| The figures, requested by Dundee MSP Marlyn Glen from Scottish Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald, show alcohol-related deaths more than doubled between 1997 and 2004, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
In Dundee, deaths rose from 24 in 1997 to 60 in 2004, with the Tayside statistics for the same years 51 and 118.
Ms Glen said, “These figures are disturbing and worrying.
“They are local examples of the effects of Scotland’s traditional heavy drinking culture which leads to increased disease, financial hardship, personal breakdown and family break-up.
“This is why the Executive is promoting sensible drinking through new Licensing Act against the folly of binge drinking.”
Also contained in the statistics is a comparison between alcohol and drug-related deaths.
In 2004, there were 23 drug-related deaths, 11 of which were in Dundee, in each case less than one fifth the number of alcohol-related deaths.
This represents a fall in the number of drug-related deaths since 1997 when 30 were recorded in Tayside, 22 of them in Dundee.
Ms Glen had requested that Mr Macdonald provide her with the alcohol-related statistics, and the deputy health minister said, “There is no definite methodology of counting alcohol-related deaths.
“However, on the basis of a limited selection of alcohol-related causes of death only, the number of alcohol-related deaths in Tayside in 2004 was 118 in total, 60 of which were in Dundee.
“The number of users of dedicated alcohol services in Tayside in 2004-5 was 1701, 589 of which were in Dundee.
“In addition, there is a dedicated alcohol service, the Tayside Alcohol Problem Service that offers services across Tayside. In 2004-5, 600 of its users were in Dundee.
“The number of users of combined drug and alcohol services in Tayside in 2004-5 was 1443, 263 of which were in Dundee (excluding clients from the Arrest Referral Scheme).
“There may, however, be some duplication in these figures with regards to users who have attended dedicated alcohol services.”
He added that the mortality rates per 100,000 of population for alcohol-related diseases in Scotland as a whole had also increased and was 25.9 in 2004, compared to 1996, where the corresponding figure was 15.2.
Through a variety of programmes, the Executive is tackling the misuses of drugs that can blight individuals, families and communities.
Mr Macdonald concluded, “While greater publicity is given to the menace of drugs among younger age groups, the age-old problem of alcohol abuse remains.” |
