Evidence suggesting increasing health damage in Scotland related to alcohol.

General hospitals in Scotland have experienced a steep rise in discharge rates for alcohol-related diagnoses. This cannot fully be explained by changes in drinking in the general population, a cohort of heavy drinkers, changes in diagnostic practice, or the closure of beds in psychiatric hospitals. Moreover, there has been an increase in deaths from alcoholic liver disease, not easily explained by change in diagnostic practice or a putative cohort of polysubstance abusers with viral hepatitis. Changes in society such as greater income disparity and greater social isolation may contribute and have not been off-set by improvements in availability or outcome of treatment.