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The government should prioritise funding measures to address the growing harm caused by alcohol. Decades of evidence show that alcohol control policies are both cost-effective and highly effective. Many of these measures could generate significant long-term revenue for the government, far outweighing the costs of inaction.
IAS supports the Alcohol Health Alliance in its call for the development of a national alcohol strategy. This would utilise the best available evidence to create a roadmap towards a reduction of alcohol harm in the UK.
For many years now, the World Health Organization and alcohol control advocates have highlighted the most cost-effective and effective policies that would reduce alcohol harm. Although some of these will cost the government money up front, all of these policies will ultimately save the government money by reducing the cost of negative externalities associated with alcohol.
Therefore, our recommendations are the following:
- Reduce the affordability of alcohol by increasing alcohol duty rates in the off-trade and introducing Minimum Unit Pricing in England.
- Increasing funding for alcohol treatment services, following recommendations of the Medical Council on Alcohol (MCA).
- Reduce the availability of alcohol, introduce comprehensive restrictions on alcohol marketing, and enhance measures to reduce drink driving.
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