Rise in alcohol deaths

27th January 2012 -The number of alcohol-related deaths in the UK rose slightly in 2010 compared to 2009, according to official figures. However, the latest annual bulletin from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) says the increase was limited to men.

Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major preventable cause of premature death with alcohol-related deaths accounting for almost 1.5% per cent of all deaths in England and Wales in 2010. A recent report published by the Department of Health estimated that the cost of alcohol harm to the NHS in England was £2.7 billion each year.

Rise in deaths in 55-74 age group

The latest report shows an additional 126 deaths occurred in 2010, bringing the total to 8,790. The number of alcohol-related deaths among men went up from 5,690 to 5,865 and stands at 17.8 per 100,000 of the general population.

The number of women dying dropped from 2,974 in 2009 to 2,925 - or 8.3 per 100,000 of the population.

Men account for 67% of all alcohol-related deaths in the UK, the figures show. Death rates rose most steeply among men aged 55 to 74, while the fewest alcohol-related deaths occurred among people under 35.

Alcoholic liver disease was responsible for approximately 64% of all alcohol-related deaths in 2010.

Alcohol-related death rates were highest in the North of England, West Midlands and Wales in 2010.

Comparative figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are published separately.

Government campaign

Commenting on the latest bulletin, Public Health Minister Anne Milton said in a statement: "The ONS has highlighted the rise in the total number of men dying from alcohol-related causes in the last year.

"We will set out a new approach to tackling alcohol harm shortly in our alcohol strategy for England. As part of that, we will be giving local councils the power and the budget to help them tackle the huge variations we see in levels of harm in different regions of England.

"Before that, next month, we are launching new Change4Life adverts which, for the first time, will help people realise the damage drinking too much can do to our health."