Public Health Scotland (PHS) has published an analysis of the latest available data on alcohol sales and harms in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic. This provides a picture of how the pandemic and its related restrictions may have impacted on alcohol sales, alcohol-related hospital stays and alcohol-specific deaths.
Presenting data on alcohol sales up to 8 May 2021, and previously published data on hospital stays up to 31 March 2021 and deaths up to 31 December 2020, the report shows that while rates of hospital stay related to alcohol fell, rates of alcohol-specific death increased. This was driven by an increase in deaths in men and those aged 45 to 64 years, groups that experienced the highest rates of deaths caused by alcohol prior to the pandemic.
This is despite total alcohol sales (litres of pure alcohol per adult) being 9% lower in 2020 than the 2017-19 annual average, and 16% lower in 2021 (January–May) than the average for January–May 2017-19. While sales of alcohol through supermarkets and shops (off-trade) increased during the pandemic, sales through pubs, clubs and restaurants (on-trade) decreased substantially due to the restrictions imposed because of the pandemic.
This, combined with other evidence of how alcohol consumption may have changed during the pandemic, suggests that drinking at hazardous and harmful levels may have increased for some groups who potentially experienced higher rates of mortality as a consequence.
Lucie Giles, Public Health Intelligence Principal at Public Health Scotland said: “The data show that the number of people accessing hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis fell during the pandemic, particularly at times when restrictions were at their most stringent.
“We saw the greatest reductions amongst men and those aged 45 years and over and it was in these same groups that we saw increases in deaths caused by alcohol. This was despite average alcohol consumption for the population falling, a change driven by a reduction in sales of alcohol through pubs and clubs.
“Despite the reduction in sales overall the data indicate that population level consumption of alcohol was still above recommended levels. Between March 2020 and May 2021, 17 units (171 ml) of pure alcohol have been sold per adult each week on average, 16 (162 ml) of which have been from off-trade premises. This represents enough alcohol to put every adult in Scotland over the Chief Medical Officer’s low-risk weekly drinking guideline of 14 units.
“Taken together, the evidence points to increased drinking amongst some groups, coupled with a reduction in the number of people accessing hospital treatment and greater rates of death caused by alcohol. Tackling alcohol consumption and harms, particularly among high-risk groups, should be a critical objective of any COVID-19 recovery plans.”
Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group – the alcohol social responsibility body and marketing regulator – said: “Public Health Scotland’s latest data reaffirms a body of research that shows overall alcohol consumption fell during 2020.
“Yet in contrast alcohol-related deaths tragically increased which may in part be due to the heaviest drinkers finding it harder to access support. There is a duty of care to now focus on targeted measures for the minority, those who were already drinking at the heaviest and most harmful rates, who then increased their drinking as the impact of the pandemic compounded existing problems.
“Finally, we would be interested to understand why this report focuses on alcohol sales while downplaying the Scottish Government’s own studies on actual alcohol consumption that shows a persistent fall in drinking rates for over a decade.
“With the majority of people in Scotland drinking an average of 12.1 units a week, below the CMO low risk guidelines of 14 units per week, it is important to view drinking rates accurately and address this within policy making.”
Alcohol sales and harm in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic
Read the report: Alcohol sales and harm in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic
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