Health chiefs to investigate why men die young in Blackp

Health chiefs in Blackpool will investigate issues such as drug and alcohol addiction to learn more about why men living in the resort now have the lowest life expectancy in the UK.

Figures published in December by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show men in Blackpool can expect to live for 73.1  years which is six years less than the national average of 79 years and 10 years less than prosperous areas such as Hampshire.

Average life expectancy for women in Blackpool is just under 79 years, compared to the national average of just over 83.

Deprivation is blamed for the poor health outcomes in the town, with many people moving to the resort from other areas of the country with pre-existing illnesses and conditions.

Coun John Boughton told a meeting of Blackpool Council’s Tourism, Economy and Communities Scrutiny Committee: “I was concerned to read life expectancy for men in Blackpool is now the lowest in the country.

“Have we got information about why this is going in the wrong direction? We need it to go in the opposite direction. Statistics out this week show men in Blackpool will live 10 years less than men in Hampshire.”

Liz Petch, a health practitioner from Blackpool’s Public Health Team, said there were plans to explore more deeply why life expectancy is so low for men in the town.

She said: “We will be looking at drug related deaths, male suicide rates etc. These are issues which mean some people die much earlier than we expect which impacts our life expectancy.”

The meeting heard there were many men who died in their 40s due to longstanding addictions.

Life expectancy also differs widely within Blackpool itself with those living in more affluent neighbourhoods living much longer. One reason for this is those in poorer areas are less likely to take up screening opportunities or vaccinations offered by the NHS.

Drug deaths in Blackpool are almost four times higher than in the rest of England, and up 50 per cent in the past decade with 120 drug deaths between 2020 and 2022.

The figures, from Blackpool’s most recent annual public health report, also show more than two-thirds of those dying due to drugs are men, while twice as many men are dying from suicide compared to women in Blackpool, with the town having the sixth-highest suicide rate in the country.