On average, one person in Scotland dies every three hours and 40 minutes as the direct result of alcohol abuse and the figure is rising rapidly. Add in alcohol-related deaths from cancer, suicide, crime and accidents, and the human cost is considerably higher. The most sobering aspect of the figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday is the size of the gap between Scotland and the rest of the UK. For more than a decade, alcohol-related deaths among women in Scotland have been worse than for men in England. Of the 20 council areas with the highest male mortality rates from alcohol, 15 are in Scotland. The equivalent figure for female deaths is 14.
On average, one person in Scotland dies every three hours and 40 minutes as the direct result of alcohol abuse and the figure is rising rapidly. Add in alcohol-related deaths from cancer, suicide, crime and accidents, and the human cost is considerably higher.
