The Salvation Army has called for specialist support for alcoholics in Scotland after figures showed 1,277 people died from alcohol related deaths last yr, 2023.
The National Records of Scotland released the newest figures last month, September, which showed a rise of 1 death in comparison with similar figures (1,276 deaths) in 2023. Most of the deaths are men, with two-thirds accounted for.
Dr Hannah Carver, from The Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research (SACASR) on the University of Stirling, said alcohol use continues to harm many individuals in Scotland and might be life-threatening or contribute to serious illness.
“It is significant that individuals can access suitable services at any time when assistance is needed, particularly those that are marginalized,” she added.
However, the Salvation Army has expressed concern that these much-needed support services aren’t available because of varied obstacles corresponding to a scarcity of organizational support.
In a report “Breaking the Cycle,” the church charity pinpointed a scarcity of specialist substance use support in Scotland at weekends and likewise evenings. In fact, 80 percent of Scottish drug support services were closed at weekends.
Mental health support is required by alcoholics, the charity stated, but it surely warned of dangers that individuals were prevented from receiving this help because of medication or drinking alcohol.
“Only [in August] we spoke in regards to the drug-related deaths statistics and the dimensions of the challenge we face in Scotland,” said Lee Ball, director of addiction at The Salvation Army. “Behind [these] alcohol death figures are yet more avoidable deaths and a call-to-action for presidency and health providers.
“To tackle problem alcohol use we’d like the Scottish Government, local authorities and health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) to work together to deliver a wide-range of specialist support services.”
Substance users need much better access to support outside working hours, based on Ball, who deemed this essential and it might save lives.
“We must also make sure that nobody is denied support on account of mental health issues, which might be exacerbated as a direct results of long-term problem drinking,” he added.
Deprived areas of Scotland fared worst with alcohol-related deaths. Data showed these locations, corresponding to Inverclyde, Glasgow City, North Lanarkshire and Dundee, were 4.5 times higher in death rates.
“The rate of alcohol-specific deaths peaked in 2006 after which fell until 2012. Since then, it has generally risen,” said Phillipa Haxton, Head of Vital Events Statistics, involved within the released data.
“Those aged 45-64 and 65-74 proceed to have the very best mortality rates.”
The average age at death has also increased over time, she added, reviewing the figures.
“The mortality rates for those aged 65 to 74, and 75 and over, were at their highest since we began recording these figures in 1994. At the identical time for age 25-44 the mortality rate has been fairly stable over the past decade.”
Data for other countries within the U.K for 2023 has yet to be released, based on the Salvation Army, but Scotland “continued to have the very best alcohol-specific death rate of the U.K. constituent countries in 2022.”
