MORE people are admitted to hospital because of alcohol-related problems in the North East than any other region, new figures have revealed.

But other figures showed that less crime was linked to alcohol in the region than anywhere else.Leading alcohol campaigners last night called for action after alcohol- related hospital admission numbers soared in every part of the country.In the North East, there were 2,406 admissions for alcohol per 100,000 people compared with a national average of 1,743. This was up by almost 900 compared with...

A MAN died after suffering brain damage caused by drinking too much water

A MAN died after suffering brain damage caused by drinking too much water, his family have claimed.Matthew Ellis, 29, downed at least 20 pints of water after a night out before collapsing at his father’s home.His heartbroken family believe his drink was spiked with ecstasy, leaving him desperate for “pints and pints” of water the next day.Advertisement >>They said the liquid he drank caused...

A sweeping new definition of addiction stakes out controversial positions that many, including the powerful psychiatric lobby are likely to argue with.

If you think addiction is all about booze, drugs, sex, gambling, food and other irresistible vices, think again. And if you believe that a person has a choice whether or not to indulge in an addictive behavior, get over it. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) blew the whistle on these deeply held notions with its official release of a new document defining addiction as a chronic neurological...

More than a third of British adults who own a smartphone have admitted they are "highly addicted" to it and cannot bear to put it down, not even in the toilet.

Research for the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has found new evidence of how devices such as iPhones, Blackberrys and Androids affect our behaviour.Smartphone users are more likely to have their phones switched on 24 hours a day and would wake up in the night to answer or use it.Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have also lead to owners cutting down on their TV viewing and reading.Six...