DYING FOR A DRINK

>> Alcohol deaths at their highest level in 15 years >> Crisis branded national scandal as 1277 lose lives >> SNP blamed for slashing addiction services

- VIVIENNE AITKEN

ALCOHOL deaths have hit their highest in 15 years amid claims the SNP has failed to battle Scotland's booze addiction.

New figures from the National Records of Scotland showed 1277 Scots died in 2023 from an alcohol specific illness, around 20 a week.

Last night, Labour branded the figures "a national scandal".

Public health spokeswoman Carol Mochan said: "Every single one of these deaths is a tragedy and the scale of this crisis is a national scandal.

"All alcohol and drug deaths are preventable and the number of lives being cut tragically short shames this SNP government. This tragedy is a damning indictment of the SNP's record of failure in government and a reflection of its past cuts to drug and alcohol services." The number of alcohol deaths was only slightly higher than last year but the figure has been climbing steadily since the Covid lockdown and is now higher than any time since 2008.

The most deprived areas are suffering most, with residents in poor postcodes 4.5 times more likely to die from alcohol related causes.

Mortality rates were greatest in Inverclyde, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire and Dundee.

About two thirds of all deaths were men.

Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) has called for urgent action.

Chairman Dr Peter Rice said: "Every one of these 1277 deaths could have been prevented.

"What's more, most of these recorded deaths were caused by alcohol-related liver disease, a worrying sign that other longterm illnesses are not counted in today's figures but are alcohol related and also likely to be high.