DEATHS from alcohol have increased in Glasgow in the last year, according to the latest statistics.

The rise in the city was bigger than across Scotland.

In Glasgow, there were 202 alcohol-specific deaths in 2022 – up from 188 the year before, marking a rise of 7.5%.

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It is the highest number of deaths since 2011.

Across Scotland, the rise was 2% with 1276 people dying with alcohol as a specific cause.

The total in the city was the highest for more than 10 years, with deaths increasing for the third year in a row, from 143 in 2019.

Deaths have increased since minimum pricing of alcohol was brought in, despite the Scottish Government earlier this year stating the policy was saving lives.

Glasgow Times:

Since minimum pricing was introduced in 2018, deaths have gone from 1020 the following year to 1276 last year.

People in poorer areas are more likely to die from alcohol-related illnesses than people in better-off areas.

The statistics show there are 4.3 times as many deaths from these causes in the most deprived communities as in the least deprived communities.

And there has been a bigger rise among women, with female deaths rising by 31 to 440, and male deaths unchanged at 836.

Elena Whitham, Scotland's drug and alcohol policy minister, said: “Every life lost is a tragedy and my sympathy goes to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through alcohol.  

“While we will need to better understand the reasons for this increase in deaths, I will do all I can to reduce alcohol-related harm.

“We will continue to work closely with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) and the third sector to address this public health priority, backed by substantial investment.

“This year, £113 million will be made available to ADPs to support local and national initiatives, ensuring that local services can respond to local needs.”

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Opposition politicians and campaigners said the figures showed the current policies are not working.

Sandesh Gulhane, Conservative health spokesperson and a Glasgow MSP, said: “These figures are utterly shocking.

“Every one of these 1276 deaths is a tragedy and has left families across Scotland grieving the loss of a loved one due to alcohol.

“It is clear that the SNP wedding themselves to their flagship policy of minimum unit pricing is simply not working. It is increasingly proving to be a blunt instrument to tackle a complex problem.”

Annemarie Ward, chief executive of Favor, said: “Scotland’s attempt at implementing minimum pricing for alcohol in 2018 fell short of expectations.

“Despite Public Health Scotland’s efforts to present it as a success, the evaluation revealed underwhelming results.

“Alcohol-related crime and disorder showed no significant changes, and in some areas, the situation even worsened.

“The policy also failed to reduce alcohol-related A&E visits and ambulance call-outs. Most concerning was the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths in over a decade.”