A 42% rise in deaths due to alcohol since 2019 is deeply shocking to read but not surprising.
The latest statistics released by the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) earlier this month reinforce the growing evidence base research that alcohol addiction and dependency are escalating at pace across the country.
The DHSC report shows that in 2023, 1.7 million people in England consumed alcohol at ‘higher risk’ and around 600,000 were dependent on alcohol.
The publication of these statistics comes at a time when Taking Action On Addiction research revealed the scale of addiction in the UK - with 1 in 10 (11%) having experienced addiction or dependency on alcohol, drugs, medication or gambling at some point in their lives - and almost half (47%) experiencing it themselves or know someone else who has been affected in this way.
On alcohol, our polling found that three years after the COVID pandemic restrictions were lifted, far from seeing a reduction in alcohol consumption, 31% of UK adults [who had personally experienced addiction or dependency] said that compared with the period before March 2020, their consumption of alcoholic drinks had increased.
Of those who said their consumption of alcoholic drinks had increased nowadays, compared to March 2020:
- 26% reported that drinking alcohol had become part of a daily routine
- 21% reported that they binge-drink alcoholic drinks regularly
- 14% reported organising their day around drinking alcohol
- 23% answered they would find it difficult to stop drinking alcoholic drinks
- 25% reported they find it difficult to cut back on drinking alcoholic drinks
- 19% reported that they sometimes drink alcoholic drinks in secret
- 21% reported physical or mental health symptoms (e.g. physical withdrawal symptoms, increased stress, anxiety, low mood, mood swings, etc.) as a result of their alcohol consumption.
These tell a growing story of harm, crisis and heartache in families, workplaces and communities. Behind the shocking statistics are people. People who are living with an illness that isolates and devastates too many lives.
But we know that misunderstanding, shame and the fear of judgement are holding people back from getting the help they need.
This is why the Taking Action on Addiction campaign exists. The health consequences of harmful drinking, dependency and addiction are too often wrapped in shame and misinformation, which is seriously damaging people’s health. We cannot allow this to continue!
The health and mental health consequences ripple across wider society. The DHSC report highlights that every year, there are almost 950,000 hospitalisations relating to alcohol, representing 6% of all hospital admissions. Alcohol misuse is estimated to cost the NHS about £3.5 billion per year and society as a whole £21 billion annually.
What this tells us is that addiction isn’t a marginalised issue in society. It runs deep and spreads wide. People are living with addiction all around us.
This week I was struck by the story of the character Linda in Eastenders. Like so many in our film, Linda hit a rock-bottom moment. However, the story was told with empathy and love. ‘Linda had an illness’, Martyn says in the latest episode. Long may this change in emphasis and storytelling continue.
Not all of the alcohol-related deaths and hospitalisations will be addiction or dependency-related, but far too many are.
We all know someone who has needed intervention for alcohol addiction or dependency. Sometimes that has been in A&E, as the report suggests, others at a family event or a work-based conversation.
If this is you, or you know someone who needs support – it is available.
Alcohol addiction or dependency is not a moral weakness, it is an illness. And as our Patron, the Princess of Wales recently said; “Addiction is not a choice. It is a serious mental health condition that could affect any one of us. By acting with humility and compassion we can all make a difference and support those who are suffering.
“Everyone suffering from addiction is another human being, with a story of their own, which many of us don’t understand or see. It is not our place to judge or criticise, we must take the time to sit by someone’s side, learning the values of love and empathy. Being a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen, these simple acts of kindness are crucial in breaking down the misunderstandings that so many face.”
If you are living with alcohol addiction, dependency, or worried about your alcohol consumption please know that help is available. Visit our support page for more information.
Written by Sally Benton, Executive Director of Fundraising & Communications at The Forward Trust
