Alcohol-related deaths climb massive 42 per cent on five years ago: Experts put desperate call out to Wes Streeting to make ‘life-saving’ change

 Medical experts have called on Wes Streeting to implement a ‘life saving’ scheme after alcohol-related death saw a ‘catastrophic’ rise of 42 per cent over the last five years. 

In 2023, 8,274 people died as a result of alcohol consumption, however the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) said this figure was the ‘tip of the iceberg’.

The group – which is made up of medical royal colleges, charities, treatment providers and academics – believe this number is only a fraction of the total deaths where alcohol was a contributing factor. 

The AHA has called for urgent action from Wes Streeting to redress the ‘alarming trend’, whilst highlighting a 42 per cent rise in deaths ‘solely’ cause by alcohol since 2019.

In a letter to the Health Secretary, the medical experts demanded England have a minimum unit pricing (MUP) scheme similar to Scotland’s, which they described as ‘life-saving’.

They also slammed the government for ‘inaction across the board’ which has ‘led English deaths to spiral’. 

In March 2020, the previous government said there were ‘no plans for the introduction of MUP in England’ although it would continue to monitor the progress of the initiative in Scotland. 

Last October when the government was asked if they had intentions of introducing the scheme, Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson said they were working ‘closely across government to better understand what can be done’.

Lord Darzi’s hard-hitting review into the NHS in England highlights how alcohol is ‘becoming more affordable over time, and deaths are rising at an alarming rate’. 

The AHA letter, seen by the PA news agency, added that the ‘alcohol harm crisis’ will only escalate if action is not taken to reduce alcohol consumption.

‘Deaths caused solely by alcohol have increased by a catastrophic 42 per cent since 2019,’ the letter stated.

‘After decades of inaction, we urge you to make it your New Year’s resolution to redress this alarming trend and stop needless suffering of countless individuals, their children, families and communities across the country.

‘In 2023, 8,274 people lost their lives to alcohol: the sharp end of a spectrum of harm that ripples through society and is putting growing pressures on our economy and health services.

‘This number can be seen as the tip of the iceberg as it reflects deaths wholly attributable to alcohol and not those where alcohol was a contributing factor, a figure likely to be three times higher.’

The letter also noted that almost 950,000 hospital admissions in England each year were alcohol-related.

It concluded: ‘Left unchecked, the alcohol harm crisis will only escalate further, placing an ever-greater burden on our healthcare system, economy and society. We know what works, and now is the time to act.’

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the AHA, said: ‘These new statistics are a stark reminder of the devastating impact alcohol takes on our society, not just in lives lost but in the shattered families and communities left behind.

‘Each of the 8,274 deaths in 2023 represents a life cut tragically short, a loved one whose absence leaves a void that can never be filled.

‘Alcohol-related harm does not occur in isolation. It ripples through families, often leaving children to bear the brunt of grief and trauma.

‘The devastating rise in alcohol deaths should serve as an alarm for the new government to act with urgency.’

He added: ‘We have the evidence, and we know the solutions. Now is the moment to show that we value human lives over profit.

‘Without bold, decisive action, these preventable deaths will continue to climb. Addressing alcohol harm must be a top public health priority in 2025, and it requires a cross-government effort to turn the tide on this public health crisis.’

MailOnline has approached the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.