0:00:03 > 0:00:08This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13We all know that drinking, drugs and fast food are bad for you.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15The bit I like the most is the skin.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17But when it comes to young Brits,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19nothing gets in the way of a good time.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26Do you think you're invincible? Yes. My motto is, you only live once
0:00:26 > 0:00:31There are health consequences but... Worry about them later.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Why dwell on something you may not get? Who cares?
0:00:35 > 0:00:38# I don't care I love it. #
0:00:38 > 0:00:39But these days,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43a life of excess isn't just leaving young people hung-over
0:00:43 > 0:00:46it's accelerating their age.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50I'd get out of breath walking to the shop, like a 90-year-old woman or something.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Hit by chronic conditions, usually the preserve of pensioners...
0:00:53 > 0:00:56She's got no quality of life at the moment.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Walking for Jo is a problem.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02..their young bodies and minds are ready for retirement.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I'll always walk into a room to go and get something
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and then wonder why I've gone and done it.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10It makes you feel old. It makes you feel, what's going on?
0:01:10 > 0:01:13I'm on a ward with people who are 40 years older than me
0:01:13 > 0:01:15and probably half of them are fitter than me.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17I struggle to walk properly.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20That young-person mentality of "I'm going to live forever,"
0:01:20 > 0:01:24you don't think about the ramifications it's going to have on your body.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Is there any hope for their prematurely old bodies?
0:01:27 > 0:01:30# I love it. #
0:01:30 > 0:01:34I didn't even think that I could damage my heart through taking drugs.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37Deep breath. Right in, right in
0:01:37 > 0:01:40My lungs feel like they are actually collapsing.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43They have got the lungs of an old man.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Or are they past the point of no return?
0:01:46 > 0:01:51Having to cope with gout and liver and heart problems in your 20s
0:01:51 > 0:01:54it's kind of unbelievable.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56This is very young.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59She's already gone into super obesity.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01The likelihood is it will shorten her life 15 years.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I want to find out what life is like for young people
0:02:05 > 0:02:07who have become old before their time.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Do you think you can stop?
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Yes. It's just going to take a hell of a lot of willpower.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15# I love it. #
0:02:21 > 0:02:24In tonight's film, I'm going to meet young people
0:02:24 > 0:02:27whose bodies have aged because of their excessive drinking.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34How many days after the operation was that? That is five days. I was still massively in pain.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I've got these scrawny arms at the top and all of a sudden it goes ..
0:02:39 > 0:02:41All the veins stand out as well
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I had searing pains in my stomach,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45like somebody was sticking a knife in me.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I'll discover the shocking things alcohol can do to their young bodies.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52This is the liver from somebody that needed a liver transplant
0:02:52 > 0:02:55for cirrhosis from alcohol.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57I don't see the problem with drinking.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59If it becomes a problem, I'll stop.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06And find out if anything can be done to save both their youth and their lives.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I'm just going to say, no more drink. That's goodbye.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Hearing a mother screaming that her 22-year-old son has died
0:03:13 > 0:03:15will ring in my ears forever.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23It's Friday night, I'm in Newcastle and like every other big town
0:03:23 > 0:03:26or city in the UK, it is fuelled by booze.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33The north-east has a big reputation for boozing hard.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36So I've come out armed with a breathalyser to see if young people
0:03:36 > 0:03:40know just how much they're drinking and how it can affect their body.
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. I think you might be pissed.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48You are very nearly in the box where you have
0:03:48 > 0:03:51the possibility of falling unconscious. Memory blackout.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I don't feel unconscious.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56What were you doing drinking at nine o'clock in the morning
0:03:56 > 0:03:59It's her 18th. I was drinking champagne.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01And blow. Until it beeps twice
0:04:01 > 0:04:07You have emotional swings. Yes Decreased libido.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Are you feeling horny? No.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11'After a couple of drinks,
0:04:11 > 0:04:15'which is around 100 points on this blood-alcohol breathalyser,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19'booze can of course make us chatty and even a bit euphoric.'
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Yes!
0:04:20 > 0:04:22The night's early.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I'm going to sink about another eight, easy. Geordie style!
0:04:26 > 0:04:28You only live once.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30Keep going, keep going.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34'But over 200 points and the dangers start to get serious.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Holy...!
0:04:37 > 0:04:40You have the possibility of falling unconscious.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44You have... You have memory blackout, potentially.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Oh, my God!
0:04:49 > 0:04:51So that's the most...
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Wahey!
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Ooh, there she is! Ooh, there she is!
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Do you think things like liver disease, pancreatitis, kidney failure?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Who cares? If you are going to get it, you are going to get it
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Why dwell on something you may not get?
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Do you ever worry about liver damage?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10No. It never crosses my mind.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14When people start talking about the dangers of alcohol, what do you think?
0:05:14 > 0:05:16It's a load of BLEEP. You only live once.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20But what if you live less time You have still lived your life
0:05:20 > 0:05:22You have lived it to the max.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31So the overall impression I've got tonight is that no good night
0:05:31 > 0:05:34is without booze, and actually
0:05:34 > 0:05:36nobody wants to hear about the dangers of alcohol
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and the statement I keep on hearing is, life is too short.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43What?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Tanked up with booze, it's easy to say "to hell with tomorrow"
0:05:53 > 0:05:55But across the city...
0:05:57 > 0:06:01..young alcohol casualties flood into A every night of the week.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07What happened here? I have no idea.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I've clearly taken a tumble.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14But it's not all just bangs and bruises.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18In England, hospitals have seen a staggering 117% rise
0:06:18 > 0:06:22in alcoholic liver disease amongst the under 30s.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26We may just be sleepwalking into a health epidemic.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Consultant herpetologist Steve Masson
0:06:30 > 0:06:33specialises in treating some of these conditions.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36We have certainly had people in their early 20s
0:06:36 > 0:06:38with advanced liver disease.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44We've had somebody in their late 20s be transplanted from liver disease.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49And increasingly, early 20s, mid 20s, early 30s,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52which 10 or 15 years ago was almost unheard of.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56What's happening? Why is there a noticeable increase in young people?
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Alcohol is seen as a positive substance.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04We glamorise it, we advertise it, we make it a part of society.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07So to go from drinking it socially to drinking it excessively,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09it is not always a huge step.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Sometimes it creeps up on people.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Liver disease is the main condition associated with alcohol abuse.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Boozing to excess causes the liver to become clogged with fat.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23When the body tries to repair itself,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27scar tissue can form, which may destroy the structure of the liver.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33A condition known as cirrhosis that left unchecked can be fatal.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37So a young person's liver should look like this.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40But after heavy drinking, it does not stay that way for long.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47What is that? This is the liver .. That's a liver?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50This is a liver from somebody that needed a liver transplant
0:07:50 > 0:07:52for cirrhosis from alcohol.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56And you'll see that it is very knobbly, very nodular.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01Those are cirrhotic nodules and it is shrunken and a lot smaller than it should be.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03You took that out of somebody's body when?
