According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of Britons dying of alcohol related causes has declined after years of increase though the rates are still more than twice those of 1991.

Alison Rogers, Chief Executive of the British Liver Trust said, "The death toll from alcohol remains unacceptably high, and twice as many people are dying from alcohol as
15 years ago."

"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."

There were 8,724 alcohol related deaths in 2007 in the U. K. or 13.3 per 100,000 people with the death rate highest among older men aged 55 to 74.

Younger drinkers in the age group of 15-34 saw the lowest death rates despite registering an increase between 2006 and 2007 from 2.4 per 100,000 to 2.6. In a gender wise break up 2007 saw 5,732 alcohol related deaths in men and 2,002 in women with the male level almost double of what was recorded in 1991.

These figures showed a decrease from the previous year which the ONS said could suggest that the death rates were leveling out after the sharp rise that was seen during the early 1990’s. The largest decrease was seen in the age group of 35-54 which saw a drop from 31.1 per 100,000 to 30.2.

Professor Martin Plant, a specialist in alcohol addiction at the University of the West of England said,

"The UK still has a very serious alcohol problem, and it is still not being properly addressed.

"Governments of various political persuasions have been very reluctant to listen to medical and scientific advice not to waste money on media campaigns that are frankly unlikely to change drinking behaviours, but to use taxation to reduce alcohol consumption."

A separate study by the ONS found that more than a third of Britons regularly exceeded the government's recommended daily alcohol limit and more men than women exceeded the limit. This was more likely in those living in "managerial or professional" households as compared to those in "routine and manual" households.

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 20s and 30s. While individual responsibility is vital, government can and should do more."

The Department of Health said campaigns to make people more aware of the dangers of excessive drinking are beginning to have an effect.