The British Liver Trust welcomes today’s judgement that minimum unit pricing is legal and can be implemented in Scotland.
Judi Rhys, Chief Executive, British Liver Trust commented “The MUP ruling for Scotland is a welcome first step to help stem the rise in deaths from alcohol related liver disease. There has been 400% increase of liver disease over the last 40 years and at the same time alcohol has become less expensive and more easily available. This ruling will impact the most harmful drinkers as MUP affects the cheapest booze and the heaviest drinkers. We look forward to MUP being adopted across the rest of the UK.”
I too welcome this news. Stoke-on-Trent (where I live) has very high levels of premature mortality from liver disease, well above the national average and continuing to rise. There is a very high number with alcohol-related conditions within the local area.
I have recently written to two of the local Labour MP's (Stoke North and Stoke Central) highlighting this very problem, and arguing for a change in the minimum unit pricing in England. I have also stated (in my own views) that the reason this hasn't been done in England is because of the vast sums of money paid to political parties each year in donations from the brewery industry. It was also good to see that in Scotland the Whiskey Industry that was lobbying against this price increase were defeated.
It will be interesting to see if the law lords in England will follow suit.
I think it's punishing the people who haven't got an addiction ... Alcoholics will pay what they have to for their fix heroin addicts are not concerned about the price of something if they want it they will get there fix!! It's about informing people and helping them not putting them in a position of more debt and homelessness it's not the cheapness of beer what's the problem it's life in general people are more stressed than ever with more work less money and a crap diet and sleep that's the issue
Yes, it is true that somebody addicted to alcohol will simply pay any increase by spending less on other things such as food.
However, this is about prevention.
As long as alcohol is being sold at 'pocket money' prices, our young people are being put at risk of harming themselves and possible becoming addicts in the future.
Booze was so cheap when I was younger so I saved money on a night out I would buy the booze at a local shop and take to the club and hide it in the toilet cistern the difference then to now is there is a lot more information on the damage alcohol can do to you and to be honest I don't think the younger generation have any more of a problem with alcohol than any other generation my childhood revolved around working men's clubs and being surrounded by alcohol and I don't know any families what have that lifestyle these days. Children/teenagers just need to the tools to make there own choices in life and trying to make established addicts give something up doesn't work people will not do something until they want to. It's just like everyone knows which food is good and bad for them but who are we to preach to people what to eat ... And fatty liver is getting a bigger problem because of the food majority are eating and as we know that can then do as much damage as alcohol or drugs legal and illegal but I bet you people would kick a storm up if they started putting a minimum price on foods ...
Knowing something is not good for you is simple. Choosing still to do it is very easy. At some level we believe it will not happen to us. People smoke, people drink, people eat sugary fatty foods knowing it can cause harm. I guess I joined this forum because I like most of us here found out the hard way that I will not live forever. I will not preach, but people make their own choices and the effects seem to be unfairly distributed. the cost of addiction seems to have little effect on what people choose to drink or smoke etc. We each have issues to deal with and I hope that with abstinence and a more considered life style we all make it to a ripe old age. I agree minimal pricing will not work any more than a ban on alcohol would stop people drinking. We need better education and more common sense.
Alcohol is cheap throughout Europe, yet it is nowhere near as abused as it is in the UK. Some British holidaymakers are a true testament of this attitude to drinking. As others on this thread have mentioned, addicts will always get their fix, regardless of the price. Most people turn to alcohol and other drugs to deal with poverty, stress, peer pressure, depression, etc. These are the issues that need addressing, not the price of alcohol.
Interesting thoughts. I don't and can't drink. Not due to liver reasons initially but clearly now that is an add on as my liver is in trouble. I actually don't think cost has a lot to do with it.
I am nearly 60. I remember the time when you didn't have easy access to booze. I'm sorry but I don't agree with supermarkets being allowed to sell it. I feel that only proper off licenses and pubs and restaurants should sell it. Some members of my family drink so we would be inconvenienced if supermarkets didn't sell it. But it would be easier to regulate. It would also make people think before they drink. We probably should also limit availability on line to have any real control.
Maybe alcohol should also be banned from places like the houses of parliament eating areas, and certainly no subsidies, if these are given. It is important that people who are in public office give positive role models.
Education should also look at basics from an early age in terms of teaching diet and how to prepare healthy food and link it eventually to human biology as part of the curriculum in the same way maths and English are part of it.
Maybe the amount people can buy at any one time needs to be regulated. Maybe we need to look at how it is advertised and that includes bargains being offered.
