Measures to curb binge-drinking ‘insufficient’

THE British government unveiled minimum prices for alcohol yesterday in a bid to curb binge-drinking and booze-related violence, but health campaigners immediately condemned the measures as insufficient.

Retailers will be banned from selling alcohol below the cost of duty plus sales tax, meaning a can of lager must cost at least 38 pence and a litre bottle of vodka at least £10.71 (€12.70).

“By introducing this new proposal we are sending a clear message that the government will not stand by and let drink be sold so cheaply that it leads to a greater risk of health harms or drunken violence,” said Home Office minister James Brokenshire in a statement.

Health campaigners claimed the measures have been watered down since they were first proposed and will do little to stop shops selling booze at rock bottom prices, one of the factors blamed for heavy drinking.

“It’ll have no impact whatsoever on the vast majority of cheap drinks sold for example in supermarkets,” health campaigner and liver disease specialist Professor Ian Gilmore told the BBC. But he conceded: “If it shows the government accepts that cheap drink is the main driver of the health harm we’re seeing then perhaps we’ll manage to ease it up in the right direction where it might make a practical difference.”

Don Shenker, chief executive of charity Alcohol Concern, also warned the measures “will not go any way towards resolving this country’s binge drinking problem”, saying that alcohol taxes remained too low.

In 2007, there were 6,541 deaths directly related to alcohol in England — an increase of 19% since 2001 — and alcohol-related harm cost the National Health Service £2.7bn in 2006-07, official figures show.