Rising numbers of young people are being hospitalised with severe, irreversible liver disease, as alcohol-related hospital admissions remain above pre-pandemic levels after peaking during Covid lockdowns.
asserted
admissions → rise → lockdowns
A new Burnet Institute report, commissioned by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (Fare), analysed nearly two decades of Victorian health data to examine the prevalence of alcohol-associated harm.
asserted
report → commission → harm
The study analysed 4,111 hospital admissions between 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2024, along with clinical data from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2024.
asserted
study → analyse → June
When Covid lockdowns began in March 2020, treatment of alcohol-related hepatitis – a subset of liver disease – rose sharply, the data shows.
asserted
data → begin → disease
They slowed after restrictions eased in late 2021.
asserted
restrictions → slow → 2021
But they have continued to be far above pre-pandemic levels.
asserted
they → continue → levels
The lead researcher, Prof Jessica Howell, said the rise correllated with a number of factors linked to the “overall stress” and “uncertainty” of lockdowns, although the report “can’t specifically tease out the causes”.
asserted
report → say → causes
“Access to alcohol increased because you could get it delivered to your home,” she said.
uncertain
she → increase → home
“So that really did lead to an escalation.”
asserted
that → lead → escalation
While men made up the majority of cases, accounting for 62.5% of alcohol-linked hepatitis admissions, there was a “a sharp increase” among women.
asserted
men → make → women
Howell attributed the rise in excessive drinking to stress for women during Covid, “particularly on women who were primary caregivers, managing schooling, work and home.”
asserted
who → attribute → schooling
“A small proportion of women also were at home and at risk of being stuck in violent situations if they were enduring domestic violence.
asserted
they → stick → violence
Lockdowns meant they couldn’t escape that.”
asserted
they → mean → that
Rising numbers of young people affected
The data also revealed 14% of people admitted with alcohol-associated hepatitis statewide were aged under 35, and the report warned that a significant proportion of people with severe alcohol-related liver disease were under 40.
asserted
proportion → rise → 40
James O’Beirne, a professor of hepatology at Sunshine Coast university hospital and Griffith University, said he believed the trends could “undoubtedly” be identified in other states and territories with further research.
uncertain
trends → say → research
He has also noticed anecdotal evidence of such a trend in his work.
asserted
He → notice → work
“Every week on the wards, we’ve got people under the age of 50 with very advanced liver disease and complications of cirrhosis.”
asserted
we → get → cirrhosis
O’Beirne said.
asserted
O’Beirne → say → ?
“We’re seeing people being admitted in their 30s with severe liver disease.
asserted
people → see → disease
“Women seem to be more susceptible to liver disease from alcohol than men because of their smaller body habitus.”
asserted
Women → seem → habitus
While the Burnet Institute’s findings appear to contradict other reports that show young people are drinking less overall, he said the previous research misses a key detail.
asserted
research → appear → detail
“While it’s true that younger people are drinking less alcohol across the board, there’s a subset of people who, unfortunately, are drinking a lot more.
asserted
who → ’ → more
A small minority of young people are actually drinking huge amounts of alcohol.”
asserted
minority → drink → alcohol
He said he also fears the changing drinking habits of young women “is leading to very advanced liver disease at an earlier age”.
asserted
habits → say → age
“It’s well accepted that women are now drinking much more than they used to …
asserted
they → accept → more
there’s this concept of ‘wine o’clock’ that you see on social media, which I think is driving this normalisation of regular drinking,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → drinking
Howell said the numbers “haven’t returned back to normal”, and fears they may not because “a new baseline of admissions for alcohol-associated hepatitis” has been set.
uncertain
baseline → say → hepatitis
Fare’s chief executive, Ayla Chorley, said the report “brings to light that alcohol-related harm is very real”.
“Alcohol harm is on the streets, in front of nightclubs and pubs, and we’re now seeing it’s happening in the home,” she said.
asserted
she → say → home
Chorley said the findings highlighted the need for greater harm-reduction measures, including restrictions on alcohol availability, regulation and marketing.
asserted
findings → say → availability
“The alcohol industry has been very successful at individualising this condition, saying it’s an individual choice to drink responsibly … that discounts society’s expectations and cultural norms around alcohol consumption,” she said.
asserted
she → individualise → consumption
“People feel like: ‘Did I do something wrong?
asserted
I → feel → something
Why can’t I stop?’
asserted
I → stop → ?
The Aporia
