Alcohol deaths in Highlands rise to highest level in 12 years
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The number of people in the Highlands whose death was caused by alcohol has risen to its highest level in 12 years.
In 2022 there were 66 alcohol-related deaths – the last time the figures were that high was in 2010.
The latest figures from National Records Scotland (NRS), show that 1,276 were killed by alcohol in Scotland last year – deaths were over four times as high in the most deprived areas of the country.
Sharan Brown, development manager at Addiction Counselling Inverness, which supports people with drug and alcohol addictions said: “We are seeing a massive increase in alcohol-related problems in the area.
“It’s really bad – people want to feel oblivion and block out their lives right now. We are also seeing a large increase in young people who are binge drinking.
“We live in a country that uses alcohol on every occasion, and there is a lack of support for people.
“The deaths are to do with unresolved trauma and diagnosis, and people are not getting help for their mental health situations, and are self-medicating.
“People are so desperate.”
For her, there has been a lack of funding available to support people with alcohol problems, as funding for programmes is split between drugs and alcohol.
The Scottish Government has also implemented a minimum unit pricing (MUP) on alcohol in 2018 in a bid to reduce alcohol related deaths.
However, for Sharan this is not having much of an impact. She said: “The Scottish Government took their eyes of the ball with MUP – it has had no impact.
“We need to stop receiving funding in silos as so many people have poly-dependency on substances and we need to tackle that together.”
In Scotland, female deaths increased by 31 to 440 deaths in 2022, with the number of alcohol-specific male deaths unchanged from 2021. Male deaths continue to account for around two thirds of alcohol-specific deaths.
More work is required on reducing alcohol-related harm, the Scottish Government’s Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Elena Whitham has said.
She commented: “Every life lost is a tragedy and my sympathy goes to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through alcohol.
“While we will need to better understand the reasons for this increase in deaths, I will do all I can to reduce alcohol-related harm. We will continue to work closely with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) and the third sector to address this public health priority, backed by substantial investment.
“This year £113 million will be made available to ADPs to support local and national initiatives ensuring that local services can respond to local needs.
“We will address the unique challenges women face when accessing treatment, support and recovery, including stigma, while recognising that men still remain at the highest risk of death.
“We are also working to ensure that people continue to receive the same quality of care as those with problematic drug use. We are supporting a review and update to clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment which will introduce new approaches in a broad range of settings including hospitals. This will help ensure anyone with problematic alcohol use receives the right treatment at the right time.
“This is in addition to wider activity – including our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy. Recent research estimated it has saved hundreds of lives, likely averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions each year - and also contributed to reducing health inequalities.
"The research found the largest reductions in deaths and hospital admissions wholly attributable to alcohol consumption were seen in men and those living in the 40 per cent most deprived areas.”
