Symposium to discuss public health issue of alcohol
Published: 20 October 2023 at 16:30
ARU’s School of Medicine welcomes three expert speakers for free on-campus event
The public health issue of the physical and mental harm caused by alcohol dependence will be discussed by expert speakers at the latest Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) School of Medicine Symposium next month.
Alcohol was responsible for almost 9,000 deaths in the UK in 2020. The risk of death, ill health and disability from alcohol misuse is greatest among people aged between 15 and 49, and alcohol is a causal factor in more than 60 medical conditions, including cancer, high blood pressure, cirrhosis and depression. It is estimated that there are 600,000 people in England who are dependant on alcohol.
The symposium at ARU’s Chelmsford campus on Tuesday, 7 November, is open to the public. It will feature a panel of experts will discuss the public health aspect of alcohol, new treatments for conditions caused by alcohol, and the approach to alcohol dependence and withdrawal.
Speakers include Sir Ian Gilmore, former President of the Royal College of Physicians and current chair of Alcohol Health Alliance UK, who will review the role Government can play in tackling the public health issues caused by alcohol.
Professor Mark Thursz of Imperial College, London is a leading expert on the management of both acute and end stage alcoholic liver disease and will report on the latest therapeutic measures to deal with the particular condition of acute alcoholic hepatitis, the leading cause of alcohol-related liver disease death in the UK and across the Western world.
Professor Colin Drummond, Professor of Addiction Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, will cover the problem of alcohol withdrawal and long-term abstinence, particularly in the context of multi-system morbidities.
Dr Russell Cowan, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at ARU’s School of Medicine, said:
“This symposium will provide a highly informative and up-to-date assessment of this serious and growing public health problem. It is a privilege to welcome a team of foremost experts, who will expertly describe and discuss these issues, and there will be plenty of time set aside for questions and answers.
“This subject is relevant to many branches within the NHS, from primary and secondary care to social services, the alcohol industry and, first and foremost, those members of the public for which alcohol dependence is a reality.”
The symposium will take place on Tuesday, 7 November from 6pm-8pm in the Michael Salmon Building on ARU’s Chelmsford campus. The symposium is free to attend, but places must be registered here.