More people dying in Sheffield due to alcohol than ever before

More people are dying each year in Sheffield as a direct result of drinking alcohol, new data shows.

Per 100,000 people, the rate of deaths directly caused by alcohol misuse has increased year-on-year since 2001 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire and across the UK.

However, the rate in Sheffield is higher than average, with 19.8 deaths per 100,000 directly attributable to alcohol in the city in 2020-22, compared to the English average of 13.8 per 100,000.

Project 6, a harm-reduction and recovery focused service, saw referrals to its recovery centre in Sheffield increase threefold during the first lockdown.

Elise Grehan, deputy director of operations at the service, said: “Just as people were experiencing the negative psychological effect of lockdown, access to support became more difficult as services struggled to provide the same level of support online.”

The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows a spike in deaths during the pandemic. This number has reduced since, but the overall upward trend over the years remains.

Demand for Project 6’s recovery centre, the ARC, has followed the same trend, with the rate of referrals still remaining higher than it was pre-pandemic, particularly of people over 45.

Project 6 says that stigma and funding have contributed to this pattern, and education and prevention strategies are needed to combat alcohol-related deaths.

Ms Grehan added: “People fear judgement from friends, family and colleagues and the shame of admitting there is a problem means many simply never get in touch.

“The drug and alcohol sector has been severely impacted by a decade of austerity and cuts. Although new funding has been made available and is very welcome, it will take time to see the impact of this investment as services continue to recover from underfunding. 

“Comprehensive prevention and education, especially for young people, are the most powerful tools we have in talking about-alcohol related deaths in our communities.

“We need a national alcohol strategy that addresses these issues, a strategy that is designed with communities and without influence from the alcohol industry.”

The ARC supports adults and families to make changes around their use of alcohol and other drugs.

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Alcohol-specific deaths are those which are wholly attributable to health conditions caused by alcohol misuse, such as alcoholic liver disease.

Alcohol-attributable deaths are recorded separately by the ONS. These include deaths caused by conditions made more likely by alcohol, but that could occur without, such as heart disease or some cancers.

If you are worried about your alcohol use and would like to speak to someone, please contact the ARC at [email protected], call 0114 258 7553 or visit https://project6.org.uk/sheffield/.