Revealed: Huge increase in women drinking themselves to death

The number of women dying from alcohol-related illnesses has soared in recent years, new figures show, and experts blame the rise on brands deliberately targeting their marketing at women.

The latest data reveals that the number of women who lost their lives in this way in the UK increased by 37 per cent in five years, rising from 2,399 to 3,293 between 2016 and 2021 and marking the highest levels since records began. .

While more men than women still die from alcohol-related illnesses, figures from the Office for National Statistics show that deaths are rising substantially faster for women than men, with the latter recording 28 per cent in the same period: from 4,928 to 6,348.

Professor Debbie Shawcross, professor of hepatology and chronic liver failure at the Institute of Liver Studies at King's College London, said liver disease was a particular problem in female patients.

“Women tend to develop more severe liver disease, particularly alcohol-related hepatitis, and do so after a shorter period of heavy drinking and with a lower daily alcohol intake than men,” he said. “This may be explained by differences in body size and composition: less muscle mass.”

Richard Piper, chief executive of the charity Alcohol Change, said the main factor causing the rise is the “relentless marketing of drinks aimed at women”, and called for stricter regulation of alcohol advertising.

Abigail Wilson, of WithYou, a drug, alcohol and mental health charity, described the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease as “very worrying” as she argued that alcohol was as harmful as heroin and crack. “In general, women are less likely than men to die from alcohol-related causes. “There is always a gap there, but it is closing, and that is really worrying.”

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Roxanne Knighton, who lives in Staffordshire, said The independent from the pain of losing his mother Melanie to alcohol-related liver disease in March 2022. She was diagnosed with the disease in her forties.

“All the first memories were of mom drinking,” the 34-year-old recalled. “She was dependent on alcohol, that made her tick.”

Knighton said her mother never went to the doctor and denied her alcohol use. So Mrs. Knighton made the decision.

“I was the one who called the doctors because she couldn't get off the couch; she was full of fluid,” she added. “It had gotten into her belly, they had to drain it, they took 12 liters out of it.

“I was taking care of her every day. Four years passed until she died. It still hurts. Not only did I lose it, but I lost it first because of alcohol. You lose them twice.”

Expressing concern about the “feminisation” of alcohol marketing, Dr Piper highlighted annual reports from major alcohol brands revealing they deliberately target women.

“This is causing deaths,” he said. “The second reason would be price: alcohol is more affordable now than at any time in the last 20 years, so people drink more.”

He called on ministers to introduce stricter rules on the marketing of alcohol and set minimum unit prices for alcohol to make drinks with higher alcohol content more expensive.

Other advocates have warned that it is harder for women to get support for alcohol abuse because services are often aimed at men. Women typically do most of the childcare, which means they physically can't find the time, they say.

Helena Conibear, chief executive of the Alcohol Education Trust, attributed the rise in women dying from alcohol-related liver disease to a significant rise in binge drinking in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Meanwhile, Professor Shawcross argued that women struggling with alcoholism endure greater “cultural stigma” than their male counterparts, which can deter women from seeking help.

Alcohol-related liver disease often has no symptoms for many years, he added, while women also have lower levels of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol.

Vanessa Hebditch, of the British Liver Trust, said: “As alcohol becomes increasingly accessible and affordable, as well as becoming more ingrained in our culture, more women are drinking at levels that put their health at risk.”

Siobhan Herbert, project manager, said The independent He started drinking a bottle of wine a night (and sometimes two bottles on weekend nights) about 20 years ago.

“When I went out, I drank less,” adds the 52-year-old. “I was a bit of a closet drinker. At home, there would be no one around to witness me being picked on. My mother was an alcoholic, she was exactly the same. You would have thought that growing up and seeing all that during my teenage years would stop you, but it is very addictive.”

Herbert said she finally stopped drinking in June 2022 because she was fed up with the impact alcohol was having on her physical and mental health.

He added: “I didn't put Baileys in my cornflakes, but I felt terrible every day. I felt tired and anxious.

“Now I am a completely new woman. I feel alive. I have more energy. I'm smarter. I don't have anxiety. My depression disappeared and all the problems I blamed on menopause have improved enormously.”

Sandra Parker, a self-proclaimed “classic binge drinker,” said she struggled to know how much alcohol she had consumed because of her blackout and would sometimes stay in bed for two days afterwards.

The 54-year-old, who quit drinking in 2018, now coaches women to help them quit or reduce their alcohol consumption, and describes her clients as successful, middle-class professional women who secretly drink unhealthy amounts of wine at home.

“They may have just one drink when they go out with people at work, or they may not even drink at all, but they come home and have a bottle of wine,” he added. “They've learned that when they have a drink, they feel less stressed and it becomes a dependency where they really crave that feeling every night.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said. “Alcohol abuse can ruin lives and destroy families, which is why we are acting to support those most at risk.

“We have published a ten-year plan to tackle drug and alcohol harm and are investing an additional £532 million between 2022 and 2025 to create places for 50,000 people in drug and alcohol treatment services. We are also funding specialist alcohol care teams in one in four hospitals in England, based on those with the greatest need.

“Our 10-year women's health strategy sets out our plan to improve care and support for women.”