'Responsibility deal will suffer without health lobby'
Speaking at Drinkaware’s annual conference in Westminster last week, Ashworth, who is now chair of the responsibility deal’s alcohol network (RDAN), urged greater partnership over the issue of alcohol misuse.
Sharing the platform was Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians, who initiated the Alcohol Health Alliance UK in 2007.
Ashworth said: “Drinks producers are really good partners — essential partners, if we are going to tackle alcohol misuse.
“There is a perception that there is a ‘conflict of interest’ but actually alcohol misuse is a massive commercial threat to the long-term sustainability of producers. It is in everybody’s interest to tackle alcohol abuse.
“Alcohol producers are taking many positive steps, so don’t shoot people who’ve been involved. Work with them and give them credit.”
On the responsibility deal he said: “It’s crucial that people on all the sides of the debate on alcohol in society step out of their sphere, whether they’re on the health or industry side, and take bold steps around the responsibility campaign.
“We are probably lessening our chances of success with you [Gilmore] and your colleagues not being part of the responsibility deal.”
Gilmore said: “There is a place for partnership but the boundaries have to be very clearly defined. We need to look at what partners can bring to the table.
“We didn’t dwell on the responsibility deal but a whole host of different bodies did join in. While there is no problem with that in principle, the problem is a practical one of getting changes and pledges together that the health bodies agree on.”
Within the deal, launched by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in March 2011, the drinks industry pledged to commit to seven key areas of change including unit-labelling on packaging.
But six health organisations, including the Royal College of Physicians and Alcohol Concern, refused to sign up because of serious reservations about the proposed alcohol pledges.
