The number of men dying from alcohol-related illness has doubled in 16 years, while rates among women have risen more slowly.

The overall number of deaths related to drinking has started to decline after years of steady increases, the Office of National Statistics said.

There were 8,724 alcohol-related deaths in 2007 - equivalent to 13.3 fatalities per 100,000 people - a decrease from 13.4 the previous year. However the rate is still nearly double that recorded in 1991, and Britain is now above the European average for liver disease.

An ONS survey released last week showed that heavy drinking among men has fallen slightly since the late 1990s but they still consume twice as much as women - 18.7 units a week, compared with 9 units. Recommended limits suggest that men should not exceed three to four units a day and women two to three.

The 5,732 alcohol-related deaths in men and 2,992 in women mean that the average death rate for men has risen from 9.1 deaths per 100,000 people in 1991 to 18.1 per 100,000 in 2007. The female rate has risen from 5 per 100,000 to 8.7 per 100,000.

Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, said: “A doubling of alcohol-related deaths in the span of 16 years is a stark reminder of the toll of alcohol misuse on the nation's health as well as on the fabric of our communities.

“It is also notable that male death rates not only have doubled, but remain substantially higher than those of women, suggesting more work needs to be done to reinforce the message among young men that they may pay a fatal price for drinking so heavily in their twenties and thirties.

“The Policing and Crime Bill going through Parliament gives Government an excellent opportunity to redress past omissions and amend the Licensing Act 2003 so that the protection of public health is given equal weight to the other objectives around crime and disorder.”

Alison Rogers, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust said: “We welcome the slight dip in deaths from last year's figures, but we are worried that rates of excessive drinking are still on the increase. As a result, we can expect more deaths in the future, given that liver disease can take 10 years to develop.”

Explore Health

• Expert Advice

• Health Features

• Mental Health

• Alternative Medicine

• Child Health

• Health Club