Minimum booze fee ‘will save lives and NHS cash’
PLANS to introduce a minimum unit price on alcohol in Wales will reduce death rates and save the NHS millions, it is claimed.
The Public Health (Minimum Price for Alcohol) (Wales) Bill was expected to be introduced before the Assembly this by the Welsh Government.
The law aims to bring in a minimum price per unit – possibly 50p – in a bid to reduce the health effects of excessive drinking.
It will make it an offence for alcohol to be supplied below that price, with councils being given the power to issue fixed penalty notices to businesses not complying.
Alcohol Concern Cymru claims alcohol can currently be purchased in Wales for as little as 18p per unit.
There are an estimated 50,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions a year in Wales which cost the Welsh NHS £120m.
In 2015 alone, there were 463 alcohol-related deaths in Wales.
The Bill wants to reduce the availability and affordability of cheap, strong alcohol, which is part of wider efforts to improve and protect the health of the population of Wales.
Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said: “Alcohol-related harm also has a big impact on public services such as the NHS. There is a very clear and direct link between levels of excessive drinking and the availability of cheap alcohol.
“So we need to take decisive action now to address the affordability of alcohol, as part of wider efforts to tackle alcoholrelated harm.”
Over a 20-year period, it is claimed the introduction of a minimum unit price could contribute £882m to the Welsh economy in terms of the reduction in alcohol-related illness, crime and workplace absence.
However, some people in the drinks industry claim the proposed legislation contravenes EU regulations, potentially acting as a restriction on the free movement of goods.
According to research by charity Alcohol Concern Cymru, 14 units – the maximum amount the UK’s Chief Medical Officers recommend any of us drink in a week – can currently be bought for as little as £2.52. Director Andrew Misell said: “The introduction of a minimum unit price will be an important and effective step in addressing the harms caused by alcohol misuse in Wales.
“As alcohol has become more affordable, the rates of alcohol-related ill-health have risen. Minimum pricing will help to reduce harmful drinking, without punishing moderate drinkers.”
Scotland has also attempted to introduce a 50p minimum unit price but it remains held up by a legal challenge from the drinks industry.