With the introduction of twenty-four hour drinking in 2005, we were promised a cafe society; instead we find ourselves back in a scene from Hogarth's Gin Lane. Alcohol is 70% more affordable than in 1980 and alcohol sales have risen steadily. The statistics are grim and they mean that we are all footing the £20 billion bill per year in costs to the police, courts and NHS. But money is only a fraction of the story, the human costs are far more devastating; half of homicides and cases of domestic violence have a strong link to alcohol, as do cases of child neglect, and we know that there will be, on current trends, a 500% increase in the need for liver transplants over the next decade.
The trouble is that Labour has put the fox in charge of the chickens by relying on organisations like the Drinkaware Trust, funded by the drinks industry, to play a key role in public education. The evidence from the WHO is clear; education has little long term effect on drinking habits.
What is clear from international research is that pricing and availability are the key factors in reducing alcohol related problems. Of course no one who drinks sensibly wants to have to pay more just to stop binge drinkers and harmful drinkers causing havoc. That is why we need to target the drinks that cause most of the trouble like alcopops and super strength ciders and ban irresponsible cheap drink promotions. Ultimately, however, problem drinkers drink to get drunk and will load up on the cheapest alcohol that they can lay their hands on, and it might even benefit the pub trade if fewer customers were ‘pre loading' at home. Let's end the madness of 24 hour drinking and have real control by communities and the police over licensing.
Many people have asked me why I am not pushing instead for tougher laws to punish binge drinkers themselves. The laws are already there but perhaps we need more restorative justice so that those who are responsible for the carnage are forced to contribute to clearing up the mess that they have left behind.
Footnote. Whilst it remains Conservative policy not to push for a minimum price per unit on the grounds that they do not wish to penalise moderate drinkers or those on a low income, there is a real determination to sort out alcohol related crime and violence, starting with a tightening of licensing laws and increasing the cost of super strength beers, ciders and alcopops. This, together with a ban on irresponsible drinks promotions and below cost sales of alcohol will be a good first step towards reducing the £20 billion a year bill that we all pay for irresponsible drinkers.
