Alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland fall to five-year low amid calls for continued action

New figures show the number of alcohol-specific deaths at a five-year low.

According to statistics released by National Records of Scotland (NRS), the number of alcohol-specific deaths fell by 7% to 1,185 in 2024.

This is the lowest number of alcohol-specific deaths registered since 2019, and a decrease of 92 from 2023.

During a visit to Glasgow Council on Alcohol, Ms Todd said:

“Behind every number is a person and my heartfelt condolences go out to those affected by the loss of a loved one through alcohol.

“It is welcome to see the number of deaths at the lowest level since 2019 and we are continuing to work closely with local Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADPs) and other stakeholders to provide targeted, person-centred support, backed by record levels of funding of around £160 million this year.

“However, while we are making progress on tackling the harms caused by alcohol, we cannot become complacent.

“This is a public health priority and we are continuing to channel our energy towards reducing alcohol harm further. There is still a lot of work to be done to save and improve lives.

“Research commended by internationally renowned public health experts has estimated that our world-leading Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) policy has saved hundreds of lives and is likely to have averted hundreds of alcohol-attributable hospital admissions.”

Lesley Ross, CEO of Glasgow Council on Alcohol, said:

“We have a comprehensive series of services to reduce alcohol harm through direct counselling for individuals and families, community education, employability support for people in recovery and tailored services for women, the LGBTQ+ community and young people.

“We see the real impact of alcohol on health and wellbeing and remain committed to providing dedicated services specific to alcohol use.”