News
Minimum alcohol pricing up to 50 times more effective than below cost selling ban
Introducing minimum unit pricing in England would be
up to 50 times more effective at tackling problems caused by alcohol than the
government’s recent policy of a ban on below cost selling, finds a study
published in the British Medical Journal
(BMJ).
Using a mathematical model alongside General Lifestyle Survey data, researchers
at the University of Sheffield estimated changes in alcohol consumption, spending,
and related health harms among adults for 2014-15.
The population was split into subgroups of moderate,
hazardous, and harmful drinkers, according to weekly consumption guidelines.
The team estimated that below cost selling will
increase the price of just 0.7% of alcohol units sold in England, whereas a
minimum unit pricing of 45p would increase the price of 23.2% of units sold.
Below cost selling will reduce harmful drinkers’ mean
annual consumption by just 0.08%, around three units per year, compared with
3.7% or 137 units per year for a 45p minimum unit price (an approximately 45
times greater effect).
The ban on below cost selling has a small effect on
population health, they add - saving an estimated 14 deaths and 500 admissions
to hospital per year. In contrast, a 45p minimum unit price is estimated to
save 624 deaths and 23,700 hospital admissions.
Despite some study limitations, the authors say they
found “very small estimated effects for banning below cost selling” and showed,
in comparison, “that a minimum unit price of 45p would be expected to have
40-50 times larger reductions in consumption and health harms.”
Please follow the link to the
editorial ‘Minimum unit pricing for alcohol’ which accompanies the study
published in the BMJ on 30 September 2014.
The
study ‘Potential benefits of minimum unit pricing for alcohol
versus a ban on below cost selling in England 2014’ is available to view here: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/doi/10.1136/bmj.g5452