70,000 people quizzed about drinking habits

Findings already reveal 19 per cent of people living in Bolton’s more affluent areas have admitted to drinking to higher risk levels, with middle aged women drinking the most.

The campaign was launched to crack down on the number of Bolton people suffering or dying as a result of an alcohol related illness.

It was launched after it was revealed 54,000 people in Bolton are drinking at “hazardous” levels.

The figures were revealed by patients answering a series of questions at their doctor’s surgeries about their drinking patterns.

The questions aim to inform doctors of drinking patterns and to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking to excess.

Dr Stephen Liversedge, who is spearheading the campaign, is pushing for anyone aged 16 and older to answer the survey.

He said: “We have found it is the middle aged, middle class women who are drinking the most. What we are finding is women will share a bottle of wine with their husband at dinner — those women will be in the increasing risk category and some of those who will never have been worse for wear will develop severe liver disease.”

People who score above five in the survey will be referred to a health trainer, to be given advice and offered support on how to cut down on the amount of alcohol they are drinking.

Alcohol is said to attribute directly to 1,000 hospital admissions annually in Bolton.

Dr Liversedge, who works at the surgery in Darwen Road, Bromley Cross, said: “More people in the more affluent areas are drinking above the recommended weekly limit.

“There are no surprises to me in the findings but we will have definitely raised awareness and the programme will continue for another 12 months.”

Other findings include 682 people who took the questions were said to be drinking to an increasing risk or above. One hundred people were said to be dependent drinkers and 87 people were drinking to harmful levels.