ALCOHOL is a problem that cannot be ignored says the chief of healthcare in Greater Manchester.

Official figures show there were almost 1,200 deaths caused directly by alcohol between 2015 and 2017, with the overall cost of alcohol to Greater Manchester an estimated £1.3bn per year.

Jon Rouse, chief officer of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “The Big Alcohol Conversation is highlighting how substance misuse is causing a range of harms to our residents and communities and putting huge pressure on our health services.

"It is an issue we cannot ignore."