Minimum price urged for alcohol

A MINIMUM pricing policy for alcohol has won the support of public health experts in South Yorkshire after a survey revealed that strong drinks were on sale at very low prices.

Statistics gathered by NHS Sheffield show that a unit of alcohol is available for as little as 9p – with a city branch of Tesco selling three litres of 4.2 per cent proof "value" cider for 1.18.

Other outlets in the city were found to be selling a unit of alcohol for 10.6p and 14p, sparking concerns that the cost of treating alcohol-related illnesses would continue to spiral.

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According to Sheffield's director of public health, Dr Jeremy Wight, the cost of alcohol-related harm to the city's health services and hospitals is estimated to be 12m every year.

It costs the criminal justice system 15m to deal with incidents caused by excessive drinking and businesses in the city pay out 16m every year because of lost working days.

The idea of a setting a minimum price for alcohol has been championed by the country's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, but has prompted angry resistance from some.

It is argued that forcing people to pay more for alcoholic drinks would lead to some sections of the community being "priced out of the market", while more wealthy consumers could continue.

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However, Dr Wight said research conducted by academics at Sheffield University suggested that a 50p minimum price per unit in England could result in substantial public savings.

The study showed that across the country, the move would result in at least 3,000 fewer deaths, 98,000 fewer hospital admissions, 45,800 fewer crimes and a drop of 300,000 sick days.

According to the university ,the minimum price would mean savings to the public purse of more than 1bn and academics claim that "substantial results" would be seen immediately.

Dr Wight presented a report on the subject to a recent meeting of the board of NHS Sheffield, which oversees primary health services in the city and commissions services from hospitals.

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He said: "The unit pricing policy is backed nationally by the Chief Medical Officer and National Institute for Clinical Excellence and our board welcomed this report highlighting the number of lives that could be saved if minimum alcohol pricing was introduced.

"They were keen to understand the wider picture and asked for a more detailed report outlining the whole range of initiatives that could be driven forward. This expanded report will go back for discussion in the next month or two.

"It's worth pointing out that there are already a number of initiatives locally in Sheffield, which are designed with the same outcome in mind – to help save lives by reducing harmful levels of alcohol consumption.

"NHS Sheffield is fully committed to these, which include work with young people to help them understand drinking responsibly, work with retailers around responsible retailing and support for alcohol treatment services."

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Dr Wight's report to the board suggested that cheap drink in supermarkets is made possible by charging higher prices for food, allowing shops to use alcohol as a loss leader.

The report said if alcohol prices were forced up, shops may be able to charge less for some foods, leading to a benefit for low-income groups.

Dr Wight added: "Working with partners in the city, including the Drug and Alcohol Action Team, South Yorkshire Police and Sheffield Council, we will continue to look at how we can tackle the problems caused by cheap alcohol.

"We will consider this within a framework which respects the rights of responsible consumers whilst making a real difference to the types of excessive drinking that damage individuals and families and are a cost to our society."