Sorry to go on but the other area to look at is the difficulties so many people are facing. Life is really hard for many people. Having to rely on food banks for some people is unacceptable in this day and age.
I don't think it is a simple easy to solve solution. I don't think just putting the price up on cheap booze is the answer. I truly hope I'm wrong on that.
The biggest problem with all of my thoughts are they are controlling. Would doing the same as with cigarettes help with government health warnings and the bottles and cans being hidden behind screens help? I honestly don't know.
I do feel attitude to drink and for that matter some of the ready meals and fast foods need to change.
Whatever the way it is dealt with though it is going to be a tough one.
Gx
This is now an old post, but just wanted to add some more news about this particular subject.
A lot of people will know that local councils have really suffered these past few years, with continual financial restraints and budget cutbacks. In my local area (Stoke-on-Trent) the local drug and alcohol support group which also finances a local alcohol detox centre, has seen its annual budget cut by 50% for the past two years.
When I had a meeting with my local MP (this was back in May 2018) I happened to ask her about the Scottish minimum pricing of alcohol and what the Scottish government planned to do with the extra revenue received by this increase. My MP didn't know and said she'd have to get back to me. I also asked her what her parties political standing (Labour) would be if the English government was to introduce the same scheme in England. Once again she didn't know. I happened to ask if it would be possible for any extra tax earned, to be used to help and support local support groups. In this way, alcohol producers could be seen to be paying for the support groups and going some way to deal with the damaged caused by the abuse of their product.
A few days later, my MP emailed me as to what the Scottish government was going to be doing with any extra revenue raised. Now comes the shocker. They are giving the money back to the alcohol producers as it was felt that their industry would suffer as a result in the drop in sales. She also went on to add that this minimum unit pricing scheme was only a temporary experimental measure, expecting to last just three years.
Sadly I have no idea what Wales is planning to do, but would love some feedback if possible.
I have known alcoholics to drink shoe polish and listerine if thwy dont have booze. Raising the price isnt gonna stop the alcoholics from drinking. In Canada we lowered the blood alcohol aloowance for deivers feom 0.08 to 0.05 to apparently lower the amount of drunk drivers on the road. It massively failed. The drivers who drove drunk were still driving drunk at 3 times legal limits. All it did was get law abiding citizens arrested for driving at 0.08 who otherwise obeyed and respected the laws. All I can see by raising cost on alcohol is that a wife (husband) and child of an alcoholic is going to suffer even more financial hardship as they are going to put even more of their paycheck to booze. Addiction doesnt lessen by charging more for the product.
I agree dealing with alcohol and any addiction is complicated and money alone is not the issue. I can understand the frustration over the revenue going back to the distilleries and breweries though, that is absurd, the revenue should go to support the individual and their families to deal with related issues to the addiction. It
Gill
The government should also be the ones paying the cost for the rehabilitation program cutbacks as well since they are the ones that legalized alcohol in the first place .
Alcohol being legalised isn't the problem, because the prohibition showed people would if they want alcohol or any addictive substance enough they will find a way.
Making it socially less acceptable to drink is a way for future generations, but not so easy for those who already drink. But that will really create a backlash. I haven't been able to drink in 37 years it's easy for me to make the suggestion. The reason was a sinus condition.
I've never smoked so addiction to that hasn't been an issue. Mine is sugar. I love sweet things. But despite skinny being the fashion look and. Sugar being less favourable now I still struggle with my cravings for it. If I am honest I don't think I will find it easy to give it up but I do think if I had been more conscious of the many issues sugar can create not just diabetes, I would have been much more careful over sugar than I was for my kids. We have lifestyles beliefs that need changing plus commercialism that will not want to see changes to enable effective changes to happen..
Interesting analysis, but not remotely surprising. The push for minimum pricing is political posturing not based on reliable data, the effect on problem drinkers being statistically indistinguishable from zero.
The problems in this country run far deeper than affordability of booze, it's almost amusing seeing our elected representatives using our health for political gain.
I agree totally with what you’re saying, it's a disgusting shame. I've been trying to raise awareness of liver disease in my area as we have a very high mortality rate caused by liver disease. I have written to all three of our local MP's. One has totally ignored me, a second has told me to write to my own MP, and my own MP has a conflict of interest as she receives funding for being a member of CAMRA. (Campaign for Real Ale). It really makes my blood boil. I think a lot of so called MP’s are scared to upset the distillers and breweries of this country, and if their own constituents continue to die, then so be it.
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