You are right to argue that rising alcohol harm must be addressed in the government’s 10-year health plan (The Guardian view on alcohol and public health: the drinks industry must not control the narrative, 1 June). If ministers are “staking their reputation on economic growth”, they need to deal head-on with one of the biggest drivers of premature death and lost productivity, while ignoring spurious claims made by alcohol companies whose profits have for too long trumped public health.
Alcohol harm costs England at least £27bn a year – almost double what the Treasury collects in alcohol duty. These harms aren’t incidental to the alcohol market; they are intrinsic to it. While the industry promotes “moderate drinking”, evidence shows that its profits and growth depend on the heaviest drinkers. It’s no coincidence that Diageo’s CEO recently described moderation as the industry’s “biggest disrupter”.
