MORE than 30,000 adults in Southampton face fatal liver disease and other chronic health problems due to binge drinking and alcoholism, it has been revealed.

Now health chiefs are warning people of the importance of drinking sensibly and for heavy drinkers to seek help before they do irreparable damage to their bodies.

Today the city’s emergency services, medical experts and rehabilitation teams unite for a hard-hitting Alcohol Awareness Week campaign.

According to statistics released by Southampton City Council and the NHS. 30,000 residents are drinking at levels which put their health at risk, while 10,000 of those are drinking so much that they are in danger of suffering physical and mental harm.

Meanwhile, a separate survey reveals that three-quarters of the city’s adults are unaware of new guidance which recommends that people should avoid drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week and should spread their drinking evenly over three or more days.

In Southampton there were 1,374 hospital admissions in 2013/14 where alcohol was identified as the contributing factor and 534 where alcohol was the specific cause.

Hampshire Constabulary says that at least 1,900 offences, eight per cent of all crimes, recorded in 2014/15 involved alcohol – an increase in 13.5 per cent on the previous year.

Alcohol-related harm costs the NHS in England £3.5bn a year – equivalent to £120 for every taxpayer, while alcohol-related crime costs between £8bn and £13bn per year.

Experts warn heavy drinkers lay themselves bare to falling victim to fatal accidents, injuries and long-term, often fatal, illnesses.

These include more than 60 medical conditions, including liver cirrhosis, strokes, high blood pressure, depression and mouth, throat, stomach, liver and breast cancers.

Many of these can lie undetected until they are so advanced that it can be too late to reverse the damage.

Dr Mark Wright, pictured left, a consultant in liver medicine at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) NHS Foundation Trust, warned that alcohol abuse is fuelling a rapid increase in deaths from liver disease which has risen by a quarter in less than a decade.

He said: “Alcoholic liver disease approaches silently, but arrives noisily, meaning that people who have been drinking a bit too much for too long suddenly find themselves critically ill with little warning.

“While we are seeing the effects of this across all age groups, increasing numbers of younger females are suffering liver damage as a result of too much alcohol – and it can all start so innocently.

“Alcohol Awareness Week is increasingly important to society as it gives clinicians and support groups a chance to highlight the problem as well as the many initiatives in place to help people reduce their alcohol intake and live a healthier lifestyle.”

Southampton’s campaign is being led by the city council.

Dr Bob Coates, the council’s interim director of public health, said: “We are focusing on the benefits that can come with cutting down to drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week.

“Many people are unaware of the links between alcohol and diseases like cancer and dementia, and while we can still enjoy alcohol, we must address the impact that drinking too much, too often can have on our health, and also on our vital public services.”

Council cabinet member for health, Councillor Dave Shields, said: “Alcohol plays an important role in the social lives of many of us and in the economy and culture of the city.

"This campaign is not about telling people not to drink.

"We want people who choose to drink alcohol to understand the risks and do so without harm.”

Superintendent Alison Heydari of Hampshire Constabulary, said: “Our message is simple, drink sensibly, enjoy yourself but know the risks.

“Drink-driving can cost you your life, or the life of someone else. Don’t drink and drive at all. The consequences of doing so can be devastating.

“Alcohol impairs your reaction time, your decisions, and your judgement.

“Let’s keep Southampton safer by sharing the knowledge we have around alcohol, reinforcing crime-prevention advice and promoting safety and health messages.”