From 2009/10 to 2018/19 the percentage of alcohol related hospital stays under NHS Ayrshire and Arran (NHS A&A) declined by 29.35%, from 4,284 to 3,027 compared to an 11.5% decrease across Scotland.
Whereas Scotland saw 1,316 alcohol related deaths in 2009 (93 in NHS A&A), this had decreased to 1,136 last year (79 in NHS A&A).
New analysis released this week shows the number of alcohol related emergency hospital admissions has fallen by almost 6,500 under the SNP.
The latest figures from the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe), point to a 16% drop in emergency hospital admissions since 2007, with the number of emergency admissions to psychiatric units dropping by 37% during the same period.
Last month, research from the NHS found that the volume of pure alcohol sold per person had dropped in Scotland since the introduction of minimum unit pricing, while it increased in England and Wales over the same period.
Data presented to the British Association for the Study of Liver suggests that alcohol-related deaths in Glasgow have fallen by over a fifth since the policy was introduced in May 2018.
Kenneth Gibson MSP commented:
“The SNP’s approach to tackling alcohol abuse in Scotland is working and minimum pricing is already saving people’s lives.
“In 2018, Scotland became the first country in the world to introduce minimum unit pricing and since then we’ve seen the sale of super-strength cider drop by nearly a fifth.
“We’ve also banned the irresponsible sale of multi-buy promotions and cracked down on drink driving. We’re moving in the right direction but there’s so much work still to do.
“The SNP Government will keep working hard to tackle alcohol misuse, ensuring we keep making progress. It’s now time for Westminster to catch up to ensure more lives are saved across the UK.”
ENDS
