The number of alcohol-related deaths in Stirling last year reached their highest level since 2008.
The latest data released from Public Health Scotland revealed that a total of 21 deaths related to alcohol were reported in 2020, which represents an increase of five from the same figure in 2019.
It’s also the first time that more than 20 fatalities due to alcohol have been reported in the city for 12 years, when the figure sat at 23.
Stirling’s trend fits into a wider increase seen in the numbers passing away due to drink across Scotland, with 1190 alcohol-related deaths reported across the country in 2020 - a huge year-on-year rise of 17 per cent.
Across Forth Valley as a whole, that startling trend is also seen, with 70 alcohol-related deaths seen in the health board area for the first time since the statistics were first compiled in 1979.
In 2019, Forth Valley only reported 53 deaths related to alcohol - with only 40 recorded in 2017.
Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at the National Records of Scotland, said: “NRS figures released today show a marked increase in the number of deaths due to alcohol, reversing the fall seen in 2019.
“Monthly analysis shows that alcohol-specific deaths were higher than average in 10 months of 2020. From August to November deaths were similar to or substantially higher than the highest numbers seen during these months over the last five years.
“Suicide deaths decreased slightly on the 2019 level. Monthly figures show that suicide deaths between June and September of 2020 were consistently above the highest numbers seen in these months over the last 5 years.
“These statistics provide important analysis of deaths related to alcohol, from suicide and from other causes during the first nine months of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