0:08:03 > 0:08:08It has come out of one of our patients within the last couple of months.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10That is just unbelievable.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13'Steve's stock in trade is liver problems,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17'but alcohol can attack almost any part of a young drinker's body
0:08:17 > 0:08:19'even in their 20s.'
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Alcohol can affect any organ system.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25So we know that people with alcohol are more likely to have high
0:08:25 > 0:08:29blood pressure and that puts them at increased risk of ischaemic heart
0:08:29 > 0:08:32disease, heart attacks, there is increased risk of certain cancers.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Head and neck cancers in particular.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Alcohol is probably one of the commonest cause of impotence amongst young men.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41So a whole host of things that alcohol can cause
0:08:41 > 0:08:44and problems that can arise, not just the main organ systems
0:08:44 > 0:08:47It is such a huge part of our life when we celebrate,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49commiserate, good day, bad day
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It's the thing that's always there.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56It's so weird to think that it can hurt us in so many different ways.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Seeing alcohol-ravaged organs is one thing but there are thousands
0:09:03 > 0:09:08of young people in the UK struggling to live with these alcohol-related conditions.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13One of Steve's patients is Jo from Middlesbrough.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17In her 20s, Jo was surrounded by booze all day every day
0:09:17 > 0:09:19whilst working behind a bar.
0:09:19 > 0:09:27Over the last five years, her drinking spiralled out of control
0:09:30 > 0:09:31It's the strangest looking thing
0:09:31 > 0:09:34because I've got these scrawny arms at the top
0:09:34 > 0:09:36and then all of a sudden it just goes...
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Jo is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and a common side effect
0:09:42 > 0:09:45is this extreme fluid retention known as ascites.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48I mean, it is incredibly tight
0:09:48 > 0:09:51You can see all the veins stand out as well.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57I had two different people in two different places smile at me
0:09:57 > 0:10:00and go, "Are you due soon?"
0:10:00 > 0:10:05I've had people give up their seats for me on the bus.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Sometimes, it's just like, I don't know...
0:10:08 > 0:10:09"Have you got two hours
0:10:09 > 0:10:12"that I can stand and explain why I'm like this?"
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I just laugh and waddle off.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Every three weeks, Jo has to be admitted to
0:10:22 > 0:10:26the James Cook University Hospital to get the excess fluid drained off.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29You might feel a little bit of pressure.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Dr Craig has to pierce Jo's skin and then try to hit the right spot
0:10:33 > 0:10:38with the catheter to get the largest quantity of fluid out.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43I would expect probably about 12 litres in total
0:10:43 > 0:10:47and that will drain fairly rapidly to begin with.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Probably over six to eight hours,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52we would expect the full volume to be removed.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54I think I'll beat 12. I reckon about 14.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00It's just a relief. You can feel the pressure just. .
0:11:03 > 0:11:08Sister Jeanette will be monitoring the exact amount of fluid Jo loses.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12We've drained now for five minutes
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and we have nearly drained two litres.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18It might look like urine, but the liquid is actually
0:11:18 > 0:11:21a mixture of both nutrients and toxins
0:11:21 > 0:11:23that a healthy liver would process.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26And in just the first two hours
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Jo has lost an astonishing 18 litres.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32It is just all skin now.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37Jelly belly!
0:11:38 > 0:11:44Jo is now sober but the damage she did to her liver through alcoholism is irreversible.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47She's got no quality of life at the moment.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51She'll get maybe a week at the most benefit from this drain
0:11:51 > 0:11:54and then the fluid will start creeping up again and again and again.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57So walking for Jo is a problem
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Getting down to put your pants on, basic things that we all
0:12:01 > 0:12:05take for granted every single day, Jo can't do that.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11But if Jo hadn't stopped drinking, her situation would be worse.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Our hospitals have seen a 20% rise in deaths
0:12:14 > 0:12:19from alcohol-related liver disease in just the last ten years.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23We are getting a lot of younger patients who have died
0:12:23 > 0:12:26through alcoholic liver disease
0:12:26 > 0:12:31Hearing a mother screaming that her 22-year-old son has died
0:12:31 > 0:12:34will ring in my ears forever.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36It's awful.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43I've come up to Middlesbrough to meet Jo's mum, Ann.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Hi, I'm Cherry. I'm Ann. Nice to meet you. Are you coming in? Thank you.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50'She was instrumental in helping Jo beat the bottle
0:12:50 > 0:12:54'and she now cares for her every need back at the family home.'
0:12:54 > 0:12:57I do good healthy meals, I think.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Do you think you've become more health-conscious now you have to look after Jo?
0:13:02 > 0:13:04No. It's still the same food.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07I always do a dinner for my mother because she is 87.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10I always do a Sunday dinner. So you look after your mum as well?
0:13:10 > 0:13:14So you're looking after an 87-year-old and a 35-year-old? Yes.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Who is more time-intensive to look after? It's not my mum
0:13:19 > 0:13:21It is a lot harder to look after Joanne than my mother.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25So it's harder to look after your daughter in her mid-30s..
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Than my 87-year-old mother. 87-year-old mother.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Ann forced Jo to move back home after seeing the state of her flat
0:13:35 > 0:13:39when she was still drinking six months ago.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41What was it like?
0:13:41 > 0:13:45I cried. The bottles were piled either side of the bed.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48Up to the window. It was horrendous.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52No wonder she wouldn't let me in and have a look.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54We went to AA, and she stopped going there
0:13:54 > 0:13:57and I thought she had given up last year and she hadn't.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59She just carried on.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04But she would look at you and lie. Look at you in your face and just lie.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06"I haven't had a drink, Mam. No "
0:14:06 > 0:14:09She had. She was arseholed.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12She puts on a brave front
0:14:12 > 0:14:15but I know underneath that she still craves alcohol.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19What can you do to stop her drinking?
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I don't let her have a card and go to the shops on her own
0:14:21 > 0:14:25We go out in the night and I lock the front door.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28So she can't get out.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30It must be hard for you to see her so unwell.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34I just have to make sure I do the best I can for her.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42Back in hospital, and after six hours, Jo has lost over 23 litres,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46reducing her bodyweight by an incredible three stone.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48It is a ward record.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53But she will be back in three weeks' time to do it all over again.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57It's just a bit sore.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01This is the most I've had out by a long way.
