Booze available at ‘pocket money prices’ in UK

Members of a UK trade alliance have called for the government to take action against cheap, high-strength alcohol, which continues to be sold at “pocket money prices”.

Products like high strength white cider and vodka cost as little as 16p per unit in the UK

A review of alcohol prices in a range of retailers conducted by the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) – a group of medical royal colleges, alcohol organisations and health bodies – found that products like high strength white cider and vodka cost as little as 16p per unit.

For the cost of a standard off-peak cinema ticket,  it is possible to buy 13 pints of white cider – which at 13% abv contain as much alcohol as 53 shots of vodka.

In the report, titled Cheap alcohol: the price we pay, the AHA warns that until action is taken, harms associated with alcohol consumption will continue to rise, further stretching the NHS and public services.

Chair of the AHA, leading liver doctor and former President of the Royal College of Physicians, Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, said: “In spite of a government commitment to tackle cheap, high-strength alcohol, these products are still available at pocket money prices. Harmful drinkers and children are still choosing the cheapest products: predominantly white cider and cheap vodka.

“We need to make excessively cheap alcohol less affordable through the tax system, including an increase in cider duty. It’s not right that high strength white cider is taxed at a third of the rate for strong beer.

“In addition, we need minimum unit pricing. This would target the cheap, high strength products drunk by harmful drinkers whilst barely affecting moderate drinkers, and it would leave pub prices untouched. In fact, pubs could benefit from minimum unit pricing, as it would prevent the proliferation of cheap alcohol in our supermarkets.

“It’s time the government took action and made all high strength alcohol less attractive to vulnerable drinkers.”

Government figures estimate that alcohol harm costs the UK more than £21 billion per year.