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LGA responds to latest alcohol-specific deaths statistics

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to the latest ONS figures on alcohol-specific deaths in the UK, which show there was an 18.6 per cent increase in deaths from alcohol-specific causes in 2020 compared with the previous year and was the highest year-on-year increase since records began 

“Each and every one of these figures represents a life lost too soon to the effects of alcohol misuse and we have tragically seen an increase in alcohol deaths during the pandemic.

“These stark statistics should act as a wake-up call about the impact of COVID-19 on our general health, including for those with alcohol-related conditions, such as reaching out to people who have not yet been in treatment.

“Councils, which are responsible for public health services, are committed to continue supporting everyone with alcohol and other substance misuse problems, despite ongoing pressures made worse by the pandemic.

“Increasing alcohol consumption creates further health problems later on, including increased hospital admissions and exacerbating existing health inequalities, with people in the most deprived areas worst affected.

“Every life lost to alcohol misuse is another tragic reminder that there is still more work to do as we look to build back better, while reducing pressure on the NHS and social care. It is essential that government publishes councils’ public health grant for next year and provides certainty over funding, as soon as possible, to help achieve this shared ambition.”

Alcohol-specific deaths in the UK: registered in 2020

Original article link: http://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/lga-responds-latest-alcohol-specific-deaths-statistics

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