THE number of people in Scotland starting alcohol treatment has fallen by 40% in the past decade, new figures show.
In response to a parliamentary question from Conservative MSP Miles Briggs, drugs minister Elena Whitham revealed figures on alcohol treatment in recent years.
In 2013-14, 32,556 people started treatment, compared to 19,617 in 2021-22, the most recent year.
The figures coincide with increases in the number of alcohol-specific deaths, with 968 registered in 2012 compared to 1245 in 2021-22 – the highest number since 2008 according to the National Records of Scotland.
Laura Mahon, deputy chief executive of charity Alcohol Focus Scotland, described the figures as “shocking and deeply concerning”.
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She added: “Alcohol harm has remained high in Scotland over this time period, so this is not a question of whether people’s need for support has reduced, but rather that they are finding it more difficult to access the support they need.
“This drop in treatment coincides with a period when budgets for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships were cut.
“At the time, many of us feared that those cuts would affect service provision and it now appears that is the case. The fact that this drop in support is only now coming to light is also of real concern.
“The Scottish Government urgently needs to invest in alcohol treatment – as they have in drug services – and to monitor provision to ensure these vital services are maintained.
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“But we can’t treat our way out of the alcohol emergency – we must also prevent problems developing in the first place – which is why we also need to renew and uprate minimum unit price to at least 65p per unit, as well as restrict alcohol marketing.”
Dr Carey Lunan, chair of the Scottish Deep End Project which is comprised of GPs working in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas, said alcohol harm is at a “crisis level in Scotland”.
She added: “Each week 700 people are hospitalised and 24 die as a result of alcohol, and the numbers of people whose lives are dominated by alcohol-related suffering is even greater.
“That suffering is experienced most in our most deprived communities, those served by Deep End GPs.
“It is vitally important for people’s recovery that they receive support as early as possible to avert more chronic problems developing, but there has been a significant reduction in the support available to people.
“It is essential that investment in specialist services is prioritised to ensure that they are supported earlier and to relieve future demand on our NHS.
“This must be accompanied by preventative action on low prices and aggressive marketing which encourage and normalise high levels of alcohol consumption.”
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