CAMPAIGNERS working to tackle alcohol harm have penned a furious letter to John Swinney urging him against lobbying the UK Government on reducing duty, claiming it is at odds with his pledge to tackle domestic abuse.
Bosses at Alcohol Focus Scotland have said they were “taken aback” to discover the First Minister plans to urge the UK Government to water down “a key mechanism” to reduce alcohol harm and violence against women – one of the main areas Swinney pledged to focus on in his Programme for Government.
The charity said rates of alcohol harm are directly associated with affordability. Alcohol in the UK became 73% more affordable between 1987 and 2020.
Previous cuts and freezes to alcohol duty have also had “direct consequences for public health”, the charity claims. Changes between 2012 and 2019 are estimated to have led to 65,942 additional alcohol-related hospital admissions in England and Scotland.
The organisation stressed alcohol is also a known factor in increasing the likelihood of domestic abuse, with at least 35% of all violent crime in Scotland being alcohol-related.
In a letter shared exclusively with The National, chief executive Carolyn Lochhead said to Swinney: “We were deeply disappointed that the Programme [for Government] did not include any specific commitment to the Alcohol Harm Prevention Plan which we understand is in development, and we were taken aback by the exchange during the First Minister’s Questions immediately preceding your statement, in which you undertook to contact the UK Government on the matter of alcohol duty.
“Alcohol duty is a key mechanism to both reduce alcohol harm and raise revenue. Rates of alcohol harm are directly associated with affordability: alcohol in the UK became 73% more affordable between 1987 and 2020. This is largely driven by the increasing affordability of alcohol sold in the off-trade, which accounts for 75% of alcohol purchases: primarily from supermarkets.
“Previous cuts and freezes to alcohol duty have direct consequences for public health – changes between 2012 and 2019 are estimated to have led to 65,942 additional alcohol-related hospital admissions in England and Scotland, and over 500,000 additional lost days of work.
“We were particularly disappointed by your response given the Programme’s laudable focus on tackling violence against women and girls. Alcohol is a known factor in increasing the likelihood of domestic abuse. Indeed, at least 35% of all violent crime in Scotland is alcohol-related.”
The Scotch Whisky Association last year hit out at a UK decision to increase duty saying it will put "additional pressure on a sector suffering job losses, stalled investment and business closures".
An Islay distillery owner also told The National last year the UK Government is “trying to run the whisky industry into the ground” with continuous duty hikes.
Kilchoman founder Anthony Wills said that while encouraging people to be healthier and drink less is a big focus of the Government, continuing to hit the whisky industry with taxes will be “hugely detrimental” to Scotland.
The tax charged on alcoholic drinks increased by 3.66% in February this year.
But Alcohol Focus Scotland has insisted it is possible to balance business concerns with public health action.
“Right now, that balance is not being struck,” Lochhead went on.
“No amount of business benefit justifies further damaging the health of Scotland’s people. Scotland needs clear and consistent leadership on public health, not ever-cheaper access to alcohol.”
The organisation said it will be asking the Chancellor to reintroduce an alcohol duty escalator to raise (non-draught) alcohol tax 2% above RPI inflation automatically every year.
Lochhead said this would raise £3.4 billion across the UK over five years, which would have consequentials for the Scottish Government which could be reinvested into health and social care including alcohol support services.
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
