This is a great time of year for those of us who enjoy rallying the mates and going for a pint. The Six Nations is on, the Premier League and Champions League are running simultaneously, and it’s the shortest month of the year to receive your salary – all great excuses to stop by the King of Prussia on your commute home.
While this may be the case for casual punters, it is somewhat emblematic of the state of the country. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have been released, and they indicate the continuance of a worrying trend for the UK, which the ONS describe as a “growing health crisis.”
For the fourth consecutive year, alcohol-related deaths have hit record levels, with the latest figures indicating 10,473 deaths occurred where health conditions arose as a direct consequence of alcohol in 2023. A marginal increase from 2022, but a stunning 38% rise from 2019, before the pandemic. Continuing a trend, the figures also showed that men are twice as likely as women to die because of alcohol harm.
Somewhat worryingly, the ONS also said the figures only accounted for deaths specific to alcohol. They said: “Alcohol-specific deaths only include those health conditions where each death is a direct consequence of alcohol – that is, wholly attributable causes such as alcoholic liver disease. It does not include all deaths that can be attributed to alcohol.”
Even though the figures cannot adequately explain the true impact of alcohol on the country, the fact that it can directly account for over 10,000 deaths for the second year in a row is certainly cause for concern.
In May 2024, Dr Katherine Severi, Chief Executive of the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS), said that new research estimated the financial ramification of alcohol harm to cost the UK in excess of £27billion annually. Responding to the announcement of the latest ONS figures, she called on the government to prioritise the issue moving forward.
In a post shared on IAS’ LinkedIn page, Dr Severi said: "We’ve seen record-high deaths from alcohol in the UK every single year since the pandemic. This simply cannot become the new normal, so the government must make tackling alcohol harm a top priority in 2025. Alcohol kills people young, depriving thousands of families across the UK of their loved ones far too soon. From an economic perspective this places a strain on our productivity, with 150 thousand years of working life lost due to alcohol in 2023 in England alone.”
She continued by saying that for Labour’s health missions to succeed, they needed answers that were “proven effective”, referencing minimum unit pricing and the introduction of a national alcohol strategy as suitable remedies.
Furthermore, responding to the data last week, the British Medical Association (BMA) has called for the government to reduce the accessibility of alcohol, citing the additional pressure it puts on the NHS.
Professor David Strain of the BMA said that evidence has consistently showed the relationship between affordability and consumption. Echoing Dr Severi’s statement, Professor Strain said that minimum unit prices would have a “direct impact” on reducing harm.
He said: “The Association is also calling for stronger restrictions on alcohol advertising – particularly its deep-rooted association with sporting events – alongside lowering the drink-driving limit, mandatory labelling of health risks on alcohol products and properly funding alcohol treatment services. More than 10,000 preventable deaths should serve as a stark wake-up call to the Government that urgent action is needed to implement these life-saving measures.”
Locally, the issue is not a dire as other areas in the Northeast and Scotland. Welwyn Hatfield registered 10 deaths in 2023 – a rise of one from 2022. This accounts for a rate of 7.8 deaths per 100,000 people, ranking 304th in England and Wales (Daily Express).
The truth is, alcohol affects us all differently. Some people can be utterly reliant, some can drink relentlessly and take extended breaks with no difficulty, and some can simply enjoy in moderation. This blog does not intend to discourage all intake of alcohol. With that being said, ignoring the plainly obvious growing problem is not the answer either. The government has a lot of issues to fix. While recent figures on NHS appointments are a positive sign, there is still a lot on Keir Starmer’s plate. Finding room on that plate for the introduction of a national alcohol strategy could save lives. It would be the first time in five years that alcohol related deaths have decreased, which would be positive for the legacy of a PM under immense scrutiny.