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Doctors call for higher taxation on alcohol to cut misuse

21/02/2008

Measures must be introduced to increase the cost of alcohol to prevent binge drinking and alcohol-related problems, doctors said today.

A report from the British Medical Association (BMA) outlines a number of steps it wants the government to take, saying previous measures have failed to address the issue.

It claims that recent governments have worked "too closely" with the alcohol industry, pursuing "policies of deregulation and liberalisation regarding alcohol control".

"The government approach has led to increased consumption levels and alcohol-related problems and demonstrates a failure in the political drive to improve public health and order," said the BMA's head of science and ethics, Dr Vivienne Nathanson.

The BMA wants higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and for these to increase in proportion to the amount of alcohol in the product.

It says there should be an end to irresponsible drink promotions and for standard labels on all alcoholic products to clearly show the units and recommended guidelines for consumption.

The doctors' group also wants the legal limit for the level of alcohol permitted while driving to be reduced from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml throughout the UK.

BMA council chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum said: "Our report is making some tough recommendations but if the government is serious about tackling this issue this is what is needed.

"Since 1997, taxes on wine and beer in the UK have only increased in line with inflation while taxes on spirits have not increased at all."

He added: "There is strong and consistent evidence that price increases result in reduced consumption and that increased opening hours are associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. The government needs to act on this evidence."

The report has been welcomed by Alcohol Concern.

Don Shenker, director of policy and services at the agency, said: "Ministers and civil servants are no doubt committed to bringing down alcohol-related harms, but it can sometimes seem from the outside that they're ducking the big choices.

"Moderate, well-targeted tax rises could, by some estimates, reduce alcohol-related deaths by 37 per cent, with younger and heavy drinkers particularly affected."

Public health minister Dawn Primarolo insisted that the government regards tackling the culture of harmful and binge drinking as "a priority".

"I welcome the BMA's useful report," she said.

"I met with them yesterday, where we discussed how we can work together to encourage doctors and in particular GPs to identify harmful drinkers earlier. This has a major effect in reducing harmful drinking and this alone could save tens of thousands of lives."