Policy

Alcohol harm impacts all of us, whether on our health and wellbeing, a loved one’s suffering, or the wider effects on our communities.

This harm isn’t inevitable, and the solutions are right in front of us. Our environment can be improved so that whenever we want to make a positive change to our relationship with alcohol, we are supported and not hindered: with more accurate information about risks from alcohol consumption, better protection from efforts to get us to drink more, and improved access to independent, evidence-based support.

The time to act is now. If adopted, our recommendations would transform our environment, improve alcohol treatment and make sure policies are guided by evidence.

Good, evidence-based policy can make a difference to millions of lives by:

Although our individual decisions are important, the world around us also has an impact on our behaviours, including how much and how often we drink alcohol. Slick advertising tactics from alcohol companies can make it seem like alcohol is ‘essential’ and alcohol labels don’t give us all the facts about the products we’re consuming.

We need proper regulation of alcohol labelling and tighter restrictions on alcohol marketing. Our licensing laws need to be updated for the 21st century, now that we can order alcohol for delivery at the click of a button. And we need to tackle the sale of cheap, strong alcohol by introducing MUP in England.

The public purse should be reimbursed for the harm that the alcohol industry creates. Only a fraction of this cost is covered by the industry through alcohol duty. This cost could be covered by:

  • Uprating duty rates each year above inflation by reintroducing the effective alcohol duty escalator as a long-term measure, until duty receipts match the costs of alcohol harm.
  • Ending ‘cider exceptionalism’, by bringing the duty rates for cider in line with other products of the same ABV. This loophole costs the Government tens of millions of pounds in lost revenue every year and encourages the production and consumption of cheap, strong cider.

Reducing spending on public health is a false economy. A multi-year funding settlement for community alcohol treatment and support services will allow service providers to plan services, recruit staff, and crucially, reach out to the 82% of the people dependent on alcohol who are not currently accessing services.

The public health grant should be restored to at least 2015/16 levels. This will enable inclusive treatment and support, as well as action on the root causes of ill health and health inequalities.

The UK Government should lift the exclusion of alcohol dependence from the disability protections in the Equality Act. This will enable public bodies and workplaces to work with people who have or have had alcohol dependence and provide a supportive environment for recovery.

Read more about our work

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Policy insights

Read about some of the key areas for alcohol policy change in the UK.
Family at home
Consultation responses

As part of our policy work, we respond to alcohol-related consultations from the government and other organisations.
Parliament
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm

Alcohol Change UK was the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Alcohol Harm.

Get involved in our campaigns

Alcohol harm impacts all of us, whether or not we drink alcohol, with a ripple effect reaching friends, family, and our wider communities.

Change is possible.

Find out more and support our campaigns to influence decision makers.

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The Equality Act: Can you help us change the law?

We are campaigning for a change in the law to remove the exclusion of alcohol dependence in the Equality Act.
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Treatment Services: Let's improve care together

Treatment services hold transformative power, but many people are left without support.

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