Alcohol-related deaths have reached a record high, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
In 2023, 10,473 people died from alcohol-specific causes in the UK, the latest data shows, compared with 7,565 in 2019.
In response, the BMA called for the Government to take urgent action to make alcohol less easily available to the public.
It is the highest number of deaths on record although the overall rate per 100,000 people fell slightly due to some changing patterns across the devolved nations.
A report from the ONS showed that rates of deaths that were wholly attributable to alcohol increased in both England and Wales (15.0 and 17.7 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively).
But in Scotland and Northern Ireland – which continue to have the highest rates of alcohol specific deaths – rates plateaued and fell to 22.6 and 18.5 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively.
Historically, Scotland has faced higher rates of alcohol harm than the rest of the UK, but the gap is now narrowing, likely due to the protective benefits of Minimum Unit Pricing, campaigners said.
The figures also uncovered some age-related differences with rates decreasing for the first time since 2020 for people aged between 25 and 59 years, while rates for those aged 20 to 24 and over 60 years remained similar to 2022.
The North East continues to have the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths of any English region at 25.7 deaths per 100,000 with the East of England having the lowest rate of 11.5 deaths per 100,000.
In response to the data, the BMA highlighted the strain on the NHS and called on the Government to ‘ensure that alcohol pricing reflects the caution with which it should be approached’.
Professor David Strain, chair of the BMA board of science committee, said: ‘Evidence consistently shows that affordability drives consumption, so higher alcohol duties and minimum unit prices can have a direct impact on reducing harm.
‘The Association is also calling for stronger restrictions on alcohol advertising – particularly its deep-rooted association with sporting events – alongside lowering the drink-driving limit, mandatory labelling of health risks on alcohol products and properly funding alcohol treatment services.
‘More than 10,000 preventable deaths should serve as a stark wake-up call to the Government that urgent action is needed to implement these life-saving measures.’
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: ‘Today’s figures paint a bleak picture of the ongoing harm caused by alcohol across the UK.
‘It is unacceptable that year after year, we continue to see alcohol deaths rise while action from government remains woefully inadequate.’
He added: ‘The drivers of this crisis are well known—cheap, easily accessible alcohol and aggressive marketing that normalises excessive drinking—as are the solutions proven to reduce harm.
‘Measures such as minimum unit pricing, improved advertising regulations, mandatory health warnings on labels, and better investment in alcohol treatment services must be implemented across all UK nations without delay.’
Addressing alcohol harm needs the same level of urgency and commitment seen in measures to tackle tobacco, junk food, and gambling, he continued.
‘Without meaningful intervention, these figures will continue to rise, and more lives will be lost.’
Professor Debbie Shawcross, professor of hepatology and chronic liver failure at King’s College London, and clinical adviser to the British Liver Trust said:
‘We are facing a tsunami of liver disease across the UK and these latest figures from the Office for National Statistics highlight the scale of the crisis.
‘Liver disease – which is also the biggest risk factor for liver cancer – is the third leading cause of deaths under the age of 75 and mortality rates have doubled in the last two decades, yet 90% of liver disease is preventable
‘Liver disease usually has no symptoms in the early stages but if caught early enough, liver damage can often be reversed. Sadly, however, three-quarters of people diagnosed with liver cirrhosis are found when it is too late for effective intervention or treatment.’
Last month, analysis suggested that most ICBs in England do not have effective referral pathways for diagnosing and managing liver disease.
In November, the outgoing chair of NHS England, Richard Meddings, said the government should bring in ‘nanny state’ measures to legislate against factors that are harmful to health.
A version of this story was first published on our sister title Pulse.
