1 May 2018: In a letter published today by the Daily Telegraph, members and supporters of the Alcohol Health Alliance have said that it is imperative that minimum unit pricing for alcohol is implemented in England, following the roll out of the measure today in Scotland. The text of the letter is as follows:
Sir
Sixty-five people a day die from alcohol related causes in the UK. Hospital admissions linked to alcohol have doubled in 10 years. Almost half of all violent crime is associated with our favourite drug. And over one in three child deaths and serious injuries due to neglect are linked to parental drinking.
Cheap alcohol is at the root of the problem. The real price of alcohol compared to other goods has fallen dramatically over the past 30 years and this has been most pronounced in shops and supermarkets. It is now possible to buy three litres of white cider containing the equivalent of 22 shots of vodka for around £3.50.
The Scottish government recognised the problem and today introduces a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol which significantly increases the price of the very cheapest products consumed by very heavy drinkers and children. Pub prices will be virtually untouched and moderate drinkers will barely notice the difference. More important, MUP will save lives, cut crime, save money and ease the pressure of Scotland’s public services.
Meanwhile, alcohol will continue to be sold at pocket money prices south of the border. We urge the Westminster Government to introduce MUP in England now. MUP would save an estimated 1,148 lives and prevent 74,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions in England in the first 5 years alone.
Yours sincerely
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair, Alcohol Health Alliance UK
Katherine Brown, Chief Executive, Institute for Alcohol Studies
Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, BMA board of science chair
Dr Liam Brennan, President, Royal College of Anaesthetists
Professor David Galloway, President, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Helen Donovan, Professional Lead for Public Health Nursing, Royal College of Nursing
Professor Colin Drummond, Chair of the Addictions Faculty, Royal College of Psychiatrists
Dr Zul Mirza, Royal College of Emergency Medicine
Dr Jonathan Leach and Dr Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Joint Honorary Secretaries of Royal College of GPs Council
Professor Jane Dacre, President, Royal College of Physicians
Alison Cox, Director for Prevention, Cancer Research UK
Professor Matthew Cramp, President, British Association for the Study of the Liver
Shirley Cramer CBE, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health
Lord Nicolas Rea, President, UK Health Forum
Dr Kieran Moriarty, British Society of Gastroenterology
Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive, Alcohol Research UK / Alcohol Concern
Professor John Middleton, President, UK Faculty of Public Health
Catherine Chiang and Dr Jane Bethea, Co-chairs, Alcohol Special Interest Group, Faculty of Public Health
Woody Caan, Professorial Fellow, Royal Society for Public Health
Dr Jennifer Mindell, Faculty of Public Health
Professor Paul Roderick, Faculty of Public Health
Professor Jonathan Shepherd, Cardiff University
Jeremy Swain, Chief Executive, Thames Reach
Lt. Colonel David E Kelly, Secretary for Communications, The Salvation Army
Professor Linda Bauld, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies
Graham Beech, Chief Executive, Action on Addiction
Nicola Close, Chief Executive, Association of Directors of Public Health
Deborah Jenkins, Interim CEO, Blenheim CDP
Judi Rhys, Chief Executive, British Liver Trust
Alison Douglas, Chief Executive, Alcohol Focus Scotland
Dr Andrew Yeoman, Clinical Lead, Wales Liver Plan
Dr Miles Allison, Immediate Past President, Welsh Association for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
Dr Peter Rice, Chair, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP)
Dr. Eric Carlin, Director, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP)
Justina Murray, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs
Katherine Hale, Head of Health Information for World Cancer Research Fund UK
Nicky Saunter, Chief Executive, Transform Drug Policy Foundation
Chris Record, Consultant Hepatologist, Newcastle upon Tyne
Professor Robin Touquet, Emeritus Professor of Emergency Medicine, Imperial College London & St Mary’s Hospital Paddington
Prof Frank Murray MD, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Dublin
Dr Stephen Willott, GP, Clinical Lead for Drug Misuse & Alcohol for NHS Nottingham City
Nigel Bongard and Terry Martin, Trustees, Alcohelp
Megan Harris, Speciality Registrar in Public Health
Dr Ben Rush, Public Health trainee, Nottingham City Council
Scott Crosby, Association of Directors of Public Health, Yorkshire and Humber