For once, our MPs are united in demanding 5p levy on a bottle of wine to pay for the ever-increasing cost of treating health problems associated with excessive drinking that consumes a significant amount of NHS budget, many considering it as self-inflicted wounds! Increasing alcohol duty by 5% will raise some £500 million that could go a long way in treating this ever increasing menace that consumes so much time, energy and NHS budget, especially in A & E department that is so often inundated with binge drinkers, especially at week-ends, that is detrimental for the health of general public, especially OAPs and chronically sick who are so often pushed back in the queue so as to treat these binge drinkers and drug users first, brought to A & E by ambulance!
But 5p levy will increase the cost of a pint of beer and a bottle of wine by some 15 to 30 pence. As alcoholic drinks, along with tobacco products are already heavily taxed, government may not risk the wrath of drinkers, to add to the Brexit problem the government is already facing. Alcohol awareness is gaining momentum fast among British public and some thirty organizations have created a special “Alcohol Awareness Charter” urging the government to take alcohol related health problem seriously before it becomes a chronic problem affecting family and public life.
One good news is that some five pubs are closing their doors every week, as pints are becoming too expensive. But competition among supermarkets, especially at Christmas time to promote alcohol, some even selling these drinks below cost price, are encouraging home drinking which may be more harmful than pub drinking, as there is no time limit at home, especially for those who are alone, lonely and drink on their own.
The Cross Party Drugs and Alcohol Parliamentary Group, as well as other alcohol monitory groups urge the government to introduce minimum pricing policy for alcoholic drinks, in line with Scotland, so as to reduce the number of deaths in England directly associated with uncontrolled drinking, numbering just under six thousand in 2017.
In any case, this extra levy is not a novel approach; as such duties are already imposed on smokers, sugary foods, alcohol, petrol and diesel that raise billions. But on most part such duties, taxes are not spend as intended by the public but become part of general revenue that goes into bottomless pit, including unsustainable overseas aid budget of some £14 billion, as well as defence budget when one single aircraft carriers may cost more than a billion pound, our contribution to NATO to protect super-rich nations like Germany!
Kumudini Valambia
By email
