N Ireland: alcohol deaths highest in 20 years

397 people lost their lives due to alcohol in 2024, according to data released yesterday by the NI Statistics and Research Agency. This accounted for 2.2% of all registered deaths that year. The figures show a 81.3% rise in alcohol-specific deaths in the decade from 2014, when 219 lost their lives. The British Medical Association described the alcohol death figures as “alarming”.