Seven in ten Brits want government policy to be protected from alcohol industry interference and a majority want a ban on alcohol advertising, says a survey for the Alcohol Health Alliance (which launches its manifesto in Parliament today.
“With a general election due to take place next year, our message to all political parties is that with the right political will there is a significant opportunity here to turn the tide on alcohol harm and drastically improve the lives of generations to come,” said Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the alliance.
The findings accompany the launch of a report and manifesto today in Parliament. The alliance points to National Audit Office figures showing alcohol deaths directly attributable to alcohol rose by 89% between 2001 and 2021, while alcohol harms cost the NHS £3.5bn a year.
The Yougov survey also found that 60% of people think alcohol displays and promotions in shops should only be visible to people who intend to browse or buy alcohol. They also showed strong support for making it mandatory to put basic information on alcohol product labels.
76% of respondents said the alcohol content of alcohol products should be required on labels, not just the alcohol percentage as is the case now, forcing consumers to work out how much alcohol a drink contains. Over half supported mandatory pregnancy warnings and nutritional information.
Alcohol products are exempt from laws requiring all other types of food and drink to include nutritional information on labels, despite alcohol being linked to seven types of cancer and over 200 other illnesses. The only requirement is for alcohol product labels to include volume, alcohol percentage and common allergens.
The UK government promised a consultation on alcohol labelling in 2020, but it did not deliver on its promise. ■
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