Deaths in Scotland wholly linked to alcohol increased significantly during Nicola Sturgeon’s lockdown restrictions.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) said that deaths were 9% higher in 2020 than the annual average in 2017-19.
It said the rise was driven particularly by males and those aged 45 to 64.
These groups already had some of the highest alcohol-specific death rates before the pandemic.
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said the Covid pandemic had affected society in many ways, adding that “since the beginning we’ve taken action to assist those who are drinking at harmful levels”.
The PHS report noted that there were fewer hospital admissions involving a diagnosis entirely attributed to alcohol, with rates 7.3% lower in 2020 than the average for the previous two years.
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
