This all follows Lord Darzi’s deep dive into the NHS, which argued that the most powerful opportunities for fixing the UK’s healthcare system lie outside the system itself. For those of us working to tackle the harms resulting from some rather entrenched but unhealthier aspects of our lives such as alcohol, junk food and tobacco, this isn’t news. Nor is focusing on prevention to ease pressure on public services.
In human, social and economic terms, prevention is always better than cure. We’ve banged this drum at Alcohol Change UK for over a decade. That’s because alcohol harm affects millions of us, not just people drinking at higher levels or those with alcohol dependency. From headaches, work and relationship issues to poor mental health, heart disease and cancer, alcohol problems are felt at all levels of consumption and reach all corners of our society.
While alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions are said to cost the NHS and England’s healthcare system just under £5bn each year, the total cost of alcohol-related harm in the UK is estimated to be at least £33bn per annum. That’s more than double what the alcohol industry contributed in duty in 2023/24 (£12.6bn).
This means the taxpayer currently foots more of the bill to clear up the mess of alcohol harm than the alcohol industry itself. It also means alcohol companies have more funds to inject into relentless marketing and advertising, keeping alcohol in the spotlight and encouraging us to drink more. Paired with the UK’s arguably more relaxed approach to the pricing, labelling and availability of alcohol, our current system puts profits of alcohol producers above the interests of public health and wellbeing.
Reintroducing the alcohol duty escalator to at least 2% above inflation would raise billions. We must also introduce minimum unit pricing, a measure shown to reduce alcohol consumption and harm in other UK nations and countries. Together, these start to form a compelling package for revenue raising and targeted intervention on alcohol harm, paving the way for further action to address how this major ‘health polluter’ is promoted and regulated.
As the Budget approaches, we hope to see bold moves towards alcohol. With benefits for the nation's health and wealth on offer, it’s an opportunity we can’t afford to miss.
