Ministers hope to make people think twice about how much they should drink A Welsh campaign group claims that plans for a minimum price for alcohol will have “zero impact”.
The UK government’s minimum pricing proposals for England and Wales would work out at 38p for a can of weak lager and £10.71 for a litre of vodka.
But Clive Wolfendale of CAIS, the north Wales drug and alcohol agency, said such a price level was “nowhere near” high enough.
UK ministers hope to prevent binge drinking and its associated problems.
Under the proposals to be announced by UK ministers, shops and bars will be prevented from selling drinks for less than the tax they pay on them.
Binge drinking is linked with chronic health problems and social disorder and the UK government hopes to make people think twice about how much they should drink.
However Mr Wolfendale, chief executive of CAIS, said of the move: “This will not make people think twice or even once. It will not change the goalposts at all.
“I can’t see it making a huge amount of difference at all”
Clive Wolfendale CAIS
“It looks like a sop, to me, to campaigners. I’m very disappointed. It will have zero impact on health issues concerning the use of alcohol.”
Mr Wolfendale told BBC Radio Wales that the proposals represented 21p a unit for beer and 28p for spirits.
“It needs to be 50p at least, to have any significant impact on health problems,” he said.
“I can’t see it making a huge amount of difference at all. It’s just wallowing about at the bottom of the spectrum.”
Mr Wolfendale said he had just visited Finland where half a litre of beer cost seven euros (£5.85) and a “very moderate” bottle of wine about 25 euros (£20.90).
“Now that’s getting serious,” he said. “We’re just playing at it here.”
“If you establish the principle that there should be a minimum price, or a ban on low-cost selling then you can move the goalposts”
Nick Bish Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers
Nick Bish, chief executive of Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, which represents pub and bar operators, described the plan as “a start”.
“If you establish the principle that there should be a minimum price, or a ban on low-cost selling then you can move the goalposts,” he said.
“This is an entry point. It doesn’t really do very much on day one. It establishes a principle and it might or might not move depending on what campaigners achieve.”
However Mr Bish said the move would do little to help hard-pressed pubs and clubs survive.
“The effects are going to come through some time down the track,” said Mr Bish.
“People’s habits will change. This isn’t going to make a huge difference to people’s buying decisions except right on the margins in the community of people who misuse alcohol.”
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