Concern over booze deaths

Alcohol-related deaths in Ayrshire have gone down by 19.4 per cent, new figures show.

According t the National Records of Scotland, the county’s death toll for 2020 was a 87.

But that figure is almost 20 per cent down on 2019 when 108 people lost their lives due to drink-related illness.

In South Ayrshire, the 2020 death toll stood at 20, down from the 2019 figure of 27. In East Ayrshire, 23 people died as a result of alcohol, down from 31 the previous year.

And in North Ayrshire, the 2020 fatality figure was 44, down on the 2019 figure of 50.

The region figures, released last Tuesday, buck the national trend which actually show a 17 per cent increase in deaths.

There were 1,190 alcohol-specific deaths in 2020 in Scotland, representing an increase of 17 per cent (170 deaths) on 2019 (1,020 deaths).

This is the highest number of alcoholspecific deaths registered since 2008 (1,316).

Some organisations point to the COVID-19 pandemic, subsequent lockdowns and more time spent at home, giving rise to an increase in drinking.

Deaths in the most deprived areas were four times more than those in the least deprived areas.

South Scotland Labour List MSP, Colin Smyth, said more must be done to tackle the causes of alcohol misuse.

He said: “We shouldn’t forget that every one of these numbers represents the loss of someone who was much loved and who leaves behind grieving family and friends. My thoughts are with them.

“With deaths four times higher in the most deprived areas it is obvious that action is needed, not only to reduce alcohol-related harm and deaths, but to tackle the underlying causes of alcohol misuse.”

Health Minister Maree Todd said lockdown had led to people, who were drinking heavily, consuming even more.

She said: “Evidence from various surveys has shown those who were drinking heavily before the pandemic were more likely to increase their drinking during lockdown, thereby increasing their risk of harm.”