Cheap alcohol ban will hit wine drinkers most

Alan Travis and John Carvel
The Guardian, Thursday December 4 2008

Plans will have little effect on lager, research shows

Raising cost of alcohol will reduce crime and NHS bill

Wine drinkers will be hit hardest by government proposals to ban cut-price alcohol promotions in supermarkets and off-licences, according to government-commissioned research published yesterday.

The Sheffield University study says that bans on discounts of over 30%, such as "three for the price of two" offers, will affect wine consumption most but will have little effect on cheaper alcohol, such as lager and beers, that sell for less than 30p a unit.

The research, commissioned by the Department for Health, looked at 40 separate policy options, including setting minimum prices per unit of alcohol. It showed that reducing the quantity of cut-price alcohol on sale can reduce consumption and have significant effects on reducing alcohol-related crime and ill-health.

Over 50% of alcohol sold in supermarkets is sold at a discount, albeit a small one in most cases.

The Sheffield research also shows that targeting price increases at cheaper types of alcohol, particularly in bars and pubs where at-risk groups such as younger people do most of their drinking, would have an impact without unduly penalising moderate drinkers.
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