7 March 2018: Responding to the publication of Our Invisible Addicts, a new report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists which highlights the fact that problems with alcohol are increasing among older people, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK (AHA), said:
‘These trends are very concerning. Baby boomers have seen huge increases in the affordability of alcohol over their lifetimes, and the availability of cheap alcohol in supermarkets and shops has led to increased levels of drinking at home, which has helped keep this problem hidden from view.
‘Clinical services need to focus on the needs of these people. We also need measures such as minimum unit pricing, which raise the price of the cheapest alcohol found in supermarkets and off-licences. Raising the price of these drinks would reduce levels of consumption amongst those experiencing the worst alcohol harms, and it would likely lower the amount of alcohol consumed at home, as it would narrow the gap in prices between off-trade and on-trade prices.’