Portman slams Welsh booze tax plan
Drinks watchdog Portman Group has slammed the Welsh Assembly's plan to increase tax on alcohol and place more controls on the promotion of alcohol.
The Welsh Assembly unveiled its 10-year alcohol strategy, Working Together to Reduce Harm, yesterday for consultation.
It says the Assembly will "press for stricter rules on the promotion of alcohol, an increase in taxation and a reduction in the drink-drive limit".
The authorities have come under increasing pressure to introduce a hike in alcohol tax since the formation of the Alcohol Health Alliance late last year.
However, Portman Group chief executive David Poley hit back at the Assembly's plan.
Raising tax to cut levels of misuse would be ineffectiveDavid PoleyPortman Group
"The Government has commissioned an independent review of the industry's standards of social responsibility.
"We are determined to demonstrate that the activities of drinks producers are already strictly controlled.
"Raising tax to cut levels of misuse would be ineffective. Drinks producers are ploughing millions of pounds into the Drinkaware Trust's campaigning work.
"Education can change the culture just as it did with drink-driving."
The strategy will backed by an extra £9.6m in the Substance Misuse Action Fund over the next three years, taking the total amount of funding to over £27m per year by 2010-11.
Damage
The proposals in the strategy address four key areas - prevention, supporting substance misusers, supporting families, and, tackling availability and protecting individuals and communities.
"The misuse of alcohol and the damage to health that it causes to individuals, the impact on their families, particularly to the children of problem drinkers and to communities is a growing problem in our society," said minister for social justice and local government, Dr Brian Gibbons (pictured).
"It causes anti-social behaviour, poor health and can lead to domestic violence and family break-up.
"The economic and social costs of alcohol and class A drug misuse in Wales is estimated to be as much as £2bn each year. It also puts pressure on public services costing the NHS in Wales up to £85 million a year. It is therefore right that we should place a greater emphasis on alcohol and reducing the harm it causes."
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, added: "There is growing evidence that young people in Wales are starting to drink at an early age and regularly binge drink - with consequent risk of injury, road traffic crashes, unsafe sex and anti-social behaviour, so this new 10 year strategy will help tackle the culture of binge drinking and other substance misuse extending into adulthood."
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