A letter to health secretary Wes Streeting from members of the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) is urging the government to make alcohol harm a top priority for next year.
There were more than 8,200 alcohol-specific deaths in the UK last year, a ‘harrowing’ figure that nevertheless ‘only represents the tip of the iceberg’, the campaigners state – ‘when cases where alcohol was a contributing factor were considered, the true toll is likely three times higher’.
Alcohol-specific deaths in England have increased by more than 40 per cent since 2019, the letter continues – a ‘devastating’ rise that has ‘never been seen before’. There are also 950,000 alcohol related hospital admissions per year, says AHA, whose members include treatment providers, royal colleges and academics. Hospitalisations and deaths are also disproportionately concentrated in more deprived communities, the document points out, with the North East’s death rate more than twice that of London.
The AHA is calling on the government to implement minimum unit pricing (MUP) in England, as well as increase funding for – and access to – alcohol treatment services.
Campaigners north of the border recently criticised the Scottish Government for not introducing a compulsory public health levy on drinks retailers in its December budget. Scotland’s alcohol-specific death rate now stands at its highest level for 15 years.
‘Each of the 8,274 deaths in 2023 represents a life cut tragically short – a loved one whose absence leaves a void that can never be filled,’ said AHA chair Professor Sir Ian Gilmore. ‘Alcohol-related harm does not occur in isolation. It ripples through families, often leaving children to bear the brunt of grief and trauma. 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,’ he continued. ‘Now is the moment to show that we value human lives over profit. Without bold, decisive action, these preventable deaths will continue to climb. Addressing alcohol harm must be a top public health priority in 2025, and it requires a cross-government effort to turn the tide on this public health crisis.’
Letter available here