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Scottish Health Survey 2024 – Positive picture, but devil is in the detail

The Scottish Health Survey 2024 was published on the 21^st October 2025. The publication provides information on the health of people in Scotland, including on our alcohol consumption.

According to the survey, the prevalence of people drinking above the Chief Medical Officer’s low risk drinking guidelines is now at its lowest since records began at 20%.

The survey demonstrates substantial progress on harmful/hazardous drinking, with a 41% relative reduction from 34% of people exceeding the CMO guidelines in 2003.

Alcohol specific deaths decreased by 7% between 2023 to 2024 to their lowest level since 2019, continuing an overall downward trend in mortality.

Whilst on the surface this paints a promising picture of alcohol harm reduction in Scotland, there remains no room for complacency, with the devil being in the detail.

• 1,185 people died an alcohol specific death in 2024 – more than from all other drugs combined, and likely a significant underestimate when alcohol attributable deaths from other illnesses like cancer, heart disease and stroke are added
• 1 in 5 Scots continues to drink at levels which are potentially harmful to their health

• Alcohol remains THE top risk factor for ill-health, disability and death among those aged 15-49 in the UK
• Major gender disparities in alcohol harm persist, with men more than twice as likely to drink at harmful/hazardous levels as women
• Almost 1 in 10 people (8%) reported drinking every day
• Major age disparities also persist, with older people aged 55-64 drinking at higher risk levels than the rest of the population (28%)
• Socioeconomic health inequalities in alcohol harm, and the alcohol harm paradox, remains stubbornly present, with those in the most deprived areas drinking less on average (15%) than those in the least deprived areas (26%) but still experiencing far higher rates of alcohol related illness and death

Whilst the headline reduction in alcohol use is welcome, self-reported data on alcohol consumption can sometimes be misleading, with almost 80% of people in Scotland still unaware of the low risk drinking guidelines (ASH UK 2021)

Scotland remains in the grip of an alcohol health emergency. We need to see urgent action to tackle the unacceptable levels of alcohol harm that continue to affect our country, and which continues to fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable groups.

Earlier this year, alongside more than 70 organisations, AFS set out a roadmap for reducing alcohol deaths and other harm, including calls for expanding early detection of liver disease, Alcohol Care Teams in every acute hospital and increased investment in treatment and support.

The Scottish Government should move with speed to adopt this roadmap.