There has been a “catastrophic” and “devastating” rise in deaths caused by drinking in recent years, leading public health experts have warned.
The Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) has called for urgent action from the health secretary to address what they call an “alarming trend”.
In a letter to Wes Streeting, the AHA – which is made up of medical royal colleges, charities, treatment providers, and academics – highlighted how deaths caused “solely by alcohol have increased by a catastrophic 42% since 2019”.
They said 8,274 people in England lost their lives to alcohol in 2023, but that this was just the “tip of the iceberg”, as there will have been many more deaths where alcohol was a contributing factor. The AHA says that figure is likely to be three times higher.
The group praised health officials in Scotland for the “live-saving” minimum unit pricing scheme, but said that “inaction across the border has led English deaths to spiral”.
The AHA’s letter to Streeting says that the “alcohol harm crisis” will only escalate if action is not taken to reduce alcohol consumption.
“After decades of inaction, we urge you to make it your New Year’s resolution to redress this alarming trend and stop the needless suffering of countless individuals, their children, families, and communities across the country.”
The letter highlights that there are almost 950,000 hospital admissions in England each year related to alcohol.
“Left unchecked, the alcohol crime crisis will only escalate further, placing an ever-greater burden on our healthcare system, economy, and society. We know what works, and now is the time to act.”
AHA chairman Professor Sir Ian Gilmore 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.
“The devastating rise in alcohol deaths should serve as an alarm for the new government to act with urgency. We have the evidence, and we know the solutions. Now is the moment to show that we value human lives over profit.”
In March 2020, the previous government said there were “no plans” for the introduction of the minimum unit pricing scheme in England, though they said they would continue to monitor its progress in Scotland.
In October this year, when asked whether the current government had any plans to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol, Home Office Minister Dame Diana Johnson said the government was “continuing to work closely across government to better understand what can be done to address the drivers of alcohol-related harms.”
(ITv News)
