Figures show hospital drink cases

Ministers are consulting on plans to tackle the country's alcohol culture

Glasgow has Scotland's highest rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions, new figures have shown.

The NHS statistics said an average of 860 people per 100,000 were admitted between 2004 and 2006 in Scotland.

But in the east end of Glasgow that rose to 1,505, compared to a regional low of 501 in East Renfrewshire.

Alcohol misuse is estimated to cost Scotland £2.25bn every year, with related deaths more than doubling in the past decade.

The statistics showed wide variation across Scotland in the number of people admitted to hospital as a result of alcohol-related illness.

East and south east Glasgow and south east Highland were among the worst areas nationally, parts of which had 3% of the population admitted to hospital at least once because of alcohol.

But in areas such as Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire and Edinburgh, the admission rate was just 0.2%.

Heart disease

The information and statistics division of the NHS said admissions were falling in these areas but rising in the problem areas.

The figures also showed that levels of heart disease mirrored those of alcohol abuse in many parts of the country.

The Western Isles had high levels of hospital admissions, along with most of the central belt and south east Highland.

The lowest rates of heart disease were in parts of Dumfries and Galloway and Edinburgh.

Levels of heart disease continued to fall dramatically, largely as a result of new drugs and better hospital treatments.

Life expectancy also continues to improve - the average Scottish man could expect to live to 74 and the average Scottish woman to 79, the figures said.

Dunbartonshire has the highest male life expectancy at 77, with Orkney best for women at 81.

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