Record alcohol deaths from pandemic drinking

A grounds fig of radical died from intoxicant causes past year, which is apt to beryllium the effect of accrued drinking during the pandemic, according to the Office for National Statistics.

There were 9,641 deaths successful the UK successful 2021, compared to 7,565 successful 2019 - a 27% increase.

The ONS says radical who were already large drinkers earlier the pandemic drank much during the Covid years.

Charity Drinkaware said the numbers were "devastating" and "unacceptable".

They relationship for astir a 3rd of each deaths linked to alcohol.

In 2021, UK rates of alcohol-specific deaths per 100,000 radical were highest successful Scotland and lowest successful England:

"Research has suggested that radical who were already drinking astatine higher levels earlier the pandemic were the astir apt to person accrued their intoxicant depletion during this period," says James Tucker, from the Office for National Statistics.

As with erstwhile years, men were doubly arsenic apt arsenic women to dice from alcohol.

In the 7 years moving up to 2019, rates of alcohol-specific deaths successful the UK had remained beauteous stable, earlier going up successful 2020 and 2021.

"These statistic are perfectly devastating, each fig masking an individual family tragedy," says Karen Tyrell, from Drinkaware.

"It is unacceptable that successful 1 of the richest countries successful the world, the complaint of alcohol-related deaths was 4 times higher among men successful the poorest areas compared to the astir affluent."

She said informing signs of the heaviest drinkers drinking much during the pandemic were missed, due to the fact that radical were little capable to entree support.

Drinkaware is present calling for a caller co-ordinated UK-wide intoxicant strategy to trim the harm from intoxicant to nine and nationalist services.