0:15:01 > 0:15:02This one.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07I am definitely feeling the effects of it now.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Jo's only chance to get well is a liver transplant,
0:15:12 > 0:15:16a life-changing operation that not everyone survives.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Booze-related medical problems
0:15:24 > 0:15:27don't just come about from long-term alcohol abuse.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Heavy bingeing can also have a striking effect
0:15:30 > 0:15:33on even the most fresh-faced drinkers.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Two weeks ago, plumber Max went on a lads holiday to Kavos
0:15:38 > 0:15:41But he came back with more than just a souvenir T-shirt.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46On the first night, unfortunately, I started feeling quite ill.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I had really bad stomach pains
0:15:49 > 0:15:53I shrugged it off at first but then it was searing pains in my stomach.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Like someone was sticking a knife in me.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It was so bad I couldn't even stand up. I thought, am I going to die?
0:15:59 > 0:16:04Am I going to pass out from the pain? They all carried me to the doctors.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08I was screaming in pain and crying. It was horrible.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10It really did shake me up.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14It turned out to be pancreatitis, which is quite scary.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18Pancreatitis hits when the body s digestive enzymes,
0:16:18 > 0:16:20which are designed to break down food,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22eat away at the pancreas instead.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Initially, it should resolve itself,
0:16:25 > 0:16:29but by carrying on drinking it may develop into a chronic condition
0:16:29 > 0:16:33that can be fatal and increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35No-one likes to hear the word "cancer".
0:16:35 > 0:16:38I mean, we all know somebody who's had it.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42The doctor did say don't drink alcohol for the rest of the holiday.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46But after a while, being around 16 other lads in a place like Kavos,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48where everything is partying and drinking,
0:16:48 > 0:16:49the advice soon went out the window.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55A month on from Kavos,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58and tonight could be a true test of Max's willpower.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03It's his 21st birthday, and he's invited me out with the boys.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07But as Kavos was his second bout of pancreatitis,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09I'm not sure he should be having it large.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13So I've come to get some medical advice
0:17:13 > 0:17:17at the University of Birmingham from consultant Dr Shetty.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19How serious is pancreatitis?
0:17:19 > 0:17:21It is potentially a very devastating condition.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25A proportion of patients will develop what we call severe acute pancreatitis
0:17:25 > 0:17:28where from simple inflammation of the pancreas
0:17:28 > 0:17:31it leads to multi-organ failure
0:17:31 > 0:17:35and a large proportion of patients die from this condition.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40If somebody had had, say, two bouts of pancreatitis within one year
0:17:40 > 0:17:44due to heavy drinking, what advice would you give to them?
0:17:44 > 0:17:46They have to cut down drinking
0:17:46 > 0:17:50The best thing is to be completely abstinent and stop drinking completely.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53What they have to think about is weighing up the pros and cons.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58It's going out and having a good time with your friends, but pancreatitis can be life-threatening.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Personally, I think one attack is enough of a sign.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04So twice is... You need to be extremely careful.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07I would be worried. OK.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14It may be Max's 21st but the doctor's advice is really clear.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I know he likes a drink
0:18:17 > 0:18:21but I'm seriously hoping he won't go crazy tonight.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Hello. Hi. How you doing? Happy birthday! Thank you.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29What's in the bag? Clink, clink! Obvious. Drinks.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34I see how this is going to go. The only way. Come on.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Now that you've had pancreatitis twice,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48do you have a voice in the back of your head kind of going,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51"Oh, God, should you really have another one?"
0:18:51 > 0:18:55Or do you just forget about it
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I have got a voice in the back of my head before every night out now
0:18:58 > 0:19:01I don't want it to happen again because I know how painful it was.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05But obviously the more drinks I have and the more I'm having a laugh
0:19:05 > 0:19:08and enjoying myself, I sort of forget about it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11We'll all get smashed and have a laugh or whatever
0:19:11 > 0:19:14and the last thing I'm going to think is, "I might get pancreatitis if I drink any more
0:19:14 > 0:19:17"because I've had it twice and don't drink any more."
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I'm just not going to think like that.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'Well, at least he's lined his stomach,
0:19:22 > 0:19:24'because his mates want to party.'
0:19:28 > 0:19:31# I know this crazy life can be a bitter pill to swallow
0:19:31 > 0:19:33# So forget about tomorrow
0:19:33 > 0:19:36# Tonight we're drinking from the bottle
0:19:49 > 0:19:51# We're drinking from the bottle #
0:19:52 > 0:19:54'I really, really feel for Max
0:19:54 > 0:19:56'because he's basically got to choose'
0:19:56 > 0:20:01between his health and his friends.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04And his social life. It's tempting just to say,
0:20:04 > 0:20:05"I'm sure it'll be fine."
0:20:05 > 0:20:09The problem is if it's NOT fine it's really bad.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11CHEERING
0:20:12 > 0:20:15So what's the rest of the night going to look like for you?
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Just to Yates's and stay till about three in the morning.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Carry on drinking as we are now really.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23You've had pancreatitis twice. Mm.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Do you know how serious it could potentially be?
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Yeah. I've had all the warnings like.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30I am more careful than I used to be.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33But it's not going to stop me going out.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35That's the end of it, the long and short of it. Is it
0:20:35 > 0:20:36I'll go out and have a drink.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Tonight, obviously being my birthday and that
0:20:38 > 0:20:42and everyone buying me drinks, I ll drink them. Do you know what I mean?
0:20:42 > 0:20:44SHOUTING AND CHEERING
0:20:44 > 0:20:47'They're all having a good time and having a drink.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50'I want to be part of it - you don't want to be the only one saying no.'
0:20:50 > 0:20:52CHEERING
0:20:52 > 0:20:54You're not going to order a nice Earl Grey tea in the next venue
0:20:54 > 0:20:56No, no chance! No chance!
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Well...I think this is probably
0:20:59 > 0:21:02where I end my journey with you Leave me to it!
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Because I can feel it's going to spiral. Out of control!
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Just... Be careful. ..look after yourself.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11I will. You're a lovely guy. I'll try. You're a sweetie.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Your pancreas is your little friend.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Until the morning when it's screaming at me! Look after it, OK? I will.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22It's kind of easy to be the finger-wagging person saying,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25"You shouldn't do this, it's bad for your health."
0:21:25 > 0:21:30But actually, so many of us do things we know are dangerous
0:21:30 > 0:21:34People still smoke and they know the realities of
0:21:34 > 0:21:36how ill you can get.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42Actually, we all do things that are really dangerous
0:21:43 > 0:21:47I just really hope that Max is one of the lucky ones.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52To drink safely, you should have no more than 21 units spread
0:21:52 > 0:21:56across the week - that's equivalent to just ten pints of weak beer
0:21:58 > 0:22:01SIRENS BLARE
0:22:01 > 0:22:04'But on a Friday night in Newcastle's emergency department,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07'I'm only too aware that the effects of binge drinking on some
0:22:07 > 0:22:12'young people means they might not even live to see another night out.'
