Parliamentary group calls for 'alcohol harm minister'

By Mark Wingett, M&C Report

- Last updated on GMT

The parliamentary committee wants an increase in funding to tackle alcohol misuse
The parliamentary committee wants an increase in funding to tackle alcohol misuse
The All Party Parliamentary Committee on Alcohol Misuse is calling for a single government minister to be accountable for the responsibility of reducing alcohol harms as part of its 2015 Manifesto that also includes a minimum unit price for alcoholic drinks.

The group has laid out 10 points in its manifesto that it wants all political parties to commit to minimise alcohol-related harm in the UK.

It suggests that alcohol policy should be returned to the portfolio of a single government minister “to ensure clear lines of responsibility and encourage effective and efficient action to tackle alcohol misuse at a national level.”

Manifesto points

Along with minimum pricing and an alcohol misuse minister, the points of the manifesto include:

  • Adding public health as the fifth licensing objective to enable local authorities to make licensing decisions based on local population health need and the density of existing outlets
  • To strengthen the regulation of alcohol marketing to protect children and young people
  • To increase funding for treatment and raise access levels from 6% to 15% of problem drinkers
  • To include a health warning on all alcohol labels and deliver a government-funded national public awareness campaign on alcohol-related health issues
  • Reduce the blood alcohol limit for driving in England and Wales to 50mg/100ml, starting with drivers under the age of 21; and
  • To introduce the widespread use of sobriety orders to break the cycle of alcohol and crime, antisocial behaviour and domestic violence.

Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford said: “We want to be clear that this manifesto is not designed to end or curtail people’s enjoyment of alcohol – many people enjoy alcohol responsibly and in moderation.

“Instead it sets out some of the key points that the All Party Parliamentary Group believe should form the foundation of a future government’s Alcohol Strategy and deal with the type of alcohol misuse which puts strain on our public services and ends lives all too prematurely.”

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