Alcohol prices to soar in health plan

DRINKERS would face significant price increases for beer and wine under a proposal to cut Australians’ alcohol consumption.

Under the draft plan, released by federal and state ministers, the cost of all alcoholic drinks would not be allowed to fall below a set level.

Industry sources expect that would be $1.50 per standard drink, would lead to rises on a raft of cheap booze options..

A slab of VB — with 24 cans holding 1.4 standard drinks each — now costs about $47 but would jump to more than $50. A bottle of Yellowglen Yellow sparkling wine would increase from about $7 to nearly $10. A four-litre cask of Golden Oak dry white wine holds a 30 standard drinks — so it would rocket from $10 to at least $45

The draft plan, designed to reduce binge drinking and alcohol-related harm, also pro- poses an end to different rates of tax for beer, wine and spirits, with the creation of a flat rate of taxation for all alcohol. This would hit wine drinkers particularly hard because it is currently taxed at a lower rate.

The draft national alcohol strategy, released last month, also calls for tough restrictions on alcohol advertising during sport, and laws to stop bottle shops providing two-for-one offers and bulk-buy booze discounts.

It includes a suite of other proposals such as:

NEW restrictions on the serving of drinks after a certain time, and plastic glassware to be used in “high-risk venues”.

MANDATORY sobriety conditions on repeat offenders and linked ID scanners to prevent entry to venues.

UNDERCOVER checks to ensure venues are not serving underage consumers.

ASKING alcohol companies to put “readable, impactful health-related warning labels” on their products. CAMPAIGNS to highlight the risks of drinking.