The cities where people have the lowest life expectancy in the UK say they are not surprised that people die young – blaming cheap booze, drugs and a poor diet for the shocking figures.
Children born in Britain are now expected to live longer than ever before, with ONS figures saying baby boys can hope for 86.7 years while girls could get a grand total of 90.
But in Glasgow, once considered the Second City of Empire, girls are only likely to live to 78.3 years – more than a decade below the UK average.
And in Blackpool the figure for boys is even more tragic at a shocking 73.6 years.
The Scottish city called for a change in governance as they battle historic problems of addiction, mental health issues and poor health.
While in Lancashire locals say cheap drink, drugs and kebabs are driving down their life expectancy.
MailOnline visited Blackpool and Glasgow to find out why life expectancy is so low – and found locals believe the numbers are only going to get worse.
Locals in both cities blamed booze, drugs and poor diet for the survey’s findings
Glasgow has the lowest life expectancy for women in the whole of the UK
Blackpool has overtaken the city on the Clyde as the worst place for men to be born
Glasgow
The former industrial heartland of Glasgow city has toiled historically with mental health and addiction to alcohol, smoking and more recently, drugs.
Speaking to locals, MailOnline found many blamed poor diet, mental health issues and addiction for the grim statistics.
Jennifer Keane told how she racks up 17,000 steps every day in her job as a dog walker. The 36-year-old is delighted her work keeps her fit and healthy.
She said: ‘I think people should take a long, hard look at their lifestyle. See if there is anything they can do that might help them live longer.
‘I am lucky my job keeps me fit but others should examine what they do and change it if necessary. It’s all down to education.’
Teacher Dorothy Gillies said she was not surprised by the findings, laying the blame on changes to the city’s eating habits.
The 56-year-old now lives in York but was on a weekend trip back to her native city, drenched in a late winter downpour.
She said: ‘You can tell people here are not in great health. I blame a bad diet. Mums are now too busy to cook meals from scratch.
GLASGOW: Dogwalker Jennifer Keane walks 17,000 steps a day and said others should take a look at their lifestyles
GLASGOW: Teacher Dorothy Gillies said she was not surprised by the findings, laying the blame on changes to the city’s eating habits
GLASGOW: Lorraine Matonti said she is ‘lucky’ not to live in the centre of Glasgow
GLASGOW: Unemployed Ella Sanderson, 22, shopping with a friend on Buchanan Street, said: ‘Being a woman in Glasgow at this time absolutely terrifies me’
‘I can rustle up a pot of carrot soup for £1 but I think many of my generation missed out on that ability.
‘I had a Big Mac the other day on my way here but that was a rare treat. To others, it’s their staple diet.
‘Everyone laughs at the signs welcoming you to parts of Glasgow ‘Happy 30th Birthday, Granny’ but it’s really not funny.’
Lorraine Matonti considers herself ‘lucky’ that she lives in Giffnock, a prosperous suburb just six miles from the city centre.
Unlike Glasgow city, her area of East Renfrewshire enjoys the highest male and female life expectancy in Scotland.
The beauty therapist, 65, said: ‘People have a better quality of life living in the suburbs.
‘My home area was recently named as one of the best places to live in all of the UK.
‘It’s all down to education. My kids went to a primary school with a wonderful, caring ethos, where any form of bullying was not tolerated.
‘I am happy to come from Giffnock but I realise I am lucky and that not everyone in Glasgow is as fortunate.’
MailOnline went to Blackpool (pictured) and Glasgow to discover why they have the lowest life expectancies in the country
GLASGOW: John Hutchison told MailOnline he sees the city’s love for booze and drugs at close hand in his job as a barman
GLASGOW: Marjory Maclean, a 65-year-old education worker, blamed poverty for her city’s poor lifee expectancy
Unemployed Ella Sanderson, 22, shopping with a friend on Buchanan Street, said: ‘Being a woman in Glasgow at this time absolutely terrifies me. It seems there’s some kind of danger around every corner.
‘Glasgow night clubs are bad for sexual assault gangs, it’s scary. The city has drug and alcohol issues and I’m sure there’s a reason for that.
‘Improvement will only come through women talking to other women. We need far more support.
‘People with money can afford private health care but my GP practice won’t give you an appointment for three or four weeks.’
Marjory Maclean, a 65-year-old education worker said: ‘Poverty is probably the biggest factor in Glasgow’s poor health record.
‘It is very sad. People are experiencing today the effects of what they did when they were younger.
‘I did not work in my early years but everyone has to work now. I don’t think Glasgow City Council do enough. They are happy enough to take but are reluctant to reach out to help people.’
Nurse Christine Taylor, 62, said she was ‘not surprised’ at the shocking life expectancy of Glasgow’s females.
She said:’I don’t think Glaswegians are any different to anywhere else.
‘Health has improved in the 21st Century but there are still problems from generations ago.
‘Speaking personally, I have never had a major health problem. I have never had to call a doctor for anything.’
Marion McColvin was depending on help from a walking aid as she moved up Glasgow’s principal shopping thoroughfare, Buchanan Street.
The 83-year-old suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and angina, which she believes is a legacy of years of smoking.
She declared: ‘I stopped smoking years ago and began to feel much better.
GLASGOW: Elizabeth Kelly, 84, is already six years better off than her typical fellow citizen who will die aged 78.3 years
GLASGOW: Marion McColvin was depending on help from a walking aid as she moved up Glasgow’s principal shopping thoroughfare, Buchanan Street
Nurse Christine Taylor, 62, said she was ‘not surprised’ at the shocking life expectancy of Glasgow’s females
‘I changed doctor two years ago to one nearer to where I live. If you phone before 10am, you can usually see the doctor that day.
