More than a thousand Scots died from alcohol-related illness in 2025, new statistics show.
The number of deaths recorded by the National Records of Scotland fell by three per cent compared to the year before, totalling 1,152.
This is the lowest number of alcohol-specific deaths since 2020, with reductions recorded in half of council areas.
The statistics released today from the National Records of Scotland highlight the number of deaths from alcohol in 2025.
Across West Dunbartonshire, 23 people lost their lives in this period, which is a decrease from the 28 people in 2024, marking a 17.9% reduction.
But campaigners are calling for more action to further drive the number down, including restrictions on marketing and advertising.
Alcohol minister Maree Todd, RIGHT, welcomed some progress but added the numbers remained “far too high”.
Alcohol-specific deaths peaked in the mid-noughties before starting to decline, but numbers had been rising again. While there have been reductions in recent years, numbers remain above what there were throughout the 2010s.
Deprived communities are impacted more, with the rate of deaths 4.8 times higher than in wealthier areas.
The highest number of deaths recorded over the five years are in West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Dundee and Renfrewshire.
It’s not a league table we would like to be in, but drink has always been a problem here which the presence of whisky companies has always exacerbated, with distillers handing out a “daily dram” to employees before they went home at night.
More men than women die from alcohol-related harm, while the age profile has been increasing over time, with those over 45 having the highest rates.
Todd, who visited alcohol care teams at Whytemans Brae Hospital in Kirkcaldy to coincide with the publication of the statistics, said there was more to be done to reduce harm.
She said: “The Scottish Government and its partners are making progress in tackling alcohol harms, but we must do more. That’s why we are providing record levels of funding of over £160m this year for alcohol and drugs programmes, widening access to treatment and residential services, and improving pathways through detox, crisis care and stabilisation.
“We want everyone who needs help to have access to high-quality, joined-up support and our long-term joint strategic plan puts renewed emphasis on prevention and early intervention, while expanding treatment standards to include alcohol. That is why we will shortly publish a new alcohol harm prevention plan.”
Health charity Alcohol Focus Scotland has called on the government to go further in its response to alcohol misuse.
Chief executive Carolyn Lochhead said: “The Scottish Government has rightly described the situation as a public health emergency, but we’re yet to see a response matching the scale and urgency required. The recent alcohol and drug strategy commits to improving treatment and services, which is vital.
“But to make real change, we need to give equal priority to preventing people from needing these services in the first place: and that means government action to make alcohol less central in our society.”
Meanwhile, the group Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is calling for more support for those impacted by alcohol-specific deaths.
CEO Laura Mahon said: “Families are left carrying enormous responsibility, trying to keep loved ones alive while navigating systems that are brittle, inconsistent and difficult to access. And when the worst happens, many are left with grief and trauma with little or no specialist support.
“Bereavement support should not depend on where someone lives or whether a local service has managed to secure short-term funding for the year. Every family deserves access to compassionate, specialist support for as long as they need it.”
The charity is also urging ministers to put in place stronger restrictions on marketing, advertising and sponsorship, and seeking more action to address availability of alcohol – including through rapid home delivery services.
Phillipa Haxton, head of vital events statistics at the National Records of Scotland, said: “The number of deaths this year is the lowest from 2020 onwards and well below the peak of 2006. However, the rate of deaths is around 1.7 times as high as in 1994, when records for this series began.”