Covid in Scotland: Alcohol deaths increased during pandemic

Deaths in Scotland wholly linked to alcohol increased during the pandemic, despite consumption decreasing in general, new figures have shown.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) said these deaths were 9% higher in 2020 than the annual average in 2017-19.

It said the rise was driven particularly by males and those aged 45 to 64.

These groups already had some of the highest alcohol-specific death rates before the pandemic.

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said the Covid pandemic had affected society in many ways, adding that "since the beginning we've taken action to assist those who are drinking at harmful levels".

The PHS report noted that there were fewer hospital admissions involving a diagnosis entirely attributed to alcohol, with rates 7.3% lower in 2020 than the average for the previous two years.

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But it warned there were "substantially reduced hospital admissions overall", with a 30% reduction in all admissions to general acute hospitals in Scotland between 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Researchers believe some drinkers increased their alcohol consumption at a time when there was reduced access to hospital treatment - and this could explain the higher rates of mortality.

Lucie Giles, public health intelligence principal at PHS, said: "Taken together, the evidence points to increased drinking amongst some groups, coupled with a reduction in the number of people accessing hospital treatment and greater rates of death caused by alcohol."

She said tackling alcohol consumption and harm, particularly among high-risk groups, should be a "critical objective" of any Covid-19 recovery plans.

Polarised drinking habits

In response to the study, Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, which works to prevent alcohol harm, said: "While it is positive that overall Scots drank less during the last two years, this needs to seen in the context of the devastating rise in deaths caused by alcohol during the same period.

"Drinking habits appear to have become polarised; some have cut down, while others - particularly heavier drinkers - have increased their drinking.

"In addition, it has been challenging for people to access the support they need, with reports of services being reduced or operating online for periods of time."

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: "Throughout the pandemic we allocated additional funding to extend outreach initiatives which identify people at risk, address their immediate health concerns, and get them the support they need.

"We're determined to go further, which is why we are focusing on reducing harms where they are greatest. To help achieve this we are consulting on potential restrictions on alcohol advertising, reviewing the level of the minimum unit price, and improving health information on product labels."

She added that there had also been more investment in tackling problematic alcohol and drug use along with residential rehabilitation.

What else did the report tell us?

Purchases for consumption off premises, such as from supermarkets and shops, increased throughout the pandemic

• Alcoholic liver disease (64%) was the biggest cause of alcohol-related death (64% in both time frames), followed by mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol use (27% in 2020 and 26% in 2017-19).

• Overall sales and consumption of alcohol decreased when Covid hit. Total combined alcohol sales (litres of pure alcohol per adult) were 9% lower in 2020 and 16% lower in 2021 (January to May) when compared with the 2017-19 average.

• On-trade alcohol sales, such as in pubs and bars, were "substantially lower" - down 66% in 2020 and by 95% in the first five months of 2021 - although Covid restrictions would have contributed to this decrease.

• Despite the overall slump in alcohol sales, purchases for consumption off premises, such as from supermarkets and shops, increased throughout the pandemic. They noticeably "spiked" in the week before the first national lockdown, and subsequently went up by 13% in 2020 and 15% in 2021 (January to May), compared with the average for 2017-19.

• Alcohol consumption remained above recommended levels between the start of Covid-19 restrictions in March 2020 and May 2021. Seventeen units (171 ml) of pure alcohol were sold per adult each week on average, mostly from off-trade premises - enough alcohol to put every adult in Scotland over the chief medical officer's low-risk weekly drinking guideline of 14 units.

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