New figures reveal a record high for alcohol deaths in the North East
Alcohol campaigners in the North East are calling for urgent action to reduce alcohol harm after new figures reveal a record high for alcohol deaths – with the worst rates in the North East.
The Alcohol-specific deaths figures published today by ONS show there were 10,048 deaths from alcohol-specific causes in the UK in 2022, the highest number on record and a 4.2% increase on the previous year.
Although alcohol death rates are still higher for men, they are rising faster among women than men, prompting concerns around women being targeted by alcohol industry marketing. Rates nationally have seen a 37% increase in deaths in women and 31% among men since 2019.
The full report from the ONS shows:
- The North East had the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths of any English region in 2022 (21.8 deaths per 100,000) and a total of 576 deaths – 374 men and 202 women.
- The number recorded in 2022 was 4.2% higher than in 2021 (9,641 deaths; 14.9 per 100,000) and 32.8% higher than in 2019 (7,565 deaths; 11.8 per 100,000), the last pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic year.
- Rates nationally are rising faster among women – a 37% increase in alcohol deaths women and 31% among men since 2019.
- Between 2012 and 2019, rates of alcohol-specific deaths in the UK had remained stable, with no statistically significant changes in the age-standardised rate.
- Consistent with previous years, the rate of alcohol-specific deaths for males in 2022 nationally remained around double the rate for females (22.3 and 11.1 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively), a trend which is reflected in North East figures (29.0 and 15.0 deaths per 100,000 respectively).
- Comparing with 2019, there have been statistically significant increases in the alcohol-specific death rate in England, Wales, and Scotland.
Susan Taylor, Head of Alcohol Policy for the North East alcohol programme Balance, said: “Sadly once again we have seen a tragic increase in alcohol deaths, with the worst rates in our region. Every one of these deaths represents a life wrecked and a grieving family left behind.
“At the same time, every day, the alcohol industry bombards us with advertising, fails to provide enough health information about the risk of drinking alcohol and makes its products available for pocket money prices.
“Our region is the hardest hit when it comes to alcohol harms. More must be done to prevent people from becoming ill and dying from alcohol related causes and to reduce the burden on our NHS, local authorities and emergency services.”
Dr James Crosbie is a GP and consultant gastroenterologist with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Lead for Alcohol for the North East and North Cumbria.
He said: “Once again this data shows that alcohol is causing serious illness and has contributed to the death of thousands of people here in the North East, more than anywhere else in the country.
“Alcohol can harm the body in a lot of different ways. In the short term there are the dangers of binge drinking & anti-social behaviour, but heavy drinking can also quite quickly cause severe diseases of the liver and pancreas. In the longer term we see other health risks including liver cirrhosis & brain damage, increased risk of at least seven types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. People also sometimes turn to alcohol when they experience mental health problems, but in many cases the effect of alcohol can make mental health worse.
“If we are serious about tackling this problem, which is affecting the North East worse than anywhere else, we need to look at the widespread availability of cheap, strong alcohol and the constant promotion of alcohol in everyday life”.
Karen Slater, 55, is a Newcastle mum of four. She experienced alcohol harm first-hand when she grew up around alcohol in a hostile and dangerous environment. She was a victim of child abuse and domestic violence and sought solace in alcohol, drugs and self-harm.
“I am not surprised to see illness and deaths spiralling especially with all of the glamourous alcohol advertising. I don’t want to be bombarded with alcohol advertisements portraying false and unrealistic images of glamour and success. The reality I know and witness daily is the exact opposite. I see pain, misery, broken families, children neglected, unwanted pregnancies, crime, violence, and abuse.
“Even for people who have an addiction and can’t drink without it seriously harming their health or worse you can’t escape it. Every night there are adverts, and as soon as you’ve seen that advert you think about it. For someone having a bad day or a bad moment that could trigger a relapse. I’ve been there.
“We don’t advertise cigarettes; we don’t advertise drugs. We shouldn’t advertise alcohol. My home is my haven, and I don’t want alcohol advertising in it. You don’t put heroin on an advertisement. Yet there are thousands of people battling alcohol addiction and we’re constantly exposed to alcohol on the TV.”
In addition to deaths hospital admissions for alcohol have also been rising. In 2019-20 there were an estimated 980,000 admissions (broad measure) where the primary reason for hospital admission or a secondary diagnosis was linked to alcohol. This includes 435,000 hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease, over 227,000 for mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol and 93,000 for cancer.
Following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, alcohol-specific deaths in the UK skyrocketed, with the new data revealing this trend has continued.
Calling for action
In response, the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), a coalition of more than 60 organisations including medical royal colleges, charities and treatment providers, has written to the government calling for the implementation of a national alcohol action plan to stem the mounting death toll and reduce pressure on the over-stretched NHS. The policy recommendations, based on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) ‘best buys’, include:
- Improve marketing and promotion regulations to protect children and those impacted by alcohol harm
- Introduce mandatory alcohol product labelling to provide consumers with health and nutritional information relating to ingredients, calories and units
- Commit to long-term funding of proven and cost-effective early intervention and treatments
- Introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol in England to prevent the sale of ultra-low cost, high strength drinks and ensure alcohol duty is kept in line with inflation
A recent poll by YouGov in 2023 on behalf of AHA also found that the majority of the public (55%) believed the government was not taking enough action to reduce alcohol harm.
The full ONS report is available to read here: Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
Anyone wanting advice and support to cut down on alcohol can visit https://reducemyrisk.tv/