Higher alcohol price ‘will save more lives’
A NEW law setting a minimum price for alcohol will be introduced by the Welsh Government.
On Monday a new bill was unveiled at the Senedd which aims to set minimum prices for alcoholic drinks in a bid to cut alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions.
It is estimated there are 50,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions a year, costing the Welsh NHS £120m annually.
In 2015 alone, there were 463 alcoholrelated deaths in Wales, according to figures.
In 2014, research on the impact of introducing a 50p minimum unit price (MUP) estimated it would result in 53 fewer deaths and 1,400 fewer hospital admissions in Wales per year and would save the Welsh NHS more than £130m over 20 years.
Welsh Government Public Health Minister Rebecca Evans said: “Alcoholrelated harm is a significant public health problem in Wales.
“The 463 alcohol-attributable deaths in 2015 were all avoidable, and each of these deaths would have had a devastating effect on the person’s family and friends.
“Alcohol-related harm also has a big impact on public services such as the NHS.”
Ms Evans said there was a clear 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 alcohol- related harm,” she said.
“The Bill I am unveiling today will tackle excessive alcohol consumption by making it an offence for retailers to sell strong alcohol at low prices.
“It will make an important contribution to improving health outcomes, by putting prevention and early intervention at the heart of our efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm.
“This will undoubtedly help save lives.”.
The price of a drink will be calculated by a formula including its strength and volume.
Over a 20-year period, it was also estimated the introduction of a MUP could contribute £882m to the Welsh economy in the reduction in alcoholrelated illness, crime and workplace absence.
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton said: “As alcohol has become more affordable, consumption has increased.
“As consumption increases, harm increases.
“All alcohol-attributable deaths are avoidable deaths, demonstrating the urgency for further preventative action.”
“Increasing the price of alcohol through the introduction of a minimum unit price provides us with an effective and efficient way of reducing excessive alcohol consumption and alcoholrelated harm.
“It will have a small impact on moderate drinkers.
“The most substantial effects will be experienced by harmful and hazardous drinkers, who are more likely to consume cheaper and higher strength alcohol products.”