Balance, the North East alcohol office, welcomes the news that retail giant Tesco is backing the introduction of a minimum price for alcohol following feedback from its customers.

Colin Shevills, Director of Balance commented: ”Whilst the pledge to ban below-cost sales of alcohol in England and Wales as announced by the coalition government sounds promising in principle, the reality is that this would be almost impossible to monitor. The introduction of a minimum price linking the price of an alcoholic drink to its strength is the real key to tackling the UK’s serious alcohol problem.  It is effective, transparent and easier to police and something we have been strongly campaigning for in the region.”

In the North East, almost a third of men and a quarter of women are misusing alcohol, damaging the health, wealth and wellbeing of families and communities and the region’s alcohol specific hospital admissions are up to 60% higher than the national average.

Colin said: “Cheap alcohol is fuelling the North East’s problem with drink, not only in terms of health harms to the individual themselves but also in terms of second hand harms to others with alcohol being the primary instigator in domestic abuse and violent crime.”

Jon Stoddart, Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary and National  Alcohol Spokesperson for the Association of Chief Police Officers added: ”While illegal drugs tend to get all the headlines, the issue of alcohol misuse presents us with serious problems right across the whole spectrum of criminality, ranging from minor nuisance, disorder, violence and damage up to rape, organised crime and murder. The British Crime Survey shows that 46% of all violent crime is alcohol related.  We need to get to the root of this problem.

“Information, education and individual responsibility are clearly all part of tackling the alcohol related issues, but you cannot ignore the clear link between alcohol price and consumption.  There is a clear need to address the widespread availability of cheap alcohol.”

Earlier this year Balance published a North East price survey report Selling Alcohol at Pocket Money Prices which investigated how cheaply supermarkets and off licences are selling strong alcohol.

As part of a worrying trend for super-low prices, the report revealed that a two-litre bottle of cider is available from three of the big four supermarkets for £1.21, or just 14p per unit of alcohol, and it can be found at an even cheaper price at the region’s discount outlets.

Across the North East, lager is being sold at 22p a can, a 70cl bottle of vodka for as little as £6.98 and cans of super strength lager and industrial white cider, which contain the daily safe alcohol limit for an adult male, for less than a loaf of bread.

A minimum price is about ensuring alcohol is not available for pocket money prices. It will have greatest effect on strong, cheap alcohol.  For instance, the introduction of a minimum price of 50p per unit as recommended by the Government’s Chief Medical Officer would have the following impact: An own brand 3 litre bottle of strong cider with an alcohol unit content of 15.9 currently available at £2.73 would increase to £7.95; an own brand bottle of vodka with an alcohol unit content of 28 currently available at £6.41 would increase to £14.00.  However, a bottle of wine with an alcohol content of 10.1 available at £5.93 would not increase, nor would a pint of lager bought from a local pub.*

The introduction of a minimum price is further supported by research carried out by the University of Sheffield which shows that a minimum price of 50p per unit would cut consumption and consequentially deaths, crimes and hospital admissions and reduce the economic burden. It also suggests that if a minimum price of 40p a unit was introduced, moderate drinkers would only be estimated to spend an extra 21p per week on alcohol.

Colin concluded: “The news from Tesco shows that even the customers themselves are aware and worried about excessive drinking and the anti-social behaviour it causes.  This is an issue that isn’t going to go away and if anything will continue to get worse.  The backing from Tesco is just the first step we need in introducing a minimum price.  We now need all the other major supermarket chains to stand up and be counted on this issue but most importantly it needs the backing of the Government to really tackle Britain’s alcohol problems.”

- ENDS -

* The Price is Right – protecting communities through action on alcohol sales:  Alcohol Concern

Notes to editors:

Balance is the North East of England’s alcohol office, the first of its kind in the UK. It aims to encourage people in the North East to reduce how much alcohol they drink so they can live healthier lives in safer communities.

The Selling Alcohol at Pocket Money Prices survey was conducted in supermarkets, discount supermarkets and off licences across the region in November 2009. In addition to prices, the report contains new figures which reveal the extent of the damage which alcohol misuse is inflicting upon the North East. Across our region:

• alcohol specific hospital admissions are up to 62% higher than the national average
• rates of death from chronic liver disease increased by 15% for men and 5% for women between 2004 and 2008
• alcohol related issues cost the economy more than £1bn a year or £400 for every man, woman and child in the North East
• nearly half of all violent crime is alcohol related
• almost half of all adults believe alcohol is a major cause of crime
• between 2008 and 2009 the region’s three police forces dealt with more than 6,000 domestic abuse incidents where alcohol was a factor
• claims for incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance due to alcoholism are the second highest in the country.

Headline findings from the report

It comes as no surprise that alcohol is widely and cheaply available. However, some of Balance’s findings show just how low supermarkets and off licences in the North East are prepared to go to attract customers.

• Cider is the cheapest alcoholic drink, available in discount supermarkets for just 12p per unit and 14p per unit from the big four supermarkets and off licences (both independent and chains).

• Own brand lager and bitter (2%, between 0.9 and 1 unit) is available for as little as 22p a can.
• Cans and bottles of leading brand lager and bitter (1.5 – 1.8 units) are available for less than £1 at most supermarkets – cheaper than a 500ml bottle of a leading cola.
• Own brand vodka can be purchased for as little as 27p a unit, or £6.98 for an entire bottle (containing 37.5 units).
• Using the average weekly pocket money of £6.24, young consumers can buy five bottles of dry cider with a combined total of 42 units, twice the recommended safe weekly limit for an adult male, with change to spare.
• A 500ml can of 7.5% Diamond White Cider, containing the daily safe limit for an adult male, is routinely available at off licences across the region for less than the price of a 500ml bottle of a leading cola. 

• A two litre bottle of cider (containing 8.4units) or a can of leading brand super-strength lager can be purchased for less than the price of a loaf of bread or six eggs.

For further information please contact:

Matt Forster

Senior PR Account Manager

Tel: 0191 261 4250

Mobile: 07525 668868

Email: mattf@gardiner-richardson.com

Katherine Shenton

Senior PR Account Executive

Tel: 0191 261 4250

Mobile: 07525 668869

Email: katherines@gardiner-richardson.com

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