Homeless people in the UK revealed to die aged just 47 | Society | The Guardian
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/dec/21/homeless-people-life-expectancy-47
Homeless people can expect their lives to be about 30 years shorter than the average in the United Kingdom, with a likelihood of dying at around 47, an age of death comparable to that found in the Congo, according to a report by the charity Crisis.
Homelessness: A Silent Killer reports that homeless people in the UK who suffer the stresses and strains of alcoholism and substance abuse live only a little longer than those in the poorest countries, with the average age of death at 47 for men and 43 for women. This compares with 77 for the general population. The research, by Sheffield University, calculated that drug and alcohol abuse were responsible for just over a third of deaths among the homeless. They were also nine times more likely to kill themselves than the general public, and twice as likely to die of infections.
A separate report reveals almost 70,000 children will wake up on Christmas Day in temporary accommodation, without a permanent home to call their own.