0:22:18 > 0:22:22The Royal College of Physicians estimates that 50%
0:22:22 > 0:22:25of all violent assaults are related to alcohol.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28It's obviously really...
0:22:28 > 0:22:31a really serious case and he's really, really unwell
0:22:31 > 0:22:33From what I gather,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36it's alcohol-related violence and he's been beaten up.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Is this something that you see often? Yes.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Probably every weekend, definitely.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00(Oh, my God, you can smell the alcohol from him.)
0:23:00 > 0:23:02(That is so strong.)
0:23:02 > 0:23:05He's got a massive cut on his..
0:23:05 > 0:23:07His face, covered in blood.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Do you see people coming in from alcohol-related incidents
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and...dying from them? Yes.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20What's the most common cause?
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Head injury, normally. If you don't know which way up is
0:23:24 > 0:23:28because you've got that much alcohol on-board, you don't realise that
0:23:28 > 0:23:33you're falling so we see lots of people falling downstairs and...
0:23:33 > 0:23:39Yeah, well, fights as well, but perhaps stepping in front of cars.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41All your protective mechanisms
0:23:41 > 0:23:44all your common sense is taken away
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and so...yeah, we get really horrendous injuries
0:23:47 > 0:23:51for, you know, good people who just are on a night out
0:23:51 > 0:23:53wanting to enjoy themselves.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Right, Scott, painful at all? No, no, no, no
0:24:00 > 0:24:04'Another casualty, 20-year-old student Scott, has also been
0:24:04 > 0:24:08'brought in during the middle of a heavy session.'
0:24:08 > 0:24:09I was walking home.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12The next thing I know, I ended up in the back of an ambulance.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14I was like, "What am I doing here?"
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Apparently, I was hit by a car I went through the windscreen.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21HE GROANS My back...
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Don't shake your head, OK? Try and keep it nice and still? OK
0:24:24 > 0:24:27The extent of Scott's injuries hangs in the balance,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29but once his girlfriend and mates arrive,
0:24:29 > 0:24:33his memory of the night starts to come back.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36I mean, I admit I probably had a bit too much to drink tonight
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I've had about three and a half bottles of wine
0:24:39 > 0:24:40since I've been out.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I don't see the problem with drinking alcohol.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45If it becomes a problem, then I'll stop.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48But you know, it's not a problem, so...
0:24:48 > 0:24:51He actually sounds like an alcoholic.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52I think this should be a wake-up call to you.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56It's just...you don't need to drink, like, every night. Yeah, Scott
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Thankfully, Scott looks to have escaped serious injury
0:25:04 > 0:25:08as no clear fractures have shown on his CT scan.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11NURSE: Lift your head up off the bed.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Welcome to A
0:25:13 > 0:25:15HE GASPS
0:25:15 > 0:25:18# Bye-bye, love
0:25:18 > 0:25:20# Bye-bye, happiness... #
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'I'm learning that most people don't realise the problems
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'that alcohol causes until it's too late.'
0:25:26 > 0:25:28# Bye-bye, love... #
0:25:28 > 0:25:32In Middlesbrough, Jo and her mum have been through hell and back
0:25:32 > 0:25:34to try to beat her addiction.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38She's now been discharged after her 23-litre drain,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40so I've come up to see how she's doing.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Afterwards was quite painful.
0:25:42 > 0:25:50It does sort of push on your other organs and move stuff about
0:25:50 > 0:25:52It just hurts so much.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56So how much did you drink and what were your drinking habits?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I drank mostly rose wine.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03It seems so harmless, rose!
0:26:03 > 0:26:07At most, I could drink about three bottles a day.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09It just got out of control, spiralled. I don't know why.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13I mean, I thought, "I'm all right, I'm fine."
0:26:13 > 0:26:16And then...obviously, I'm not.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Did you ever try and stop drinking when it had really got a grip
0:26:20 > 0:26:23My family and friends knew, they thought I was drinking too much
0:26:23 > 0:26:26and they'd said so. I was like, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28"It's all right, I've stopped"
0:26:28 > 0:26:31You didn't want to stop, really No.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Just told everybody else what they wanted to hear.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39'Jo has to take a daily cocktail of pills to help keep her alive '
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Calcium, multivitamins...
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'But the only long-term solution to her condition
0:26:46 > 0:26:49'is a liver transplant. After staying sober for six months,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53'this has just become a very real prospect.'
0:26:53 > 0:26:57It's a pledge I signed that you will follow the rules,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01you won't have a drink, otherwise that's it, you'll be off the list.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05You get one chance. I signed on my birthday.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Wow. Happy birthday, Jo! JO CHUCKLES
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Was it scary?
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Yeah, it is. It's the best thing for me in the long run
0:27:13 > 0:27:17so I've got to look at the positives as well.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20I had got to one point where I was thinking,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23"Oh, God, you know...basically I'm sat here on this list,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28"I've got to wait for someone to die." And you can't think like that.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31That'd happen anyway, regardless. Yeah, it's not in your hands.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38Do you think I'll have the right amount of socks?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Cos always one gets lost, don't they?
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And you think, "I must have only put three in,"
0:27:43 > 0:27:45but you could've sworn there was four.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48The transplant might be Jo's lifeline,
0:27:48 > 0:27:52but one in five people die before ever receiving
0:27:52 > 0:27:54their life-changing operation
0:27:54 > 0:27:57something mum Ann is all too aware of.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59I do worry potentially that she could die,
0:27:59 > 0:28:02whatever the outcome, with or without the liver transplant
0:28:02 > 0:28:07or whether she goes on the alcohol again AFTER the transplant.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12It's still a possibility. I mean, she could die during the operation
0:28:12 > 0:28:15or she could collapse at any time now.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16I do think about it every day.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Normally, I'd have had my pots planted with flowers
0:28:25 > 0:28:29and my hanging basket and everything this year, but..
0:28:29 > 0:28:31I just haven't had the heart to do it.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Hospitals now have to deal with 1.2 million alcohol admissions
0:28:43 > 0:28:47each year, costing the NHS nearly ?3 billion.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51'Over in the Freeman Hospital,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54'consultant Steve sees some of the most serious drinkers.'
0:28:54 > 0:28:57So this time round, we'll see her results first.
0:28:58 > 0:29:0130-year-old Kate has just come in.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03I drink and then just puke,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06and drink and puke, and drink and puke.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09What kind of logical head does that? Nobody.
0:29:09 > 0:29:11It's stupid, it's absolutely mad.
