A mother who lost her 26-year-old son to alcohol-related liver disease is calling for better awareness, treatment and support for young people with alcohol dependence.
Her call comes as a new report from the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) found hospital admissions for alcohol-related liver inflammation surged during COVID and have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
The research also found 14% of patients hospitalised with the condition between 2017 and mid-2024 were under 35.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Alcohol-related liver disease is often associated with older people because severe damage can take years to develop.
This can include cirrhosis, where scar tissue builds up in the liver, and liver cancer.
Alcohol-associated hepatitis can affect people at any age, however.
It causes severe inflammation of the liver and can lead to jaundice, which turns the skin and eyes yellow.
In severe cases, it can be life-threatening.
COVID lockdowns
Hospital admissions for alcohol-associated hepatitis in Victoria jumped in March 2020, when COVID restrictions began.
Melbourne spent more than 260 days in lockdown, with the report pointing to research showing alcohol consumption increased during the pandemic amid stress, isolation and uncertainty.
Admissions have remained significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Your contribution ensures The Daily Aus can continue doing the work you love.
ContributeReport
The report analysed 4,111 hospital admissions for alcohol-associated hepatitis in Victoria between 2017 and mid-2024.
It found 14% of patients were under 35.
It also found the disease can progress quickly.
Almost half of patients who had no liver scarring at their first scan developed it within six years.
Alcohol was also a factor in 38% of cases of the most common type of liver cancer in Greater Melbourne between 2018 and 2022.
Human cost
Rachel Allen has been advocating for better treatment and support for young people with alcohol dependence since her son Dylan died in 2022, aged 26.
“When we think of a 26-year-old, we imagine someone just beginning their life and looking towards the future. Instead, our family was visiting Dylan in hospital and confronting the reality of his condition,” she said.
Allen hopes sharing Dylan’s story will encourage earlier intervention and better support for people experiencing alcohol dependence, without stigma affecting the care they receive.
Analysis
FARE CEO Ayla Chorley said the findings reflected what doctors were seeing in hospitals, with people in their 30s dying from alcohol-related liver disease.
Associate Professor Michael Livingston from Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute said governments needed to introduce evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol harm and improve screening and access to treatment.
FARE is also calling for tighter controls on alcohol advertising and rapid home delivery.
