see that,” he added.
The survey also found that 10 percent worry that they drink too much and 5 percent that they use drugs too often.
Around 26 percent worry that a partner, family member or friend drinks too much, and 16 percent are concerned about a loved one’s drug problem.
The problem of addiction is more prevalent among families that earn more than £50,000 a year.
They are three times more likely to have someone with an addiction problem.
Many families also face the problem of addiction spread over multiple generations.
One in seven respondents (15 percent) said addiction had affected multiple generations of their family.
The Priory is launching a campaign called 'Break the Chain' to highlight how common intergenerational addiction is.
A survey by the Royal College of Physicians in July found that one in four doctors claimed that at least half of their average caseload of patients had conditions caused or exacerbated by alcohol dependence.