0:29:11 > 0:29:15Kate is not here because she drank too much, but because
0:29:15 > 0:29:18she stopped drinking abruptly in a bid to beat the bottle.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Her body went into a state of withdrawal at an AA meeting
0:29:24 > 0:29:27If your body has become dependent on that level of alcohol,
0:29:27 > 0:29:31then actually stopping suddenly can sometimes be a bad thing to do
0:29:31 > 0:29:34because your body goes into a withdrawal state which can
0:29:34 > 0:29:39put people at risk of sudden death, of heart arrhythmias and things
0:29:39 > 0:29:42so it's potentially a very life-threatening condition in itself.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46Ideally, drinkers should wean themselves off alcohol slowly.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49A daily dose of intravenous vitamins and diazepam
0:29:49 > 0:29:55is the immediate fix for Kate, but her body also has long-term damage.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58'I'm on a ward with people who, you know,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01'are probably 30, 40 years older than me
0:30:01 > 0:30:03'and probably half of them are fitter than me.'
0:30:03 > 0:30:05You know, I've got numb feet.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08I'm a 30-year-old woman who's got numb feet
0:30:08 > 0:30:10and struggle to walk properly.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Like I say, I've got liver damage. It's destroying me, man.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18With A levels and a degree behind her, Kate was doing well
0:30:18 > 0:30:23professionally but began to struggle when she split up with her partner.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27It did devastate me and, like, I had a three-year-old
0:30:27 > 0:30:31and a one-year-old to look after and I was knackered. I drank to cope.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34I'd get up in the morning, I was taking one to playgroup,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36one to school, picking up, dropping off, picking up...
0:30:36 > 0:30:38and loads of people do that and they can do that
0:30:38 > 0:30:40but for me, it was just so stressful.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Trying to get two kids ready in the morning,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45all I would do, I'd put the telly on for them, they're watching their programmes,
0:30:45 > 0:30:48I'll shut the door for the kitchen, open the cupboard again,
0:30:48 > 0:30:50quick swig, woo, I'm calm again
0:30:52 > 0:30:55'It's like...like in some sort of crazy world
0:30:55 > 0:30:57'and then if I have a drink, I can become normal.'
0:30:59 > 0:31:0218 months ago, Kate's kids went to live with their grandparents,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05as she could no longer look after them safely.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09'I mean, they want to come home They keep asking when they can come home
0:31:09 > 0:31:11'and I can't give them an answer.'
0:31:11 > 0:31:12I'd take them back in a shot
0:31:12 > 0:31:14but I'm not fit enough to look after them.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20A sample of Kate's blood has been sent to the lab
0:31:20 > 0:31:22to assess the damage to her liver.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24Morning. Morning.
0:31:24 > 0:31:29The results have just come back and Steve's concerned for her health.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32The liver blood tests show that your body's starting to complain,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34the liver's under strain from the alcohol,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37and I would like you to have a scan of the liver just to check
0:31:37 > 0:31:39the shape and the size of that
0:31:39 > 0:31:41I see you had one a couple of years ago
0:31:41 > 0:31:44and at that time the liver was a bit swollen and a bit fatty. Yep.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47And that's the first signs of damage and we want to see
0:31:47 > 0:31:49if that's progressed or if that's changed.
0:31:49 > 0:31:59Things are only going to get worse if you continue to drink
0:31:59 > 0:32:01The worst case scenario is that I die
0:32:01 > 0:32:04and my children grow up without a mother.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07And the kids need me, so I've just got to say,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10"No more drink, that's it, goodbye."
0:32:22 > 0:32:23(Shit.)
0:32:29 > 0:32:31SHE SNIFFLES
0:32:31 > 0:32:34I'd better open the curtains, hadn't I?
0:32:34 > 0:32:35SHE SNIFFLES
0:32:37 > 0:32:38God, the windows stink.
0:32:40 > 0:32:42When I was last here,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44I was just lying under my son's duvet,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47getting the dregs out of the bottom of that box of wine.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52Erm...reading a bit of the big book from AA.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Oh, and being sick in that bowl
0:32:59 > 0:33:02I want to pour this down the sink actually, down the toilet.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Sick in the sink, of course.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07TOILET FLUSHES
0:33:07 > 0:33:10The toilet's there, and I could be sick in the toilet
0:33:10 > 0:33:13but I'm not, I'm sick in the sink. I make no sense.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33There's loads of pictures of my kids on the wall and I sit
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and look at them and I just...pfff. It kills me that I'm not with them.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41And then I get the best of intentions to stop
0:33:41 > 0:33:45and then...something goes wrong and I start again, and...
0:33:48 > 0:33:53..I just hope that this time, I can stop for good.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55SHE SNIFFLES
0:33:55 > 0:34:01This is my kids' bedroom but they're not in it.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03I just want them back in it.
0:34:05 > 0:34:06But...
0:34:08 > 0:34:11It's like when they were here, they would sleep in their own room
0:34:11 > 0:34:15and then I'd be in my room and about five o'clock in the morning,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18they'd just pile into bed with me, and I loved it.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23And I miss it.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Sorry.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29SHE SOBS I'm sorry.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53The chances of me getting them back in the next six months
0:34:53 > 0:34:57are pretty slim. You know, I've got to get myself well first.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01So I should just focus on today I'll not drink.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Tomorrow, I'll not drink...
0:35:04 > 0:35:06..and just keep going.
0:35:11 > 0:35:16For any alcoholic, staying away from drink is a massive challenge.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Temptation is everywhere.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28There are now well over 120,00 places to buy alcohol in the UK
0:35:28 > 0:35:33and what's on sale is often astonishingly strong - and cheap.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39It's 7.5%...
0:35:39 > 0:35:46..and it's three pounds for...three litres.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48That's a pound a litre.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53With booze now also available 24 hours a day,
0:35:53 > 0:35:57it's the one drug in the UK that's always on tap.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59The facilities, the tools we have
0:35:59 > 0:36:04to become highly addicted are just here, it's so easy to buy.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07The only tricky thing is carrying them home.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18If alcoholism does take hold,
0:36:18 > 0:36:21the addiction can overshadow everything else in your life.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27'I've come to the outskirts of Sunderland to meet the Arkleys,
0:36:27 > 0:36:32'a family torn apart by their youngest son, Tony's, drinking.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34What kinds of things was Tony into when he was young?
0:36:34 > 0:36:36Motorbikes, he was motorbike fanatic.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39And cars, but more so on motorbikes.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42He was so good on them as well When he used to go down the field
0:36:42 > 0:36:44on the bike, he used to be wheelie-ing
0:36:44 > 0:36:46and they used to mess about with the bikes for the kids,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49and he used to fix all their bikes and that for them.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54If the drink hadn't took hold of him, that would've been his. .
