Where next on alcohol pricing?

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced that duty on alcohol will increase in line with inflation, a move we’re warmly welcoming here at Alcohol Change UK. Rates had previously been frozen since the Autumn Budget 2020. Mr Hunt also unveiled a surprise "Brexit pubs guarantee" that will keep the levy on beer and cider up to 11p lower than their shop-bought equivalents.

On the 28 March, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm, facilitated by Alcohol Change UK, hosted a discussion on “Where next on alcohol pricing?” The panel, chaired by Christian Wakeford MP, included Alcohol Change UK associate Susan Laurie, Dr Sadie Boniface from the Institute for Alcohol Studies and Alcohol Change UK CEO Dr Richard Piper. We were joined by other MPs, their staff, Peers and sector colleagues at the discussion. After the news announced in the budget that alcohol duty will rise with inflation from August, the discussion focused on how we can make this duty rise a permanent government policy, how we can educate politicians more about the link between pricing policies and alcohol harm, and bringing policies in like minimum unit pricing to England (as it exists in Wales and Scotland already).

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Sober Spring is a three-month sabbatical from alcohol (20 March – 20 June).

Sober Spring is free, and you can sign up to receive weekly motivational emails with inspiration and advice from Millie Gooch (founder of the Sober Girl Society) and other Alcohol Change UK ambassadors, influencers and experts. It's the perfect follow-up to Dry January. It's a route to changing your relationship with alcohol long-term, a way of trying out life alcohol-free, and a chance to throw off the pressure to drink.

Spring challenges

There's still time to sign up to one of our Spring challenges to help us reduce alcohol harm.

Sober Spring is your chance to try out a longer period alcohol-free and break habits that don’t make you happy once and for all. Set up a JustGiving page to raise money as you go.

Spring UNLTD. Challenge is our ‘unlimited’ challenge inspired by Sober Spring sponsor UNLTD. (www.unltd.beer). How much of something can you do? Challenge yourself to see how much of it you can do in three months (20 March to 20 June). It can be whatever you want including walking, running, a bake sale, pancake flipping – in short, make it your own! Contact us for more information.

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Alcohol news

Minimum unit pricing in Scotland “has led to fewer deaths”

New research has found that minimum unit pricing in Scotland has been associated with fewer alcohol-related deaths. The study, published in the Lancet, linked minimum unit pricing to a 13% reduction in deaths wholly attributable to alcohol consumption - equivalent to avoiding 156 deaths per year, on average. Hospitalisations wholly attributable to alcohol consumption also decreased by 4%.

Read the study

Calls for alcohol products to face potential advertising restrictions

The Department for Health and Social Care and The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport are in consultation on producing legislation that will place restrictions on advertising products high in fat, sugar and salt.

The Alcohol Health Alliance, which Alcohol Change UK is a member of, is calling for alcohol to be added to the list of products for the potential advertising restrictions – as a “heavily promoted, age-restricted and harmful commodity.”

Read the response

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