Trade slams Hewitt on alcohol tax plan

Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has angered the trade by calling for tax on alcohol to be increased to reduce binge drinking among teenagers.

In an interview with children's newspaper First News, she urged chancellor Gordon Brown to "really increase taxes on alcohol" in next year's budget."

And, she went on: "Particularly things like alcopops and some of the stuff that quite a lot of teenagers are drinking because we've got a real problem with binge drinking among young people.

"We've got enormous numbers of young people, particularly on a Friday and Saturday night, ending up in the casualty department of hospitals because they're drunk.

"Putting taxes up on alcohol would help discourage young people from spending money on alcohol."

Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations chief executive Tony Payne said: "Is she living in the real world?

"She is trying to close pubs down by banning smoking, and by putting the price of beer up it will close even more pubs."

Payne said higher taxes would mean people will drink more in an uncontrolled

environment at home.

He added: "Labour is

supposed to be a party for the working classes but it will be the working classes who will be affected by this. They won't be able to go to the pub after a hard day's work."

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers spokeswoman Kate Nicholls said Brown increased duty on ready-to-drinks (RTDs) by 11p a bottle in 2002, which was followed by a 25% fall in sales.

Nicholls said a better approach would be to target children who try to buy

alcohol.