In 1991 the alcohol-related death rate in the United Kingdom stood at 6.9 per 100,000, it rose to 12.9 per 100,000 in 2005, and then to 13.4 per 100,000 deaths in 2006, according to the Office for National Statistics. In other words, rates almost doubled from 1991 to 2006. In 1991 there were 4,144 alcohol-related deaths, and 8,757 in 2006 (the reason the total more than doubled while the proportion per 100,000 people nearly doubled is that the UK had a larger total population in 2006 compared to 1991).
The male alcohol-related death rate in 2006 was more than double the female rate – 18.3 per 100,000 for males compared to 8.8 per 100,000 for females. Two-thirds of alcohol-related deaths in 2006 were among males.
All male age groups had increases in alcohol-related death rates, except for those over 75. The increase was the most acute among males aged 35 to 54, where it doubled from 13.4 to 31.1 deaths per 100,000 (1991 to 2006).
Although death rates among females were lower than males for every year between 1991 and 2006, the upward trend was similar. In 1991 7.2 per 100,000 females aged 35.54 died of an alcohol-related death, increasing to 14.8 per 100,000 in 2006.
Among both males and females rates stayed the same for people aged 15-34 during for the years 2005 and 2006, and rose for the 35-54 and 55-74 aged groups.
Drop in rates among those aged 75 and over
Death rates for men over 75 fell 8% and 6% for women over 75 from 2005 to 2006.
Alcohol Deaths – Rates in the UK Continue to Rise (Office for National Statistics)
Written by – Christian Nordqvist