16 November 2017: AHA members have signed a joint letter published in the Daily Telegraph today welcoming the unanimous judgement from the UK Supreme Court that minimum unit pricing can go ahead in Scotland. The full letter text and signatories are below.
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Dear Sir,
We welcome yesterday’s judgement from the UK Supreme Court. This has cleared the way for the implementation of alcohol Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in Scotland and is a victory for both the public’s health and for democracy.
The costly and time consuming legal challenge led by the Scotch Whisky Association has put profits before people’s lives. Thousands of people have died, many from our poorest communities, in the five years the SWA has used its deep pockets to block the implementation of legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The people of Scotland will now be able to benefit from this life saving measure that tackles the cheapest, strongest alcohol favoured by young and dependent drinkers. Minimum unit price will save lives, reduce hospital admissions and cut crime.
England is currently being left behind as Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have committed to introducing MUP. Yet, over 23,500 people in England die each year from alcohol-related causes.
We urge the Westminster Government to take responsibility and prioritise tackling deprivation and health inequalities by introducing MUP without delay. A failure to do so will cost lives and increase the burden on an already over-stretched medical workforce.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair, Alcohol Health Alliance
Colin Shevills, Director, Balance, the North East Alcohol Office
Katherine Brown, Chief Executive, Institute of Alcohol Studies
Professor Nick Sheron, Head of Clinical Hepatology, University of Southampton
Professor Colin Drummond, Addictions Faculty, Royal College of Psychiatrists
Dr Adrian Boyle, Chair of the Quality Emergency Care Committee, Royal College of Emergency Medicine
Dr Zul Mirza, Consultant in Emergency Medicine
Dr Kieran Moriarty, British Society of Gastroenterology
Professor Jane Dacre, President, Royal College of Physicians
Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, BMA board of science chair
Janet Davies, General Secretary and Chief Executive, Royal College of Nursing
Dr Peter Rice, Chair, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems
Dr Eric Carlin, Director, Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems
Alison Douglas, Chief Executive, Alcohol Focus Scotland
Dr Sarah Wollaston MP
Fiona Bruce MP, Chair of the APPG on Alcohol Harm
Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe
Baroness Finlay of Llandaff
Alex Cunningham MP
Caroline Lucas MP
Mary Glindon MP
Frank Field MP
Martyn Day MP
Lord Ramsbotham
Liam Byrne MP
Caroline Flint MP
Baroness Hollins
Sandy Martin MP
The Earl of Listowel
Lord Rennard
Baroness Masham of Ilton
Baroness Watkins of Tavistock
Jim Shannon MP
Professor Matthew Cramp, President, British Association for the Study of the Liver
Professor Jonathan Shepherd CBE, Director, Violence Research Group, University of Cardiff
Professor Roger Williams, CBE, Director, Institute of Hepatology London
Professor David Galloway, President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Professor Frank Murray, President, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and Chair, Alcohol Health Alliance Ireland
Dr Richard Piper, Chief Executive, Alcohol Research UK/Alcohol Concern
Professor Linda Bauld, Deputy Director, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies
Jeremy Swain, Chief Executive, Thames Reach
Shirley Cramer CBE, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health
Dr Andrew Furber, President, Association of Directors of Public Health
Scottish Directors of Public Health Group
Eileen Kaner, Professor of Public Health & Primary Care Research, Newcastle University
Professor Paul Roderick, Professor of Public Health, Southampton University
Professor John Middleton, President of the Faculty of Public Health
Professor Simon Capewell, Vice-President for Policy, Faculty of Public Health
Vivienne Evans OBE, Chief Executive, Adfam
Dr Dominique Florin, Medical Director, Medical Council on Alcohol
Professor Paul Lincoln, CEO, UK Health Forum
Nigel Bongard, Terry Martin and Debby Peirson, Trustees, Alcohelp
Diane Goslar, patient representative of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Justina Murray, Chief Executive, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs
Caroline Moye, Head of World Cancer Research Fund UK
Graham Beech, Chief Executive, Action on Addiction
Rob Poole, Co-Director Centre for Mental Health and Society, Wales
Ron Hogg, Durham Crime and Victims’ Commissioner, Durham
Barry Coppinger, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland
Dame Vera Baird QC, Police and Crime Commissioner, Northumbria
Jan Larkin, Turning Point
Revd Loraine N Mellor, President of Methodist Conference
Revd Kevin Watson, Moderator of the United Reformed Church General Assembly
Mr Alan Yates, Moderator of the United Reformed Church General Assembly
Lynn Green, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain
Grant Campbell, CEO Glasgow City Mission
Dr Tracey Harding, University of Southampton
Sue Pettigrew OBE, Director St Michaels Fellowship