Deaths directly caused by alcohol soared by 20 per cent during the first year of the Covid pandemic, Government figures revealed today.
Public Health England chiefs say the endless cycle of lockdowns swayed people into binge-drinking at home.
Data shows there were 6,893 deaths blamed on alcohol in 2020, compared to 5,819 in 2019 before the virus reached Britain.
The North East was hit hardest, with fatalities spiking by almost 80 per cent.
Drinking too much alcohol can kill by causing liver damage, as well as cancer.
Deaths caused by alcohol have been increasing for a decade but ministers called the jump during the pandemic ‘deeply concerning’.
They pledged to increase treatment options for alcohol dependence, with £3.3billion in place for public health services over the next year.
But Labour hit out at No10 for slashing addiction services and ‘doing nothing to give people who need help with addiction the support they need’.
Charities urged No10 to address mounting alcohol abuse following the pandemic to prevent a ‘liver disease epidemic’ after ‘Freedom Day’ on Monday.
