Tonight, the BBC aired a Panorama programme focusing on the rising rates of alcohol-related liver disease among women in the UK. We worked closely with the producers, Rogan Productions, to provide vital information about liver disease, alcohol misuse, and what needs to be done to tackle the issue. We also arranged for them to attend and film at one of our Love Your Liver roadshows and put them in contact with Emma, who was diagnosed aged just 37 with alcohol-related liver disease.
In 2022, more than 2,700 women died from alcohol-related liver disease—the highest number on record. This marks a 78% increase over the past 20 years, with a sharp surge of 31% since 2019. Alarmingly, the age at which women are being diagnosed is getting younger, a trend we are witnessing firsthand on our helpline, where our nurses are receiving an increasing number of calls from women in their 40s who have recently been diagnosed.
About Panorama’s ‘Binge drinking and me’
Alcohol-related deaths from liver disease among women under 40 have risen sharply over the last decade – but why? Thirty-two-year old BBC journalist Hazel Martin goes on a personal journey to find the answer. She is one of a growing number of young women who have experienced alcohol-related liver damage, despite not regarding herself as being dependent on alcohol. Talking to doctors, patients and experts on the drinks industry, Hazel discovers that a key cause is Britain’s binge-drinking culture and explores what can be done about it.
You can watch the episode here: BBC One – Panorama, Binge Drinking and Me
Hazel’s story
Reporter Hazel Martin embarked on a deeply personal investigation to uncover the reasons behind the surge. At 31, Hazel was living what seemed like an ordinary life—spending time with friends, socialising, and enjoying being a mum to her young daughter. Alcohol wasn’t something she depended on, but it was a big part of her social life. Then, as a new mum, Hazel started feeling unusually tired and run down, so she decided to visit her GP. Blood tests revealed something concerning: her liver function was abnormal. More tests followed, and eventually, a fibroscan delivered some shocking news—she had severe liver scarring, caused by years of binge drinking.
In some ways, Hazel felt incredibly unlucky to receive such a diagnosis at such a young age. But in other ways, she felt fortunate—it could have gone unnoticed for much longer, and had it, the damage could have worsened over time, leaving her very ill. She was told that while the damage to her liver was severe, it could be reversed, as long as she stayed alcohol-free. Almost 10 months later, Hazel was offered a second follow-up scan and the result were nothing short of remarkable. The scarring on her liver had significantly reversed and her liver is now back to full health.
Though the diagnosis was a huge shock, Hazel’s story serves as a powerful reminder that alcohol-related liver disease can develop silently, often without obvious symptoms and affecting even those who don’t drink excessively every day. Early diagnosis in crucial; in Hazel’s case it was a turning point that prompted her to make the lifestyle changes her body needed to restore her liver to full health.
Hazel’s journey highlights the importance of awareness, early diagnosis, and taking proactive steps to protect your liver. Our Love Your Liver roadshow, featured in the programme, offers free liver health screening and practical advice to help people take control of their liver health. Find out more about this below, as well as answers to some common questions about alcohol-related liver disease, its impact, and where to find help and support.
Love Your Liver roadshow
At the British Liver Trust, we are determined to reduce the number of people affected by preventable liver conditions and improve early diagnosis. If liver damage is caught at an early stage, lifestyle changes can potentially reverse existing damage.
Love Your Liver is the British Liver Trust’s flagship UK-wide campaign to raise awareness of the risk factors of liver disease and encourage people to take steps to improve their liver health.
A key part of our Love Your Liver campaign, the Love Your Liver roadshow brings our mobile scanning unit to locations across the country, offering free liver scans to help people assess their risk of liver disease.
Upcoming roadshow dates
More information about alcohol-related liver disease
There is a common myth that only ‘alcoholics’ develop alcohol-related liver disease, but even regularly drinking above the guideline amounts can put you at risk.
What does alcohol do to the liver?
When you drink, your liver is the first organ to process alcohol and the first to be susceptible to the effects of drinking. There are three stages of alcohol-related liver disease.
Initially, excessive drinking leads to a build of fat in the liver, this is called alcohol-related fatty liver. Your liver works hard to break down alcohol, but some of the by-products are toxic and damaging to the liver. At this stage, the damage is often reversible if you stop drinking alcohol.
The next stage is alcohol-related hepatitis. If the damage caused by drinking continues, the liver becomes inflamed and will start to produce scar tissue as it tries to heal itself. This is called fibrosis, and as it gets worse, it creates knots and tangles (cross-links) in the scar tissue that are more difficult to reverse.
If fibrosis goes unnoticed and untreated for years, it can eventually lead to cirrhosis. This is the most serious stage of liver disease and is often irreversible. The build up of scar tissue makes the liver hard and stops it from working properly. Although it is rare to be able to repair a liver with cirrhosis, it is possible to stop the damage getting worse.
