Older 'Boomer' Scots dying from alcohol at record levels

Meanwhile, Scots aged 65 to 74 now have the highest mortality rate from alcohol of any age group - reversing patterns seen in previous decades when middle-aged drinkers were the most likely to die as a result of alcohol use.

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Phillipa Haxton, head of vital events statistics, said alcohol-specific mortality has been on the rise now for more than a decade. 

She said:  “If we look at the average age at death, that has risen over time.

"The mortality rates for those aged 65 to 74, and 75 and over, were at their highest since we began recording these figures in 1994.

"As the same time for age 25-44 the mortality rate has been fairly stable over the last decade.”

A 'generational shift' in alcohol mortality is underway (Image: NRS)

The figures emerged as NRS statistics found that alcohol deaths in Scotland remain stubbornly high, with 1,277 deaths registered last year as a direct result of excess consumption - up from 1,276 in 2022, and still at the highest levels since 2008.

These include deaths caused by alcoholic liver disease or accidental poisoning, but exclude diseases where alcohol was a contributory factor or fatalities such as road crashes where a driver was intoxicated.

A total of 456 alcohol-specific deaths last year involved people aged 65 and over, compared to 235 in 2013 and 117 in 1994.

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Dr Peter Rice, an addiction psychiatrist who chairs both the Institute of Alcohol Studies and the Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems, an umbrella group of clinicians, said the figures reflect a "cohort effect" from the "older part of the baby boomer generation moving through".

Potentially hazardous drinking patterns among this group - generally considered to have been born some time between 1946 and 1969 - have been exacerbated by the shift towards home drinking, lockdown, and a real terms reduction in the price of alcohol set against the relatively protected incomes of adults in retirement, some of whom benefitted from generous pensions.

Alcohol deaths have been rising since 2012, and are currently the highest since 2008 (Image: NRS)

Dr Rice said: "It's pretty striking to see that graph with the 65-74 year olds overtaking that of the 45-64 year olds.

"It fits with what SHAAP has been trying to do since we were formed in 2006 which was to draw attention to the chronic health harms in older age groups.

"When we started there was so much focus on 'peak alcohol' with ladettes and binge drinking.

"Right from the start we had to emphasise that this is not just about - or even mainly about - young people and public disorder.

"This is about chronic health harms, and liver disease is our best indicator of that, and that comes mainly from home drinking.

"That's the type of drinking we need to be particularly worried about in Scotland. Low cost alcohol in the supermarkets and people drinking that at home and running into chronic health problems.

"The last figures I heard were that 85% of alcohol sales are in off sales in Scotland. It was about 73% before the pandemic.

"We've heard many personal accounts of people drifting into heavier drinking during the pandemic.

"It remains to be seen if those patterns revert back, but that tip in the scales towards off sales and home drinking is likely to be bad for the chronic health problems that we're seeing in the middle-aged and older groups."

A very small proportion of the total alcohol consumed in Scotland is purchased in bars and pubs (Image: PA)

Dr Rice added that amalgamating drug and alcohol services together had made them "less attractive" to some drinkers, especially older Scots.

He said: "We think that's an issue. Public Health Scotland are in the middle of a process to examine that because we've seen sustained falls in the number of people accessing treatment.

"Alcohol services need to be designed to be attractive across all age groups, and the particular risk is that they can be unattractive to older age groups in terms of their location and the profile of the service."

The latest figures come as Scotland prepares to raise the rate of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for the first time since it was implemented in 2018, from 50 pence to 65 pence on September 30.

The policy is estimated to have prevented around 150 alcohol deaths a year, based on modelling how many additional deaths would have occurred had it not been in place.

However, campaigners want to see MUP lifted year-on-year in line with inflation, and are calling for additional measures to reduce alcohol harms - such as crackdowns on marketing, availability, and more support for rehabilitation.

Billy Henderson, service engagement manager at the Abbeycare Group, which runs a specialist residential detox and rehab service in Erskine, said raising the sale price of alcohol "will only have a limited effect".

He added: "There must be a renewed national focus on preventing people from drinking to hazardous levels.

“We would like to see more money put towards harm reduction and treatment services for alcohol, as well as a review of drinks marketing and a wider education programme.”

The rate of MUP will increase on September 30, to 65 pence (Image: PA)

Louise Stewart, director of service delivery at the recovery charity, WithYou, said MUP "could and should work much harder" for public health.

“Currently, the funds raised go to retailers and the alcohol industry itself," said Ms Stewart.

"This revenue could make a real difference if it was instead directed towards improving and increasing the availability of alcohol support services."

Laura Mahon, deputy chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland said a "radical step change" is needed to bring down alcohol deaths.

She said: "Services tell us people are presenting later and with more complex needs.

"By identifying people earlier and offering easier access to support we can prevent problems worsening. Too many people are currently slipping through the net."

Public Health Minister, Jenni Minto, said the Scottish Government "is determined to do all it can to reduce alcohol-related harm and we continue to treat it as an equal priority with drugs as a public health emergency".