The Chancellor has announced that the previously planned alcohol duty freeze will be reversed.
In response, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said:
“We welcome the Government’s recent decision to reverse the planned freeze to alcohol duty. As death rates from alcohol remain at record high levels, alcohol duty is fundamental in reducing the public health burden caused by alcohol.
We are hopeful that this represents the start of a new approach to alcohol harm from the Government, with the enormous costs from alcohol harm better offset with fairer duty policies. Alcohol duty helps to save lives, reduce hospital admissions, prevent crime, and boost the economy, and it is heartening to see Government recognise its importance.
We now urge the Government to go further, with an independent review on alcohol harm to develop a long-term approach to reducing the affordability of alcohol and its harms.”
