UK alcohol specific deaths at record high

It was one of the predicted impacts of the pandemic – an increase in people turning to alcohol and those already dependent, drinking more.

And today, that is now visible in new statistics, with alcohol-specific deaths rising above 10,000 a year for the first time.

The 2022 data, published by the Office for National Statistics, shows deaths in the UK up a third from 2019, the last pre-Covid year.

Over the last six months Channel 4 News has had access to a rehabilitation centre in South London, meeting those battling to beat alcoholism.