To:Victoria Atkins MP

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability

Dear Victoria,

I am writing to raise my concerns about the high rates of harm caused by cheap alcohol, and to highlight ways in which minimum unit pricing (MUP) could help address this.

As you will know, cheap alcohol carries a tremendous cost, damaging not only people’s health, but the economy and wider society too. Alcohol is the leading cause of death among 15 to 49 year olds and is causally linked to over 200 disease and injury conditions, including seven cancers. It places undue strain on an already struggling NHS; there are typically more than one million alcohol-related hospital admissions a year, half of which occur among the most deprived groups in our communities. Unless trends are reversed, this is projected to cost the NHS £17 billion over the next five years. 

The social costs are also substantial. Alcohol-related crime costs up to £13 billion per year in England and Wales. The Centre for Public Health estimated that as much as 34% of child social care costs are alcohol-related. Further, alcohol causes more years of life lost to the workforce than the 10 most common cancers combined - in 2015 there were 167,000 years of working life lost. This comes at a social cost that has been estimated between £21 billion and £52 billion.

Action is urgently required. MUP offers a highly effective measure targeted at the cheapest, strongest alcohol favoured by younger and more harmful drinkers. By ensuring that no product is sold for less than a ‘floor price’ per unit of alcohol – recommended by the Alcohol Health Alliance to be 50p - such a policy would discourage consumption among those drinking at harmful levels. At the same time, it would have minimal effect on the majority of drinkers, since heavier drinkers are far more likely to purchase alcohol priced at less than 50p per unit. 

In the first five years, a 50p MUP in England is estimated to save 1,148 lives, reduce hospital admissions by 74,471, and cut health care costs by £326 million. It is estimated to lead to 36,400 fewer crimes per year, benefitting society as well as freeing up police officers’ time, saving £711 million in policing costs alone. In a time of such pressure on services and of persistent deprivation and inequality, tackling the harm caused by alcohol must be a policy priority. Indeed, 51% of the public support MUP. Further, the policy is supported by publicans at a rate of 2 to 1 - it would protect their businesses (where the vast majority of their products would be unaffected by MUP) while ending the sale of irresponsibly discounted white ciders and spirits in the off-trade that undercuts their business.

I very much welcome the joint Health and Home Affairs Select Committees’ inquiry, and eagerly await their report. As you reflect on their findings, I hope you will strongly consider the disproportionate harms inflicted by cheap alcohol levels against the most vulnerable in our society. The introduction of MUP could save lives, support families and strengthen communities, as well as strengthening the economy and public finances.

Yours sincerely,