THE number of people boozing themselves to death in Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire has dropped dramatically over the past decade.

Figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show that, in 2006, alcohol led to the deaths of 68 people in Renfrewshire but this figure plummeted to 45 last year - down by one-third.

And there has been a similar success story in East Renfrewshire, where 22 alcohol-related deaths were recorded a decade ago, compared to 16 in 2016. This represents a drop of 27 per cent.

Renfrewshire has also bucked the national trend over the past six years, with an eight per cent drop in the number of alcohol-related deaths compared to a 10 per cent rise in Scotland as a whole.

There were a total of 1,265 deaths in Scotland due to alcohol in 2016. This was the highest total since 2010, when 1,318 deaths were recorded.

Bosses at the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) describe the local figures as “very encouraging.”

A spokesperson said: “These figures are to be welcomed and indicate the work we are doing with our partner agencies is making a positive difference to lives.

“Addressing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol is a priority for the HSCP and, while the misuse of alcohol continues to have a serious effect on lives, our aim is to see further progress made over the coming years.

“We are focused on tackling over-consumption of alcohol, as well as delivering prevention and early intervention for those at risk of misusing alcohol.

“Renfrewshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership continues to exceed the local improvement target to ensure all individuals wait no longer than three weeks from referral to receiving treatment.

“We aim to build on the progress already made by continuing the concerted efforts of local services and agencies and by enabling individuals and families to make healthy choices.”