Alcohol does not bring happiness to everyone.
By Bill Heaney
The number of people in Scotland whose death was caused by alcohol remains at a high level, with the largest number of deaths in 15 years.
This follows on from the recent news that more people than ever in this country are dying from drug abuse.
The latest figures from National Records of Scotland, (NRS) show 1,277 people died from conditions caused by alcohol in 2023.
This was one death more than the previous year, which was the highest number since 2008.
Public Health Minister Jenni Minto, right, said the Scottish government continued to treat alcohol-related harm as a public health emergency.
Male deaths increased to 861 and again accounted for about two thirds of alcohol-specific deaths. Female deaths decreased by 24 deaths to 416.
Those aged 45-64 and 65-74 continue to have the highest mortality rates.
Alcohol-related issues were listed as the cause of death for 140 people between the ages of 60-64, while 128 people between 65-69 died.
The youngest age group to record any deaths related to alcohol was 20-24 – this age group had two deaths in 2023.
Glasgow City continues to have the highest mortality rate by some margin recording 184, although this was down from 202 on the previous year. North Lanarkshire saw 115 deaths, up from 107.
Phillipa Haxton, head of vital events statistics, said the rates of deaths had “generally risen” since 2012.
She said: “If we look at the average age at death, that has risen over time.
“The mortality rates for those aged 65 to 74, and 75 and over, were at their highest since we began recording these figures in 1994.
“At the same time, for age 25-44 the mortality rate has been fairly stable over the last decade.”
‘Public health emergency’
Jenni Minto said: “My sympathy goes out to all those who have lost a loved one through alcohol. The Scottish government is determined to do all it can to reduce alcohol-related harm and we continue to treat it as an equal priority with drugs as a public health emergency.”
She said that as well as increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol, the Scottish government had invested in alcohol treatment services and was exploring ways to reducing children and young people’s exposure to alcohol marketing.
Dr Peter Rice, chairman of Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP), said the deaths could have been prevented.
“Scotland’s approach to reducing alcohol harm has had success in reducing alcohol deaths in the past, including with the introduction of Minimum Unit Price in 2018,” he said. “However, to be successful policy needs to be sustained and progressive.”
Scotland continued to have the highest alcohol-specific death rate of the UK in 2022. UK wide-figures are not yet available for 2023.
The difference between Scotland and the other UK countries has narrowed over the past two decades.
In 2001, the alcohol-specific mortality rate for Scotland was between 2.1 and 2.9 times as high as other UK countries.
The rate for Scotland was between 1.2 and 1.6 times as high in 2022.
The number of alcohol-related deaths in Scotland has generally grown since 2012, when they fell below 1,000 for the first time since 1998.
Drinking al fresco in a popular public park – alcoholics gather for their breakfast.
Pictures by Bill Heaney
On the whole, the numbers have seen an upward trend since, expect for a brief drop in 2019. In 2022, the country reached a 14-year-high.
BBC Scotland is reporting that Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol in May 2018.
From the end of this month the minimum price per unit of alcohol in Scotland will rise from 50p to 65p – a move designed to reflect rises in inflation.
The change will see the minimum price for a bottle of vodka rise from £13.13 to £17.06 and a standard can of lager will go up from at least £1 to £1.30.
A Scottish government-funded study published in March last year suggested the scheme’s introduction in Scotland had led to fewer alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions compared to England.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Tories have issued a lenghtyy statemen which says alcohol deaths remain “disgracefully high” on the SNP’s watch.
Scottish Labour Public Health spokesperson Carol Mochan, right, said “Every single one of these deaths is a travesty and the scale of this crisis is a national scandal.
“All alcohol and drug deaths are preventable and the number of lives being cut tragically short shames this SNP government.
“The number of deaths being directly caused by alcohol is just one part of the damage alcohol does in Scotland, with many more lives being ruined.
“This tragedy is a damning indictment of the SNP’s record of failure in government and a reflection of its past cuts to drug and alcohol services.
“There is no excuse for inaction when lives are on the line – the SNP government must set out a comprehensive plan to tackle the root causes of this public health emergency and ensure drug and alcohol services can offer people the lifesaving support they need.”
Responding to new figures published by the Scottish Government which show that 589 people died of a suspected drug death in the first six months of 2024, including 269 deaths between April and June, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP, left, said: “This is nothing short of a national tragedy; my thoughts today are with all those who have lost someone from a drug death.
“Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is worse than anywhere else in Europe. Despite deaths more than doubling over the last decade, the SNP government have chosen to freeze the funding for drug and alcohol policy, amounting to a real-terms cut to the budget for critical services.
“When this issue comes before parliament later this week, I want to see ministers committing to fresh measures to stop people dying. This includes rolling out a full nationwide network of drug testing and safer consumption facilities- centres that are proven to keep people safe, prevent fatal overdoses and open up new pathways for treatment and recovery.
“My party also wants to see a much stronger frontline response to synthetic opioids- including nitazenes, which are 50 times more powerful than heroin- through enhanced information, detection and treatment.”
Alcohol is and has been for a very long time a problem in Scotland.
Who it afflicts, who it doesn’t and why is not known. But it is a problem and for some a big problem. Who of us don’t know of someone with a drink problem, or someone who has died because of a drink problem?
Minimum pricing is an attempt to reduce harmful drinking. Some say it works, the medical fraternity say that it does, but some says it doesn’t.
Save for the health issue there is no benefit in any government introducing minimum pricing. But what other tool is there? Education, prohibition, restricted sales time, restricted sales outlets. And of course there is money and jobs producing booze.
So instead of carping politico style what’s the answer. I don’t know but one thing for sure the message about smoking through education finally after decades got through. But maybe its my right to drink myself into ill health, and early death wreaking as much havoc as I can on the way through.
Or what about legalising drugs? Take the criminality out of it. Improve the quality of it. Dumbarton and the Vale is at present awash apparently with craic cocaine. So, what is to be done? I’m all ears for constructive comment.
But yes, education and minimum pricing seems well intentioned but my focus would be on education and support.