Alcohol advertising ban dropped after industry backlash
Public health measures considered for inclusion in the government's ten-year plan for the NHS have been left out after pushback from Treasury and business ministers concerned about the impact on the economy.
Tougher health warnings telling drinkers that alcohol causes cancer are being considered, but there is unlikely to be a blanket requirement for them to be carried on bottles.
Ministers have considered a model in Ireland, where alcohol packaging will soon be required to carry labelling warning of a 'direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers'. The plan is expected to include suggestions for exploring such a policy.
Health officials had originally hoped to include a minimum unit price for alcohol in the plan, importing a Scottish policy that means a pint of beer cannot be sold for less than about £1.50 or a bottle of vodka for less than £20.
However, this was vetoed at an early stage, while alcohol advertising restrictions remained in play. This could have been either a total ban or a 9pm watershed designed to bring alcohol into line with rules being introduced this year for unhealthy food.
The Times understands that alcohol advertising restrictions have now been dropped from the plan to be published on Thursday after public health measures were watered down.
• Restaurants to report diners' calorie counts in obesity drive
The development followed a furious response from the industry, which urged ministers not to add to burdens after a rise in national insurance and the minimum wage.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, told ministers of 'extreme concern' in the industry, criticising advertising restrictions as 'disproportionate, misguided and economically damaging' and warning they could lead to bankruptcies.
She pointed to figures showing under-age drinking at record lows as young people turned away from alcohol. 'The beer and pub sector is not just an economic engine — it is a cornerstone of British culture and sport,' McClarkin said. 'These proposals were not included in the Labour Party's 2024 manifesto and risk being widely perceived as anti-growth and anti-business.'
Health campaigners condemned the retreat on advertising restrictions.
Jem Roberts of the Institute of Alcohol Studies said: 'One of the main goals of the ten-year health plan was to 'shift from treatment to prevention' — yet if reports are accurate, all of the prevention policies for one of the leading causes of death have been stripped out.
'That would be a baffling contradiction at the heart of a plan meant to prioritise prevention.'
He said 'alcohol giants making billions from harm will be rubbing their hands in glee', adding: 'Ministers must now stand up to private corporate profits, protect the most vulnerable and, if alcohol is too 'difficult' for the ten-year plan, commit to a standalone alcohol strategy where all evidence is reviewed and all cards put openly on the table.'
Campaigners have been warning of a rise in alcohol deaths. More than 10,000 people a year die directly from alcohol in the UK and deaths in England are at record highs. Thousands more cancer deaths are thought to be attributable to alcohol. Treatment costs the NHS at least £3.5 billion a year.
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