A heartbroken mum says her daughter ordered 18 bottles of wine in the week before she died, claiming alcohol delivery apps made her addiction “invisible”.
Teri Black says her daughter, Carla Black, was able to order vast quantities of alcohol directly to her home – despite being so ill she could barely walk to the shops.
The week before she died, mum-of-one Carla had ordered 18 bottles of wine through delivery services.
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Carla was eventually diagnosed with cirrhosis, the permanent scarring of the liver caused by long-term liver damage, and passed away aged 38.
Now Teri, 64, is urging supermarkets and delivery companies to introduce safeguards to stop vulnerable people ordering large amounts of alcohol online.
“By the time I found out how bad things were for Carla, it was advanced,” Teri, from Wirral, Merseyside, told Need To Know.
“Five months before she passed away, she told me she had cirrhosis and I was in total shock.
“I thought it was an early diagnosis but I think she didn’t want to hurt me.
“I asked her what we could do, I offered to pay for anything like rehab.
“I would have done anything – I would have sold the house.
“I was aware she was still drinking and there was no point begging her to stop.”
Foster carer Teri says that Carla had always been a social drinker and she didn’t have any concerns about her habits until she suffered a miscarriage followed by a difficult break up.
Carla, an admin worker, was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.
Teri’s grandson, now 19, alerted her to Carla’s addiction and she encouraged her to see a doctor.
She said: “Carla desperately wanted more kids but she had PCOS so it wasn’t easy for her.
“She got pregnant and lost the baby and it devastated her.
“Around 18 months before she left us, I realised there was a problem because my grandson called me and told me she’d been drinking a lot.
“I was shocked but I spoke to her about it and she told me I was judgy.
“I’d go round to clear empty bottles and she’d fill a whole recycling bin with wine bottles in a week.
“She couldn’t really walk so wasn’t capable of going to the shops.
“Carla was still working from home so I think she drank as soon as she finished.”
Teri was on holiday in Spain in December 2023 when Carla called and said she was on her way to hospital in an ambulance.
She said: “I went to see her before I went [on holiday] but she wouldn’t let me in because she said she was ill with a bug.
“I begged her to let me in and left a food shop on her steps.
“I went to Spain and couldn’t get hold of her.
“I was worried sick, I knew something was wrong.
“She called me eventually and said there was an ambulance coming.
“The hospital called later that night to say she was quite poorly.
“I was going home the next evening and they said I could stick with that flight but go straight to the hospital.
“I beat myself up about that because I knew something wasn’t right.
“My grandson called when I was in the airport and said Carla wanted to speak to me but she could barely talk.”
At the hospital, Teri discovered that Carla’s cirrhosis was too advanced and she said her goodbyes five months after her diagnosis, in December 2023.
Teri said: “It was awful.
“As soon as I got there, I knew she wasn’t coming home.
“I had to get everyone there to say bye to her.
“At the time, I was so angry about the alcohol deliveries.
“I knew she’d been getting it delivered because I saw the boxes by the door.
“At the time, I was concentrating more on looking after Carla.
“I ask myself why I didn’t stop it then. But I can try and stop it now [for others].
“I haven’t come to terms with it yet.
“I’m still numb now.”
Teri has launched a petition calling for a review of alcohol home deliveries and stronger safeguards to protect vulnerable adults, in the hope that no other family has to endure the heartbreak hers has.
She said: “There’s such a massive loophole because it’s the supermarkets who hold the alcohol license so the delivery companies can fob responsibility off on someone else.
“It’s difficult for the stores to take responsibility and delivery companies don’t have a responsibility.
“People can ban themselves but it’s not working.
“Some people say an alcoholic will get alcohol if they want it but where would they get it late at night if their local shop is shut?
“I like a drink, I’m not trying to stop people having a good time.
“I want there to be a buffer, a limit or a flag so that person can have a think about what they’re doing.
“When you’re in a small area, people know you and can point out you go to the shop every day for three bottles of wine.
“Online, it’s private and under the radar.
“It’d not as simple as Carla, it’s a cost to the NHS, social services and the police.
“Children are being affected and yet you can walk into any shop and there’s so much alcohol on display.
“Something needs to be done.
“Carla was lucky she had me but not everyone has that support system.”
Petition: Hold a review into alcohol home delivery and safeguarding of vulnerable adults
