Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Alcohol and drug misuseWellbeing and health promotionWellbeing

Record number die from alcohol misuse in 2020

by Ashleigh Webber 10 May 2021
by Ashleigh Webber 10 May 2021 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

Alcohol killed more people in 2020 in England and Wales than any other year on record, the Office for National Statistics has revealed.

A fifth more people died of alcohol misuse in 2020 than in 2019, official figures show, with the total number of deaths relating to alcohol reaching 7,423.

Alcohol

One in four turns to alcohol to cope with work pressure, especially when working from home

Alcohol misuse deaths hit record high

Study finds link between daily alcohol consumption and irregular heart rhythm

Most deaths were related to long-term alcohol dependency, but the death rate increased from March 2020 onwards when the UK went into lockdown.

There were 1,963 alcohol-specific deaths registered in quarter four (October to December 2020), with an age-standardised rate of 13.6 deaths per 100,000 people. This was the highest rate for any quarter in almost two decades, the ONS data showed.

Some 80% of deaths were related to alcoholic liver disease, 10% mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol abuse, and 6% from accidental alcohol poisoning.

The alcohol death rate for men in 2020 was twice the rate for women. In England, men living in the most deprived areas were four times more likely to die because of alcohol misuse than those living in the most affluent areas.

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chief of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “It is devastating to hear that the number of deaths linked to alcohol has increased so dramatically in the last year. Each of these numbers represents a life of an individual cut short by alcohol consumption and a family that has been left in mourning. The future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on addiction and mental health makes action now all the more critical.

“If the UK government wants to demonstrate its commitment to turning this tragic trend around, it must urgently introduce an alcohol strategy which seeks to address health inequalities and stop the sale of cheap, strong alcohol that is so harmful to health. The government also needs to improve access to treatment for those who need it.”

The ONS said: “When trying to understand the elevated rates of alcohol-specific deaths seen since April 2020, there will be many complex factors, and it may be some time before we fully understand all of these.

“Data from Public Health England show that consumption patterns have changed since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Alcohol consumption is a contributing factor to hospital admissions and death.”

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
Burger chain Wendy’s set for new UK venture
next post
Number of people with symptoms of depression doubles

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Sue Gray findings: Party culture during lockdowns approved...

25 May 2022

Occupational health must help ‘de-risk’ requests for addiction...

6 May 2022

Rail inspector with ‘shy bladder syndrome’ wins £90,000...

16 Mar 2022

Drug use, especially painkillers, has risen during pandemic

17 Jan 2022

Drink, drugs and self-harming – health challenges in...

10 Dec 2021

One in four midwives engage in problem drinking...

27 Oct 2021

Factory worker sacked for drinking beer the night...

16 Sep 2021

A third drinking more alcohol than before pandemic

2 Sep 2021

‘Staggering’ rise in white collar drug and alcohol...

27 Aug 2021

Veterans to get specialist NHS mental health and...

5 Mar 2021

  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more
  • Strathclyde Business School expands its Degree Apprenticeship offer in England PROMOTED | The University of Strathclyde is expanding its programmes...Read more
  • The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls PROMOTED | The Great Resignation continues unabated...Read more
  • Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022, and beyond PROMOTED | Cornerstone OnDemand conducted a global study...Read more
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+