Alcoholism affects ½M in N.Z.

Press, 27 August 1977, Page 2

Alcoholism affects ½M in N.Z.

PA Wellington More than half a million i people in New Zealand are estimated to be in direct contact with, and probably ’detrimentally affected by, alcoholism, according to the •annual report of the Health i Department, tabled in Parlia(ment yesterday. There was no accurate measure of the number of alcoholics in New Zealand, but experts had suggested (that 53,000 were chronic al'co holies, the report said. i An average of 10 persons were affected by each chroInic alcoholic. However, the report said the figure for chronic alcoholics did not include excessive drinkers who were unduly preoccupied with alcohol and drinking at hazardous levels. Estimates of the numbers in this group ranged from 50,000 to 200,000. “If there are at least 100.000 people in New Zea-

iland with a major alcoholic problem, statistics of those actually receiving treatment give some idea of the extent to which the problem drinker is undetected and consequently untreated,” the (report said. “It is true to say that not I only in the community but lalso amongst professional groups, the problem is not receiving the attention which is warranted for a chronic and relapsing disease of such serious magniitude.” The report said that at present most general hospitals had no record of alcohol overdoses, and many disorders which were alcoholreiated were not diagnosed as such. “Further there is a proportion of deaths from medical conditions in which excessive consumption was a factor and which may have been alleviated had this factor been recognised.” The relationship between the misuse of alcohol and

road traffic accidents, and between excessive drinking and offences against persons and property was accepted. However there was much work to be done in measuring more precisely the extent of the association, as well as in identifying the main “at risk” groups, and in attempting to involve offenders in some form of treatment for their alcohol problems,’ the report said. Many ct those performing anti-social acts in which alcohol was a contributory element were alcoholics in need of treatment. The report said that alcoholism could now be described as the male psychiatric disease of New Zealand, accounting for 23 per cent of all male first admissions to psychiatric hospitals in 1974 and 31.5 per cent of male readmissions. Admissions in the under--30 age group and amongst women were also increasing, it said.