‘That gives you confidence, knowing that if you do feel ill, you can get the help you need quickly.’
Elizabeth Kelly left her home town a few years ago, emigrating to a sunnier climate in Fuengirola, in Spain.
Now 84, she’s already six years better off than her typical fellow citizen who will die aged 78.3 years.
The former nanny said: ‘I think I’ll live a bit longer yet. Now that I’m in Spain, I do a lot more walking than if I stayed here. I am a member of the health service out there but I haven’t had to call on them.
‘It would be horrible living in Glasgow now. I really don’t fancy coming back. It all depends on how you live your life. Obviously, I’ve led a good life.’
John Hutchison sees the city’s love for booze and drugs at close hand in his job as a barman.
The 24-year-old said: ‘It’s all to do with the culture in this country. You see excessive behaviour from women, just as much as men.
‘I read somewhere that Glasgow has more branches of Greggs than London, their growth increasing exponentially in this city.
‘Where else would you see a Greggs or a takeaway on every corner? It could be argued that eating poorly is an economic thing but it has its consequences.’
BLACKPOOL: William MacGowan, 40, said seasonal jobs in the seaside resort were partly to blame for low life expectancy
BLACKPOOL: Kurt Walsh, owner of Scream and Shake Horror Cafe, also said the town’s issues were rooted in seasonal working
In Blackpool, locals blamed poverty and alcohol for low life expectancy rates
Other residents said seasonal working due to the seaside town’s popularity with tourists was to blame
Locals say despite the bright lights of the Blackpool’s illuminations it is a dark and depressing place in the winter
Children born across the country are now expected to live longer than ever before, with ONS figures saying baby boys can hope for 86.7 years while girls could get a grand total of 90
Scottish Conservative shadow cabinet secretary for health Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP said: ‘These damning findings confirm that the SNP is bad for the health of Glaswegians.
‘It is appalling that so many people in Scotland’s biggest city are facing a postcode lottery when it comes to their life expectancy, given the better picture just a few miles away from Glasgow.
‘SNP ministers have failed to address these low life expectancy rates for far too long. Their failures mean Scotland’s drug deaths are the worst in Europe, alcohol deaths are at their highest since 2008 and cancer waiting time targets have not been met in well over a decade.
‘This shameful neglect is inexcusable and SNP ministers must urgently prioritise measures that will improve the lives of those living in Glasgow.’
Blackpool
Meanwhile in Blackpool, which recently replaced Glasgow as the worst place to live if males want a long, healthy life, residents claim cheap drink, drugs and kebabs are contributing factors.
Locals say despite the bright lights of the Blackpool’s illuminations it is a dark and depressing place in the winter.
William MacGowan, 40, said: ‘Maybe it is to do with what the town has to offer.
‘I don’t suppose the jobs available in Blackpool will be among the highest paid so money might be tight.
‘Also, because it is a seaside town, there are a lot of entertainment venues, bars and pubs, so people might spend a lot of time in there. Pubs and clubs are an easy place to find yourself in.’
Kurt Walsh, owner of Scream and Shake Horror Cafe, said: ‘I think the low life expectancy in Blackpool has a lot to do with it being a seasonal town and seasonal work.
BLACKPOOL: David Easterbrook-Spurgeon, 18, said his hometown becomes ‘depressing’ during winter
BLACKPOOL: Hex Lacy, 18, said many in Blackpool are ‘struggling to survive’
One Blackpool local described the town as ‘a dumping ground for recently released prisoners and recovering drug addicts trying to rebuild their lives’
In Blackpool males can only expect to live to the age of 73.6 years
‘By November, all the seasonal jobs end and there is less money in the town.
‘I go from earning hundreds of pounds a week to sometimes just £30 or £40. The illumination lights go out and the town plunges into darkness.
‘It can be a bleak place. A lot of people end up on the dole in November so don’t have the same amount of money to spend. They may not eat properly or be forced to keep the heating off and live in a cold house.
‘There are a lot of cheap fast food places and bars serving cheap beer so that promotes an unhealthy lifestyle.
‘I appreciate it is tough for many other towns but the people here are suffering and need help.’
David Easterbrook-Spurgeon, 18, said: ‘I am not surprised it’s the worst in the UK because there is a lot of poverty in the town.
‘It’s easy to get into a dark place because there isn’t much to do. It looks like a fun place but it can be quite a depressive place to live.
‘Young men are impressionable, and they can easily be led to drink and drugs. Once you are in that lifestyle, it is very difficult to get out of it.’
Hex Lacy, 18, said: ‘Travelling into Blackpool, the closer you get to the town centre to worse it becomes. It is a poor town and people are struggling to survive. It is hard.
‘It is so easy to get into drink and drugs because they aren’t particularly expensive, especially hard drugs.
‘Walking around the town centre, you would just see people slumped over. It was crazy.’
Peter Collins, 54, added: ‘It’s not really a surprise Blackpool has the lowest male life expectancy in the UK.
‘Most jobs in the town are poorly paid and it’s a dumping ground for recently released prisoners and recovering drug addicts trying to rebuild their lives.
‘And with it being a seaside resort, there’s a binge-drinking culture and fast food places everywhere you look.
‘The place doesn’t stand a chance.’
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: ‘Glasgow has some of the most-deprived areas in Scotland.
‘COVID-19 caused more deaths overall, but it hit the most-deprived areas harder, making the life expectancy gap even worse.
‘Our focus is on improving public health to reduce these health differences and accelerate health improvements.
‘Our recent Director of Public Health Report outlines our main priorities for this.’
