Office for National Statistics figures show 12 people died in Gwynedd in 2022 due to health conditions as a direct consequence of alcohol misuse in Gwynedd.

This is up from nine deaths in 2021 and in 2019, before the pandemic.

Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK, said: "Each one of those deaths is a tragedy, representing a person who has had their life cut short and has left behind people who are grieving and miss them every day.

"Years of inaction on alcohol harm has led to this, and the heart-breaking thing is these deaths were totally avoidable.

"Our Government has the responsibility and the power to put preventative measures in place, including proper regulation of alcohol marketing, clearer alcohol labelling, and a minimum price for a unit of alcohol."

Between 2012 and 2019, deaths specifically attributed to alcohol were "stable", the ONS said.

ONS health statistician David Mais added: "Alcohol-specific deaths rose sharply with the onset of the pandemic, and today's results show a continuation of that trend, with deaths around a third higher than in 2019."

He said research suggests people already drinking at high levels before the pandemic were most likely to have increased their drinking during this period.