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How draconian lockdowns led to an increase in alcohol-related deaths… and more than TWO the number of Aussies killed by suicide than Covid
- Alcohol-related deaths rose 5.8 percent in 2021 during a year of long lockdowns
- Male death rate rose to highest level in records going back ten years
- Suicide was the 15th most common cause of death with Covid 34th on the list
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The extended lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne last year coincided with an increase in alcohol-related deaths to an all-time high – but flu fatalities were nearly eliminated.
Draconian restrictions in Australia’s two largest cities have been linked to mental health issues, with suicide being a more common cause of death than Covid.
Alcohol-related deaths rose by 5.8 percent in 2021, with 1,559 people dying from poisoning or liver damage, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows.
Of those who died last year, 74 percent or 1,156 of them were men, while women made up the rest of the 403 deaths.
The extended lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne (pictured in October 2021) coincided with an increase in alcohol-related deaths to record highs last year, but flu deaths were nearly eliminated
The alcohol-related death rate for men was a 10-year high in the ABS series, with 8.3 deaths for every 100,000 people in 2021 – an increase of 8.1 percent from 2020.
Before the 2019 pandemic, the male death rate from alcohol was 7.4 for every 100,000 people.
The lockdowns created uncertainty as retailers and many service companies were banned from personally serving customers in-house.
Suicide was the 15th leading cause of death, while Covid was the 34th most common cause of death.
For men, suicide was the 10th most common cause of death, with men accounting for three-quarters of those who committed suicide.
The suicide rate was 12 for every 100,000 people, with mental health problems, substance abuse and chronic illness considered common risk factors.
Deliberate self-harm was the cause of death of 2,358 people in 2021.
Suicide was the leading cause of death among children, with 112 children dying in a year when schools were closed.
In comparison, 1,122 people died from Covid, split between 660 male deaths and 462 female deaths.
Alcohol-related deaths rose 5.8 percent in 2021, with 1,559 people dying from poisoning or liver damage – an increase of 107 fatalities compared to 2020, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows (pictured is a stock photo )
The median age to die was 79.1 years, with 98.9 percent of deaths from Covid during the Delta Wave of the pandemic from July to December last year.
But last year there were only two deaths from flu, a record low.
Respiratory disease accounted for 39.1 deaths per 100,000, the second lowest on record.
Australia had 171,469 deaths in 2021 — an age-standardized death rate of 507.2 deaths for every 100,000 people.
Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death, accounting for 10.1 percent of all deaths, with 17,331 succumbing to this disease.
Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, was the second most common death in Australia, with a median age of 89.2 and 15,940 fatalities.
Cerebrovascular disease, lung cancer and chronic lower respiratory tract disease rounded out the top five leading causes.
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