Special Report: Alcohol related deaths double in the North West

All this week we've had a series of special reports into the relationship we, here in the North West, have with alcohol.

We've seen the devastating effects drinking too much has had on individuals and their families.

But tonight, in the last of her special reports, our correspondent Mel Barham looks at minimum pricing of alcohol and other plans for cutting down our consumption:

Health experts in the North West are calling for the cheapest alcohol to be made more expensive to tackle the growing problem of alcohol abuse.

This region has some of the highest death rates in the country - and 11 million of us are drinking at levels that pose a risk to our health

Experts say that a minimum unit price would help to reduce that toll.

Dr Arif Rajpura is the director of public health for Blackpool.

Fears are growing that cuts to funding in the region could be putting lives at risk for those battling alcohol problems.

Experts say that demand for treatment far outstrips supply.

And that many people are being forced to seek private care due to cutbacks.

Ian Smith is an Addictions Counsellor for Oasis Recovery Communities in Runcorn.

A mother from Liverpool whose daughter died after battling alcohol addiction for 25 years is warning of the consequences of heavy drinking among women.

Debbie White says she'll never forget the shock of being told her 38-year-old daughter Vicky had total liver failure.

Back in 1994, 258 women died in our region from alcohol-related issues.

By 2016 that figured had almost doubled.

WATCH: the second of correspondent Mel Barham's special reports: