Alcohol related deaths are at a worrying all-time high according to statistics, with them rising by almost a third in some parts of the UK according to recent studies.
With many experts blaming the pandemic, which saw large volumes of people turn to alcohol in order to cope with the likes of grief, stress, job losses and more, it’s had a knock on effect on the number of people now misusing and abusing the substance.
That’s seeing more and more people seeking hospital treatment, during a period where hospitals are overwhelmed, while more are also checking into rehabilitation centres to get the treatment they need.
Of course, during economically difficult times, that isn’t possible for everyone though, with the costs of alcohol addiction treatment relatively high due to the nature of treatment that is received, which is leading to a real sticking point in the system that is having a catastrophic effect on the nation’s health.
According to the Eastern Daily Press, the local newspaper of East Anglia, the region has had it especially bad, with alcohol related deaths rising by a staggering 30% over the last five years, and it’s a similar story in many other regions too, with the country as a whole enduring a 25.4% rise in alcohol related deaths between 2019 and 2021.
That spike is continuing in the aftermath of COVID, with James Tucker, a data analyst at the Office for National Statistics stating, “Alcohol-specific deaths have risen sharply since the onset of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, with alcoholic liver disease the leading cause of these deaths.
“This rise is likely to be the result of increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic.
“Research has suggested that people who were already drinking at higher levels before the pandemic were the most likely to have increased their alcohol consumption during this period.”
It is perhaps no surprise that there was an increase during the pandemic, but systems now need to be put in place to help combat that and allow people to return to their pre-pandemic health before it’s too late.
How that looks is for the government to decide, but pressure is being put on the Health Secretary to try and combat such an issue, during a time where there’s also a rise in the number of people abusing opioids and other drugs too.
The next few years are going to be vital in making treatment more accessible, or public health is only going to get worse as it continues its battle with addiction.
