ALMOST a third of adults in York drink more units of alcohol each week than the recommended level, according to Public Health England.

A report prepared for City of York Council says 30 per cent of residents drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week - higher than both the national and regional averages.

The city also has fewer teetotallers - just 8.1 per cent of residents abstain from alcohol compared to the regional average of 16.8 per cent and the national figure of 15.5 per cent.

And a spokesman for the council said that while incidents of anti-social behaviour involving alcohol in York have fallen in the past year, the number of people being admitted to hospital for drink-related issues is similar to the national average.

A report for the council’s health, housing and adult social care policy and scrutiny committee says: “The effects of alcohol misuse are that it leads to poor physical and mental health, increased pressure on statutory health and social care services, lost productivity through unemployment and sickness, and can lead to public disorder and serious crime against others.”

Michael Melvin, assistant director for adult social care at City of York Council, said: “Alcohol contributes to some 60 health conditions including an increased range of cancers and liver disease, while also impacting on individuals’ productivity and workplace wellness as well as on anti-social behaviour and crime.

“Anti-social behaviour incidents recorded by the police and involving alcohol in York fell by 14% between 2016-17 and by 11% between 2017-18 which is lower than the majority of other, similar UK cities. However, alcohol hospital admission data shows that York has a similar rate of admissions to hospital as the England average albeit slightly higher than the average of York’s statistical neighbours.”

Dr John Larsen, from alcohol education charity Drinkaware, says the UK Chief Medical Officer advises people not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis - the equivalent of six standard glasses of 13 per cent wine or six pints of four per cent beer.

He added: “Research shows that an increasing number of men and women are drinking alcohol in ways that increases their risk of developing serious health problems, such as liver disease, cancer or heart disease.

“If you choose to drink, and regularly drink as much as this, then it’s best to spread your drinking evenly over three or more days. We would also encourage people to think about having several drink free days a week to help them cut back and keep the risks low.”

The charity has created a calculator and app to help people monitor their drinking. Visit drinkaware.co.uk.