Medical experts have called on Wes Streeting to implement a ‘life-saving’ program after alcohol-related deaths saw a ‘catastrophic’ rise of 42 per cent in the past five years.
In 2023, 8,274 people died as a result of alcohol consumption, but 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, practitioners and academics – believes this number is just a fraction of the total number of deaths where alcohol was a contributing factor.
The AHA has called for urgent action from Wes Streeting to reverse the ‘alarming trend’, while pointing to a 42 per cent increase in deaths caused ‘solely’ by alcohol since 2019.
In a letter to the Health Secretary, the medical experts demanded that England adopt a minimum unit price (MUP) scheme similar to Scotland’s, which they described as ‘life-saving’.
They also condemned the government for its ‘passivity across the board’, which has ‘resulted in an increase in English deaths’.
In March 2020, the previous government said there were ‘no plans to introduce MUP in England’, although it would continue to monitor the progress of the initiative in Scotland.
When the government was asked last October whether it planned to introduce the plan, Home Secretary Dame Diana Johnson said they were “working closely across governments to better understand what can be done.”
Medical experts have called on Wes Streeting to implement a ‘life-saving’ plan as alcohol-related deaths see a ‘catastrophic’ rise of 42 percent in the past five years (stock image)
In a letter to Wes Streeting (pictured), the medical expert demanded that England adopt a minimum unit price (MUP) scheme similar to Scotland’s, which they described as ‘life-saving’.
Lord Darzi’s sharp review of 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 no action is taken to reduce alcohol consumption.
“The number of deaths caused solely by alcohol has increased by a catastrophic 42 percent since 2019,” the letter said.
“After decades of inaction, we urge you to make your New Year’s resolution to put an end to this alarming trend and put an end to the needless suffering of countless individuals, their children, families and communities in the whole country.
‘In 2023, 8,274 people lost their lives to alcohol: the sharp end of a spectrum of harm rippling through society and putting increasing pressure on our economy and healthcare.
‘This figure can be seen as the tip of the iceberg as it reflects deaths entirely attributable to alcohol and not those in which alcohol was a contributing factor, a figure that is likely to be three times higher.’
The letter also stated that almost 950,000 hospital admissions in England each year were related to alcohol.
It concluded: ‘If left unchecked, the alcohol harm crisis will only escalate further, placing an increasing burden on our healthcare system, our economy and our society. We know what works, and now is the time to take action.”
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, President of the AHA, said: ‘These new statistics are a stark reminder of the devastating impact alcohol has on our society, not only in lives lost, but also in the shattered families and communities left behind.
In 2023, 8,274 people died due to alcohol consumption, but the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) said this figure was the ‘tip of the iceberg’ (stock image)
“Each of the 8,274 deaths in 2023 represents a life tragically cut short, a loved one whose absence leaves a void that can never be filled.
‘Alcohol-related damage 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 be a red flag for the new government to act urgently.”
He added: “We have the evidence and we know the solutions. This is the time to show that we value human lives over profits.
“Without bold, decisive action, these preventable deaths will continue to rise. Tackling alcohol harm must be a top public health priority by 2025, and a cross-government effort is needed to turn the tide of this public health crisis.”
MailOnline has approached the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.