It’s really important that you are referred to a liver specialist if you have one of the more serious forms of liver damage. These conditions are more difficult to treat and need specialist care.
Key facts about alcohol-related liver disease
- Alcohol consumption is the most common cause of liver disease in the UK, accounting for 6 in 10 cases of liver disease. Up to 1 in 5 people in the UK drink alcohol in a way that could harm their liver.
- You don’t have to show signs of addiction to be affected by alcohol-related liver disease. Having half a bottle of wine or a few pints most evenings can damage your liver.
- Drinking alcohol increases the risk of 7 different types of cancer. Breast and bowel cancer are two of the most common types associated with drinking alcohol.
- It’s estimated 3 to 5% of people with cirrhosis will develop liver cancer every year.
Am I at risk?
It’s not only dependent or daily drinkers who develop liver disease. Heavy drinking even on a few days in the week can cause alcohol-related liver disease. It’s a lot easier to overdrink than many people realise, putting vast numbers of us in danger of alcohol-related illnesses.
The safer drinking limits are the same for men and women:
- Drink no more than 14 units a week
- Spread your drinking out over several days
- Have 2 to 3 days without alcohol every week, it’s best if they’re next to each other
Check if you're at risk here: https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/at-risk-screener/
Top tips to cut down on alcohol
There are lots of different ways to cut down on alcohol, try some out and stick with the ones that work for you. Don’t worry about the odd slip up, no one can be perfect all the time – the most important thing is to keep going. Think over what happened and why, is there something you could do differently in future?
If you have physical withdrawal symptoms, like shaking, sweating or feeling anxious until you have your first drink of the day, speak to a doctor before trying to cut down or stop drinking. It can be dangerous to stop drinking suddenly.
It can help to be clear in your mind about what you mean by cutting down – is there a particular limit you want to set yourself, for units or drinks? Do you want to have more drink-free days? Or is it more about no longer drinking in certain situations, for example if pub lunches are a regular thing where you work? Telling someone else, like a partner or friend, can also help you to set a clear goal and stick to it.
If you aren’t sure where to start, try one of these ideas:
- Choose a lower strength drink, or go for a low or no alcohol version. Beer, wine or a cocktail, there’s lots of choice. The key number is the ABV.
- Set yourself a budget. You might be surprised at how much you spend on alcohol. Cut down by giving yourself a fixed budget – and save up the extra money for a treat, like a family day out or some new clothes.
- Buddy up and cut down with a friend. You can help one another stick to your goals.
- Track your drinks so you know where you started and can see the progress you’re making. It can help you cut down too. Visit Alcohol Change to download a free drinks tracker.
- Go half and half and have a shandy or a spritzer. Or make every other drink a soft one, starting with your first.
- Stay out of rounds and in control. Don’t let other people set the pace. It’s easy to drink more than you meant to when you’re keeping up with the group.
- Don’t top up your glass as it’s easy to lose track of how much alcohol you’ve really had. Try measuring the glasses you use at home, so you know how much you’re drinking.
- Only drink alcohol with your evening meal. Cut out drinks before or afterwards.
- Do something different when you go out – try bowling, the cinema or going for a coffee instead of heading to the pub.
Download some of our top tips for cutting down – either for yourself or a friend.
Where to find support if you need help to stop drinking alcohol
It’s very common to find it hard to cut down on drinking alcohol, but it’s a crucial step to keeping your liver and body healthy. There’s no need to feel ashamed or embarrassed about your drinking, if you need support, you could:
Speak to your GP
If you are worried about alcohol and your liver health, please speak to your GP to be assessed thoroughly. Your GP will ask you questions about your alcohol intake and consider if any tests are required, for example a blood test. You can read more about how liver conditions are diagnosed. Finding liver disease early can make a big difference.
Cutting down on drinking alcohol or stopping drinking altogether can be very difficult and lots of people need some help. Useful contacts, websites and apps include:
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) support to stop drinking available UK-wide. Call free on 0800 9177 650 or visit www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
- Drinkline a national alcohol helpline. Calls are free and completely confidential. Call 0300 123 1110
- Smart Recovery a charity that promotes addiction recovery through meetings and online resources, including online meetings. Visit www.smartrecovery.org
- Drink Free Days App get help with cutting back on alcohol, improving your health, boosting your energy, losing weight and saving money. Visit www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support
Support for families and friends:
- Al-anon offers support for anyone whose life has been affected by someone else’s drinking. Call free on 0800 0086 811 or find a support group by visiting www.al-anonuk.org.uk
- AdFam has information and support to help you cope with your loved one’s alcohol or drug use. Visit www.adfam.org.uk
