"We welcome today’s announcement to reverse the planned freeze on alcohol duty from February 2023, which, with inflation running at over 10%, would have been a huge real terms cut in alcohol duty. Evidence clearly shows that cutting or freezing duty increases alcohol harm, whereas increasing it will reduce alcohol harm whilst also raising taxes which can be spent to help the country. Duty freezes also make supermarket alcohol even cheaper relative to pubs and restaurants, so duty increases also help to stimulate the hospitality sector.
Alcohol is the number one risk factor in death, ill-health and disability amongst the working age population. Increased alcohol harm undermines economic growth.
Alcohol harm costs society billions each year through the courts, policing and the NHS. What we need now is for the Government to ensure that alcohol duty increases by more than inflation every year going forwards, reducing its affordability, raising money for the country, and saving lives."
