Today ONS have published data on alcohol-specific deaths across the UK in 2023. We already knew most of the figures, but there are a few new bits of detail in today's release. The headline is that alcohol deaths have risen to their highest level on record. Which is obviously pretty bleak. - ThreadSky

victimofmaths.bsky.social • 20 days ago

Today ONS have published data on alcohol-specific deaths across the UK in 2023. We already knew most of the figures, but there are a few new bits of detail in today's release.

The headline is that alcohol deaths have risen to their highest level on record. Which is obviously pretty bleak.

Comments

buds-disability.bsky.social•20 days ago

Covid was involved in more deaths in 2024 than alcohol, but nobody cares. Why should we expect them to care about alcohol-related deaths?

steveprior.bsky.social•20 days ago

The world is on fire. Billionaires have literally stolen all the money. We have post-pandemic PTSD. We have Stalin in the Kremlin and a lunatic in the White House? Worker exploitation is now commonplace…

Do you mind me asking, who the fuck isn’t thinking about drinking themselves to death?

prof-andy.bsky.social•20 days ago

Given that teenage drinking didn't peak until the late 1990s early 2000s, I assume that these figures could continue to rise for some considerable time.

victimofmaths.bsky.social•20 days ago

There are clear differences between the UK nations though. A small fall in Northern Ireland, little change in Scotland, a small rise in England and a surprising rise in Wales (unlike the other nations I don't think we knew the Welsh figures before today).

victimofmaths.bsky.social•20 days ago

Somewhat confusingly, even though the age-standardised rates of alcohol-specific deaths rose in England and Wales and stayed the same in Scotland, the overall UK rate fell in 2023 compared to 2022, although it was still the 2nd highest ever recorded.

This is because maths is confusing and weird.

victimofmaths.bsky.social•20 days ago

At the UK level, the increase in the number of deaths in 2023 was driven very much by an increase in deaths among men, although deaths have increased markedly in both men and women since 2019.

victimofmaths.bsky.social•20 days ago

One rather intriguing detail in the data though is that the bigger relative increase in men is very much a Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish thing. The story in England is quite different, with very similar increases since 2019 in both men and women.

I've no neat theories to explain this.

victimofmaths.bsky.social•20 days ago

At a regional level within England, the data is a bit noisier, but the picture of rising alcohol specific deaths since pre-pandemic is very evident in all regions.

victimofmaths.bsky.social•20 days ago

I wrote a piece for @instalcstud.bsky.social back when the English figures first came out late last year, looking at possible explanations. I think it all still applies in light of today's updated data.

https://www.ias.org.uk/2024/12/16/new-alcohol-mortality-data-presents-a-bleak-picture-for-england/

gxro6883.bsky.social•20 days ago

Add those to the Covid stats and then try and work out why they didn’t come down again

drlizgeriatrics.bsky.social•20 days ago

Don’t know how to compare these, but this is the percentage of total deaths in the US. It’s an issue here too.

victimofmaths.bsky.social•20 days ago

The US was one of relatively few countries to see a comparable increase in 2020 to England in alcohol-specific deaths, and they rose again in 2021, but the US figures fell in 2022 and again in 2023. So it certainly is an issue, but it is at least heading in the right direction over there.

drlizgeriatrics.bsky.social•20 days ago

What do you think driving it? The economy?

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply