Put Up the Price of Alcohol to Save Lives, Say Doctors
By Jenny Hope, Sam Fleming
DOCTORS will today call for alcohol to cost more and for further restrictions on its availability to stem the toll of deaths and harm caused by binge-drinking.
The British Medical Association is expected to demand higher taxes on alcohol and curbs on supermarket cutprice deals, happy hours and other promotional offers.
Following a six-month investigation, the association concludes in a report out today: ‘The BMA believes the UK is in the midst of an epidemic and tough action is needed to tackle alcohol misuse which is spiralling out of control.’ It comes after doctors at last year’s annual BMA meeting called for more towns to ban drinking on the streets using existing powers.
The BMA wants a new drive to tackle alcohol misuse, which costs the nation around Pounds 7.3billion in crime and antisocial behaviour.
Statistics show drinking alcohol is a factor in more than half of violent crimes – with a recent spate of assaults and killings blamed by police on binge-drinking.
The BMA’s call was backed last night by leading liver specialist Professor Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians.
He said the Government must raise taxes on alcohol in next month’s budget, ban advertising and reduce its availability, adding: ‘Alcohol is legal and not harmful in moderation but it is a drug and its misuse can be life threatening.
‘The increasing availability and comparatively low cost of alcohol are making it easier for young people to drink heavily, with disastrous consequences for their health.
‘Alcohol cannot be treated simply as another supermarket commodity, with special offers making it a loss-leader and bulk purchases encouraged by two-for-one offers.
‘Putting taxes up in the Budget could make a key difference. It is less of a blunt instrument than it appears because it has the biggest effect on heavy drinkers and under-age drinkers.’ Last week Ken Jones, president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, hit out at the drinks industry for making profits ‘on the back of misery’.
He said they are selling beer ‘cheaper than water’ and marketing alcohol to children while leaving the hospitals and courts to deal with the carnage.
The introduction of 24-hour licensing, which the Government said would lead to a cafe culture, is also blamed for a rising number of alcohol-related incidents dealt with by ambulance crews.
Such emergency calls in London rose by 12 per cent from November 2005, when the law came into force, to November 2007. Professor Gilmore helped produce an influential report four years ago showing that increasing the price of alcohol was the most cost-effective measure for cutting consumption and harm. The report from the Academy of Medical Sciences found a ten per cent rise in cost would lead to eight per cent fewer cirrhosis deaths. It showed drink was cheaper than ever.
The professor said: ‘Voluntary partnerships with industry to tackle the problem are not working. We need stronger measures such as higher taxes, bans on alcohol advertising and making alcohol harder to obtain.’ But Asda supermarket chief Andy Bond said: ‘I don’t see any role at the moment for changing our pricing strategy on alcohol. We do not sell alcohol below cost. This is not a supermarket-only issue.’ David Poley, of the Portman Group, representing the drinks industry, said: ‘Evidence proves raising prices would not deter binge or dependent drinkers.
It would be unpopular with the majority who drink responsibly.
‘Raising tax to prevent children breaking the law is illogical. The police have extensive powers to prevent under-age sales. It’s time they started using them more widely.’ j.hope@dailymail.co.uk
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