Three times as many people die in Northern Ireland because they abuse alcohol than die on our roads, figures have shown.
In recent years there have been almost 300 alcohol-related deaths in the region each year.
Between 2003 and 2013, 2,847 people died due to drink. That's triple the amount that lost their lives on the roads in the same period.
Alcohol abuse costs Northern Ireland £900m every year, almost £250m of this is borne by the Health and Social Care Sector.
The number of drink-related hospital admissions has risen steadily, with a rise of almost 10% in a two-year period.
In 2012-13 there were 10,274 admissions compared to 9,393 in 2011-2012.
In Craigavon Area Hospital, an Alcohol Liaison Nurse has been appointed for the first time to support hospital staff and help tackle this growing problem.
One of the first people Andrea Judge helped was Raymond, a chronic alcoholic, who has in the past has lost his home and his business because of his addiction. He had his first drink when he was ten.
"I couldn't control drink, I was a bad drinker, violent at times, drank to excess, drank until I collapsed, until I went unconscious," he told UTV.
"The doctor told me I would die in a short space of time. He said another drinking session would kill me."
Raymond said the Alcohol Liaison service saved not only his marriage, but his life.
"I was able to get off drink, I learnt a lot from those people when they came out to the house to talk to me about alcohol that I didn't know about before, they opened up my mind to it."
Andrea says she sees more cases in the Emergency Department at the weekend.
It is estimated that one in six people attending A&E for treatment have alcohol-related injuries or problems, rising to 8 out of 10 at peak times.
Source: utv, 10/09/14
Safer Student Nights
eBulletin
Poll
