Surprising new figures have revealed professionals and those from high-income households across the district are likely to be the heaviest drinkers.

On average, men in this category drink 22.9 units per week and women consume 12.5 units, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

By contrast, households described as routine and manual get through an average 11.6 units per person per week - 16.7 for men and 7.1 for women.

Department of Health figures show that 1,469 people were treated across the Bradford district for alcohol-related illness in 2005/2006.

And, the city had the highest rate of hospital admissions for alcohol-related illnesses in Yorkshire and Humber.

Bradford Council's Health Improvement Committee has started a major investigation into the misuse of alcohol and the capacity of public services to cope with the problem.

Committee chairman Councillor Elaine Byrom (Con) said: "The scale of the problem and the capacity of public services, including the primary care trusts, Bradford Council, voluntary and community groups is now becoming clearer.

"This is a problem that will not go away and the inquiry will investigate what is being done to improve services and reduce the number of people dependent on alcohol."

The ONS report - based on a survey of 16,500 households in Britain - uses a new method to assess alcohol consumption which takes account of the trend for stronger wine and larger wine glasses.

The main change compared with previous years is that one glass of wine counts as two units instead of one.

This boosted average 2006 weekly consumption from 10.2 per person under the previous method to an average 13.5 units.

Women and professional workers are most affected by the change because they drink the most wine.

Men's consumption increased by 27 per cent because of the new method while women's rose by 45 per cent.

Under the updated method, the difference between men and women's alcohol consumption was less marked in the younger age groups.

Using the old assessment method, alcohol consumption appears to be falling.

It shows a drop of 2.5 units per week in men's average weekly consumption compared with 2002, while women's drinking fell by an average 1.5 units weekly over the same period.

But author Eileen Goddard said indications should be treated with caution.

"It may be that people are even more unwilling than they have been in the past to tell us how much they drink so we have got more of an under-reporting problem," she said.

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