Time to tackle the affordability of alcohol

NICE have today published guidelines to tackle alcohol misuse.

BMA Cymru have been saying for some time that tough action is needed to tackle this issue. We are pleased that NICE is joining our call for a ban on alcohol advertising and the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol.

Critics of minimum pricing should read the research by Dr Robin Purshouse on alcohol pricing - it makes for interesting reading. He estimates that a minimum price on every unit of 40 pence would result in about 1,000 fewer premature deaths a year, around 40,000 fewer hospital admissions a year, and about 10,000 fewer violent crimes and criminal damage incidents per year. Read his report here.

We are convinced that in order to tackle alcohol misuse a whole raft of measures is required, which include reducing availability, increasing taxes on drinks with the highest alcohol concentration, reducing the drink-driving limit and tackling advertising and minimum pricing.

We are not opposed to people drinking alcohol in moderation - what we want is to help people avoid using alcohol at levels which endanger their lives and those of others.

A few weeks ago we held a seminar on tackling alcohol abuse: an integrated approach forward. Watch it here.

What do you think about the recommendations from NICE?

Alcohol Abuse: An Integrated Approach Forward

Last week we brought together leading UK experts to speak at our seminar on alcohol abuse, and to debate an integrated approach forward in tackling Wales' growing drink problem.

Speakers included: myself; Dr Zul Mirza, President of the Emergency Medicine Section, Royal Society of Medicine; Simon O’Brien, Deputy Inspector of policing for Ireland; Professor Eileen Kaner, Chair, Alcohol Programme Development Group NICE; Wynford Ellis Owen, Chief Executive of The Welsh Council on Alcohol and other Drugs; Andy Tighe, Director, Brewing, Beer and the Pub Association.

You can watch the seminar here.

We know that Health Minister Edwina Hart would like to see action on alcohol pricing from her statement in Plenary last month, and we are urging the Minister to act sooner rather than later in seeking further powers to tackle alcohol abuse, to help improve the health of the people of Wales.

Recent years have seen an increase in the levels of alcohol misuse in Wales, and in particular the pattern of binge drinking and heavy drinking.

Alcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of medical conditions and is a significant cause of morbidity and premature death. It contributes to a range of acute and chronic health consequences, from alcohol poisoning and injuries resulting from traffic crashes to cancer and cardiovascular disease. The more an individual consumes, the greater the risk of harm.

Alcohol misuse is associated with crime, violence and anti-social behaviour, and can impact significantly on family and community life.

Below are our recommendations to tackle alcohol abuse which we intend to send to the Health Minister:

• Taxation on all alcoholic beverages should be increased at higher than inflation rates and this increase should be proportionate to the amount of alcohol in the product.

• Legislation should be introduced to:
-prohibit irresponsible promotional activities in licensed premises and by off-licenses
- set minimum price levels for the sale of alcoholic beverages

• It should be a legal requirement for alcohol labeling to include the following information:
- alcohol content in units
- recommended daily UK guidelines for alcohol consumption
- a warning message advising that exceeding these guidelines may cause the individual and others harm

• Licensing legislation should be strictly enforced, including the use of penalties for breach of license, suspension or removal of licenses, the use of test purchases to monitor underage sales, and restrictions on individuals with a history of alcohol-related crime or disorder. There should be adequate funding for enforcement agencies, with consideration given to the establishment of a dedicated alcohol licensing and inspection service.

• A statutory code of practice on the marketing of alcoholic beverages should be introduced and rigorously enforced. This should include a ban on:
-marketing of alcoholic soft drinks to young people
-alcohol industry sponsorship of sporting, music and other entertainment events aimed mainly at young people
-broadcasting of alcohol advertising at any time that is likely to be viewed by young people

• The legal limit for the level of alcohol permitted while driving should be reduced from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml throughout the UK.

• Public and school-based alcohol educational programmes should only be used as part of a wider alcohol-related harm reduction strategy to support policies that have been shown to be effective at altering drinking behaviour, to raise awareness of the adverse effects of alcohol misuse, and to promote public support for comprehensive alcohol control measures.

• The detection and management of alcohol misuse should be an adequately funded and resourced component of primary and secondary care to include:
- formal screening for alcohol misuse
- referral for brief interventions and specialist alcohol treatment services as appropriate
- follow-up care and assessment at regular intervals

Alcohol Pricing

This afternoon in Plenary Health Minister Edwina Hart AM set out the Welsh Assembly Government’s position on alcohol pricing.

I’m pleased that the Welsh Assembly Government are taking the issue of alcohol abuse seriously.

In recent years, the affordability of alcohol in the UK has been increasing, and this has played a significant role in the rise in alcohol consumption.

There is strong and consistent evidence that alcohol consumption and rates of alcohol-related problems are responsive to price.

It is clear that the relationship between the affordability of alcohol and the level of consumption provides an effective tool for controlling levels of consumption and reducing levels of alcohol related harm.

We believe it is essential that there is an increase in the level of excise paid on alcohol in the UK, and this should be relative to the number of units of alcohol. This increased taxation would not only reduce alcohol consumption and its related harms, but would also contribute to providing the necessary funding to meet the social and economic costs of these harms like police enforcement measures, healthcare service costs and treatment services.

We at BMA Cymru urge the Minister to act sooner rather than later in seeking further powers to tackle alcohol abuse, to help improve the health of the people of Wales.