Salvation Army responds to Scottish alcohol death figures
published on 10 Sep 2024
In response to today’s alcohol-specific death statistics by National Records of Scotland, The Salvation Army is calling for more specialist support to help prevent tragedy for so many people and their families.
The number of alcohol deaths last year rose by 1 to 1277 compared to the previous year(1), according to figures from National Records of Scotland. Male deaths continue to account for around two thirds of the deaths, increasing by 25, while female deaths decreased by 24.
The Salvation Army is concerned about the barriers preventing people from accessing the support that could prevent avoidable deaths. In a recent report titled Breaking The Cycle, the church and charity highlighted a lack of specialist substance use support available at weekends or evenings. It found more than 80 per cent of Scottish drug support services, many of which include support for alcohol use, are unavailable over the weekend (2), closing on a Friday afternoon and not reopening until Monday morning.
The Salvation Army also highlighted the need to ensure people are not being denied mental health support on the basis they are using drugs or consuming alcohol, and vice-versa.
Lee Ball, Director of Addiction at The Salvation Army, said: "Only last month we spoke about the drug-related deaths statistics and the scale of the challenge we face in Scotland. Behind today's alcohol death figures are yet more avoidable deaths and a call to action for government and health providers.
"To tackle problem alcohol use we need the Scottish Government, local authorities and health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) to work together to deliver a wide-range of specialist support services. Better access to support for substance use outside normal working hours is essential and will save lives. We must also ensure that no one is denied support due to mental health issues, which can be exacerbated as a direct result of long-term problem drinking.”
Dr Hannah Carver from The Salvation Army Centre for Addiction Services and Research (SACASR) at the University of Stirling said: “Alcohol use continues to cause harm to many people in Scotland and can be life-threatening or contribute to serious illness. It is important that people can access suitable services whenever help is needed, particularly those who are marginalised.”
The full ‘Breaking the Cycle’ report is available on The Salvation Army’s website https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/homelessness-policy/breaking-cycle | For updates and regular information on The Salvation Army in Scotland follow @TSA_Scotland on X.
- Figures from National Records of Scotland show 1277 people died.
- Scottish Drugs Forum Drug Services Directory.
