The Charter was produced in 2018 by the Drugs, Alcohol & Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm and prepared in consultation with the AHA, Alcohol Change UK, and the Institute for Alcohol Studies.
Supporting organisations:
- Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
- Action on Addiction
- Addaction
- Adfam
- Alcohol Change UK
- Alcohol and Families Alliance
- Alcohol Focus Scotland
- Alcohol Health Alliance
- APPG for Liver Health
- Balance North East
- Blenheim
- British Association for the Study of the Liver
- British Liver Trust
- British Society of Gastroenterology
- Cancer Research UK
- Changing Lives
- Collective Voice
- Faculty of Public Health
- Federation of Drug and Alcohol Practitioners
- Foundation for Liver Research
- Homeless Link
- Humankind
- Institute of Alcohol Studies
- Journal of Public Mental Health
- Medical Council on Alcohol
- National Association of Probation Officers
- NHS Substance Misuse Provider Alliance
- Royal College of Emergency Medicine
- Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs
- Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems
- SMMGP
- UK Health Forum
- WDP
Since its launch and in the context of the growing body of evidence of alcohol harms, the Charter has received increasing cross-party parliamentary support, including from the former Sports Minister Tracey Crouch MP, shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth MP, and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell MP.
Mary Glindon MP, Co-Chair of the Drugs, Alcohol & Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group, said:
“Our Health Services are deluged with casualties caused by drink – latest NHS figures reveal a rate of one hospital admission every 30 seconds, with alcohol deaths up six per cent to a record high. Urgent action is needed to address this. We’ve presented the Government with an Alcohol Charter which they could – and should – adopt as their Strategy, without further delay.”
Fiona Bruce MP, former Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm, said:
"The latest statistics released by the NHS confirm that the Government must act now to reduce alcohol harm. With 6% more deaths in 2017 than in 2016, yet 6% fewer people receiving treatment for alcohol problems, the promised alcohol strategy is more urgent than ever. The recent Alcohol Charter, put forward by charities and politicians from all parties, lays out policies which make financial sense - but more importantly would save lives."
Supporting Parliamentarians:
- Jonathan Ashworth MP
- Fiona Bruce MP
- Mary Glindon MP
- Lord Adebowale
- Tracey Crouch MP
- John McDonnell MP
- Chris Law MP
- Ian Lavery MP
- Lord Ponsonby
- Lord Ramsbotham
- Dr David Drew MP
- Kelvin Hopkins MP
- Rachael Maskell MP
- Liz McInnes MP
- Grahame Morris MP
- Jo Stevens MP
- Chris Williamson MP
