Nearly 1,000 people drank themselves to death in Yorkshire and Humber in 2023.
Office of Health Improvement and Disparities figures showed 871 fatalities were linked directly to alcohol in the region that year. This number shows a slight decrease from 926 deaths reported in the previous year.
The cities with the most significant number of alcohol-related deaths in the region were Leeds, with 115 cases, and Sheffield with 97 incidents.
The country’s alcohol mortality rate has also soared to its highest at 15 deaths per 100,000 individuals. In Yorkshire and The Humber, the mortality rate was recorded at 16.2 deaths per 100,000 people.
On a national scale, the death toll hit 8,274 in 2023, indicating a five per cent increase from the prior year and setting a record since statistical tracking began back in 2006. The trend of increased alcohol-linked deaths has been attributed to the pandemic, with the data showing a 42 per cent surge compared to 2019.
Below are all the alcohol-related deaths by every Yorkshire town, city and local authority area.
Kirklees
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 80
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 75
- Mortality rate 2023: 18.9 deaths per 100,000 people
Calderdale
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 46
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 45
- Mortality rate 2023: 21.7 deaths per 100,000
Leeds
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 115
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 112
- Mortality rate 2023: 16.1 deaths per 100,000
Bradford
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 77
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 101
- Mortality rate 2023: 15.9 deaths per 100,000
Sheffield
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 97
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 92
- Mortality rate 2023: 19.3 deaths per 100,000 people
Doncaster
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 64
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 65
- Mortality rate 2023: 20.4 deaths per 100,000
Barnsley
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 43
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 46
- Mortality rate 2023: 17.4 deaths per 100,000
Rotherham
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 30
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 42
- Mortality rate 2023: 11.6 deaths per 100,000
North Yorkshire
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 85
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 93
- Mortality rate 2023: 12.9 deaths per 100,000
York
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 29
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 40
- Mortality rate 2023: 15.3 deaths per 100,000 people
East Yorkshire
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 40
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 43
- Mortality rate 2023: 9.9 deaths per 100,000 people
Hull
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2023: 43
- Alcohol-linked fatalities 2022: 49
- Mortality rate 2023: 17.7 deaths per 100,000 people
Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, said: “Every time someone dies from alcohol, it is an avoidable tragedy.
“And there are millions of us whose lives are negatively affected by alcohol, be that through hangovers, over-spending, under-performing at work, or just not being fully present for our friends or family.
“None of this is inevitable, and we are seeing a growing acceptance, particularly among younger generations, that alcohol is an optional, not essential, part of our lives. These cultural shifts are possible and even more so when systemic changes are made.”
He argued that the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan requires “real teeth”, especially to fulfil its commitment to halve deaths from the “biggest killers” such as cancer, suicide, and cardiovascular disease, with alcohol being a significant risk factor. He said: “We’ve seen hugely successful action on marketing, labelling, pricing and availability of other health-harming products, such as tobacco and junk food. We now need the same for alcohol.
“This means proper alcohol labelling, better controls on alcohol marketing and protecting people from very strong cheap alcohol by introducing a minimum unit price.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care described the record level of alcohol-related deaths as “unacceptable”. They said: “For too long there has been an unwillingness to lead on issues like smoking, alcohol harm and obesity.
“Our 10-Year Health Plan will shift the focus of the NHS from sickness to prevention. This means prioritising public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives.”
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