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Govt's alcohol plan 'failing'

13/11/2007

Dangerous levels of alcohol consumption are not being effectively tackled by the government, a wide-ranging report claims today.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCB) has outlined a number of areas in the government's alcohol strategy that need improving as part of its report into the country's public health ethics.

This study claims that the Department of Health (DoH) could be doing more to help people live healthy lives.

Alcohol consumption is one of the main areas under the spotlight, with the NCB calling for the government to increase tax on alcohol and to restrict the hours of sale.

It claims that the government's alcohol strategy has so far focused too heavily on public information campaigns and voluntary labelling schemes - both of which the NCB believe to have been ineffective.

"People often reject the idea of a 'nanny state'," said Lord Krebs, who chaired the committee that produced the report.

"But the government has a duty to look after the health of everyone and sometimes that means guiding or restricting our choices."

The drinks industry is also targeted by the NCB report as not taking enough responsibility to reduce excessive consumption. The study says producers, advertisers and sellers of alcohol should not understate the risks of drinking and exploit its desirability - particularly in ways that appeal to young people.

Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said he welcomed the report's emphasis on the need to change alcohol strategy.

"The RCP is pleased that their recommendations on alcohol issues emphasise an evidence-based approach," he added.

"We agree that the conclusions in the WHO [World Health Organisation] document Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity on price, marketing and availability of alcohol are the way forward to counteract the health damage from alcohol misuse.

"Their call to examine the impact of 24-hour licensing on consumption as well as anti-social behaviour is particularly welcome, as this is most likely to impact on the health of the nation in the long-term."

In response health minister Dawn Primarolo said the government has introduced a number of measures to promote sensible drinking, including an independent review of alcohol pricing.


"The government has also cut alcohol violence and disorder with the introduction of tough new measures to help the police and local authorities tackle alcohol related anti-social behaviour and to shut down problem premises," she added.

"Only around one per cent of all premises have licences for 24 hour sales to the public, and as the prime minister set out in the summer, the impact of these new licensing laws is being kept under review and we will look at any new evidence."