News · 11 May 2026
9,809 alcohol deaths in UK, first fall since Covid
Unsplash / Sérgio Alves Santos
Despite a modest reduction, alcohol-specific deaths in the UK remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, indicating continued serious harm. The Office of National Statistics registered 9,809 alcohol-specific deaths in 2024, marking the first decrease since the Covid pandemic began. This figure is the lowest recorded since 2021, though rates increased for those aged 80 and over.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs