Wes Streeting warned alcohol measures ‘are not sufficient' to stop harm
The Government recently set out plans to improve the health of people in England over the next decade.
But in a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, shared with the PA news agency, experts said that the public 'want and deserve' more action to tackle the harms.
'As experts from across alcohol policy, health and treatment, we urge you to revisit the current approach to tackling alcohol harm and commit to an ambitious, evidence-based strategy that reflects the scale of the current crisis,' the letter states.
'The 10-Year health plan for England offered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shift gear and deliver genuine preventative action that would reverse the rising rates of alcohol-related hospitalisations and deaths we have seen in recent years.
'While the introduction of mandatory alcohol labelling and increased support for community-led schemes is welcome, these measures alone are not sufficient to address the scale and complexity of harm.'
The letter has been signed by 34 health leaders from leading health organisations including the Alcohol Health Alliance; the Royal College of Physicians; the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
The 10 Year Health Plan for England, which was published last month, sets out plans to tackle harmful drinking through alcohol labelling, which will include health warning messages.
The document also sets out proposed changes to no and low (NoLo) alcohol products and pledged support for community-led schemes to reduce alcohol harm.
Before the 10 Year Plan was released there was speculation over whether the plan would include a ban on alcohol advertising.
It was also reported that ministers were exploring the possibility of minimum unit pricing (MUP), a policy which sets the lowest price an alcoholic drink can be sold for.
In the new letter, experts have called for a series of measures to tackle alcohol harms, including:
– A call for the introduction of MUP in England, as seen in Scotland and Wales.
Minimum unit pricing for alcohol was associated with a 13% decrease in deaths from alcohol consumption in Scotland, according to a new study.
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– Giving local authorities the power to regulate hours of sale and online deliveries of alcohol.
– For advertising regulations for alcohol to be 'aligned' with those for foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
– A change to alcohol tax, linking duties to inflation and ending 'cider exceptionalism'.
– More funding and support for local alcohol care teams.
The group stresses that 'alcohol is not just the problem of a few'.
It points out that every year alcohol contributes to more than a million hospital admissions.
And the experts said that across the UK, 30% of the adult population engage in 'risky drinking', and almost one in 25 of all new cancers are estimated to be linked to alcohol.
The 10 Year Plan states: 'While many people enjoy a drink in moderation, 4% of people drink as much as 30% of alcohol consumed each year.'
But it adds that the estimated total 'societal cost' of alcohol harm in England was £27.4 billion per year in 2021/22.
The authors conclude: 'The public want and deserve action, and we stand ready to work with Government to deliver real progress.
'By taking meaningful and co-ordinated action now, the burden of alcohol harm can fall significantly within the term of this Government, with visible results for families, the NHS, crime, and the economy.'
The Department of Health and Social Care said it will continue to consider the most effective interventions to reduce alcohol harms.
A spokesperson said: 'As we shift from sickness to prevention through our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it mandatory for alcoholic drinks to display health warnings and nutritional information.
'To improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support in England, the Government has also provided an additional £310 million in 2025/26, on top of the public health grant.'
A spokesperson for the Portman Group said: 'Whilst overall alcohol consumption and harms such as binge drinking, underage drinking and anti-social behaviour continue to fall, and the vast majority of people drink within the chief medical officer's low-risk guidance or not at all, we share concerns around rising deaths and those who continue to drink to harmful levels.
'We support further targeted and tailored measures aimed at this group to manage the complex, often interrelated issues underlying harmful consumption and back calls for the further rollout of alcohol care teams and greater integration of care pathways.
'As the alcohol industry regulatory body for marketing, we welcome the chance to work constructively with the Government on the proposals within its 10 year plan to help more consumers make an informed choice and drink moderately.'
– Other signatories on the letter include representatives from: the Institute of Alcohol Studies; Alcohol Change UK; the Royal College of Surgeons of England; the Royal Society for Public Health; the British Society of Gastroenterology; World Cancer Research Fund; the Association of Anaesthetists; the Association of Directors of Public Health; the British Association for the Study of the Liver; the Medical Council on Alcohol and the British Medical Association.
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