20% rise in alcohol related deaths

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics, 7,423 people died in England and Wales from alcohol-specific causes, as compared to 6,209 in 2019. It is the highest annual total since comparable records began in 2001.  Experts said the increase could reflect people drinking more during lockdown, with fatal consequences for those already consuming excessive amounts. The age-standardised death rate, which takes into account population changes over time, was 13.6 per 100,000 people in the final three months of last year, the highest rate for any quarter in almost two decades. The Royal College of Psychiatrists said that the record number should serve as “a wake-up call to the government” to give addiction services greater resources.