Rising taxes on alcohol

4th March 2008, 4:16pm

Chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association has responded to a report from the British Medical Association (BMA) that is calling for an increase in taxes on alcohol to address problem drinking.

Jeremy Beadles commented: "It does seem odd to acknowledge that the vast majority of us drink responsibly yet call for tax increases which would punish all of us for the sins of the few. It would be unfair and ineffective.

"What we need is a comprehensive approach that addresses the social factors that contribute to alcohol misuse."

He added: "The alcohol drinks industry continues to work with the Government to reduce underage sales, increase awareness of recommended daily guidelines and educate people about responsible drinking. What is clear is that more must be done to enforce the great breadth of laws already available to target alcohol misuse."

The report from the BMA found that alcohol consumption is decreasing while the vast majority of people enjoy alcohol responsibly. Yet the report goes on to recommend population-wide policies such as tax increases.

Key recommendations from the report include:

• Higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and this increase should be proportionate to the amount of alcohol in the product. An end to irresponsible promotional activities like happy hours and two-for-one offers. 
• Standard labels should be displayed on all alcoholic products that clearly state alcohol units, recommended guidelines for consumption and a warning message advising that exceeding these guidelines may cause the individual and others harm.
• The legal limit for the level of alcohol permitted while driving should be reduced from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml throughout the UK.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, BMA Chairman of Council, commented on these recommendations: "Our report is making some tough recommendations but if the government is serious about tackling this issue this is what is needed. Since 1997, taxes on wine and beer in the UK have only increased in line with inflation while taxes on spirits have not increased at all.

 "There is strong and consistent evidence that price increases result in reduced consumption and that increased opening hours are associated with increased alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. The government needs to act on this evidence."

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