Responsibility deal for alcohol has failed, says report

A highly critical report by the Institute of Alcohol Studies has said that the UK government’s public health “responsibility deal” on alcohol has been a failure and has actually worsened the nation’s health.1

The responsibility deal for alcohol, launched in 2011, relies on voluntary action by alcohol firms to tackle drink related harm. Despite being designed as a partnership, most public health organisations, including the Royal College of Physicians and the BMA, rejected the deal.2 Its current status is uncertain, as its alcohol network has not met in over a year, and the government has not explicitly committed itself to its renewal since the general election in May.

The new report said that the responsibility deal had pursued …