0:36:54 > 0:37:00His life, I think. How do you think Tony became introduced to alcohol?
0:37:00 > 0:37:0315, 16, I think. It was just the done thing,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06he used to just drink with his mates
0:37:06 > 0:37:08and it just was like a Friday night thing.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10I don't know what it was, but from his first time,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13I think it took hold of him.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15And then he just couldn't stop
0:37:15 > 0:37:18At bad times, he used to drink as much as 16 litres a day.
0:37:18 > 0:37:2016 litres a day?! Mm.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23That would've been when he was in his bad times.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25You'd find bottles hid all over the house.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27I used to say, "You're going to die."
0:37:27 > 0:37:31He used to say, "Don't be daft I'll not die."
0:37:31 > 0:37:32And he did.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42At the age of just 28, Tony passed away in his bedroom
0:37:56 > 0:37:59He really loved his motorbikes didn't he?
0:37:59 > 0:38:05Aye, he loved his bikes. Wow.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07We've never changed the bedding or nothing,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11I just can't bring myself to do it. It's just...
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Cos there's times when you walk in, you can smell him.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17I know it sounds silly, but... No, it doesn't at all.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20You just get the... Still kisses his pillow every night.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22I come in and kiss his pillow every night and say,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24"Good night, I love you."
0:38:24 > 0:38:27It's hard. SHE SOBS
0:38:27 > 0:38:29You all right?
0:38:31 > 0:38:35When did things start to really unravel for Tony?
0:38:35 > 0:38:39From 25 onwards, he's just...deteriorated.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43But you see, the last year, he deteriorated fast.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45He was just in and out of hospital all the time.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47He wanted to stop...
0:38:49 > 0:38:53He just couldn't. ..and he just couldn't. He just couldn't stop
0:38:53 > 0:38:54It had too much of a grip on him.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59'Tony suffered from double kidney failure, pancreatic cancer,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02'hepatitis and liver cirrhosis
0:39:02 > 0:39:05'In late 2012, he was rushed to hospital
0:39:05 > 0:39:09'with severe internal bleeding Despite making it through,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13'there was nothing more that could be done for his chronic problems.'
0:39:13 > 0:39:16He says, "Mam, I'm signing myself out.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20"What's the point of sitting in here when I can be sitting, lying in my own bed?"
0:39:20 > 0:39:22And then he came home and he just...
0:39:24 > 0:39:28That was it, he deteriorated fast. The weight just dropped off him It just...
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I used to put... E45 cream. ..E45 cream on him
0:39:31 > 0:39:37cos he went dead dry and I could feel every knobble of his spine
0:39:37 > 0:39:39every rib and...
0:39:40 > 0:39:44Were you here when he died? I'll never forget it.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49I walked in the door and Tony was like half pushed up on his shoulder,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52half sitting up and his eyes..
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Oh, I'll never forget them.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58He looked so terrified, and I just went up to him
0:39:58 > 0:40:01and I says, "Howay, my son, lie down," and that, like.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04Laid him down and I kissed him and I says,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07"Tony, you can go now, you know, son."
0:40:07 > 0:40:08I says...
0:40:11 > 0:40:15I says, "You don't know your Nana, Nana Murphy," I says.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18"But she'll know you, she'll be waiting for you."
0:40:20 > 0:40:24And I laid him down and I kissed him. He's just...
0:40:24 > 0:40:28And I shouted to her, "Emma, Lindsey," that was it.
0:40:28 > 0:40:29He was in your arms, though.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31He died in my arms. Oh...
0:40:31 > 0:40:34SHE SOBS
0:40:37 > 0:40:39I just can't imagine what it must be like...
0:40:39 > 0:40:41CHERRY SNIFFS ..to lose a child, I just can't.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42You can't, can you?
0:40:42 > 0:40:44(I can't imagine.)
0:40:47 > 0:40:48But I miss him so much.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59MARGARET SIGHS
0:41:08 > 0:41:13An addiction of this scale doesn't just affect one person
0:41:13 > 0:41:16Tony's whole family is completely devastated.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21They've had to watch someone they love
0:41:21 > 0:41:24kind of disappear before their eyes
0:41:24 > 0:41:28because of something like alcohol, because of booze.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33It's too sad and too much of a waste to really get your head around
0:41:35 > 0:41:42From 2011 to 2012, a staggering 13,000 under-18s in England
0:41:42 > 0:41:45used specialist services for problems with alcohol.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50But behind the statistics,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53some young people do get help before it's too late.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59'I'm driving to Bournemouth to meet one of the lucky ones.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05'In his late teens, Matt was having the time of his life,
0:42:05 > 0:42:07'drinking and partying with mates.'
0:42:07 > 0:42:10I'm not going to lie, I had a really fun time drinking.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14It gave me more confidence, it helped me to talk to women
0:42:14 > 0:42:15and, you know, make new friends
0:42:18 > 0:42:22But by 21, Matt had fallen into an alcohol-induced coma,
0:42:22 > 0:42:25and after waking up, endured a living hell
0:42:25 > 0:42:27of life-threatening injuries.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35'Matt needed a liver transplant to save his life.'
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Hi, Cherry. Nice to see you. Nice to see you. You're looking really well.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40'After waiting for more than 18 months,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43'he went under the knife in January,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46'and I want to see if he'll ever truly recover.'
0:42:46 > 0:42:48What happened after the operation?
0:42:48 > 0:42:52My initial thoughts were kind of like, "Yes, I'm not dead "
0:42:52 > 0:42:55You know, "They haven't got me yet," kind of thing.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58And then it was the realisation of the pain afterwards.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Just really intense pain, obviously.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02It felt like I'd been cut up in half.
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Because you had. Yeah, I had been cut up in half, essentially. Yeah.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09The main worry was about rejecting the organ.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Yes, cos at the end of the day it's a foreign object,
0:43:12 > 0:43:16it's not like it was mine that I was born with,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18so my body will naturally fight it off because it's...
0:43:18 > 0:43:20"Agh, this is not part of this body
0:43:20 > 0:43:22"so we need to attack it and get rid of it."
0:43:24 > 0:43:26'Matt will have to take anti-rejection drugs
0:43:26 > 0:43:30'for the rest of his life and his future will be greatly affected
0:43:30 > 0:43:33'One in five people suffer from a range
0:43:33 > 0:43:37'of life-threatening side-effects like diabetes and kidney failure.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41'And his body will always bear the scars of the operation.'
0:43:41 > 0:43:43They call it the Mercedes-Benz scar.
0:43:43 > 0:43:44SHE LAUGHS
0:43:44 > 0:43:47They've pimped your scar? Yeah
0:43:47 > 0:43:49And so what are these marks here, that run down?
