Nearly 200 people lost their lives as a result of alcohol in Bristol in the space of three years, according to new data. Across the country, the number of deaths caused by alcohol has hit a record high and, in 2023, a total of 10,473 people in the UK lost their lives due to alcohol-specific causes.
These are deaths where health conditions are a direct consequence of alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease. It is the fourth consecutive year that a new record number of alcohol-specific deaths was reported by the Office for National Statistics.
The ONS figures show Bristol had 66 alcohol-specific deaths in 2023, with 59 having happened in 2022 and 56 in 2021 – bringing the total to 181. Nearby South Gloucester had 76 deaths linked to alcohol in that time (26 in 2023, 29 in 2022 and 21 in 2021), while North Somerset had 95 (39 in 2023, 27 in 2022 and 29 in 2021).
While the number of deaths increased, the rate – the number of people who die in relation to the size of the population – fell to 16 deaths per 100,000 people from 17 per 100,000 a year earlier. The rate was highest in Scotland, where it remained stable at 23 deaths per 100,000 people, while it fell in Northern Ireland (from 19 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 to 18 deaths).
But the death rate increased in England (from 14 to 15 deaths per 100,000 people) and Wales (from 16 to 17 deaths per 100,000 people). Males were twice as likely to die an alcohol-specific death than females, with a rate of 22 deaths for every 100,000 of the population, compared to 10 deaths per 100,000.
An alcohol-specific death is more likely in the North than in the South. Separate figures show that, of council areas in England and Wales, deaths were most likely to be caused by alcohol in Sunderland than anywhere else.
Last year 92 deaths in Sunderland were from alcohol-specific reasons, up from 66 in 2022, but a similar number to 2021 (91), a total of 249 in three years. That’s a rate of 29 deaths per 100,000 of the population in the three years to 2023, the highest in England and Wales.
Sunderland is followed by Blackpool (28 deaths per 100,000 people), South Tyneside (26 deaths), and Middlesbrough (25 deaths). You can see the count and rate of alcohol-specific deaths where you live using our interactive map.
Lee Fernandes, Lead Therapist at alcohol addiction experts The UKAT Group, said: “People should not lose their lives because of alcohol, it is as simple as that. This legal yet incredibly addictive substance is harming our country in so many ways it’s becoming difficult to see a future where alcohol doesn’t negatively touch every generation at some stage.
“We’re urging the Government to reconsider a standalone National Alcohol Strategy; we haven’t had one since 2012 and quite frankly, a lot has changed in the past thirteen years.
“It’s time to recognise that alcohol misuse is a genuine problem, one that needs a solution or more people will die.”
Experts have called for measures such as minimum unit pricing, health warnings on labels, and tighter advertising regulations to tackle this “national crisis”.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “It is unacceptable that year after year, we continue to see alcohol deaths rise while action from government remains woefully inadequate.
“The drivers of this crisis are well known – cheap, easily accessible alcohol and aggressive marketing that normalises excessive drinking – as are the solutions proven to reduce harm. Measures such as minimum unit pricing, improved advertising regulations, mandatory health warnings on labels, and better investment in alcohol treatment services must be implemented across all UK nations without delay.
“The new government has committed to shifting from a system that merely treats sickness to one that prioritises prevention. Addressing alcohol harm must be central to this ambition.”
The British Medical Association (BMA) also called for measures such as higher alcohol duties and lowering the drink-drive limit. Professor David Strain, chairman of the BMA’s board of science committee, said: “The UK’s drinking culture is often portrayed as a light-hearted British tradition.
“More than 10,000 alcohol-related deaths is not a cultural norm – it is a national crisis. Behind these numbers are countless more people suffering from chronic, debilitating conditions, placing immense pressure on the NHS as it struggles to support patients living with the long-term effects of alcohol misuse.
“As doctors, we witness firsthand the devastating consequences of excessive drinking and are acutely aware that accepting life-altering alcohol misuse as part of our culture is both harmful and dangerous.”