Wales must have its own powers to be able to introduce tougher controls on alcohol to tackle the binge-drinking culture, Wales’ Top Doctor will say.
The 2009 annual report by the Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, to be published later this week, will show that too many people still drink more than the recommended daily amount.
45 per cent of adults report to drink more than what is recommended every day, and in 2008/09 there were more than 16,000 referrals to treatment agencies for alcohol misuse.
People who regularly drink above what is advised are increasing their risk of cancer of the mouth, neck, breast or throat, of high blood pressure and liver cirrhosis.
Dr Jewell said:
“I have along with the other UK Chief Medical Officers, the British Medical Association, and NICE called for minimum pricing and highlighted the link between lower prices and alcohol consumption.
“I welcome that the UK Government has indicated it is going to take action on these issues, but I back the Welsh Health Minister’s bid to request the devolution of powers to regulate the sale of alcohol by supermarkets, licensed premises, pubs and clubs.
“Earlier this year, I issued guidance to families on alcohol and children. As part of this I recommended that children under the age of 15 should never drink alcohol. There is clear evidence that alcohol can harm the development of children, and people who drink as a youngster are more likely to binge drink when they are older.
“My guidance will go some way in helping people make informed choices, but we need to go further. I believe that the only way to really tackle this problem is for the Assembly Government to have the necessary power to make changes to the controls on sale of alcohol in Wales.
“This could include introducing tougher controls to combat irresponsible promotions, providing more powers for police and local communities to influence licensing decisions, giving local authorities the power to consider the impact on public health when considering applications for licences, and powers to introduce a minimum price per unit of alcohol.”
Statistics show:
- That 45 per cent of adults in Wales drink more than daily guidelines at least once a week, and more than a quarter binge drink every week;
- That between three to five per cent of all absences from work are alcohol-related;
- That around 1,000 deaths are attributable to alcohol per year in Wales;
- That almost half of all violence is linked to alcohol; and,
- The cost of alcohol misuse on the NHS is around £70-£85million per year in treatment and accident and emergency admissions.
As a whole, the Chief Medical Officer’s report looks at four areas relating to health in Wales; the state population’s health now; the health challenges Wales faced in 2009; how we must support a sustainable health system; and finally the future of health in Wales, and what must still be done.