0:43:49 > 0:43:51The other marks are basically when I initially had problems
0:43:51 > 0:43:54back in 2007, my liver swelled up quite a huge amount
0:43:54 > 0:43:56and I had a bit of a pot belly
0:43:56 > 0:43:59and the fluid needed to be drained off
0:43:59 > 0:44:01and...yeah, so that's not very pleasant.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04I do use oils for it and stuff to sort of try and...
0:44:04 > 0:44:07We can share oil tips. I'm so down with the belly oil
0:44:07 > 0:44:14How do you feel about your scar
0:44:14 > 0:44:16but it's something I'm working on.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18I didn't really want to see it or look at it,
0:44:18 > 0:44:21I kind of wanted to deny it was there but I knew sooner or later,
0:44:21 > 0:44:23it was something I'd have to accept that would be there.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Now I can actually...just about bear the sight of myself in the mirror!
0:44:27 > 0:44:30And it will get better and better. Yeah. I'm sure it will.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Get smaller and smaller. I hope it does. Fingers crossed
0:44:34 > 0:44:36'Now, six months on, Matt is back at work,
0:44:36 > 0:44:39'and starting to rebuild his life.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42'But photos are a painful reminder of his ordeal.'
0:44:42 > 0:44:48That's me in hospital. Let me see. The pained smile, look! "I'm OK "
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Yeah, I'm still alive. How many days after the operation was that?
0:44:51 > 0:44:53That's five days. Five days. Five days after.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55Actually quite a long time after. Yeah.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58I was still really massively in pain.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00Oh, my God, that's really full-on.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02It's not that bad.
0:45:04 > 0:45:05It's quite bad!
0:45:08 > 0:45:12'Matt knows nothing about the person his new liver came from.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15'Everything is done completely anonymously, but he's keen to
0:45:15 > 0:45:20'go some way to saying thank you by writing a letter of gratitude
0:45:20 > 0:45:23'to the donor's family, that the hospital could then pass on '
0:45:24 > 0:45:26Obviously, I don't expect to get it right first time.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29I think there will be a number of crosses-out
0:45:29 > 0:45:31and I will leave certain bits out.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34It's, like, the hardest thank-you letter...
0:45:34 > 0:45:36Yeah. ..to write, perhaps.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39It's really personal to me but I don't want to make it
0:45:39 > 0:45:43so much about me because they've obviously lost a loved one.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45Of course. Yeah. Um...I don't know how to start it.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48I'm just going to... What to say?
0:45:49 > 0:45:55Is there anything you want to say, or not so, particularly? Yeah.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58I thought I might mention about one time when I was actually
0:45:58 > 0:46:01in a waiting room at hospital and I saw a father playing with his child.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06"I was having a routine check-up at the hospital
0:46:06 > 0:46:12"when I was in the X-ray department and I noticed that
0:46:12 > 0:46:14"It came across my mind that potentially
0:46:14 > 0:46:16"this could never happen to me
0:46:16 > 0:46:19"Without realising, I began to cry
0:46:19 > 0:46:22"and to now know that to have family of my own
0:46:22 > 0:46:27"is a possibility now, thanks to your family member." Um...
0:46:27 > 0:46:29You know, I put "family member"
0:46:29 > 0:46:32I didn't know if it was a brother, sister, mother, son...
0:46:32 > 0:46:37I think that story is so moving and kind of...says it all, almost.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41Yeah. It's not overdramatic, it's really personal.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46Did you think writing this was going to be this hard? Yeah, I did.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49I kind of foresaw that there was going to be issues.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51Have you been nervous about writing this letter?
0:46:51 > 0:46:54Yeah. I think I've put it off a little bit, if I'm honest, yeah.
0:46:54 > 0:46:57And I think now is probably around the right time
0:46:57 > 0:46:59so you coming to visit me today was probably a good prompt
0:46:59 > 0:47:01for me to get on and start writing this.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16At the Freeman Hospital, Jo's been called in for an operation.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22It's not the all-important liver transplant,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25but surgery to help alleviate the ascites around her abdomen
0:47:26 > 0:47:31Consultant radiologist Ralph Jackson will be operating
0:47:31 > 0:47:33You've going to have this TIPS procedure.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37It means putting a tube into the jugular vein here in your neck,
0:47:37 > 0:47:39then all the way down, past your heart to the back of the liver,
0:47:39 > 0:47:42and your liver sits about here
0:47:42 > 0:47:46Then, I can make a tunnel through the liver connecting the vein
0:47:46 > 0:47:47at the back of the liver
0:47:47 > 0:47:50to the vein at the front of the liver.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52The TIPS surgery is an attempt
0:47:52 > 0:47:55to reduce the blood pressure in the liver.
0:47:55 > 0:47:57Ralph is hoping to connect the two main veins
0:47:57 > 0:48:01with an artificial tunnel known as a stent.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05This should help reduce the ascites fluid build-up.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08The outcome is hard to predict but if all goes well,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11Jo won't need regular abdomen drains any more.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15You've seen the anaesthetist? Yes. She's happy with everything? Yes.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Perfect. Well, we'll get on with it. OK.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22See you later. Be good. All right. See you.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30I got a bit emotional there.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32And that's not me. That's not me.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Yeah. I think she'll be all right,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36but I did get a little...
0:48:36 > 0:48:38I know it's not like the liver transplant,
0:48:38 > 0:48:39but it's still an operation
0:48:39 > 0:48:42and there's a risk under the anaesthetic anyway.
0:48:43 > 0:48:46I think she was bit more emotional than me.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48She was squeezing my hand a bit so...
0:48:48 > 0:48:52But it's all going to be fine! It's going to work out wonderfully.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57We'll just start off giving you some medication,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00so you might start feeling a little bit light-headed, OK?
0:49:00 > 0:49:05Are you OK there, Joanne? That's it. You're doing really well.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Ralph is operating under X-ray conditions,
0:49:10 > 0:49:12so that he has a view into Jo's liver
0:49:12 > 0:49:14without cutting her wide open.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20So I've been doing this procedure probably for 14 years now,
0:49:20 > 0:49:25sadly, increasingly commonly amongst younger patients.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28Alcohol is the primary reason for doing this.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35At this point, I've got a metal tube going down from the neck
0:49:35 > 0:49:37into the back of the liver here
0:49:37 > 0:49:41I'm going to try and make a hole through to the vein.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46After guiding the catheter down the jugular vein into the liver
0:49:46 > 0:49:48he has to locate the portal vein
0:49:48 > 0:49:51and then punch through to connect them up.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56A few millimetres either way could be catastrophic.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01OK, this is proving harder than I was anticipating.
