Alcohol-tied U.K. deaths highest in years
LONDON — Alcohol-related deaths in England and Wales jumped by a fifth last year to reach their highest level in two decades, new government figures showed Thursday.
The Office for National Statistics said there were 7,423 deaths attributed to alcohol misuse in 2020, a 19.6% increase from the year before. It said the majority were linked to chronic conditions, such as alcohol-related liver disease.
The rise began in March 2020, when the U.K. began its first coronavirus lockdown, and the rate for the rest of the year remained significantly higher than in previous years.
The provisional data showed that alcohol-specific deaths among men were 4.2 times higher in the poorest areas of Wales and England than in the most affluent areas.
The statistics office said complex factors contributed to the rise in deaths and that it may be some time before the causes are fully understood. It said, however, that it was clear that high-risk drinkers increased their alcohol consumption during the pandemic.