Trade hits out at latest minimum price proposals

The alcohol industry is once again at odds with a UK government health advisory board over proposals to outlaw drinks advertising and impose minimum pricing.

The recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have been slammed by trade figures and politicians who believe they fail to recognise the true causes of problem drinking in Britain.

Along with introducing minimum pricing, NICE wants the government to consider limiting the amount of alcohol holidaymakers are allowed to bring into the UK from abroad, reduce the number of licensed outlets and reduce the number of days and hours during which alcohol can be bought.

It says the most effective way of cutting the amount people drink is to make alcohol “less affordable”, with Mike Kelly, public health director at NICE, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme minimum pricing is the “most effective way of targeting problem drinkers.”

The industry, however, has heard it all before and is disappointed that a government health body has once again failed to address or recognise the key areas in the fight against problem drinking.

A statement from brewers SAB Miller said: “We welcome the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s focus on alcohol misuse but we are concerned at the focus on price and advertising.

“There is no conclusive evidence that advertising causes underage drinking or alcohol misuse; parents have repeatedly been identified as having a far greater influence on whether their child drinks than advertising does.

“Marketing is essential to free and fair trade. It encourages competition between brands, not the consumption of alcohol by people who otherwise would not drink.

We believe the future focus of government policy should be on the strict enforcement of existing laws to crack down on underage drinking, infringement of licensing regulations and antisocial behaviour. In addition, consumers should be encouraged to take personal responsibility for their behaviour and their decision to drink responsibly.”

Gavin Partington of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association warned that the consequences of NICE’s recommendations could be severe.

He said: "Sadly, this guidance proposes measures that will not address the root causes of alcohol misuse and will merely punish the majority of British consumers who drink responsibly.

“We need to educate people better and earlier about the risks associated with excessive drinking and we need proper enforcement of laws to address misuse and related anti-social behaviour."

“Minimum pricing is probably illegal and won’t stop problem drinkers. Advertising is already tightly regulated and banning it would hit the pockets of millions of consumers and threaten the loss of thousands of jobs.

“We all want to tackle alcohol misuse, so let’s focus on those who have the problem, not punish everybody.”

drinks business editor Patrick Schmitt spoke out against minimum pricing on BBC Radio Berkshire this morning, telling presenter Sarah Walker it “would affect the majority of drinkers without punishing the irresponsible minority.”

Patrick continued: “The fact that there are far more deaths linked to alcohol in Scotland, where the retail system is currently exactly the same as in England, suggests that the root cause of the problem is a cultural one and is linked to poverty and unemployment.

“Minimum pricing will not work, what is needed is a targeted, co-operative approach at local level between police, schools, retailers and parents to work together to foster a more responsible drinking culture.”

Peter Darbyshire, managing director of PLB, fears any move to introduce minimum pricing could force British drinkers to cross the channel to buy their wines.

He said: “A minimum selling price per unit of alcohol (or whatever measure they favour) is, I believe, quite simply unenforceable, particularly where you have a natural product like wine with huge variations in alcoholic strength.

"With the pound recovering against the Euro, this would simply speed up a return to the ‘white van’ phenomenon that was seen as such a threat when the exchange rates saw a pound at €1.40.
 
“In a free market economy, let the market decide.  Laws exist to prevent the public abuse of alcohol – let’s enforce them as a good start.”

Fortunately for the drinks industry, health secretary Andrew Lansley said it was not clear whether minimum pricing “is the best way to impact price in order to impact demand.”

The coalition government appears split on the issue, with the Liberal Democrats outlining their support for minimum pricing in the party’s election manifesto.

The Conservatives, however, do not support the idea. Instead, the party supports a ban on below-cost selling – a measure that is widely expected to be introduced in the Budget on 22 June.

Tory MP Peter Bone, a former member of the House of Commons Health Select Committee, said: “My main problem with minimum pricing is that it increases the profits of supermarkets and does not increase government revenue.

“My other problem is that you will not combat yobbish behaviour in this country just by putting up the price.

“It is not going to solve the problem. We need a cultural change in this country.”

Alan Lodge, 02.06.2010