England’s drinking habit is a problem for everybody, not just addicts PDF Print E-mail
Claire Harkins, 18 February 2011

Head of drinks lobby The Portman Group, David Poley is fond of claiming that the alcohol industry is not part of the problem of escalating alcohol related harm but part of the solution. 

In a recent exchange with me in People and Society, the magazine of the British Science Association, he was fortunate enough to have the last word. [1] This has left me with a couple of outstanding points.

In our ‘spat’ Mr Poley uses an 11 per cent drop in alcohol consumption in England for 2005 to defend current UK alcohol control policy and suggests that the problems alcohol creates within society are largely down to the heaviest drinkers - the 7 per cent of people who are addicted to a legal drug. This is an attempt to marginalise the problem and to portray it as an issue for a few. It ignores the vast health and social costs associated with high alcohol consumption levels more generally. Even with a decline in 2005 the chief medical officer for England said in his 2008 annual review:   

“Quite simply, England is drinking far too much. England has an alcohol problem. Alcohol is harming society. Alcohol is not simply a problem for the minority who are dependent on it – it is a problem for everybody.” [2]

Alcohol consumption in the UK has doubled since the 1970s[3] and in line with this alcohol related harm has increased sharply.  Between 1991 and 2004 deaths attributable to alcohol almost doubled with 4144 in 1991, rising to 8221 in 2004.[4] Mr Poley takes the figures out of context and ignores the enormous rise in consumption that preceded 2005 and ultimately accounts for many of the hospital admissions for that year.   


The assertion that the Drinkaware Trust, the nation’s national alcohol educator, is independent from the alcohol industry is difficult to uphold.  The industry funds it entirely and consistently provides less funding[5] than was originally promised.

Despite having medical professionals on board Drinkaware’s campaign messages are unsurprisingly weak, providing a sanitised version of alcohol-related harm. Educational campaigns have been found to be the least effective means of reducing alcohol related harm[6] ;  this approach gravely undermines Drinkaware and the alcohol industry’s stated commitment to seriously reduce alcohol related harm.  Conveniently its work fits neatly into the alcohol industry’s position on public health debates whilst ignoring independent public health advocacy and ultimately the evidence base.   


[1] Harkins C. & Poley D. (2010) Making Alcohol Policy: increasing consumption or reducing harm? People & Society, The Magazine of the British Science Association

[2] Donaldson L. (2008) ‘150 years of the annual report of the chief medical officer: on the state of public health 2008’. [Online].  Available from:  www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_096231.pdf [Accessed 22 March 2010] 

[3] Calling Time: The Nation’s drinking as a major health issue (2004) Academy of Medical Sciences

[4] Office for National Statistics (2007) Health Statistics Quarterly, No 33; NHS England, (2007) Statistics on Alcohol: England 2007, NHS Information Centre [accessed 15 January 2010]   http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/alcohol07

[6] Babor, T. & Casswell, S. et al. (2003) Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity–Research and Public Policy. Oxford University Press, Oxford

 
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