NICE recommends minimum price
Wednesday 02 June 2010
Alcohol-use disorders: preventing harmful drinking - new guidance just published by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) recommends the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol.
The guidance is aimed at "government, industry and commerce, the NHS and all those whose actions affect the population's attitude to - and use of - alcohol. This includes commissioners, managers and practitioners working in local authorities, education and the wider public, private, voluntary and community sectors."
The guidance makes the case that alcohol-related harm is a major public health problem with around 1 in 4 men and women in the UK regularly drinking above the recommended safe limits. On the basis of the best available evidence NICE identifies policy options that are most likely to be successful in combating such harm. The guidance states that making alcohol less afordable is the most effective way of reducing alcohol-related harm and it recommends the introduction of a minimum price per unit in England. It also recommends:
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considering revising legislation on licensing
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considering reducing personal import allowances to support the introduction of a minimum price
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ensuring that children and young people's exposure to alcohol advertising is as low as possible by considering a reivew of the current advertising codes.
In addition, the guidance makes specific recommendations for practice, which include the use of screening and brief interventions. Read more.
See Alcohol Concern's press comment on NICE's guidance.
NICE has also published guidance on 'Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis and clincial management of alcohol-related physical complications'. Read more.