Today, the 2023 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK statistics have been released. The main findings confirm:
- In 2023, there were 1,277 alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland – an increase of one from the previous year.
- In 2023, there were 10,473 deaths from alcohol-specific causes registered in the UK, the highest number on record.
- The number recorded in 2023 was 4.2% higher than in 2022 and 38.4% higher than in 2019, the last pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic year.
- The rise was 37% among women from 2019, and 39.1% among men.
- Between 2012 and 2019, rates of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK had remained stable, with no statistically significant changes in the age-standardised rate.
- Consistent with previous years, the rate of alcohol-specific deaths for males in 2023 remained around double the rate for females.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland had the highest rates of alcohol-specific deaths in 2023 (22.6 and 18.5 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively).
- The North East had the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths of any English region (25.7 deaths per 100,000), higher than Scotland.
Elinor Jayne, Director of SHAAP said:
“These shocking statistics show the devastating harm that alcohol causes across the UK. Every single life lost is a preventable tragedy and it’s more urgent than ever that governments take the action needed to tackle this public health emergency.
“Scotland continues to experience an unacceptable level of harm, especially when compared to our neighbouring countries, although that gap has narrowed. While Scotland has led the way by introducing policies such as minimum unit pricing (MUP), this is not a silver bullet. We also need a range of preventative measures which tackle the marketing , price and availability of alcohol on a population level.
“The North East of England now has a higher rate of deaths than Scotland indicating that MUP has mitigated alcohol harms. However, we need the Scottish Government to introduce an automatic uprating mechanism for MUP to ensure it remains effective.
“We also need to see investment in treatment services so that people can get help when they need it. Too many people are still slipping through the cracks, unable to access vital support.
“Now is the time for governments across the UK to act to save lives and be bold in taking on the interests of a health harming industry that will do everything in its power to downplay the destructive impact alcohol can have on people’s lives and resist change.”
See the figures: Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK – Office for National Statistics