Deaths caused by drinking alcohol skyrockets by 42% since Covid-19 lockdowns
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Deaths caused by alcohol have increased by a staggering 42% and medics have written to Wes Streeting to demand action to tackle problem boozing. The Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) has asked the Health Secretary to urgently look into how to reverse the worrying trend which saw 8,274 deaths directly caused by alcohol in 2023. It insists the deaths, such as those involving liver disease, are just the "tip of the iceberg" as there will have been many more deaths where alcohol was a contributing factor.
The AHA, which is calling for a minimum pricing policy on cheap supermarket booze, writes: "Deaths caused solely by alcohol have increased by a catastrophic 42% since 2019. After decades of inaction, we urge you to make it your New Year's resolution to redress this alarming trend and stop needless suffering of countless individuals, their children, families and communities across the country.”.
Deaths directly attributed to alcohol occur when conditions such as alcohol poisoning or liver disease occur. Lord Darzi's hard-hitting review into the NHS in England highlights how alcohol is "becoming more affordable over time, and deaths are rising at an alarming rate". Post-pandemic increases in drinking to excess at home are thought to be in part to blame.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the AHA, said: "These new statistics are a stark reminder of the devastating impact alcohol takes on our society, not just in lives lost but in the shattered families and communities left behind. Each of the 8,274 deaths in 2023 represents a life cut tragically short, a loved one whose absence leaves a void that can never be filled.
