Record number of alcohol-related deaths in NI in 2020

Sara O'Kane reports.

A record number of alcohol-related deaths were recorded for Northern Ireland in 2020.

Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency showed a total of 351 deaths registered in the year.

Of these 233 were male and 118 were female.

The total was up from 336 the previous year, and was up by a third when compared to 2010, ten years ago.

Alex Bunting from Inspire says it will take time to see "the true effects of the pandemic" on alcohol usage.

"No doubt, anecdotally in our services, we see it all the time," he told UTV.

"Levels of home usage and alcohol drinking stemming from life changes through the pandemic, working from home and people just being conditioned to drinking to deal with some of the issues they have."