Evidence review ordered by government backs minimum alcohol pricing

Pressure is growing on the UK government to change its mind and approve a minimum price for a unit of alcohol in England after a comprehensive evidence review commissioned by Public Health England backed the policy.

After the report was published on Friday 2 December,1 43 organisations and experts sent a letter to the chancellor of the exchequer, Philip Hammond, calling on him to implement measures such as a minimum unit price for alcohol and increased taxes on high strength white cider, to tackle the burden of alcohol on people, the NHS, and public services.2

The new report sets out the range of existing evidence on the positive effect that a minimum price on alcohol can have in reducing the prevalence of drinking. Such a policy has been adopted by the Scottish government but not yet introduced there because of repeated legal challenges from the alcohol industry that …