RCN comment on the Prime Minister's statement on alcohol abuse

Published: 15 February 2012

Commenting on the Prime Minister’s scheduled announcement about how the Government plans to tackle harmful drinking, Tom Sandford, Director of the Royal College of Nursing in England, said:

“The RCN welcomes the announcement by the Prime Minister today to do more to tackle the nation’s disastrous relationship with alcohol. Frontline nurses see all too often the effects of alcohol abuse and the damage it can cause. It isn’t just confined to A&E on a Saturday night. It can affect families and even whole communities through domestic violence, increased crime and chronic health conditions. With NHS finances so tight at this time, it is vital that we address the spiralling cost of alcohol misuse.

“The Government can no longer afford to simply ‘nudge’ those people who consistently drink at dangerous and harmful levels, so we are glad to see the Prime Minister acknowledge the scale of the problem. The RCN has been calling for minimum pricing for some time as we genuinely believe that ‘pocket money prices’ along with deep discounting play a significant role in increasing the levels of alcohol consumption in some groups.  Robust regulation on the sale of alcohol, along with sensible minimum pricing, is now desperately needed in order to meaningfully reduce the health damage caused by harmful drinking.

“We look forward to seeing the Government’s alcohol strategy later in the year and hope that it will set out some solid practical measures aimed at tackling this serious issue.”

Notes for Editors

1. For further information, please contact the RCN Media Office on 020 7647 3633, press.office@rcn.org.uk or visit  http://www.rcn.org.uk/newsevents/media

2. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organizations.