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Irish expats in England and Wales face greater alcohol death risk
By Noreen Bowden | March 20, 2009
Irish people living in England and Wales are twice as likely as natives to die from an alcohol-related cause, according to a paper published this month in the Journal of Public Health. Researchers at Edinburgh University used mortality statistics and the 2001 census to determine the likelihood of members of immigrant groups to die from alcohol-related conditions. Those originally from Ireland and Scotland faced the highest risk of death from such causes.
Dr Neeraj Bhala said,
“These groups have a greater culture of drinking than their counterparts in England and Wales. This translates into health-related problems and consequently, to alcohol-related deaths.
Our findings show significant differneces in death rates by country of birth for both alcohol-related deaths and liver cancer. We now need to focus on developing new policy, research and practical action to help address those differences.”
Related websites:
- Journal of Public Health: Alcohol-related and hepatocellular cancer deaths by country of birth in England and Wales: an analysis of mortality and census data
- Mind.org.uk factsheet: The mental health of Irish people in Britain
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