Doc warns those dying for a drink; HEALTH: Alcohol abuse patients 'getting younger'.

In the build up to Alcohol Awareness Week this month the Telegraph is casting an eye over the terrible toll Coventry's drinking habits are taking on its health. Today health reporter Warren Manger meets Dr John Wong, a liver specialist at University Hospital who treats the city's

HEAVY drinkers who realise they have a problem and mend their ways will hopefully never need Dr John Wong's help.

University Hospital's resident liver specialist and his colleagues only see the drinkers whose alcohol abuse has made them seriously ill.

Most patients referred to Dr Wong have already been seen repeatedly by their local GP and warned about the damage they are doing to their health but have been unable to stop drinking.

By that time many of them will be suffering from serious liver disease and possibly heart problems or even brain damage.

Alarmingly the patients Dr Wong sees with such serious illnesses are getting younger and younger.

He said: "I think the problem is not just with the number of patients but that the patients we see with serious problems are getting younger.

"Last summer I looked after a patients in his late 20s who died from alcohol hepatitis.

"Patients with alcohol problems come in all varieties, not just your stereotypical middle-aged man.

"There are an increasing number of young women being admitted with liver disease."

Drinking too much damages your liver in a string of different ways.

Alcohol breaks down into a variety of substances which are highly toxic to the liver and fats which can damage the organ if it has to cope with too many of them.

Other potential problems include cirrhosis of the liver and an increased risk of liver cancer.

Even stopping drinking sud-denly can be dangerous for an alcoholic as it can cause serious complications such as convulsions and alcoholic hepatitis, when the liver swells rapidly.

Dr Wong said: "Some patients get seriously ill so quickly they never have the chance to change their ways."

One of the biggest problems medics such as Dr Wong encounter is many patients do not realise the danger they are putting themselves in.

He said: "Every alcoholic I see will point to someone else who drinks more than them. So they ask my why they should cut down.

"But there is no absolute cut off where you can say, if you go over this you are going to run into problems - the Government's recommended limits are just a guide.

"Every individual is different and some people develop alcoholic liver disease earlier than others. It can depend on how much you eat and exercise and if you have any other medical problems. The rest just comes down to genetics."

Dr Wong believes more must be done to catch alcoholics when they are most likely to change their ways and give them the help they need.

He said: "Excessive drinkers know it is bad for them. You still try saying the right things but it only has a limited impact until they are admitted to hospital.

Then the message becomes a bit clearer."

Alcohol Awareness Week runs from October 19-25 and aims to highlight the health dangers of excessive drinking, reduce alcohol-related crime and promote sensible drinking.

The Coventry Community Safety Partnership is running a series of activities next week to raise awareness about alcohol related problems. For more details visit www.coventry.gov.uk/alcohol.

For more advice about alcohol visit your GP or contact: Swanswell, Norton Street, Hillfields, Coventry, 024 7622 6619. Compass, Warwick Row, city centre, Coventry, 024 7625 1653. Coventry NHS Walk-in Centre, Stoney Stanton Road, Hillfields, Coventry 024 7624 6789.

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WARNING... Dr John Wong is University Hospital's liver specialist.