Deaths from alcohol have soared to a record high in Britain with almost 10,500 fatalities related to drinking in 2023, official data shows.
It marks the fourth consecutive year alcohol-related deaths have increased, with some experts blaming the Covid lockdown and social isolation for fuelling unhealthy drinking habits.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report recorded a total of 10,473 deaths from alcohol-specific causes in the UK in 2023.
This is 4 per cent higher than 2022’s figure and is 38 per cent rise compared to 2019, the last pre-pandemic figures.
But the ONS data reveals specific areas of the UK that are being hit harder than other, with some having six times the level of alcohol-related deaths of the least affected areas.
Now, MailOnline’s fascinating map shows the death rate from alcohol in your local area.
Sunderland in the North East of England had the highest alcohol death rate in Britain with almost 30 deaths per 100,000 people, double the national rate for England.
The neighbouring area of South Tyneside came second and Lincoln in the East Midlands came third.
In contrast, South Hams in Devon recorded the lowest rate of alcohol deaths in the UK with less than five fatalities per 100,000 residents, six times less than Sunderland.
Other local authorities with low alcohol death rates include Waverley in Surrey in the South East and Wealden in East Sussex.
Despite rising concern about increasing binge drinking among younger adults, especially in women embracing a ‘wine-mum’ culture, the ONS found alcohol-related deaths declined among adults aged 25 to 59 for the first time since the Covid pandemic.
Instead, it was people in their late 50s who were the most likely to die from alcohol related causes.
Men, overall, continued to have roughly double the risk of dying from alcohol with 22 deaths per 100000 people, compared to 10.3 deaths per 100,000 women.
By region people in the North East of England had the highest chance of dying from drinking.
In contrast, people in the East of England were half of likely to die from alcohol related causes.
Experts called for measures such as minimum unit pricing, health warnings on labels and tighter advertising regulations to be brought in to tackle the ‘growing health crisis’.
Deaths from alcohol have soared to a record high in Britain with almost 10,500 fatalities related to drinking, official data shows
The death rate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland increased while Scotland’s remained stable.
Reacting to the data Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: ‘The drivers of this crisis are well known — cheap, easily accessible alcohol and aggressive marketing that normalises excessive drinking — as are the solutions proven to reduce harm.
‘Measures such as minimum unit pricing, improved advertising regulations, mandatory health warnings on labels, and better investment in alcohol treatment services must be implemented across all UK nations without delay.”
Clare Taylor, chief operating officer at Turning Point, warned the ‘continued high level of alcohol deaths is a public health crisis’.
‘Alcohol related deaths are preventable, and access to treatment remains the key protective factor,’ she added.
‘While numbers in treatment have increased significantly, too many are not getting the support they need early enough and there is still a great deal of stigma associated with alcohol problems.
‘We need better education and training for healthcare professionals working in GP surgeries, A&E departments and on hospital wards, and better joint working with community drug and alcohol services.’
Commenting on the figures, Pamela Healy, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: ‘Unfortunately these figures aren’t surprising.
This ONS graph shows the death rate from alcohol related conditions across the UK over time
‘We are living in the shadow of harmful and hazardous drinking that is only increasing since the pandemic, and these latest figures highlight the terrifying scale of this growing health crisis.’
By nation, Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to have the highest alcohol death rate.
Laura Mahon, deputy chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said the figures demonstrate ‘that Scotland and the rest of the UK is firmly in the grip of an alcohol health emergency’.
‘The truth is that a majority of these deaths, mostly caused by liver disease, come as a result of people drinking heavily over the course of many years – with one in five Scots drinking at a level which could be harmful to their health, including increasing their risk of liver disease and cancer,’ she added.
‘Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic exacerbated drinking patterns and we saw those who were already drinking heavily increase their consumption.
‘The industry seeks to keep people in the dark about the health harms of alcohol by failing to provide us with the clear information we need to be able to make informed choices about our health.’
