Minimum pricing for alcohol: EPHA applauds landmark move by leading UK retailer

Minimum pricing for alcohol: EPHA applauds landmark move by leading UK retailer

Brussels, 21 May 2010

The European Public Health Alliance welcomed today’s decision by the Chief Executive of Tesco Sir Terry Leahy to support the introduction of a minimum price for alcoholic beverages in the UK. In a bold move, the largest retailer in the UK declared their support for the scheme in a bid to curb binge drinking.

The scheme, first proposed by the Scottish Government and now being considered in London, would set a fixed price per unit of alcohol- effectively ending below cost selling and the use of alcohol as a loss leader in supermarkets. Public health NGOs, at both national and international levels, have strongly supported the scheme as an effective mechanism to tackle the alarming increase in total alcohol consumption witnessed in the UK since the 1990s. Price plays an important part in consumption levels; in the UK the real price of alcohol has dropped dramatically with promotions being used to attract customers. Successive studies have indicated that price increases would have a significant impact on purchasing patterns, leading to reductions in consumption. This latest move by the retail sector towards greater responsible behaviour is particularly welcome. It marks an advance in the recognition that health gains through reduced consumption do not necessarily result in losses to the the overall value of the alcohol industry.

"Excessive alcohol consumption causes significant harm," said Monika Kosinska, Secretary General of the European Public Health Alliance. "The harm is not restricted to the individual, but also has serious consequences for society in general. The presence of mountains of cheap, readily available alcohol in our supermarkets is no longer acceptable given the associated cost to public well-being. Today’s move by Tesco represents a notable step forward. They should be commended for acknowledging their obligation to sell alcohol to the public in a responsible manner."

The greatest determinants of alcohol consumption, in addition to price, include the availability and promotion of alcohol through marketing techniques. Discussions on minimum pricing form part of a wider debate on alcohol and health. Yesterday in Geneva the World Health Assembly adopted a Global Strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, including guidelines for the regulation of the price, promotion and marketing of alcohol.

"There is a pressing need for a wide range of measures to tackle excessive alcohol consumption. In the UK there is a golden opportunity to implement a scheme that has been shown to have a significant impact," Monika Kosinksa continued. "Nevertheless, a minimum pricing scheme supported by a number of other measures, such as restrictions on the volume of adverts promoting alcohol, will help turn back our increasingly damaging patterns of consumption."

Looking at the issue of alcohol-related harm from a European perspective, it is encouraging to see such developments in the UK. Excessive consumption of alcohol is by no means restricted to the UK alone, indeed recent trends show patterns of binge-drinking emerging among young people in countries such as Italy and Spain. Given Tesco’s leading presence in markets in central and Eastern Europe, the European Public Health Alliance is looking forward to its roll out of this scheme across all its markets.

***NOTES FOR EDITORS*** EPHA is the European Platform bringing together public health organisations representing professional groups, patients, health promotion and disease specific NGOs and other health associations. EPHA receives financial support from grants from a number of bodies including the European Commission, via the Public Health Programme of the European Union.

Further information: contact pressoffice@epha.org.

Related EPHA Articles

 New RCP article highlights projected impact of minimum prices for alcohol
 Open Letter to UK Government on Minimum Pricing
 European Commission responds to question on minimum alcohol retail prices
 EPHA Briefing on Minimum Pricing for Alcohol
 An overwhelming majority of Europeans support public policies aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm