Public Health England, a UK governmental body, has revealed the number of people in England who lost their lives to alcohol during the last year. This looked at alcohol-related mortality and admission-episodes for alcohol related conditions.
The newly released data indicates that, in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, some 20,468 people died from alcohol-related conditions.
This figure was 5 percent higher in relation to deaths directly attributable to alcohol compared with 2019 (which stood at 19,530). Additionally, and as a sign of a worsening problem, the 2020 figure stands as around 10 percent greater than the numbers recorded in 2016 (at 18,666).
At the same time, Public Health England has also revealed the number of alcohol-related hospital admissions for 2019/20. An analysis of these figures by alcohol addiction treatment providers UK Addiction Treatment Group (UKAT) reveals that hospitals across England were hit with 976,423 alcohol-related admissions, up from 938,623 the previous year.
The increase is also running at 16 percent higher since 2016/17 (when the figure was recorded at 841,761). The rise was described as “statistically significant” by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Alcohol dependence, sometimes known as ‘alcoholism’, is the most serious form of drinking problem and describes a strong, often uncontrollable, desire to drink.
Commenting on the data trends, UKAT’s Head of Treatment, Nuno Albuquerque, explains:
“2021 has seen record-breaking admissions for alcohol addiction treatment. We believe this is a direct fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic where unfortunately more people than ever turned to alcohol as a coping strategy, and for some, this developed into addiction.”
Albuquerque adds: “December is a difficult month for a lot of people, regardless of the on-going COVID crisis. We’re urging people to try to avoid using alcohol as a way to mask their emotions. Please remember that although it is a legal substance, it is very dangerous and can have a real impact on your mental health.”
UKAT operates eight residential rehabilitation facilities across the England and the organization has treated more people for alcohol addiction in 2021 compared with any other year.
The service additionally enables the general public to assess their own alcohol consumption against health advice.
In relation to this, Albuquerque advises: “If you’re struggling, we recommend talking to a loved one or a professional or going for a walk and enjoying nature which is wonderful at this time of year.”
