The Dr Foster Hospital Guide 2013 reports the following findings for drug and alcohol abuse and the impact on hospitals:
• Drug and alcohol dependency is one of the biggest contributors to hospitalisation among middle aged people.
• More than 500,000 people have been hospitalised for this reason at least once in the past three years.
• The peak age for such admissions has increased over recent years, suggesting a generational problem among people in their forties.
• In 2012/13, 19 per cent of emergency admissions for people aged 40–44 were for those with a known drug or alcohol issue. This means that around one-fifth of emergency hospital care for middle aged people is linked to drug and alcohol abuse.
• The average (median) age of this group of patients is increasing: in 2002/3 it was 41 but by 2012/13 it had risen to 43.