Greens call for action on alcohol-related harm
A report published by Public Health Scotland today on alcohol harm shows the need for further action, the Scottish Greens have said.
The report shows that, while population-level alcohol consumption in Scotland was lower following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic than in 2017–19, deaths from causes wholly attributable to alcohol increased following the start of the pandemic.
Responding, Scottish Greens health spokesperson, Gillian Mackay MSP, said: “These findings are extremely concerning as while alcohol consumption reduced overall, there has been a devastating rise in alcohol-related deaths during the pandemic, which suggests that, for some groups, the risk of alcohol-related harm has actually increased.
“Tackling alcohol-related harm must be a priority as we recover from COVID-19. We need to make sure people can access person-centred support and treatment. Alcohol-related hospital stays decreased during the pandemic and that over a third of people referred to community alcohol and drug treatment are waiting at least 3 weeks to be seen. It’s vital that people can get the help they need, when they need it.
“We also need a renewed focus on prevention. We must tackle the availability of alcohol through introducing restrictions on marketing, increasing the minimum unit price and ending alcohol sponsorship of sport.”
The figures show the rise was driven primarily by an increase in alcohol-specific death rates among males and those aged 45 to 64 years. Increased rates of alcohol-specific death for some groups may support existing evidence that drinking at hazardous and harmful levels may have increased for some groups, despite consumption reducing at the population level.