Government action needed to reduce harmful drinking say public sector professionals

Published: 05 August 2009

 A survey of over 1,000 teachers, nurses, doctors, police and public health consultants shows the overwhelming majority wants tougher rules on alcohol.

Leading professional health bodies Alcohol Concern, the UK Faculty of Public Health, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Physicians have released today the results of a joint survey on the Government's proposed code of practice for alcohol sales.

The proposed code, detailed in 'Safe Sensible, Social: Selling Alcohol Responsibly', bans drinks promotions that encourage irresponsible drinking and aims to help drinkers make healthy choices.

The survey showed a strong level of support for such a move among public sector workers dealing with the effects of alcohol misuse. It also revealed that the majority of respondents supported a minimum price for alcohol, as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer but not included in the proposed code.

According to the survey:

• 62% think that there should be a minimum price per unit for alcohol to stop deep discounting in supermarkets, off-licences and shops

• 77% believe that price promotions in pubs, bars and clubs that encourage excessive drinking should be banned

• 94% say that customers should always be able to buy alcohol in smaller measures (e.g. 125ml wine, 25ml spirits) if they wish

• 94% believe that information on the total units per drink should always be provided wherever alcohol is sold

• 96% think that all premises selling alcohol should operate a proof of age scheme

Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Don Shenker said:
 
"Doctors, nurses and police officers are ideally placed to suggest effective solutions. They're at the front line, working with people with alcohol problems day in, day out. They've had enough of Government policy that appeases the alcohol industry instead of directly tackling problems. The Government must listen to their recommendations for banning irresponsible promotions, introducing a minimum price and giving customers the right to information to allow them to make healthy choices.

Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians said:

'These findings show that public sector workers overwhelmingly support tough actions to stem the growing tide of alcohol misuse, through banning price promotions, curbing underage sales and allowing consumers to make sensible choices through the provision of clear unit information "

Peter Carter, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Nursing said:

"Alcohol misuse is our national disgrace. Up and down the country nurses see the devastating effect that alcohol plays in blighting the lives of young and old alike. Our message is clear - there must be tighter regulation on the sale, labelling and advertising of alcohol to tackle this growing problem. We need to get the message through to consumers about the dire consequences of drinking to excess. Displaying unit information on all alcoholic drinks would also help to encourage a more responsible attitude to alcohol."

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, President of the Faculty of Public Health said:

"These public sector staff know all too well the true cost of cheap drink and the huge burden it imposes on public services. Government must act on their views to ease the pressure on resources.  If not, the battle is going to get even tougher - and the costs rise even higher."

Chief Constable Mike Craik, Spokesperson on alcohol for the Association of Chief Police Officers said:

"It is now abundantly clear that public sector professionals involved in Health, Criminal Justice and Education are of one voice when it comes to the actions needed to bring about a 'Safe, Sensible and Social' drinking culture in the U.K. Price control and better information are necessary and must be in the best interests of everyone."

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

[1] Alcohol Concern (2009) 'The Price is Right' -  click here & message in bottle: does the public have enough information about what they are drinking.
[2] School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Independent Review of the Effects of Alcohol Pricing and Promotion - click here.
*  Recent research by Alcohol Concern found supermarket cider being sold for as little as 17p per unit.[1] Evidence shows that a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol would lead to over 3,000 fewer deaths per year, 97,900 fewer hospital admissions and 10,300 fewer violent crimes in England per year.[2]
*  The Home Office consultation, 'Safe Sensible, Social: Selling Alcohol Responsibly', will close today, 5 August.
• Click here for the Alcohol Concern, Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Physicians 'Survey on a mandatory code of practice for the drinks industry'.
• Click here to read the Home Office 'Safe, Sensible, Social: Selling Alcohol Responsibly' (closes 5 August 2009).
• Problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption include:
o £8billion to £13billion cost of alcohol-related crime and disorder per year, according to Government research.
o Nearly half of all violent crime occurs between Friday evening and Monday morning according to the British Crime Survey (BCS).
o A fifth of all violent crime occurs in and around licensed premises according to the 2006/2007 BCS.
o Between 2001 and 2998 the BCS has shown violent crime falling but the proportion of alcohol-related violent crime remains static.
o 87,000 violent incidents involving glasses or bottles, according to the BCS 2007/08.
o 70% of weekend A&E attendances between midnight and 5am may be alcohol related.
o 10 million people regularly exceed the daily guidelines recommended by the Government. An significant factor here is poor awareness of the units in alcoholic drinks. In 2007/8 there were 863,257 hospital admissions attributable to alcohol.