Gilmore: Minimum pricing would not harm pubs
Reports in the national media suggesting pub prices would be hit by minimum pricing of alcohol are misleading, according to one of Britain's top doctors.
Speaking at a select committee in the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, the President of the Royal College of Physicians, Professor Ian Gilmore, criticised media coverage which reported the move would hit responsible social drinkers.
"It would have very little impact on moderate drinkers, he said.
"A minimum price per unit of alcohol would not affect 85 per cent of products sold in pubs and restaurants."
Instead he said the move would curb heavy supermarket discounting, which he blamed for the rising numbers of alcohol related deaths in the UK which now stands at 40,000 a year.
He added that such deaths were soon likely to eclipse tobacco-related deaths.
"People across the age range are availing themselves of alcohol that has never been cheaper, " he said.
He cited price and availability of alcohol as the key driver in people's drinking habits and pointed to minimum pricing laws in Canada which had let to people switching from stronger to weaker beers.
He said this had reduced the number of social and health problems associated with alcohol.
Gilmore, who is also chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance, added there was too much emphasis on the disorder caused by binge drinking on the streets and there needed to be more focus on the problem of alcohol abuse in the home.
"There is an awful lot going on behind closed doors," he said.
Public health consultant Dr Peter Anderson said: "Price is important. If the price of alcohol goes down, consumption and harm goes up and vice versa."
Gilmore accused the alcohol industry of being hypocritical in backing health campaigns such as Drinkaware and failing to support more effective measures to promote responsible drinking such as minimum pricing.
The Publican is campaigning for a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol. For more information visit Make it the Minimum
