Alcohol-related deaths in NI soar - to all-time high

This revelation was made today as statistics are published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

The statistics show that 303 of the 16,036 deaths registered in Northern Ireland in 2017 were due to alcohol related causes.

This is almost 30% more than was recorded a decade previously (238) and 70% more than 2001 when the time series began (178).

However, alcohol related deaths continue to account for less than 2% of total deaths registered each year.

As in previous years, the number of alcohol related deaths is higher among males, accounting for 70% (212) of the 2017 total.

The largest number of alcohol related deaths continued to occur in those aged between 45 and 54 years.

The statistics also indicate that there are notably higher numbers of alcohol related deaths in areas of deprivation across Northern Ireland.

People living in the most deprived areas are four times more likely to die from an alcohol related death than those in the least deprived areas.

The alcohol related deaths registered in Northern Ireland statistics can be found at: https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/cause-death/alcohol-and-drug-deaths