Debate on alcohol detached from fact

Pressure on the drinks industry and British Government to tackle alcohol related harm is mounting from anti-alcohol lobby groups but the trade is fighting back, challenging assumptions and highlighting flaws in campaigns.

Last week the drinks business reported from Alcohol Concern’s annual conference, where chief executive Srabani Sen called for a more active role from the drinks industry in reducing alcohol harm among children, a ban on drinks advertising after 9pm and an increase in taxation. This week the Alcohol Health Alliance was formed, a 21-strong health lobby group calling on the government to increase taxation on alcohol, ban alcohol advertising before 9pm and in cinemas (apart from 18-rated films), reduce the drink driving limit and ensure all promotional material carries information on health related harm.
However, as the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) warn, the debate on alcohol and health is in danger of becoming detached from fact, and it queries the efficacy of proposed measures. Hence, the organisation, along with four others (BBPA, SWA, GVA and NACM) have written to the professor Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, challenging assumptions in the group’s campaign.
The letter poses five key questions:
1. If current policies are insufficient, why are the numbers of people drinking in excess of the daily unit guidelines falling?
2. If high taxes reduce harm, why does the UK, which has the second highest alcohol tax rates in Europe, have worse drinking behaviours than low tax countries?
3. If high taxes reduce harm, why do the high tax countries of Europe have higher levels of binge drinking than the low tax countries?
4. If alcohol advertising encourages people to drink more, why has alcohol consumption in the UK fallen for the last two years?
5. Rather than call for health warning labels, which is ineffective at reaching those who drink excessively, what are doctors doing to encourage and promote moderate consumption, given those who drink moderately enjoy longer lives than those who drink excessively or don’t drink at all?
In short, the drinks industry believes headline-grabbing measures suggested by anti-alcohol lobby groups would have little or no impact on alcohol related misuse while increasing the tax burden, restricting personal freedom and limiting choice. Further, such an approach could encourage an illicit market in alcohol.
There has also been pressure on the government from the Police Federation of England and Wales to review so-called 24-hour licensing.
However, as the WSTA are reminding, only 3% of all premises (5,112) have 24-hour licences and three quarters of these are hotel bars, which have always been able to serve guests 24 hours a day. Around 200 of these licences relate to nightclubs, 200 to pubs and approximately 900 to supermarkets and convenience stores which are open round-the-clock to serve shift workers.
Finally, the WSTA point out that since the Licensing Act 2003 came into effect, statistics show neither an increase in violent offences or criminal damage between the hours of 11pm and 2am.

Patrick Schmitt, 14/11/07