The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has criticised the "deplorable" tactics of supermarkets designed to encourage customers to buy "ever-greater quantities of alcohol" in the latest annual report on the state of the public’s health.
CMO Dame Sally Davies also warns over some on-trade practices such as not offering smaller measures, and the extent of alcohol advertising. Whilst supporting the Government's below cost ban, she also highlights its predicted limited impact in comparison with minimum pricing.
The report highlights that while alcohol consumption has fallen in recent years, "the historic trend is one of substantial increase". It points out that in 2012, the UK population consumed about twice as many units of alcohol per person compared to fifty years ago. It also warns over the normalisation of excessive drinking in some aspects of society, such as the prevalence of excessive drinking in soaps and films, whilst rarely showing negative effects.
On alcohol advertising, the CMO Dame Sally Davies says in the report:
"The quantity of alcohol advertising is also concerning: one recent study found that there were 111 visual references to alcohol in every hour of broadcast football matches: almost two per minute. This is particularly concerning as televised football matches are popular among children as well as adults, and the evidence shows that children exposed to alcohol marketing tend to drink alcohol at an earlier age and in greater quantities than those who are not exposed."
The report highlights various health risk factors from alcohol including cancers and cardiovascular disease, and that liver disease is the only major disease category in which premature mortality is increasing in England. Strong links between alcohol and crime are also highlighted with alcohol a factor in 47% of violent crime. It identifies 19% of all adults engaging in binge drinking reported committing a criminal offence in the previous year, compared with 3% of those who only occasionally or never drink.
On irresponsible retailing practices:
"Despite these clear health and societal risks, retailers continue to sell alcohol using methods which I consider to be irresponsible. I deplore the methods which retailers use to entice consumers to purchase ever-greater quantities of alcohol. For example, supermarkets promote multi-buy offers and sell alcohol below cost price; licensed premises have redefined “small” glasses of wine, and omitted from menus the 125ml measure which they are legally obliged to offer."
Although welcoming the below cost ban, Davies states:
"...modelled data suggests that charging a minimum of 45p per unit of alcohol should be more effective in reducing premature deaths. An exploration of the impact of the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Act 2012 would add valuable real-world data to our understanding of the problem, provided its provisions survive ongoing legal challenge and are implemented."
Also referenced are new recommended guidelines currently under review, which will be announced later this year.
5 years on from former CMO's MUP calls
In 2009 the former CMO Sir Liam Donaldson called for a 50 pence minimum unit price, also calling for public health to be made central to licensing decisions, and for further Government action to reduce alcohol consumption. Donaldson emphasised on the impact of other people's drinking, which he termed 'passive drinking', such as children born with alcohol-related birth defects and those affected by alcohol related violence.
For further alcohol related figures see statistics on alcohol for England 2013.
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