Alcohol pricing gets Nice backing

A minimum pricing scheme to control the sale of alcohol is to be backed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, in a bid to reduce binge drinking and its associated heath and social problems.

Tough measures to tackle drink-related crime, antisocial behaviour and illness – including a politically controversial minimum price for alcohol – will be recommended by government advisers this week.

The public health organisation, which also acts as the government’s drugs rationing body, has spent two years looking at how to reduce alcohol-related health problems.

A group of experts convened by the organisation – its programme development group – has spent almost two years studying how best to reduce alcohol-related disorders, which between them cost an estimated £27billion a year.

That figure covers the cost of healthcare, crime, disorder and lack of productivity attributable to alcohol, including the £2.7billion the NHS spends treating the chronic and acute effects of drinking.

Those backing the proposals say action is needed because one in four people drink dangerously high levels of alcohol that can damage physical and mental health.

It initially announced support for minimum pricing in October, when it published draft guidance on alcohol policy.

Health experts and charities have all backed calls for a minimum price per unit to curb Britain’s binge drinking culture.

The move has already been backed by the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Royal College of Physicians.

But many in the drinks and retail industries are strongly opposed to such a move and believe a minimum price would disproportionately hit responsible drinkers.

When the guidance is published on Wednesday, it will not specify a price per unit. However, Professor Mike Kelly, the director of Nice's centre for public health excellence, is thought to back 50p per unit, as some doctors and medical organisations have already done.

Nice will also recommend that availability of alcohol should be restricted by limiting the number of premises intending to sell alcohol allowed to open in areas where such outlets already exist.

Its experts will also suggest that action is needed to protect children from exposure to drinks advertising, saying the potential cost benefits of a complete ban on advertising should be looked at as a way of protecting children and young people.

While many commentators are likely to welcome Nice’s stance, the alcohol industry will not share in their enthusiasm.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association said minimum pricing "is probably illegal, would punish millions of innocent consumers and will not address the root causes of alcohol misuse".