Ministers are under pressure to introduce minimum alcohol prices after Lord Darzi’s inquiry into the NHS revealed the “alarming” death toll in England due to cheap booze.
Public health leaders are calling for urgent action this weekend to raise the price of cheap alcohol in supermarkets and liquor stores. A two-litre bottle of cider can be bought in England for less than £2, which equates to 22 cents per unit of alcohol.
Health officials believe a review is all but certain given the report’s findings and the rising death toll, even though the government reportedly ruled out minimum unit pricing soon after winning power.
Greg Fell, chairman of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said England should follow Scotland and Wales in introducing minimum unit prices: “The evidence is crystal clear. It saves lives.”
He added that a comprehensive national alcohol strategy is needed, with a package of measures to reduce hospital admissions and deaths from excessive drinking. “The freeze on alcohol duties cannot continue any longer,” he continued. “It should (rise) in line with inflation.”
According to Darzi’s report, published earlier this month, alcohol-related deaths stabilized after “tough action” was taken. He was referring to the excise escalator, which increased alcohol taxes by 2% above inflation every year between 2008 and 2014.
Darzi wrote: “Alcohol is becoming more affordable over time, and deaths are increasing at an alarming rate. During the pandemic, there was an annual increase of 10.8% between 2019 and 2022.” He said prevention is better than cure and bold action is needed.
The government has previously ruled out introducing minimum unit prices for England, but at the government’s request ObserverA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson did not repeat the earlier denial, but said: “For too long there has been an unwillingness to lead on issues such as smoking, alcohol harm and obesity. As part of our health mission, we focus on prevention. This means prioritizing public health measures to help people live longer, healthier lives, including reducing alcohol-related harm.”
Scotland introduced a minimum unit price in 2018, with an initial minimum of 50p per unit. The minimum price per unit rose to 65 cents on Monday. This makes the minimum price for a 700ml bottle of 40% alcohol whiskey £18.20; a 700ml bottle of wine 13% £6.34; and a liter bottle of 5% alcohol cider £3.25.
A report by the Lancet Last year, the minimum unit price in Scotland was found to be linked to a 13.4% reduction in deaths entirely attributable to alcohol consumption. Public Health Scotland said there is no clear evidence of substantial negative impacts on the alcoholic drinks industry. Wales introduced minimum unit prices in March 2020.
Prof. Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “If you increase the price of alcohol it will reduce the amount consumed. The evidence from Scotland is that it reduces consumption among the heaviest drinkers who suffer the most harm… and reduces deaths.”
The Institute for Alcohol Studies (IAS) estimated this in May the cost of alcohol harm in England is £27.4 billionwith healthcare costs of £4.91 billion. According to the report, alcohol tax revenues generate around £12.5 billion a year, which is dwarfed by the financial cost of the damage caused.
Richard Piper, CEO of the charity Alcohol Change UK, said: “The harm caused by alcohol affects millions of us every day, from low energy and anxiety to high blood pressure and cancer. The minimum unit price is a targeted measure that does not increase the price of all alcoholic drinks.
“It increases the price of the strongest, cheapest drinks – the drinks that do the most damage.” He said the government could also raise billions by reintroducing the alcohol tax escalator.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, which promotes evidence-based policies to reduce the harms of alcohol, said the minimum unit price was not a “magic bullet” but given the number of deaths it was “indispensable” do something about the prices.
“A customs duty escalator and a minimum unit price would be an effective way to do this.”