Map shows the areas most impacted by alcohol deaths in Northern Ireland

A new map shows the rate of alcohol deaths in different parts of Northern Ireland and which areas are impacted by it the most.

In 2023, 10,473 people in the UK lost their lives due to alcohol-specific causes, including 341 in Northern Ireland.These are deaths where health conditions are a direct consequence of alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease.

This was a decrease on the previous year when there were 356 deaths due to alcohol.

Read more: 'I drank a bottle of wine each night - until one symptom was my breaking point'

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The Belfast area had the highest rate of alcohol deaths in Northern Ireland, with 77 people dying from alcohol related issues in 2023, which was a rate of 30 per 100,00 people. The Derry City and Strabane area had the second highest rate of alcohol deaths at 28 per 100,000 people with 49 passing away in 2023 and the Fermanagh and Omagh area was third with 10 deaths at a rate of 25 per 100,000 people.

2023 is the fourth consecutive year that a new record number of alcohol-specific deaths was reported by the Office for National Statistics across the UK, even though the number of deaths reduced in Northern Ireland.

Scotland had the highest rate, but that remained stable at 23 deaths per 100,000 people, while it fell in Northern Ireland (from 19 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022 to 18 deaths). But the death rate increased in England (from 14 to 15 deaths per 100,000 people) and Wales (from 16 to 17 deaths per 100,000 people).

Males were twice as likely to die an alcohol-specific death than females, with a rate of 22 deaths for every 100,000 of the population, compared to 10 deaths per 100,000.

Lee Fernandes, lead therapist at alcohol addiction experts The UKAT Group, said: “People should not lose their lives because of alcohol, it is as simple as that. This legal yet incredibly addictive substance is harming our country in so many ways it’s becoming difficult to see a future where alcohol doesn't negatively touch every generation at some stage.

“We're urging the Government to reconsider a standalone National Alcohol Strategy; we haven't had one since 2012 and quite frankly, a lot has changed in the past thirteen years.

“It’s time to recognise that alcohol misuse is a genuine problem, one that needs a solution or more people will die.”
Experts have called for measures such as minimum unit pricing, health warnings on labels, and tighter advertising regulations to tackle this “national crisis”.

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said: “It is unacceptable that year after year, we continue to see alcohol deaths rise while action from government remains woefully inadequate.

“The drivers of this crisis are well known - cheap, easily accessible alcohol and aggressive marketing that normalises excessive drinking - as are the solutions proven to reduce harm. Measures such as minimum unit pricing, improved advertising regulations, mandatory health warnings on labels, and better investment in alcohol treatment services must be implemented across all UK nations without delay.

“The new government has committed to shifting from a system that merely treats sickness to one that prioritises prevention. Addressing alcohol harm must be central to this ambition. Just as we have seen strong political will to tackle the harms caused by tobacco, junk food, and gambling, we must apply the same urgency and commitment to reducing alcohol harm. Without meaningful intervention, these figures will continue to rise, and more lives will be lost.”

The British Medical Association (BMA) also called for measures such as higher alcohol duties and lowering the drink-drive limit.

Professor David Strain, chairman of the BMA’s board of science committee, said: “The UK’s drinking culture is often portrayed as a light-hearted British tradition.

“More than 10,000 alcohol-related deaths is not a cultural norm - it is a national crisis. Behind these numbers are countless more people suffering from chronic, debilitating conditions, placing immense pressure on the NHS as it struggles to support patients living with the long-term effects of alcohol misuse. As doctors, we witness firsthand the devastating consequences of excessive drinking and are acutely aware that accepting life-altering alcohol misuse as part of our culture is both harmful and dangerous.”

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