Tragedy of Wales’ 475 drink deaths

THE areas of Wales where the most people are dying from alcohol have been revealed in new figures.

More than 10,000 people died from alcohol-specific deaths across the UK in 2022, latest data has shown.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics shows there were 10,048 alcohol-specific deaths recorded in 2022, an increase on the 7,500 figure in 2019. Of that number, 475 were in Wales.

There is a stark difference in the areas most and least affected by these deaths. Several local authority areas in Wales had some of the highest levels of alcoholspecific deaths across the UK.

Alcohol-specific deaths only include those health conditions where each death is a direct consequence of alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease. It does not include all deaths that can be attributed to alcohol.

Lancaster has the highest rate of any local authority in England and Wales. There were a total of 43 alcohol-specific deaths in Lancaster in 2022. That works out as 29.8 per 100,000 people in the area.

The local authority with the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths in Wales in 2022 was Caerphilly, where there were 22.7 deaths per 100,000 population.

This was followed by Torfaen which had 22.6. Cardiff had one of the lowest rates, with 10.5 deaths per 100,000 people.

A band of areas across South Wales appear to be most impacted by alcoholspecific deaths.

The areas in Wales with the highest rates in 2022 per 100,000 residents are:

■ Rhondda Cynon Taf: 18

■ Caerphilly: 22.7

■ Torfaen: 22.6

■ Wrexham: 20.7

■ Bridgend: 20.5

■ Port Talbot: 19

Carmarthenshire: 19 Swansea: 18.7

Rhondda Cynon Taf: 18 Blaenau Gwent: 17.9

All other Welsh local authorities: Conwy: 17.5

Ceredigion: 15.4 Pembrokeshire: 15.3

Vale of Glamorgan: 15 Monmouthshire: 12.8 Merthyr Tydfil: 11.8 Newport: 11.1

Flintshire: 10.9

Cardiff: 10.5

Gwynedd: 10.2

Anglesey: 10.1

Powys: 9.7

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: “There were 10,048 deaths from alcohol in 2022 in the UK – an all-time high, up 4.2% on the previous year, and 32.8% higher than when compared to 2019.

“Each one of those deaths is a tragedy, representing a person who has had their life cut short and has left behind people who are grieving and miss them every day. We send our deepest sympathies to all those families and friends who have lost a loved one.

“Years of inaction on alcohol harm has led to this, and the heartbreaking thing is these deaths were totally avoidable.

“Our government has the responsibility and the power to put preventative measures in place, including proper regulation of alcohol marketing, clearer alcohol labelling, and a minimum price for a unit of alcohol. As part of a clear, long-term strategy to improve our health, these measures can prevent alcohol harm, protecting individuals, family members, communities and society.”