Medics beg health body to drop charity funded by alcohol industry

PUBLIC Health England has significantly damaged its credibility by launching a campaign with a charity funded by the alcohol industry, leading doctors say.

A letter seen by The Daily Telegraph reveals that 46 senior medics, charity leaders and royal colleges have condemned the tie-up with Drinkaware – a charity almost entirely funded by alcohol producers and retailers.

Sir Ian Gilmore, a government alcohol adviser, resigned on Tuesday over PHE’S decision to work with the charity on a campaign advocating “Drink Free Days”. Now it has emerged that dozens of leading figures in the field pleaded last month with Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, to abandon the plans.

The letter, with signatories including the heads of the Royal College of Physicians, Alcohol Concern, the British Liver Trust and the British Medical Association, said the tie-up would “significantly damage the credibility of PHE” and lose the trust of the public.

It accused Drinkaware of misrepresenting the evidence about the health harms of alcohol, and raised concerns that the charity could “seek to water down” health messages.

PHE said it would “work together with any partner that speaks to the evidence and shares the same commitment” to reduce drink-related harm. Drinkaware, which has denied speaking for the alcohol industry, said it was “an independent educational charity”.