The government’s new Men’s Health Strategy for England acknowledges the devastating toll alcohol takes on men – but it contains almost none of the proven population-level measures needed to bring deaths down.
The strategy sets out in stark terms the scale of the crisis. It notes that men are far more likely to experience alcohol problems and to die from alcohol-related causes, with mortality rates 3.6 times higher in the most deprived communities. Alcohol-specific liver disease kills men at double the rate of women, and deaths have risen by over 60% in the last 20 years, reaching record highs. Alcohol is also identified as a major driver of cancer, heart disease, dementia, violent injury, suicide risk, and road traffic deaths among men.
Yet despite recognising alcohol as one of the biggest contributors to men’s poor health, the strategy offers little by way of meaningful prevention. The Strategy commits to investment in a small pilot, with the report stating:
invest an additional £200,000 this year to trial new brief interventions to target the rise in cocaine and alcohol-related CVD deaths, particularly among older men. The pilots will be run in acute hospital alcohol care teams.
Beyond this, the plan contains no commitments on the key evidence-based policies that reduce consumption across a population: pricing measures, marketing restrictions, or controls on availability.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said the Strategy “falls far short of addressing the key drivers of alcohol harm impacting men”.
We need bold, evidence-based action through effective pricing, marketing and availability policies, alongside markedly improved access to alcohol treatment and targeted mental health services. A comprehensive national alcohol strategy that addresses these issues head-on is urgently needed if we are to reduce inequalities, save lives and support men to live longer, healthier lives.