0:50:01 > 0:50:02The liver can be very tough
0:50:02 > 0:50:06and sometimes the needles almost won't go in.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Hold tight for a second.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13OK, at last. Now, luckily, we've got the tube in the right place
0:50:13 > 0:50:23and can really do the bit that works, making the tunnel.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Fine. So I'm just going to remove the access there.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30But sadly, Jo won't be the last young person on his operating table.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32We're seeing many people in their 20s
0:50:32 > 0:50:34who've ended up with life-threatening bleeding
0:50:34 > 0:50:35due to liver disease.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39They're not just social drinkers. These are usually serious drinkers.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41However, there is so much heavy social drinking going on
0:50:41 > 0:50:43that I think it's quite easy to by mistake,
0:50:43 > 0:50:45end up in a very bad state,
0:50:45 > 0:50:49without anticipating it and without expecting it.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54Jo will be back on her feet in a few days, and when she is
0:50:54 > 0:50:58she should be 20-odd litres lighter around her waist.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06But for mum Ann, the worry will continue.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13I'll feel a little bit easier that we won't have to traipse
0:51:13 > 0:51:15in and out of hospital every two weeks.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Perhaps she can get back to a bit of normality.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20See you when you get back to the ward. OK?
0:51:27 > 0:51:28Mum-of-two Kate
0:51:28 > 0:51:32has also had to come back to the Freeman for a scan on her liver.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36I'd like you to take a deep breath in, hold it just there...
0:51:36 > 0:51:40The liver is the body's only organ which has the power to repair itself
0:51:40 > 0:51:45if the damage sustained isn't too severe and you stop drinking.
0:51:45 > 0:51:46Deep breath once more.
0:51:46 > 0:51:51Since her last visit, Kate's remained sober for a month.
0:51:51 > 0:51:52And there's more good news,
0:51:52 > 0:51:55as there's no sign yet of terminal liver cirrhosis.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00Looks good. Thank you. Excellent.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04That was really good. I'm surprised, actually. I've been dreading it
0:52:04 > 0:52:06thinking the worst, and I probably would have tried to dodge it
0:52:06 > 0:52:08if it wasn't for this!
0:52:08 > 0:52:11But, um, yeah, I'm really pleased.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16If Kate continues to beat the bottle,
0:52:16 > 0:52:20the damage that she has caused her liver should be totally repairable.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23She's also making strides to get her kids back.
0:52:29 > 0:52:33The first step is to prove her continued sobriety,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36so a few weeks later I've come to sit in on one of her meetings
0:52:36 > 0:52:39at Newcastle's addiction services.
0:52:39 > 0:52:44How's things been with the alcohol? Have you had a drink at all? No
0:52:44 > 0:52:46So how long has that been now?
0:52:46 > 0:52:48Six weeks today. Six weeks.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51That's a massive achievement, really, isn't it? Yeah.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54I'm just waiting for two months so I can say two months,
0:52:54 > 0:52:55and get a big clap!
0:52:57 > 0:52:59Why are you doing breathalyser tests?
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Just to prove that I'm not drinking.
0:53:01 > 0:53:02I know that I'm not drinking.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06It's sort of proving it to the rest of the world. Yeah
0:53:06 > 0:53:09And my main focus is to get my kids back. Yeah.
0:53:09 > 0:53:11So if this helps in any way to get them back,
0:53:11 > 0:53:13then that's what I'm going to do.
0:53:13 > 0:53:17So it's a long breath until it beeps twice.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21BEEPS
0:53:21 > 0:53:23There we go.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28So, yeah, that result was zero
0:53:28 > 0:53:31and we'll continue four-weekly appointments if you want. Yeah
0:53:31 > 0:53:36And we'll continue to get these over the next six months as we planned.
0:53:36 > 0:53:37Since giving up booze,
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Kate's managed to take some real steps forward
0:53:39 > 0:53:41to rebuild her relationship with her children.
0:53:45 > 0:53:46And she's now even enjoying
0:53:46 > 0:53:48the daily grind of shopping for the kids.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53There's some really cute ones. Do you think she'd like these?
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Oh, God, yeah. I think I like them! Yeah, I do, too.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Oh, God. All you need are the flashing lights.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03Oh, I love the flashing lights I love the flashing lights.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06What's your relationship like with them at the moment? Great
0:54:06 > 0:54:09It's just... They don't ask me if I'm poorly any more.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11So they must be able to see something for them not to ask any more.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15They ask when they can come back home, and they don't want me to leave.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19Do you feel stronger? Yeah. I can't describe how much stronger.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Just even walking to the shop was a struggle.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25There was one time I was walking down the street with my dad
0:54:25 > 0:54:27and my shoe kept falling off, cos I always wear stupid shoes
0:54:27 > 0:54:30and he was just screaming at me in the street,
0:54:30 > 0:54:32cos he was just that frustrated
0:54:32 > 0:54:36Cos I couldn't feel my feet, I couldn't feel my shoes falling off,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39I could barely walk. I was holding on to him. I was like an old person.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41Sorry to old people, but I was like an old aged pensioner
0:54:41 > 0:54:43clinging onto people.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46What do you see as the future for you and your kids?
0:54:46 > 0:54:47What's the plan now?
0:54:47 > 0:54:49I just want a happy, simple life.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52I always thought I wanted, like a big car, big house, all that
0:54:52 > 0:54:54when you're growing up - but I don't.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56I just want a simple house, happy kids.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Now I'm off that mad, horrible. .
0:54:58 > 0:55:01It's like a hamster wheel, just round and round and round
0:55:01 > 0:55:05and it's really tiring. But now I'm off that, anything can happen.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08I've just got to do my best today,
0:55:08 > 0:55:10and if I don't mess up today, then I've got a good chance
0:55:10 > 0:55:12not to mess up tomorrow.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It may be a day-to-day fight, but Kate has already made
0:55:18 > 0:55:22a remarkable change to her life in just six weeks.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25And with her health improving all the time,
0:55:25 > 0:55:28her future is now back in her own hands.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31So nice to meet you, and good luck with everything. Bye.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33Thank you very much.
0:55:33 > 0:55:34Thank you. Bye.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Since filming, Kate has remained sober
0:55:43 > 0:55:46and is now seeing her kids every day.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49Matt is back working as a carer
0:55:49 > 0:55:53and in his spare time helps other alcoholics in their recovery.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Max is doing his best to cut down,
0:55:58 > 0:56:00but hasn't stopped drinking completely.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Jo's back on her feet after her surgery,
0:56:06 > 0:56:11but is still waiting for the big call from the transplant team.
0:56:11 > 0:56:14And all our doctors and nurses hope that we start drinking
0:56:14 > 0:56:18sensibly as soon as possible.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20MUSIC: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk
0:56:30 > 0:56:33Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd